I didn’t fall asleep right away. My dragon soul wouldn’t let me. Instead I spent half an hour burning every inch of Matteo’s face into my memory before I was finally content, then I drifted off.
Nine
Matteo
When I wokethe next morning, Thystle was still there.
An intense feeling of warmth and joy seeped through me as I gazed upon his resting face. In sleep, he looked so peaceful and calm. He didn’t wear the prickly mask he showed to the world. When he was asleep, he could justbe.
A smile spread across my face as I remembered what happened last night. I didn’t regret playing possum and pretending to be asleep. Thystle’s ‘crime’ was downright adorable. Honestly, it flattered me that he’d broken the rules because he wanted to see me.
And when I recalled the sensation of his gentle hand on my face… I shuddered. How sweet, how light of a touch he had. Who knew alpha dragons could be so tender?
I glanced at the digital clock on the bed stand. On a normal day, I would’ve been out of bed by now. In fact, I should’ve gotten up half an hour ago. Today was the first challenge of the games. I couldn’t be late. But Thystle’s siren song captured me. I didn’t want to leave him. This early morning coziness was a feeling I could definitely get used to.
I gazed at him fondly. His thin layer of black eyeliner smeared against the pillow, and his wispy lavender and purple hair spilled over his face like a curtain of wisteria flowers.
An urge overcame me. I reached over and brushed the hair off his cheek, letting my thumb drag against it gently. His skin was soft in that particular way that only occurred during sleep.
My heart thrummed. Right now, I felt more like a hummingbird than an eagle, fluttery and delicate.
Thystle made a soft sound, but didn’t awaken. I was surprised my touch didn’t rouse him. He was more honest than me, who faked it just to see what would happen.
But my fake sleep last night wasn’t the only thing I kept from Thystle.
I bit my lip. I didn’t want to lie to him, but I also didn’t want the truth to come out. Was that too much to ask? I caressed Thystle’s cheek in a slow rhythm. As I stared into his peaceful face, a great sense of determination came over me. Thystle trusted me. I had to have the same faith in him. I made a vow to tell him the truth, no matter how much it terrified me.
But not right now. Thystle was exhausted from yesterday’s events, so I let him sleep. Besides, he seemed to be having a good dream, if the slight smile in the corner of his mouth was any indication.
Before I chickened out, I leaned over and pressed a tiny kiss to his forehead then slipped out of bed to face the day.
Leaving Thystle to participate in the games was decidedly less pleasant than waking up beside him.
I expected a headache when I arrived at the location, and my suspicion was correct. Although the number of contestants had been whittled down thanks to the alcohol-related incidents, there were still far too many of them present. The beach felt crowded and sweaty from all the bodies.
As we waited for the last few contestants to arrive, I looked around. Gaius stood before us with a chipper smile, ready to announce the challenge. It wasn’t hard to guess what it was. Large rings stood on the sand and were hung in the air via tall poles.
“Oh good,” Alaric said as he strode up beside me. “Thystle is making us literally jump through hoops for him.”
Despite his consistent stream of snarky comments, I was glad to have a familiar face nearby.
“I don’t think Thystle chooses the challenges,” I remarked.
“How do you know?” Alaric demanded.
“He didn’t mention anything about an obstacle course.”
Alaric raised a brow. “You spoke to him about it? When?”
Crap. I had to curb Alaric’s suspicion—not for my sake, but for Thystle’s. I didn’t want him to get in trouble for meeting me after hours.Couldhe even get in trouble? He had the final say in everything, after all. Either way, I didn’t push my luck.
“I brought it up during the meet-and-greet,” I said casually. It wasn’t true, of course, but I sincerely doubted this was Thystle’s idea. This type of challenge wasn’t his style.
Alaric took my comment at face value. As his aura of suspicion vanished, I thanked my ability to blend into the background. Not only were people quick to forget about me, they also assumed I was honest. Because honesty was boring.
“Wow, an obstacle course!” Muzo exclaimed.
“Oh dear, an obstacle course…” Poppy murmured at the same time.
