"But you found your mate through it," Jade pointed out. "Knowing that, wouldn't you go through all of this again?"
I couldn't argue with that. I nodded.
"But how can the show go on?" I asked. "I already know Taylor is the one. I don't want any of those other omegas. I feel bad wasting their time. And wastingmyprecious time I could be spending with Taylor."
Jade looked unruffled, as usual. He pushed his glasses up. "Trust the process, Crimson. The whole concept of the Games isn't just tofindyour mate. It's to bond with them, too."
I hadn't thought about it that way. It was through the challenges that I'd seen Taylor's true character. His portrait had intrigued me, but it was his personality that made me fall for him.
"I suppose," I mumbled. "How many more of those idiotic challenges are there, anyway?"
My brother grinned. "Well, we planned a whole list of them—"
"Who'swe?"
"Me and the lizard-brained gang," Jade teased. He meant the rest of our brothers.
I huffed. "I knew they had something to do with these nonsensical challenges... I can't do much more of them, Jade. For one thing, they put Taylor in danger," I growled, feeling my protective alpha instincts surge to the surface.
Jade put up a hand to calm me. "There's safeguards in place. You know we'd never let you or the contestants get hurt."
"What about when Taylor threw himself off the cliff to save his friend?"
Jade's brows rose. "He did that?"
I forgot that my brothers weren't allowed to watch the Games as they were filmed.
"Yes. If something like that happens again, I can't promise I won't intervene," I warned.
"Understandable." Jade looked amused. "And thatwouldmake excellent TV..."
I glared at him. "Don't put my mate in danger for that."
Jade laughed airily, dissolving my ember of anger. "Calm down, Crimson. My, you really are smitten with Taylor, aren't you? I've never seen you act like such a nasty dragon before."
I frowned, smoothing out my suit. He was right about me usually having better control of myself. Taylor awakened my inner dragon and what it entailed—fierce protective instincts, arousal, and all.
Jade set down his tea and walked up to me, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Remember that it'syourchoice in the end. No one's forcing you to pick a different omega. You can choose Taylor every single time."
"I will," I promised.
A sympathetic look flashed over my brother's gaze. "You know, the next challenge is supposed to have a dramatic finish... Perhaps we can end it after that."
Hope flared within me. "Please," I begged.
I needed the filming aspect to be over so I could ravage Taylor without an audience.
Unless he was into that.
"What do you mean by a dramatic finish?" I asked, realizing what he'd said.
He shook his head. "Can't share any more, I'm afraid. Viol would ring my neck if I spilled the details."
"Violpicked the next challenge?" I sputtered.
"I was just as surprised as you when he offered his input," Jade admitted. "He's oddly interested in the Games."
I couldn't imagine Viol being genuinely invested in a dating show. "He probably suggested it as a cruel joke."
