Weird.
“Um, Muzo? You dropped this,” Poppy said, picking up the bacon.
Alaric pulled a face. “Please tell me you’re not going to eat that.”
“Five second rule,” I announced, snatching the floor bacon and tossing it in my mouth.
* * *
“Welcome, omegas, to the second challenge!”Gaius announced.
We gathered at a stream at the base of an inlet, where the water met the forest, and the sandy beach turned to shrubs and trees. Gaius and Cobalt stood at the opposite end of the stream.
My heart did a back flip at the sight of him. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed Cobalt. It was only one sleep and a couple hours apart, sure, but it still felt too long. No wonder he didn’t want to leave last night. It would’ve been nice if we’d spent the night together.
“I bet you’re wondering what your task is today,” Gaius went on. His shirt was neon orange today. He put highlighters everywhere to shame. “Well, I’m glad you asked. You’ll be playing a game called Catch the Catch! You’ll need tocatchsomething thatcatchesthe bachelor’s eye.”
“That is an absolutely heinous name,” Alaric mumbled next to me.
“I think it’s neat,” I whispered back.
Alaric looked like he was about to gag on a hairball.
“You’re free to gather whatever you like,” Gaius explained. “Plants, animals, rocks; water, land, sky, dirt—it’s all fair game. Use your imagination!”
Alaric rolled his eyes. “Oh, goody. Another subjective challenge. I wonder who will win this time,” he added, shooting me a glance.
Why did he do that?
“I have the same chance of winning as everyone else,” I said.
Alaric shrugged. “Keep telling yourself that.”
Confused, I glanced across the stream at Cobalt. He stared directly at me with a slight smile in the corner of his mouth. His gaze was attentive, rapt—like nobody else even existed.
My heart fluttered.
Was Alaric right about me winning? But that didn't make any sense. That meant Cobalt thought I was special, that he liked me the most...
My pulse raced as I remembered last night's date and our spicy evening visit. I swallowed at the memory and mentally swatted it away before I got a boner again.
Cobalt obviously wasn't doing those things with other people. His gestures were sweet, his words sweeter, and he always went out of his way to please me. Almost like he was trying to prove something…
Across the stream, Gaius nudged Cobalt with his elbow and nodded towards the hotel. Cobalt frowned deeply. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but it seemed like Gaius was telling Cobalt he had to leave. Maybe the producers didn’t want Cobalt present since he’d interfered during the last challenge. I thought about what Alaric said—would Cobalt help me win if he stayed?
He’d really do that for me...?
But it was no use challenging the host. As Cobalt flashed the biggest pout known to man, Gaius nodded sympathetically and urged him away. Before Cobalt stomped off, he glanced over his shoulder at me, his blue eyes clouded with longing.
I smiled to reassure him. I had a feeling we wouldn’t be apart for too long.
I was so busy watching Cobalt walk away that I didn’t pay attention to Gaius’s spiel. All of a sudden, I heard him call: “Ready, omegas? Go!”
Everyone scattered. Some omegas ran off in their human forms, others as animals. Meanwhile, I stood there like a lump, not knowing what to do. The sudden realization about Cobalt flustered me. I had no idea where to begin for this challenge.
“Muzo!” Poppy cried.
I glanced down to see him in his wolf form. The fur on the back of his neck ruffled with excitement, or nerves. Knowing Poppy, it was probably the latter.
