At some point, Muzo had climbed out of bed to peer out the window. Apparently after so many nudity-related incidents, he no longer had any qualms about it. He stood naked with Blueberry clutched to his chest as he overlooked the distant beach. “Looks like Gaius is doing some kinda dance,” he told us. “Either that, or he’s seizing.”
When I raised a brow, Jade shrugged and said, “Somebody had to entertain people.”
“He just took his shirt off!” Muzo called.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. I had to fix the situation before Gaius stripped on camera and scarred the contestants for life.
“Can’t we just go out there and tell the truth?” I suggested.
Jade paused thoughtfully. “I’m listening.”
“I’ll tell the contestants exactly what happened. That I couldn’t control my draconic urges, and I took Muzo to the castle because I knew he was my fated mate.”
“It’s true, he really couldn’t control his urges,” Muzo agreed.
Jade stroked his chin. “Actually, that’s not a bad idea. I’m sure the audience would appreciate your honesty. And everybodydidsee you shift and steal Muzo away. We’ve got the whole thing on film.”
I frowned at the villainous implication. “I didn’t steal him. He wanted to come.”
Muzo nodded. “Consent was involved!”
“Yes, that’s all good,” Jade said, sounding distracted. He was probably playing 3D chess in his mind as he tried to twist the situation to our advantage. “My point is, an alpha dragon’s passion is a powerful tool in our kit. It might not matter to the audience that Cobalt found his mate instantly if we focus on your love instead.” He snapped his fingers. “Muzo, throw on some clothes. Cobalt, bring him to the beach ASAP. Dragon form for added flair, please.”
He turned on his heel to leave, then raised a finger.
“And if you’re late this time, I’m going to slice up more than just a lock, if you catch my drift.”
* * *
We landedon the beach just as Gaius turned his bright pink button-up into a makeshift Hula skirt. He looked disappointed that we’d interrupted his drag show.
“Please put the shirt back on, Gaius,” I ordered.
He grinned. “Cobalt! Nice to see you. Are you sure? We were just getting to the good part!”
I raised a scaly eyebrow at him.
He pouted and put the shirt on.
Once Gaius was fully dressed, he took back the mic. That spontaneous intermission would be cut out of the final aired footage, so he launched back into his hosting duties as if it never happened. Jade took Gaius aside and quickly filled him in on what was happening.
While they spoke, I gazed out at the gathered contestants. Most stared at us in awe. I recognized Poppy, who looked as happy as a kid on his birthday. Beside him, Alaric looked bored.
But other contestants looked visibly disappointed. They must’ve realized at this point there was no hope of finding their mate this season.
I felt a pang of sympathy for those omegas. I knew firsthand the loneliness that came from being mateless.
I placed Muzo on the sand between my front paws, then nuzzled his temple with the tip of my snout. He grinned and patted my scales.
Gaius strutted out in front of us, mic in hand. “Wow, talk about a turn of events! After our alpha dragon bachelor was late to the party, we all wondered where he could be.”
I withheld a snort. I wondered if Jade made him say that as a light jab in my direction.
Gaius went on, gesturing to us in a sweeping motion. “But there’s no mistaking that he’s here with us now—with Muzo to boot! Can either of you two explain what exactly happened between yesterday and now?”
I’d been carefully preparing my words since Jade left this morning. I cleared my throat. “Well, Gaius—”
“We had sex,” Muzo declared happily.
