Was the online man infiltrating Saffron’s thoughts and brainwashing him? Or were these Saffron’s actual feelings?
Either way, it didn’t matter. He was growing apart from me at an exponential rate, and it freaked me the fuck out.
I had to do something. It had to be drastic, and fast.
Then it hit me: what if Saffron never found his mate?
A twisted hope coiled in my guts. If I ruined this opportunity for him, he’d come crawling back to me. We’d be close again. The constant fighting would end, and our bond would be repaired.
I took a deep breath, then forced a smile.
“You’re right, Saffron,” I said. “I’ll try to help you get through this season, okay?”
He looked relieved that I didn’t blow up at his confession. “Thanks, Aurum.”
Little did he know Iwasblowing up inside. I guess it was easier to lie to him than I thought. “No prob.”
Four
Mylo
My mompersonally packed my bags, stuffing them to the brim until I was terrified they wouldn’t fit on the plane, and yet she still somehow forgot to pack sunscreen. Among all the excitement and chaos, the whole tropical island thing must’ve slipped her mind.
Good thing I snuck a long-sleeved shirt into my carry-on.
I squinted against the blazing sun in the blue sky. It was hot, and the long shirt wasn’t helping. Sweat dripped down my forehead, making my glasses slip down my nose. I pushed them up every five seconds so they wouldn’t fall off my face.
The crowd didn’t help the heat, either—or my nerves. Slim, attractive omegas flanked me on every side. They wore flattering outfits, like weather-appropriate tank tops that showed off their toned muscles and glistening skin. Meanwhile, I wore an old shirt just loose enough to cover my chubby belly.
I arrived on Chromatimaeus Island yesterday afternoon, but I still hadn’t adjusted. Talk about overstimulation. There was too much to take in. For a guy who spent all his time between his bedroom and his job down the street, it was overwhelming. I feltlike my parents had thrown me in the deep end of a pool and expected me to swim.
On the bright side, at least they weren’t hovering over me. I wasn’t used tothat, either.
After breakfast at the hotel, a handsome guy wearing a neon-orange shirt flounced into the lobby and invited us to join him at something called the “opening ceremony.” I had no clue what that meant. Dad encouraged me to watch a season of the Dragonfate Games to prepare, but at the time, I was too nervous. Now I regretted it.
All the contestants gathered in front of a big fancy stage on the beach. The neon shirt-wearing guy was there—Gaius, I believe was his name. He said he was a gryphon shifter, but I must’ve misheard him. Gryphons didn’t exist. Probably.
As I tried not to rub elbows with the omegas beside me, I wondered what species were present. Wolves, for sure. Canines and bears were the most common shifters in society. They got all the representation in movies and books. Nobody ever heard of a black-footed ferret shifter.
Oh gods, would I be the first one ever on TV? That was so much pressure...
Chatter filled my ears. The other contestants talked non-stop, flinging around unique names I didn’t recognize but sounded like celebrities. Unlike me, everyone else was stoked to be here. I shrank into myself, feeling deeply out of place. I had plenty of practice being a loner, but that never made it easier.
The only other quiet person was the young man next to me. He had a slight build with a couple inches of height on me, and he was much thinner. His fluffy white hair had a yellow tint, and his dark eyes looked anxious.
Weirdly enough, it made me feel a little better that I wasn’t the only person who looked nervous.
Then he turned to look at me.
Crap. I didn’t mean to stare at him for so long.
My stomach churned. Should I smile and say hi? Should I apologize for staring? Should I walk into the ocean?
He smiled softly and opened his mouth to speak. An initial rush of relief slammed into me. Thank gods, he wasn’t mad.
Then he said, “Alaric!”
My relief crumbled to dust.
