I usually minded my own business and didn’t normally poke my nose into things, but my ferret instincts were acting up. As a species, we knew shenanigans like the back of our paws. Something fishy was going on here.
That was it—I had to know the truth. Which twin was I really talking to?
“Yeah, sorry,” I said, offering a shy smile to cover up my blaring anxiety. “I was just thinking about my time with Saffron.”
Frigid, angry jealousy flashed across the alpha’s eyes.
My heart skipped a beat.
Bingo.
That settled it. The alpha in front of me lied about his name. He wasn’t Saffron. His real name was Aurum.
And, for some reason, he was so pissed I’d dropped his brother’s name that he didn’t even notice my sneaky motive.
Aurum dug his nails into the armrests. “Your time with—”
He stopped short, like his brain short circuited. I’d bamboozled him.
Slow and deliberate, he released his death-grip on the chair and clasped his fingers together in his lap. He exhaled a laugh.
“You mean Aurum, right?” he asked, forcing himself to sound casual. It might’ve worked on somebody else—and maybe even on the audience for whom this was being filmed—but not me. I’d literally ferreted out the truth, and there was no going back now.
I noticed that getting the question out took him a while. I wondered if he had trouble keeping up the charade.
“No,” I said, determined to stay the course. “I mean your twin named Saffron.”
Aurum’s eyes flew wide open. An explosive mix of emotions stormed in his gaze as he stared at me, silent and intense.
A shudder ran down my spine.
Uh oh. Did I make a huge mistake by pissing off this dragon?
“M-maybe I should go,” I said meekly.
Aurum suddenly frowned, like he’d been shaken out of a daze. He opened his mouth to object, but before he could, I launched to my feet—careful not to trip this time—and scurried off the stage.
Nine
Aurum
What the actual fuck?
I was so flabbergasted by Mylo’s declaration that I couldn’t concentrate on the rest of the stupid challenge. Omegas came and went, and I didn’t care.
All I cared about was Mylo.
Er, about his sleuthing.
When the challenge finally ended, Gaius was excited to announce the winners. I barely paid attention. As he ranted, I glared at Mylo buried in the crowd. He winced under my piercing stare and huddled closer to Alaric and Poppy.
I was confused. How did he figure it out? Shit, had other people figured it out, too? Was my scheme destined to fail just as the Games started?
No way. It couldn’t. Mylo was a fluke. Ferrets were known for being mischievous. Maybe he didn’t even know for sure and just guessed.
Except my overblown reaction proved he was right. Dammit.
What were my options? I could double down and lie, try to convince him he was wrong. But I didn’t want to lie to Myloagain. It sucked the first time. Hell, it didn’t even work. Besides, he was clever. He’d see right through my bullshit.
