War Claim (The Claim: Book 3)

Chapter 43 - Chloe (Part 2)

"Aw, come on!"

"Snooze, ya lose," Animkii declared from the sidelines, laughing at Anwaatin's slip-up.

Scowling, Anwaatin slapped the puck back on the table and smacked it. It darted towards Chloe's goal slot but she hit it back. Back and forth, they sent it before it went back into Chloe's goal thirty seconds later.

The machine shut down as Chloe passed her paddle to Animkii, smiling despite losing four-to-one. "Good luck."

His eyes grinned back at her, making her heart do a little dance. "Luck's got nothing to do with it."

He inserted more tokens into the machine and it spat the puck out in front of him. He set it on the table and sneered down at his little sister as they both got into position with Chloe standing at the side.

"I'd be careful if I were you," Animkii warned Chloe. "It wouldn't be the first time if someone on the side got struck by the puck."

Chloe lifted a brow before taking a few steps back.

Animkii struck the puck at the side, sending it zigzagging across the table until Anwaatin smacked it back. The puck was a blur as they struck it back and forth across the table. Chloe's eyes widened in awe as she watched on.

Finally, after two minutes, Animkii sent the puck crashing into Anwaatin's goal. She groaned loudly as his fist pumped the air and he pointed a protruding claw at his sister across the table. "You're still no match for me, pup."

Chloe could see their wolves rising to the surface with the competition and the challenge the game posed. The hairs on the back of her arms and neck bristled. The smell of their adrenaline seeped from their pores and Chloe found herself feeling more drawn to the domineering stance Animkii was projecting.

"You got lucky. I'll wipe that smirk off your face this time," Anwaatin jeered as she set the puck on the table.

The game kicked off again, the puck violently assaulting the railings of the table as they struck it over and over with their might until Anwaatin scored against him.

"One-to-one. You wearing out old man?" Anwaatin sneered.

Animkii put the puck back on the tabletop. "Hardly. I'm just getting warmed up."

They battled against each other for a few more minutes. Animkii won the next round and Anwaatin won the following one. Two-to-two.

"Let's make this more interesting," Animkii said, holding the puck in his hand before launching into the last round—the tie-breaker. He stepped around the table casually toward Anwaatin's side. "How about we raise the stakes a bit? Winner gets a prize. What do ya say?"

Anwaatin was still in position and ready for a sneak-attack. She straightened up, narrowing her eyes at him. "Oh? What did you have in mind?"

"If I win..." He leaned down and whispered into Anwaatin's ear, cupping his hand to block his lips and any sound from escaping.

Anwaatin smiled before he straightened up. "Okay. And if I win..." She stood up on her toes to whisper in his ear while blocking her mouth with her hand as well.

Chloe couldn't catch a word of what they said behind their hands. They stood on the other side of the air hockey table and the other arcade games behind her made noises with their flashing lights. Not to mention another movie elsewhere in the theater must have finished as more humans were now dispersing through the lobby toward the exit.

"Deal," Animkii said.

They shook hands, grinning at each other before returning to their sides. Animkii put the puck down, waited for Anwaatin to nod her head, and sent it flying to the other end of the table. She struck it back and their game commenced.