Now he just had to deal with her underestimating him.
He lifted her chin with his finger so their eyes could meet. “Just what do you think that proved?” She chewed on her lower lip, a crease marring the space between her eyes. He hadn’t reacted as she’d expected.
“Should I go hit him? Fine.”
“Erik, wait. I’m…” She grasped his hand. He patted her fingers gently before letting her hand fall away. He wandered over to the confused gathering, his amusement growing by the second. The men were speaking in Russian, and he understood their words with ease.
“What was that all about, Dmitri?”
“I don’t know, but I think I like American girls.”
Erik held out his hand and spoke to them in their own language. “Hello. My name is Erik Costanov.
I’m sorry, my wife was teasing you. Are you enjoying your holiday in Alaska?”
He chatted with them for a while, the young men telling about the sights they’d seen on their cruise through the Inside Passage. He gave them a few recommendations for restaurants to try in Skagway and Anchorage. With enthusiastic pats on the back and lots of laughter, Erik said goodbye and returned to where Maggie sat on the stairs. She wiggled her nose and scooted over to make room for him beside her.
They sat silently for a while. She turned her red face toward him.
34
www.samhainpublishing.com
Wolf Games
“I didn’t know you could speak Russian.”
“There are a lot of things you don’t know about me.” Her scent rose and tickled his nose, and he took a deep breath, storing it for later. He could hardly wait to be able to sleep with her in his arms.
She spoke softly. “You just don’t look like the type.”
“Appearances can be deceiving. For example, you don’t look like the type to get jealous easily, but I bet if I did what you just did, your wolf wouldn’t like it very much.”
She jerked upright and a faint growl escaped from her lips. Hmm, his suspicions were correct. Her wolf was there, just hiding. He’d have to think about how he could convince her to trust him so they could lure the creature back to the surface. After seven years, this could get rough.
Maggie nodded deliberately then a mischievous expression crossed her face. “Well maybe, maybe not. Tell you what, you go ahead and kiss that guy and we’ll see what happens.”
He laughed along with her. It was enough of a win for this time. Another of her defenses had fallen away, and when she leaned willingly into his side, his world grew a little warmer.
Maggie picked up the pack and fiddled with the straps, adjusting them again. There was nothing wrong with the backpack. The whole situation gave her the heebie jeebies.
“Are you nearly ready to go?”
She squealed and dropped the pack. How in the hell he managed to sneak up on her when he was so huge, Maggie could not understand. She nodded, grabbing at his hand to stop him from turning away. “I’m worried about passing out. What if I have a reaction while I’m on the hike and—”
“There are medical crews providing help if anyone gets hurt. You know that. This isn’t a war game where we expect you to die in the field.” He rubbed a circle on her palm with his thumb and a flash of heat ran up her spine. “You haven’t had any troubles since the night of the banquet, have you?”
Maggie thought for a minute. He was right. Her last dizzy spell had been back in Whitehorse. The last couple of days while she’d been at her sister’s, getting ready for the Games, she’d felt fine. Felt the most energized and healthy she’d been for years.
“I feel…” The expression in his eyes sucked the truth from her lips. “I feel great.”
He winked at her. “Wonder if it has something to do with being with other wolves. Like your sister suggested?”
Oh shit, no way. She looked around his bulk at the other teams standing in groups, waiting to begin the first event. The teams from Whitehorse and Denmark were already underway. The Tombstone pack stood at the line ready for their turn in the staggered start.
“I just don’t want to make trouble for the team. I’ve brought my pills along in case, but I’m not going to be able to do this hike very quickly. I hope I don’t disappoint you.”
www.samhainpublishing.com
35
Vivian Arend
He crossed his arms for a moment, leaning his torso away from her. It was impossible to not admire the bulk of his arms, his biceps bulging his T-shirt. “It’s not a race for speed. We have to solve puzzles as we go along. I expect you will be able to keep up just fine, and you’re going to be a big help in contributing to us winning this event.”
He spoke with such confidence her fears faded a little.