“All right, omegas!” Gaius began. “Your final task—for a prize of one million dollars—is to hunt down rare red moss. It could be anywhere on the island, but here’s a hint from yours truly—think smarter, not harder.” He winked. “You have two hours. If it’s found, the winner will get the full cash prize. If nobody finds the moss by the time limit, the money will be divided among you.”
Everyone murmured in excitement.
“Your time... startsnow!” Gaius shouted.
“Rare red moss?” I asked, glancing up at Cobalt.
“It’s for the snails,” he explained. “My research tells me they use it for breeding.”
“What, like a sex toy?”
The corner of his mouth curved in amusement. “No, as a substrate for eggs. But I see you’ve got somecreativeideas.” He lowered his voice, leaning a bit closer. “Though after what happened last night, I shouldn’t be surprised.”
Gaius poked his head into the conversation. “Ooh, what happened last night?”
A blush dusted Cobalt’s cheeks. “None of your business,” he mumbled.
“Excuse you,” Gaius said with a scoff. “I’m the host, darling. Everything that happens during the showismy business.”
Cobalt leveled a glare at him.
Gaius sighed, shaking his head. “No dice? Then I have no choice but to use my wild imagination...”
I chuckled, wondering what kind of wacky things Gaius would cook up in his mind, and how close they’d be to the truth.
Suddenly, I heard a small yelp. My lingering animal instincts stirred in my blood. I knew it was Poppy without even going to the source of the noise.
I immediately ran over to him. He sat at the mouth of a cavern in wolf form gingerly holding up one paw, as if he hurt himself.
“What happened?” I asked.
Poppy sighed, sounding exasperated with himself. “It’s nothing. I just stepped on a sharp rock.”
I wondered if he was still shaken up by the bullies and hadn’t been paying attention to his surroundings. If the challenge just started and he already hurt his paw, would he be safe wandering around alone? What if the bullies came back?
“I’m coming with you, Pops,” I announced.
His eyes widened. “W-what? You can’t. People will think you’re helping me.”
“Let ‘em think whatever they want. I don’t have any secret knowledge, so how could I help? I’m only gonna keep you company, that’s all.”
Poppy’s fur flattened in relief. “Oh, Muzo... Thank you.”
Cobalt ran over with a concerned frown. Behind him trailed a camera-wielding kobold.
“What’s going on?” Cobalt asked.
“I’m going with Poppy on the scavenger hunt.” I looked directly at the camera. “Not helping. Just accompanying.” I took off my shirt and handed it to Cobalt. “Here, hold my clothes.”
After stripping, I shifted to jackal form and pressed my fur against Poppy’s side. I felt his heartbeat slow down.
“All right,” Cobalt said, eyeing me in concern. “Be careful. Both of you.”
I snorted. “It’s just a scavenger hunt. We’ll be fine. See ya in two hours!”
Cobalt nodded at the cameraman to follow us. I figured it was less for TV and more for our safety. My alpha was such a worrywart sometimes.
“Lead the way, Pops,” I said.
