Somehow their canoe had flipped over completely and TJ clung precariously to the bottom, his arms and knees spread like he was in his wolf form. Erik snickered in appreciation at Darren’s expression until a change in the roar of water alerted him. They all spun to see the towers of rock rapidly approaching. They grabbed their paddles and slid back into position.
“Draw on the right, Maggie. Jared, forward on the left. Don’t panic, we’ve got time.”
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Wolf Games
“What about TJ?” Maggie asked, concern tingeing her voice.
“He’s probably going to get wet. We figured it was a very real possibility from the start. Hard! Paddle hard!” Erik judged the distance to the approaching rocks. Finally they were in the correct line. Good. They still had time. “Back paddle. Now.”
The rush of water forced them forward no matter how much they struggled against it, but there was enough difference in momentum that the canoe carrying TJ caught up to them. It could all be for nothing if this didn’t work. Erik knelt on the bottom, his knees spread wide to try to reduce the coming rocking.
“When I call out, brace yourselves.”
Erik took a deep breath. He reached out his hand and grabbed TJ’s wrist. “Now!” One solid yank brought TJ flying across the space between the canoes, his arms and legs flailing wildly. He landed in a heap in front of Erik, gasping for air as the other canoe flipped and filled with water.
“Erik!” Jared shouted a warning.
There was no time to do anything but pick up his paddle and slam it into the water. Erik leaned hard, using the blade like a rudder, steering them away from the rapidly approaching rock formation. Jared whooped as a sudden cross-eddy dragged them past the jagged rock edges to the safety of the downstream side.
They all sat back and let the current carry them, the canoe spiraling in a gradual 360-degree circle.
Erik sucked in a calming breath and stared up at the sky. The adrenaline rush faded, his pounding heartbeat slowed.
A loud cheer rose from the people watching along the observation platforms as Granite Lake crossed the finish line. Erik brought them into the docking area set up farther down the river, more than satisfied with his team’s efforts. Maggie and Jared scrambled out first, chatting excitedly as they waited on the dock for him to join them. He picked Maggie up and spun her in a circle, his heart jumping as she gave him a big juicy kiss then hung onto his neck, grinning with delight.
“That was awesome. Can we do it again?”
He laughed. “I knew you had an adventurous streak. You didn’t even throw up.”
She dropped her head on his shoulder and spoke quietly. “I’m not happy about being with the other wolves, but being with you feels better and better. I…like you, Erik. I like your sense of justice.”
Her confession thrilled him more than finishing another challenge. He squeezed her tight before carefully putting her down, keeping one arm draped around her shoulders to block her from the other teams walking by. Glancing into the bottom of the canoe, he found TJ still lying there with his eyes closed, a huge grin pasted on his face.
Erik squatted by the side of the dock. “You planning on coming with us? Because I can send out for a pizza or something if you’re staying the night.”
TJ opened his eyes and let out a big contented breath. “I didn’t screw up, did I?”
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Vivian Arend
Erik laughed. “No. You did just fine.”
TJ sat up and nodded. “Maybe there’s hope for me after all.”
“Maybe.” Erik stood and reached for Maggie. She slapped a hand over her mouth and her eyes popped open wide just as a loud splash rang out.
The canoe drifted away down the river as TJ clung to the mooring rope. He bobbed up and down in the water, swearing softly. A huge sigh escaped him. “Then again, maybe not.”
Darren and his team sloshed past, their faces grim. The leader turned to glare at Erik, his gaze raking Maggie’s body. Erik stepped in front of her slightly. He didn’t want the ass anywhere near her. Not when she’d come so far in facing her fears.
“Nice teamwork, Erik.” Darren growled. “You going to introduce me to your lady?”
Maggie ducked under his arm, her face buried in Erik’s side. “Looks like she’s not interested. Keep walking, there’s nothing here for you.”
Darren raised a brow, his gaze flicking between Erik and the little bit of Maggie still showing.
“Interesting. We’ll see you in the next challenge.”
They stomped off, their dripping bodies leaving a trail behind.
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Chapter Nine
Maggie knocked on the door of the hotel room next to hers, her heart beating loud enough she was surprised they couldn’t already hear her standing outside. She didn’t really want to do this, but since she saw no alternative, she was going to put on her big-girl panties and force herself to have a good time. If she didn’t pass out first from nerves. Jared opened the door and whistled in appreciation.