My heart flip-flopped.
But Gaius held no such anxiety. He shone like a beacon of charisma as he stepped forward on the stage. All eyes were on him as Duke's hand flew down. The filming had begun.
"Have you ever wondered what it would be like to date a dragon?" Gaius asked, grinning at the camera. "Well, now's your chance to find out. Ladies and gentlemen, lovely non-binary viewers, and everybody outside or in between—welcome to the very first Dragonfate Games! I'm your host, Gaius the gryphon, and I'll be leading you on this ground-breaking whirlwind adventure of love. Here on a beautiful private island, twenty omegas will compete for the grand prize—the love of a single alpha dragon."
Dear Drake, this was really happening, andIwas the dragon Gaius spoke of. Were there really twenty contestants? I hadn't bothered counting because I had no interest in looking at them, but I couldn't pretend like they didn't exist anymore.
As Gaius introduced the audience to the show, I raked my gaze over the line of omegas. They'd all been fitted with microphones, the same as me. I couldn't believe twenty men had signed up for this experience willingly... except I could. They all wanted fame or fortune, nothing more. Since I could be on camera at any moment, I tamped down my bitterness as I looked at them.
None of them stood out to me—except one.
The tiger.
My breath caught in my throat when I saw him in the flesh. There he was, standing fifteen feet away. Broad-shouldered, powerful, stoic. He looked bigger in person, and he had a presence that the others lacked, a magnetic force. Try as I might, I couldn't look away from him.
And then he looked back.
Ferocious amber eyes locked on mine. In the golden light of the sunset, they looked like orbs of fire, hot and burning. He didn't blink. He stared—almostglared—like he had a bone to pick with me.
For a second, I lost all sense of time and place. I forgot about the film set, the staff, everyone on the beach, and hell, even the beach itself. All I knew was the blazing glare of the tiger omega before me.
Then Gaius clapped me hard on the shoulder, jerking my attention back to the here and now.
"—and they'll be competing forthisalpha," Gaius said with a flashy grin. "Why don't you introduce yourself?"
Fuck. Brain cells. I had to use them.
I plastered on a smile. "Crimson Chromatimaeus. Nice to meet you all."
Gaius gave me an ever-so-slight raise of his brows, indicating I needed to say more.
Dammit, he made improv look so easy. What the hell was I supposed to say?
But then I imagined my brothers groaning at my abject failure on television. If nothing else, I'd power through it to prevent them from making fun of me later.
Injecting an ounce of sincerity into my smile, I said, "I've been without a mate for a long time, and I'm eagerly looking forward to finding him. I hope fate will bring us together during the Dragonfate Games."
The pleased look on Gaius's face told me that was exactly what he—and the audience—wanted to hear.
"You heard it straight from the dragon's mouth, folks," Gaius announced. "Now without further ado, let's watch our coveted alpha dragon mingle with the contestants for the very first time!"
Mingle? Oh, for the love of...
Gaius led me off stage towards the strip of sandy beach where the omegas stood. The camera crew circled around us like a pack of wolves, seizing every opportunity for footage. I fought off the urge to shift into my dragon form and thwack them away with my tail, but that was probably an OSHA violation.
A small table stood in the center. Pre-mixed drinks were available for the omegas. Alcoholic, I presumed. Inebriated contestants made for better TV. The thought made me want to roll my eyes. Lowered inhibitions combined with desperation was a total turn-off.
I pushed my personal feelings aside and took a can of non-alcoholic cranberry soda. I liked the way the bubbles tickled my throat.
As I took a sip, I realized all the omegas were staring at me. It was clear they all wanted my attention, but none of them were brave enough to step forward and make the first move. I withheld a sigh. This felt more like an awkward high school dance than speed dating.
Gaius must have sensed my hesitation. He took the initiative to break the ice.
"Let's meet our contestants, shall we?" he said to the closest camera.
Before Gaius could pick someone at random, a slender white-haired omega stepped forward. His odd-colored eyes gleamed mischievously.
"Hello, Gaius," he said. "I'll introduce myself while I speak to Crimson, if that's okay."
