I was about to argue with him when I realized what I was doing. Wasn't I vehemently against this whole concept in the first place? Now I was almostbeggingGaius to go let me talk to a contestant?
I reeled myself back. I wasn't an out-of-control heathen. I could wait.
"Fine," I grumbled.
* * *
"You like him! You like him!"
I rubbed my temples. Returning to the castle was a mistake. Saffron and Aurum danced around me like a pair of cackling hyenas. They wouldn't shut up about my apparently obvious crush on Taylor.
"Of course I like him, that's why I chose him to win the challenge," I snarked back. "That doesn't mean anything."
Aurum's grin went from ear to ear. "Yeah, but youlikehim."
"What an astute observation of what I literally just said."
"Are you getting attached yet?" Saffron asked, leaning on the table.
"I barely know him," I said. "Now go bother someone else."
It was no use. The golden twins were glued to me in their mission to squeeze out every possible bit of gossip.
"Never thought of you as the type of dragon to fall for a cat," Aurum teased.
"Taylor is not a cat. He's a tiger."
"Um, tigersarecats, genius."
Saffron looked smug. "Crimson's making a distinction because he doesn't like that white cat, Alaric."
Oh, dear. Was it that obvious?
"I don't dislike him. He's simply not my type," I said.
Aurum nudged me. "Yeah, you like 'em big and strong, with broad shoulders and a moody face."
"Taylor does not have a moody face," I argued. "He's... stoic."
"Yeah, he's so stoic that it looks like he doesn't evenwantto go on a date with you!"
The way my stomach flipped at that statement was embarrassing. What if Aurum was right? What if, for some reason, Taylor didn't want to be here at all? Had I just roped him into an uncomfortable situation?
No, that couldn't be right. If that was how he truly felt, he could've lost on purpose, or withdrawn from the Games outright. Something kept him here.
What was it?
Nine
Taylor
"You missed a spot. Here."
I ruffled the clean towel behind Poppy's neck, under a patch of pale blond hair.
After the challenge, all the omegas had returned to the hotel to get changed. The ones who'd lost the challenge had already packed up and left. The rest of us who remained either roamed the beach by the hotel, sulking in our rooms after losing, or in my case, hung out with my friends until we dried off.
"Ah, thanks," Poppy murmured.
