Mylo
The forest clearingwas full of contestants, and the excitement of the second challenge buzzed in the air. I shuffled around to avoid being elbowed by taller omegas, but everyone was louder and rowdier, and kept bumping me by accident.
When I finally caught a glimpse of two white-haired omegas, I made a beeline for them.
“There you are,” Alaric said. Despite his haughty tone, he seemed glad to see me.
“Hi, Mylo,” Poppy said with a gentle smile.
I smiled back. This was nice. Was this what having friends was like?
“Hey, guys,” I greeted.
“So, how was dinner?” Alaric asked.
I remembered Aurum playing footsie with me—and the unspeakable things that happened in my hotel room afterwards. A hot blush surged into my cheeks.
I cleared my throat, but it didn’t stop my voice from squeaking. “It was fine. Good.”
Alaric scoffed. “It wasfine?”
“I think he’s being humble so you don’t get jealous,” Poppy pointed out, which I was grateful for. I was too flustered to explain myself to Alaric.
“I am not jealous,” Alaric griped, crossing his arms. “I’ve got no skin in the game for those twins. Besides, one of them appears to be taken already,” he added in a low mutter.
I blushed harder. Was he talking about Aurum?
A booming, charismatic voice cut us off.
“Hello, contestants! Welcome to another beautiful day on Chromatimaeus Island!” Gaius called. He stood on a large rock, his orange shirt billowing in the breeze like a safety flag.
I stood on my toes to look for Aurum. Last time when Gaius explained the challenge, the twins weren’t far behind. Unfortunately, the contestants in front of me were too tall and blocked my view.
“As you can see, our second challenge takes place in the forest,” Gaius stated. “It’s filled with scents, sounds, and textures... perfect for your animal forms to explore!”
Poppy noticed me straining on my toes. He was a bit taller than me, so he put his hands under my armpits and lifted me high enough to see.
“You don’t have to do that, I’m too heavy,” I protested in a whisper.
Bless his heart, Poppy was frail and thin. He didn’t have enough muscle mass to lift my chubby body for long. But in the few seconds he gave me a better view, I caught a glimpse of Aurum. Our eyes met for a second—enough to make my heart trip over itself—then Poppy’s arms gave out and he put me back on the ground.
“Sorry,” he murmured, looking like the saddest puppy in the world.
I shook my head. “I’m sorry. If I wasn’t so heavy...”
“No, no. I’m just weak. It’s not your fault.”
Alaric glared at us both. “Will you two stop apologizing to each other and listen to the man?”
We zipped it and turned our attention back to Gaius.
“Today’s challenge is a scavenger hunt! We’ve scattered items around the forest and it’s your job to hunt them down.” He held up one finger. “But that’s not all! Not only do you have tofindthe items, you also have to identify which twin they belong to.”
The crowd whispered and muttered. They didn’t sound optimistic.
But my heart picked up speed. I knew what Aurum smelled like—intimately. His scent was burned into my brain. I actually felt confident I could do this. Which was weird because I usually never felt confident about anything.
“Contestants, you may now shift into your animal forms if you wish!” Gaius instructed.
