Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 106646 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 533(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 355(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106646 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 533(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 355(@300wpm)
But now she is here, and she smiles. Her gaze strays to me and her smile falters a little, but then she beams at R'jaal and settles in next to him and I clench my jaw. Tall Horn. Pfah. She can do better than that. She can be with me.
"This is perfect," L'ren says, glancing over at W'lla. The two females must be in charge of this round of games, as their mates have both won knives in the past and it would be unfair for them to win another. L'ren clasps her hands in front of her. "Now we have an even number playing. This is going to be a five-day contest, so if you don't want to put aside five days, then walk away now."
"What else are we going to do?" calls Sam, grinning. "It's the brutal season. We're stuck here on this beach."
"Not exactly," W'lla says. "Part of the contest is going to involve a round for hunting. There are five rounds. Cooking, Fishing, Skinning, Hunting, and then a treasure hunt. When we have clear weather, of course."
"Cooking?" I'rec asks, crossing his arms over his chest. "Pfah."
"Hunting?" F'lor echoes, mocking him. "Pfah!"
Everyone laughs except I'rec.
L'ren puts her hands in the air. "We're doing a variety of tasks so everyone has a fair shot at winning this. If you're not good at fishing, you might want to pick a partner that is, for example. We have twelve people playing now," she points at B'shit, "So now we can have six teams, which works out perfectly. With each round, the team in last place will be removed from the competition. On the last day, there will be two teams left, which means they battle it out for the prize. Sound good to everyone?"
"How do we pick our partners?" S'ssah speaks up, looking around the group. His tail lashes, and I can tell from his stance that he is uncomfortable. For a moment, I feel bad for him. On an entire beach full of bickering clans, he is from the sa-khui tribe. All his tribe brothers are much older and mated. He does not have anyone like I have U'dron, O'jek and I'rec. Worst of all, the female he liked left this camp and went to the Croatoan camp because she played too many games and made the hunters fight amongst themselves.
Perhaps I should take him under my wing, show him how to tease the females and get them to pay attention to him. D'see would be good with this, too, I think. She has a kind spirit.
L'ren and W'lla exchange looks. W'lla shrugs. "Depends on if you guys want it to be random or if you want to pick your partners."
"I want to be with Taushen," Buh-brukh declares, putting her arm around her mate's waist.
Bek scowls at all of us and holds his fragile mate closer to his side. "I am not playing if I must pick another. Ell-ee is the only partner I wish."
I do not think anyone will fight him on that. His mate is tiny and fragile, and rarely speaks without her mate at her side. I cannot imagine her as my partner. "Then it is just the rest of us? The females should decide, then."
"However y'all wanna do it," W'lla says with a shrug. "Once all the teams are chosen, we'll assign you colors and we can start the first round, which will be fishing, since we're all here on the beach due to the weather."
L'ren claps her hands, grinning. "This is exciting!"
D'see claps, too. F'lor merely scans the group, her hands on her hips, as if she is deciding who the best partner will be. I glance over at B'shit, but she is not looking over at me. She is looking determinedly ahead. Will she choose me, then, if she picks? Her gaze flicks over to me, and I suddenly feel confident that yes, she will.
I stand a little taller, feeling smug. Five days of tasks with B'shit at my side? She will need to talk to me if she wants to win. I like this. I can make her see that I am the right mate for her. I can win her over, and by day five, she will be in my furs and begging for kisses. I rub my hands together, pleased.
"Let's do reverse alphabetical order on the names, then. Flor, you pick first, then Daisy, and then Bridget," L'ren instructs. "Whoever is left will partner up themselves.”
"I get to go first? Nice!" F'lor bounds forward, moving to stand at the front of the group. She pretends to consider each male as she walks past us, tapping her chin, and then reaches over to squeeze R'jaal's bicep, which makes his color flush. A low ripple of laughter moves through the group. I expect her to pick him—R'jaal is a good hunter, for all that he is Tall Horn, but she moves to S'ssah's side and takes his hand in hers, dragging him forward. "I pick him!"