“And there, my brothers, is our answer,” Crimson replied with a grin. “This is Muzo Zavala we’re talking about, not Albert Einstein.”
“Muzo isn’t stupid,” I growled. “He just thinks differently.”
There was no malice in Crimson’s tone. “Kind of like you?” he offered.
The mild flare of anger settled down. He didn’t mean anything negative by that statement. I was just feeling overprotective of my mate.
And incredibly pent-up. But I didn’t want to mention that to my brothers.
“My point is, Muzo might not realize how you feel,” Crimson explained. “So, use your time on the Games to convince him.”
That made sense. Muzo was unassuming and went with the flow. My actions so far might not have meant anything to him. I had to prove how I felt with conviction, with no room for misunderstanding.
“All right. I’m ready for my date,” I announced.
Eleven
Muzo
I was so notready for my date.
After returning to my hotel room—which had a brand-new door on it—I discovered a luscious gift basket on my freshly made bed.
“Ooh,” I said excitedly. Nobody had ever given me a gift basket before.
I picked up the accompanying handwritten card. I knew without checking the name signed at the bottom that it wasn’t written by Cobalt—which was odd, since I’d never actually seen Cobalt’s handwriting before. The letters were uniform and elegant, like it was printed from a computer instead of in pen.
Dear Muzo,
Please accept our humblest apologies for the continued inconveniences you’ve experienced on this season of the Dragonfate Games. We hope this gift basket portrays the depths of our regrets, and our immense gratitude for your continued presence on the program.
Sincerely,
Jade Chromatimaeus
I noticed there was more handwriting on the back of the card. When I flipped it over, my heart skipped a beat. The words were bigger, darker, and a bit disorderly, like each letter was painstakingly carved into the paper. I had a good idea of who wrote it before I got to the end.
MUZO,
SORRY ABOUT THE DOOR, AND THE NAKEDNESS. TWICE.
I PICKED THE ITEMS IN THE BASKET. HOPE YOU LIKE THEM.
I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE YOU TONIGHT.
COBALT
An eager laugh burst out of me. Even Cobalt’s handwritten letters were adorable.
Wait a second.
Did he say he couldn’t wait to see me? And thathe’dmade this gift basket for me?
My already-skipping heart barrelled into overdrive. I’d been secretly stoked to see him, but I didn’t know he felt the same way.
Suddenly overwhelmed, I flopped on the bed. I’d won the first challenge, even though I didn’t think my affinity for water wasthatstrong. I wasn’t an aquatic shifter—hell, I’d almost drowned.
Still, that wasn’t the first time in my life the water had held me safely in its arms...
