Summit of the Wolf by Tera Shanley Page B

boys are going to waste fighting each other tomorrow?”
    Rachel laughed. “I would guess about ninety-four percent of the time, give or take.”
    “Do you think it will be kid-friendly?” Morgan asked. “I want to go but I won’t be separated from Lana. It makes me paranoid to be away from her.”
    “I think so,” Doris said. “If she gets tired, you could carry her. I looked at the list of packs that are paired up, and the Dallas packs are on the same team, so you will have all of your guard dogs with you,” she said with a wink. “The baby would probably enjoy running around the mountain, too.”
    “Good,” Morgan said with a nod. “What are the strength challenges they are talking about?”
    “It’s mostly for the guys. It gets pretty bloody, but if you can stomach it, sometimes it’s pretty interesting to watch. It’s basically a fight for who is the biggest and baddest wolf. You have to stay in human form, so it’s a brawl. Dean has won it the last two years in a row,” the woman sitting beside Marissa said, waggling her eyebrows at Rachel.
    “Dean did?” Morgan asked in surprise. “Rachel, how did I not know about this? I knew he was a fighter, but whoa! Who knew I lived next door to the meanest wolf there is?”
    “Well, a new wolf will be crowned this year. He isn’t entering this time around,” Rachel said.
    “What?” Morgan exclaimed. “Why not? He is champ! He needs to defend his title.”
    “Do you really think it is a good idea for Dean and Grey to possibly face each other in the ring?”
    “Oh no, that is a terrible idea. I didn’t know Grey was entering.”
    “I don’t think he even knows yet. I saw Dean signing him up.”
    “I’m sure Grey will appreciate that.” Morgan snorted. “I want to see it. Are any of you girls going?”
    They all decided they would go if the other ladies were going.
    “So, Marcus said something about a girls fight?” Morgan questioned.
    “Customarily, we don’t have any girls enter. I looked on the sign-up sheet and didn’t see anyone on there yet. They make it available in case any ladies want to give the boys a good girl fight to watch, or if they have something to hash out with another female. I don’t think we’ve had any ladies volunteer for four or five years now. Why? You wanting to fight one of us?” Sarah asked with a saucy grin.
    “No, not me. I don’t want to sign up. I was only curious about what it was. I do believe I’ve had enough fighting for one lifetime.”
    The ladies embraced each other, and genuine smiles lingered on their faces as they said they would see her at breakfast. As the packs headed back to their cabins, Morgan’s tension eased. If nothing else came of Summit, at least some of the wolves had accepted her.
     
     

Chapter 6
     
    Wade was a bit of an anomaly. He was reserved with a quiet about him that only lifted when he had something important to say. He was uncomfortable in crowds, often pacing the outskirts of pack dinners. Underneath all of it was a dominance that rivaled even Dean’s. He had gone unchallenged as second in the pack since he was Turned. The fact that no one had actually seen him fight for dominance didn’t diminish the assumption that he could. He would likely do it with little reserve and with little remorse afterward. It was obvious that Summit wasn’t his scene from the moment they all crammed into the cabin, and even before the meet-and-greet, he had found his escape. It was in the form of hunting down food from a small local grocer that would sustain the Dallas packs in between meals. Morgan couldn’t really blame him. She would have escaped with him if she could have.
    She bathed a very sleepy Lana and tucked her neatly into one of the bunk beds. Even though her dark-headed little niece was likely well on her way to dreamland, Morgan sang her favorite lullaby softly in her ear, anyway. Grey watched her patiently from the door. He wasn’t rushing her. The languid notes of