Enigma

Chapter 16

"You didn't say anything about climbing over your shoulders!"

Lillian's voice was shrill, her wide eyes following the other couples participating in the game.

They were currently on a wooden raft, floating on the lake, along with a dozen couples. The females were in the process of climbing over the males' shoulders.

Noah suppressed a satisfied smile. He might have forgotten to tell Lillian this small detail earlier, afraid she wouldn't want to play because of it. Now it was too late. They were in the center of the lake, where they had swam to the raft.

The rules of the game were simple; push other couples off the raft and into the water. The last couple standing is the winner. Of course, the female had to be sitting on the male's shoulders, which made the game more interesting.

"Rules," Noah said, crouching in front of Lillian, his back to her. When she didn't make a move, he looked over his shoulders and raised a brow. Her eyes narrowed. Mumbling something about sneaky wolves, she put her hands over his shoulders, pushing him down further.

"Sit down. You're too damn tall."

He did. He smothered a satisfied growl when her legs wrapped around his neck. Because they had to be in the water, she had changed into a tank top and running shorts. She was going to dump him in the water herself if she knew what he was thinking.

"Okay?" he asked, his hands going to her knees, the skin soft and delicate. So vulnerable. He only had to squeeze a touch too hard and her bones would break. Noah would never hurt her, he'd cut his hands off before ever laying a hand on her in harm, but that didn't mean others would do the same.

"Wait! What should I hold on to?"

"Wherever you want." Noah stood to his feet. Lillian made a strangled noise before putting her hands on his head. She didn't need to hold on to anything, her weight was laughably light for his shapeshifter strength. But he didn't tell her that, he wanted to feel her hands on him.

"I swear to God, Noah. If you drop me on purpose, I'll dump you in the water myself and save everyone the trouble," Lillian said, tugging at his hair. Noah's lips twitched. Her words echoed his earlier thoughts.

The couples nearby watched them with barely concealed smiles.

"Wow. Johnson and Kate are no joke." Lillian said.

Noah agreed. The two sibling warriors were towering over everybody else. Each one of them was already taller than their peers. Put on top of each other, they were massive.

Johnson usually participated in this game with Anna. But since she was pregnant, she didn't participate for the sake of Johnson's sanity. Male wolves were protective by nature. Male wolves with pregnant mates were maniacally overprotective.

"It makes them a target," Noah said.

Proving his words, just when the referee, who was swimming by the raft, whistled the beginning of the game, two couples zeroed in on Johnson and Kate.

"Hey! Not fair!" called Kate, tangling arms with another female who was on her mate's shoulders. Noah, taking advantage of everyone's attention being stolen by Kate and Johnson's struggle, moved swiftly to the couple nearby.

Lillian, forgetting all about holding on to him, pushed the distracted woman just as he did the same to the man. Their victims were the first two to hit the water.

The loud splash caught everyone's attention. Johnson and Kate, taking advantage of the diversion, pushed another couple into the lake.

The screams and sound of laughter mingled with the splashing of water as two more partners followed. Noah tried to keep his strength under control to keep the odds fair to everyone else, but when one of the other couples attacked him, the female pushing at Lillian until she almost tumbled off his shoulders, his control slipped and he sent them flying.