Midnight Moon: Alpha Games Book One, page 1
Midnight Moon
Alpha Games Book One
Samantha Britt
Copyright © 2022 by Samantha Britt
Cover Design by Covers by Juan
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
To be continued…
Challenged Mate
About the Author
Also by Samantha Britt
One
Crouching between two tall pines, I lifted my nose and inhaled deeply. The woods’ natural scents filled my nostrils, as familiar to me as the smell of my own perfume. I grew up in these woods, ran through them almost daily ever since I first shifted and merged with my wolf. But though the woods were familiar, I knew there were many places left unexplored.
And, right now, my opponents could be hiding in any one of them. I’d hoped to be able to smell them out. Either they weren’t nearby, or they’d managed to mask their scents.
Knowing the two shifters and their competitiveness, I’d bet money on the latter.
“Smell anything?” My partner for this exercise and best friend, Stephanie, whispered so quietly it could only be heard with shifter hearing.
“No.”
“Shit.” Like me, she knew how good our opponents were. As the alpha’s daughter, my senses were superior to the average wolf’s. The fact I couldn’t even catch a whiff of Hunter or Mike wasn’t a good sign.
“What do we do?”
“I don’t know.” I pursed my lips and stared at the orange ribbon tied to the trunk of the Limber Pine fifty feet away. There’s no way Hunter and Mike would leave their flag unattended. It was almost certainly a trap.
Stephanie shared my thoughts. “They’re probably hiding nearby, hoping to get the jump on us when we expose ourselves.” She peered around the shrubbery currently hiding us from sight. Her brown eyes gleamed as a plan came to mind. “If I cause a distraction, do you think you can grab the ribbon and outrun them?”
“As a wolf, one-hundred percent,” I said, “but in this form, I’m not so sure.” The competition had few rules, but one decreed competitors could not shift into their wolves. We had to sneak up on our opponents, retrieve their team flag, and return to pack headquarters—all while in skins.
“What if my distraction buys you a fifteen-second head start?”
“Hmm.” I mapped out the path to headquarters in my head. I knew these trees better than anyone in my pack. I could weave through them quickly, whereas the terrain might slow Hunter and Mike down. “That might work.”
“It’s a plan then.” Stephanie rolled her shoulders and stretched her neck from side to side, acting as if she were about to embark on an Olympic sprint. “Get ready.”
I nodded and shifted my weight to the balls of my feet, eager to bring an end to this competition. We’d already been out here for five hours and the sun was about to set.
“Wait for me to draw them away, then make your move.”
“Got it.”
Stephanie peered above the greenery, her eyes alight with the thrill of the competition. Then, she burst through the shrubs into the small clearing between us and our opponent’s tree.
The next instant, a broad torso stepped into view.
Stephanie didn’t hesitate. She ran towards the tree with the orange flag. A second male body appeared to her left, blocking her path. That’s when she deviated and ran to the right.
Hunter and Mike gave chase.
I made my move.
I traversed the distance between me and the tree on light feet, careful to move quickly but quietly. I could hear the guys crashing through bushes and swatting away tree branches as they tried to capture my nimble friend. She couldn’t outrun them forever, but I didn’t need her to.
I reached their precious tree with a gleeful smile, but the sound of a pinecone crunching beneath my hiking boots wiped the smile from my face.
The crashing through the forest stopped. I heard Hunter yell, “She’s just a distraction. Find Blair!”
Too late.
I swiped my pocketknife from my back pocket and sliced the orange ribbon. Holding my prize in a tight fist, I hopped over a fallen log and took off.
The woods blurred into a smear of greens, grays, and browns. My speed might not compare to my wolf’s, but it was far better than any ordinary human. I bobbed and weaved through the terrain as I followed the downward slope to pack headquarters, my breath coming in even, well-conditioned spurts. By my estimate, I only had another half mile to go. I could easily make that in three minutes.
I broke through the trees and into the clearing that housed the majority of our pack members’ homes and businesses. Impending victory tasted sweet on my tongue.
Then, I heard it… heavy and quick footfalls.
And they were drawing near.
Adrenaline pumped through my veins. I hadn’t heard my pursuer in the woods, mostly because the sound of my own footsteps had drowned out all noise.
Now that I was out in the open, I’d lost the advantage of maneuvering through the trees. It was open season out here, and based on how close the footsteps sounded, the competition was about to become a brawl.
I lengthened my stride, hoping I’d reach my destination without needing to physically confront whoever followed me.
As expected, my hopes were crushed. As were my lungs when strong arms wrapped around my waist and tackled me to the ground.
Quick as lightening, I twisted and used my legs to kick my opponent off me.
Hunter was ready for the attack. He rolled to the side, releasing his hold, allowing me the opportunity to get to my feet.
I was only up for a moment before Hunter lunged and knocked me back again. I lifted my elbow to strike his jaw, but he leaned back to avoid the hit. Firm hands wrapped around my wrist and pinned them to the ground by my head.
“Come on, Blair. I know you can do better than that.” Hunter’s hazel eyes shined with a mix of amusement and attraction.
My temper flared. I tried to bring my knee up to hit his family jewels, but Hunter anticipated my move and shifted his weight so his thighs pinned mine to the ground.
I growled, cursing the fact the beta’s son and I sparred on a regular basis. He knew my tricks. With his larger size, there was no doubt I’d lose this fight if I didn’t get to my feet.
I wiggled from side to side, hoping to loosen his hold to give me the chance at another strike. It didn’t work.
Above me, Hunter leaned back and smiled. “That was a good try, Blair, but you had to know I’d be faster than you in skins.”
I grumbled under my breath, hating that I hadn’t been able to take advantage of the head start Stephanie gave me. I continued to try and break free.
“Concede defeat, Blair, and I’ll let you go.” He smirked.
I scowled. “Go to Hell.” No one ever conceded defeat during these challenges. No self-respecting shifter would.
Hunter tilted his head back and released a boisterous laugh. The sun highlighted the red hues in his auburn hair.
The urge to punch his throat was strong.
“Well, well, well. Are we interrupting something?”
I turned and watched Mike saunter towards us. A gathering of pack members trailed behind him, including my father.
My stomach sank as I noticed my and Stephanie’s red ribbon dangling from his fingertips.
Damn it.
I couldn’t believe we lost.
We were so close.
Hunter gave another amused laugh before removing his weight from me. Standing, he held out a hand. “Good try, Blair.”
I scowled and batted his hand away. “Whatever, Hunter.”
I scrambled to my feet, brushing the dry grass and pinecone bits from my brown jeans and green sweater.
“Come on, don’t be a sore loser,” Mike interjected, walking up and slinging an arm over his partner’s shoulder. He grinned. “You two had to know we were going to win.”
“You got lucky. Ten more seconds and Blair would’ve totally reached headquarters and won.” Stephanie appeared at my side. Her hair was knotted with twigs and leaves. I grinned. Clearly, my teammate had put up a fight.
“Would’ve, could’ve, should’ve,” Mike teased . “The fact is, we still won.”
“Next time, we’re totally going to smoke your asses,” Stephanie tossed back.
“Unfortunately, there won’t be a next time, at least not for a while.” My father, the Summit Alpha, entered the conversation.
He distanced himself from the crowd of pack members who’d found entertainment watching our competition. He stopped when he stood in front of the four of us.
Stephanie, Mike, and Hunter immediately straightened, giving their alpha their respect through their attention.
“You overestimated your speed.” I met my dad’s bright green eyes, mirror images of my own, and I didn’t miss their flash of disappointment.
“I know,” I admitted.
“The Summit Pack won’t perform well in the Alpha Games if you don’t recognize your own limitations and seek alternative solutions.”
The tips of my ears burned hot with embarrassment.
He was right, but that didn’t make hearing his criticism any easier, especially in front of an audience.
“I know,” I repeated. I had nothing else to say.
“Come now, Benjamin,” my father’s beta, Nathan, spoke up. “This challenge was just practice. Blair won’t be so rash during the real thing. Isn’t that right, Blair?”
I parted my lips to answer but was interrupted when Nathan continued.
“Besides, Blair’s partner in the Alpha Games will be Hunter. They’re bound to be more successful as a team.” Benjamin gave his son a sly look. It was a look that started when I’d turned eighteen, and Nathan and my dad had decided, not-so-subtly, to try to hook us up.
As the alpha heir, I was slated to take over leadership of the Summit Pack. There was only one problem: I was female.
Not that being female was a problem. It was just that there had never been a female alpha before.
Not once.
Naturally, news of my inevitable ascension to the leadership role was met with mixed reactions from our pack members.
The more old-school shifters weren’t fans of the idea, but the notion seemed more palatable when my father began to hint at a potential mating between me and another pack member—namely, the beta’s son, Hunter.
Needless to say, I’d opposed the arrangement. The thought of my position only being secured if I mated with a strong male partner was nothing short of insulting, and I’d refused to agree to it.
However, my father eventually persuaded me to, at the very least, not outright reject the idea in front of our pack members. I was only twenty-one. I wouldn’t take over as alpha for another four years at least. In the meantime, I could continue to train to be alpha while minimizing the disappointing whispers behind my back.
While I agreed to keep an open mind about a future mating, that didn’t mean I considered Hunter a potential mate. Like all shifters, he was tall, muscular and easily more attractive than the average human. But we’d grown up together.
It didn’t matter that most of the single females in my pack would trip over themselves for the chance to mate with the beta’s son. I wasn’t interested.
Not that my lack of interest deterred Hunter’s dad.
“Hey!” Stephanie protested her father’s praise of Hunter at her expense. She crossed her arms and shot her father a glare. “That’s rude.”
Nathan smiled at his daughter. “No offense, Honey.”
“Offense taken. I’m just as smart as Hunter.” To say my best friend had a competitive streak with her brother would be an understatement.
Stephanie and I had been best friends since the age of four, and I couldn’t remember a single game of Candy Land, hide-and-seek, or basketball when she wasn’t trying to best her older brother. It didn’t matter that he had three years on her. Stephanie wanted to prove she was just as good as him at everything, which was why she agreed to be my partner in these challenges in the first place.
I felt bad that we’d never managed to beat him.
“You and Blair performed well this challenge,” my dad offered, placating my indignant friend. “You should be proud.”
Stephanie’s head lifted. “Thank you, Alpha Ben.”
The crowd that had accompanied my father into the clearing took turns congratulating Mike and Hunter on their victory, as well as reassuring me they had faith I’d be successful during the Alpha Games. I knew they were only saying that because Hunter would be my partner in the inter-pack contest.
I bit the inside of my cheek and nodded politely to their falsely kind words.
Mercifully, Stephanie saved the day when she looped her arm through mine and announced to the group of shifters that she and I had dinner plans before I left for Montana tomorrow.
“I’ll walk with you both,” Hunter offered.
His sister quickly shot him down. “No, thanks. We’ve got it.” She tugged me away before he could insist.
It wasn’t until we were well within the walls of her family’s log cabin that Stephanie released an exasperated sigh. She kicked her muddy sneakers off by the front door. They banged against the custom carved coat rack near the entrance. “Ugh! I can’t believe we lost. I thought for sure we had them that time.”
I took more care removing my boots, placing them neatly on the mat by the door. “Me too.”
Stephanie stomped into the kitchen. She opened the fridge and removed two bottles of water, tossing one my way just as I slipped onto the counter-height stool at the edge of the kitchen island. “Why couldn’t you have just kissed Hunter or something?”
The water bottle almost slipped through my fingers. “I’m sorry. What?”
“You know Hunter’s got it bad for you.” Stephanie took a sip of water, then waved her hands in the air. “If you’d kissed him, he totally would’ve let you go, and we could’ve won.”
I held up my pointer finger. “First off, no. The last thing I need is for your brother to think I might be interested in him. Second off, I would never want to win in such an underhanded way.”
“Why not?” Stephanie pressed, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the counter separating us. “The Alpha Games are ruthless. Make no mistake, you’re going to have to get your hands dirty to win.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Um, hello? Do you not remember the last games?”
“Of course, I do.” They were only five years ago.
“Then you remember how the Coastal Pack alpha totally broke the alliance he made with the Moors Pack and made it impossible for those shifters to compete in the last game of the competition.” She gave me a pointed look. “You can’t afford to be too trusting in the Alpha Games. Remember that.”
I managed to keep a straight face but, inside, I wanted to scream.
I’d spent the better half of the last five years being lectured regarding what I did, and didn’t, need to do during the upcoming Alpha Games. Most of the advice came from my father, but many pack members felt it was their duty to give their two cents; including my best friend. To say I was over all the unsolicited advice would be an understatement.
Silence settled in the kitchen.
Stephanie shifted her feet. My best friend was never one to handle quiet well. “I did it again, didn’t I?”
I lifted a brow. “Did what?”
“Killed your mood.”
I smirked. “No. Losing the competition killed my mood, not you.”
“But I promised you a carefree hangout session before you leave tomorrow, and I’m ruining it by talking about the games. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.” I offered a genuine smile. “Make it up to me by taking me to dinner?”
Stephanie perked up, practically bouncing on her feet. “Yes! But we need to clean up first. We can’t hit downtown looking like this.” She gestured to her wrinkled and stained clothes.
“Downtown?” I asked. “We’re leaving pack lands?”
“Duh! You didn’t think we’d have your going away dinner at Victor’s, did you?” She referenced the nicest restaurant on pack lands.
