Free The Pretend Marriage: A Werewolf Romance by Dawn Steele Page B

and game intact.
    So Jake is very, very careful not to sink his teeth into the hare’s soft flesh. The animal is so stunned that it has practically stopped moving.
    “Come with me,” he tells Ethel, “this is our prize together.”
    She yelps her appreciation as they run together.
    Just then, Jeff comes up.
    “You go ahead,” Ethel says, “I’ll delay him.”
    “ I’ll wait for you at the finish line.”
    Ethel turns and launches herself at Jeff. As Jake speeds off, he can hear the growls and snarls and shrieks as the two werewolves clash in a flurry of flying fur and limbs. Jake hopes Ethel will be all right, but Jeff wouldn’t dare tangle with the daughter of his possible future employer, would he now?
    Still, Ethel gives him a head start. Jake is well towards the finish line with the hare still intact when Mariko’s grey and white wolf suddenly appears and lunges at him.
    Oh shit.
    Mariko collides with his flank. Jake recovers his balance and manages not to let go of his prey, miraculously. He swerves and catches sight of Peter and Martha and the rest of the spouses waiting anxiously for them to return.
    Mariko gives chase, but Jake manages to tumble out of the trees and crash land ungracefully in front of Peter with the unblemished but immobile hare in his mouth. He lays it gently at Peter’s feet. He hopes it isn’t injured in any way, because it still isn’t moving.
    Peter picks the hare up as Jake transforms into his human self.
    “Still alive,” Peter pronounces, cradling the trembling hare. Jake wonders how the poor animal must feel in the company of so many shifters.
    The gathered throng breaks into genuine applause.
    Terry gives a cry. “Jake, you are hurt!”
    She runs to him.
    Naked, Jake glances down at his right leg. Sure enough, a deep gash on his calf mars his otherwise perfect skin.
    “It’s OK,” he says, standing up.
    “Who did this to you?” Terry says, outraged.
    Both Jeff and Ethel appear.
    “Wait,” Jake tells Terry. He turns to Peter. “The honors of first prize belong both to Ethel and myself because we worked as a team back there. I couldn’t have done it without her.”
    Both Jeff and Ethel shift. J eff is red-faced and glowering, but he doesn’t say anything. Ethel is triumphant.
    “Did he do this to you?” Terry demands, pointing at Jeff.
    Everyone tenses. The rules of the game did not prohibit fighting and the use of nefarious methods to cut the other contestants off.
    Peter says in a mild tone, “Jake . . . do you have anything you want to say?”
    Jake pauses significantly as he stares at the baleful Jeff, and then shakes his head. “No. I scratched my leg against some brambles when I was chasing the hare. It’s nothing, just a flesh wound.”
    Ethel glances at her father, but doesn’t say anything. Then she glances at Jake, and a look of mutual understanding passes between them.
    Peter says, “In that case, I pronounce both Jake and Ethel the winners! Congratulations, both.” The expression on his face suggests that he knows what’s really going on, but he will play along to save his guests embarrassment.
    Everyone claps again, genuinely glad for the dissipation of tension. Martha points the shotgun into the air and pu lls the trigger. The bullet whizzes into the sky with an explosion of sound that echoes deep into the woods.
    “I feel like we’re in ‘The Hunger Games’,” Jake murmurs.
    Terry kneels by his leg. “You’re bleeding,” she says. Her pretty face is creased into a worried frown. “You need this seen to.”
    “It’s OK. I’m a shifter. I’m tougher than I look.”
    “No, you’re not, Jake Savage.” She stands up resolutely and grabs hold of his arm. “I’m going to march you into the house and tend to this. You might get an infection and the whole leg might have to come off. Who’s going to employ a one-legged wolf then?”
    “Better than a one-eyed wolf,” he replies. At least she isn’t blushing anymore when she gazes