“Sorry to interrupt,” he said with a bright white smile. “I’m Talon, one of the contestants.”
The name shot into my brain like an arrow before I realized I was overreacting. The fact that it was half of TalonStorm was a coincidence. It was a common name among bird of prey shifters. He must’ve been a raptor of some sort.
Talon went on. “I couldn’t help but notice our bachelor was missing, so I came to find him. Can’t have a meet-and-greet without Thystle, can we?”
I searched Thystle’s expression, wanting to know how he felt about the intrusion. But taking a break from the crowd seemed to afford him the mental stamina to greet someone new.
“Hey, Talon,” he said. “Nice to meet you.”
As they shook hands—which was a completely normal, polite thing to do—a hot rush of jealousy surged through me.
That’s when I knew I was screwed. I was already off the deep end for Thystle.
“And you must be a fellow contestant,” Talon said. His white smile continued to blind me. “Sorry we haven’t met before. Big crowd, you know?”
“Yes,” I said, trying not to sound too curt.
“And your name is?”
“Matteo.”
Talon nodded, then appraised me. “What kind of shifter are you?”
Why did he want to know? Was he trying to get an edge on me in the following challenges? Or he was only curious, and I was overthinking it?
“Golden eagle,” I replied.
Talon’s brows rose. “What are the odds! I’m a Steller’s sea eagle. We feathered folk better stick together in the challenges.” He winked at Thystle. “Might give us an edge with the handsome bachelor, eh?”
At that moment, I was happynotto be in eagle form—all my feathers would’ve furiously puffed up, making me look like a raging harpy.
The hot envy coursing through my veins was unusual. Inevergot jealous. I was a calm, collected, down-to-earth person...
Until Thystle entered my life.
“Haha, yeah,” Thystle said, though he didn’t sound enthused. He faced me with a strained smile. “Guess I should go back and mingle with the crowd I invited, huh?”
Dammit, we hadn’t even finished our conversation. I wished Talon hadn’t shown up to interrupt us.
“Guess so,” I agreed through my teeth.
Thystle lingered, watching my face. He seemed in no hurry to leave.
“Why don’t you come with me?” he suggested. “Might be nice to have a bodyguard like before.”
There was a playful edge in his voice, but it was also earnest. Hewantedme to stand by his side. Hope flared within me. I didn’t care that Talon’s expression fell flat with disappointment. If Thystle wanted me there, I’d never refuse.
I flashed him a relieved smile. “I’d love to.”
Eight
Thystle
After the categoryfive disaster that was the meet-and-greet, I was exhausted from that soul-sucking endeavor. I wanted to melt into my bed and fuse to it for the next year until I regained my energy. Whose thoughtless idea was it to invite all those Drake-damned people?
Oh, right. It was mine.
Once the event ended and the producers ushered the omegas back to the hotel, I couldn’t even move. As much as I wanted to, dragging myself back to my bedroom seemed beyond the scope of my abilities. I lazed on a beach recliner and stared up at the evening sky. I was too tired to even put on my headphones and listen to music. I needed silence.
