Silence fell over the beach. Even Gaius was at a loss for words for a moment.
“Well, no one can say you aren’t honest,” he continued with a laugh. The easygoing way he went with the flow eased the crowd, as if his good mood allowed them to relax. “Cobalt, can you confirm or deny this statement?”
I mentally threw my speech out the window. There was no going back now.
I swept my long tail around Muzo. He giggled as the furry tip tickled him.
“I confirm it wholeheartedly,” I answered.
The camera crew edged closer from every angle, eagerly capturing shots of us together. Jade stood by them with a satisfied expression. Being late was a blessing in disguise. Rare footage of my dragon form combined with the unprecedented interruption to the Games must be a goldmine for a reality TV show.
At the back of the crowd, Jade made a subtle ‘go on’ hand gesture.
I cleared my throat. “I want to apologize to the other contestants that I missed the challenge. The fault is all mine. But I’ll be honest. The allure of my fated mate was too much to bear. I couldn’t be apart from him a second longer.”
The second I dropped the words ‘fated mate,’ the contestants broke into a clamor. It took Gaius a minute to quiet everyone down. I noticed Poppy and Alaric didn’t join in. Had they already suspected something?
“Does that mean the Dragonfate Games are already over?” an apprehensive omega asked Gaius.
“That’s not fair,” an angrier one butted in. “They barely started! How can Cobalt possibly know who his mate is?”
Fire sizzled in my heart. When I spoke, my dragon’s voice boomed, capturing everyone’s attention in an instant.
“Do not doubt fate,” I growled. “The legendary bond between an alpha and omega fated to be together is something that cannot be faked. IknowMuzo is my mate. That is final.”
The crowd went dead silent.
Oops. I’d forgotten I was in my dragon form—and thus, every word out of my mouth was terrifying. I hoped my speech didn’t frighten the rest of the contestants.
Thankfully, Gaius dispelled the tension just by being himself. He clapped enthusiastically like I’d given a rehearsed performance. “Beautiful words from our alpha dragon bachelor. Although it seems he’s not quite a bachelor anymore!” He wagged a finger. “But not to worry, contestants. The Dragonfate Games aren’t quite over yet. In our third and final challenge, you won’t be fighting for the dragon’s affections.”
Gaius paused purposefully, letting the anticipation sink in. The crowd murmured in confusion. Hell, I was confused, too. What would they compete for in his place?
Gaius finally broke his silence. “Instead, you’ll have the chance to win a cash prize of one million dollars!”
The contestants erupted into ecstatic, frenzied chaos. It was almost comical. Compared to a million bucks, I was nothing. They acted like I didn’t even exist anymore.
That was fine by me. This was a win-win situation for everybody.
Except my wallet.
Jade instructed the contestants to return to the hotel to prepare for the final challenge. After the contestants left, I remained on the beach with Muzo, Gaius, Jade and some straggling staff members. One of them handed me a spare outfit after I shifted back to human form.
“One million?” I asked Jade, raising a brow.
He shamelessly arched a brow right back at me. “You got yourself into this mess, Cobalt. Now you’re getting yourself out of it.”
“Sure. But you couldn’t have settled for five hundred thousand?”
“I’m charging you extra for emotional damages,” he said wryly.
I sighed. “Fair enough.”
Gaius ignored our brotherly spat. “Aren’t you two a sight for sore eyes,” he said, grinning at me and Muzo. “Look what a cute couple you are! Your size difference is to die for.”
Out of nowhere, a pair of golden dragons swooped in, shifted in mid-air, then landed on the sand next to us. The remaining staff had already left so there was nobody around to save our eyes from the twins’ casual nudity.
“Yeah, it’s like the difference between a Great Dane and a Chihuahua,” Aurum said with a snort.
