“Well, hello, Holden,” Sydnee said. Her short dress perfectly encased her hourglass figure, showcasing how toned and fit she was. She sidled up next to me. “Want to go for a walk?”
I smiled. “That sounds great.”
As we left the fire pit, I felt eyes on my back and turned my head, only to see Kayden jerking her gaze away. Maybe she wasn’t as disinterested as she seemed. More likely, though, she was thinking murderous thoughts about me roping her into this.
Sydnee was outgoing, intelligent, and cunning. That much was evident in the first few minutes of the conversation. We’d met a time or two before during formal council events when she’d accompanied her father to the estate, but this was the first real conversation we’d had alone. My initial assessment of her had been correct. She had the right connections and training to be a proper alpha’s wife. Plus, she was attractive with her big brown eyes that stood out against her pale skin.
When I found myself comparing her eyes to Kayden’s, I gave myself a mental shake. It was too soon to start favoring any one girl.
After Sydnee, I spent time with the remaining three girls, saving Kayden for last.
“Are you okay?” I asked quietly. “I heard some of the girls giving you a hard time.”
“Whatever.” She waved her hand dismissively. “I can handle them.”
I fought back a grin. “Is that so?”
She shrugged. “They can say what they want. I truly don’t care.”
“You have a target on your back, you know.”
“You don’t say?” she deadpanned. “Maybethat’swhy I was challenged last night.”
I laughed out loud at her sarcasm. “You’re different from the rest of the girls.”
“Yeah. They all want to be here. I wasn’t given a choice.”
My smile slipped at that. “Do you want to leave?”
It would be easy to eliminate her tonight if that’s what she wanted.
“That’s not up to me.” She gave me a curious look. “Is that why you invited me tonight?”
“What? No!” I said before I could think better of it. I shouldn’t be revealing my hand. “What I mean is, I had no preconceived opinions before this date. I came in with an open mind.”
“Uh huh.”
“You don’t believe me.” I stopped walking and turned to her.
“Does it matter?”
We were a good distance from the fire now. No one could hear us. But I still surprised myself by saying, “Yes, actually. I’m not a liar, Kayden. I pride myself on my integrity.”
She looked up at me, and I could have sworn she was going to say something, but she only shrugged.
“I’d like to get to know you so I can make a decision. Why are you pushing me away?”
She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Isn’t it clear? I’m here against my will, competing to win the hand of the man who killed my brother. How am I supposed to reconcile that?”
She had a point, but… “I want you to give me a real chance, Kayden. If you’re going to participate in the Contention, then actuallydoit. You could have submitted last night when you were challenged. That tells me you aren’t ready to go home.”
She snorted. “Back to Branson? Hardly.”
So, she wanted to stick it out and take me up on my offer of a council position. “Then let me give you a word of advice. If you want to stick around, you’ll have to try. I won’t just carry you to the top ten out of pity.”
Her cheeks reddened, and she gritted her teeth. “I don’t want you to.”
There was some of that fire. “Good. Then show me that.”