Alaric’s jaw tensed like he wanted to argue with me, but he just huffed. “Fine. Leave. It’s not like I won’t see you tomorrow.”
My body dragged like a thousand-pound weight as I hauled myself to my feet. “I’m sorry, Alaric.”
“It’s fine. I understand,” he said, sighing as he curled up on his pillow. But he still threw in a teasing barb. “You’re too much of a slut for the rules to break them.”
I chuckled. “You may be right.” As if moving with a will of its own, my hand slipped to fondle Alaric’s collar. “But I’m not the only one. You didn’t break my rules either, kitten.”
Alaric’s lashes fluttered as he blinked rapidly, then scowled. “We had a deal. I rarely make promises, but when I do, I keep them.”
My heart squeezed with affection. He was special. So special.
It felt right, so I leaned in and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Goodnight, Alaric. Sleep well.”
It happened so fast he barely had a chance to become flustered.
“Night,” he mumbled.
As I stood up, I noticed a familiar shirt tucked beneath his pillow. It was the one I’d lent him the other day that he never returned. Warmth blossomed in my chest, making my whole self feel light and airy. That was the cherry on top of a nearly perfect evening.
Next time, I vowed to stay with him overnight. That would betrulyperfect.
10
Alaric
I knew beforehandthat Jade would be gone by morning, but that didn’t make it any less painful.
The bed still smelled like him, as did the folded-up shirt I kept on my pillow. Maybe it was my omega hormones awakening, but his scent blared brighter than a neon sign. I could practically see its lingering essence floating in the air like mist.
As I sat up with a groggy groan, the locket on my collar tinkled against my bare skin, reminding me more of his absence.
I snorted in amusement. I’d gone from hating Jade to missing him in a short amount of time. The green-haired bastard certainly had a way of worming himself into my heart.
But one night of passion—however mutually mind-blowing—didn’t mean we were fated mates.
I’d come here to find my alpha. It couldn’t possibly be Jade... could it?
I didn’t knowwhat to expect when I arrived on the beach for the second challenge, but it wasn’t a TV set featuring a miniature library. The contraption looked bizarre and out of place on beautiful white sand against a sparkling ocean backdrop.
“What is that?” I muttered to Poppy, who’d accompanied me from the hotel.
He tilted his head. “It looks like a library. But why is it here on the beach?”
Yesterday’s incident with Jade’s brothers popped into my mind. No doubt they had something to do with this nonsense.
“We’re about to find out,” I said as Gaius strode onto the scene. His horrendous shirt du jour was an awful lime green that managed to outdo its neon predecessor. If that wasn’t bad enough, he topped it off with reflective neon sunglasses perched on his nose.
He wasn’t alone. Standing beside him was another man dressed in green—and that one made my heart skip a beat.
I perked up as I caught Jade’s eye. He gave me a complex smile, polite and friendly while in public, but with a subtle dash of naughtiness.
Without thinking about it, I reached up to touch my collar. Then, realizing what I’d done, I shoved my hand stiffly back down to my side.
“Good morning, contestants!” Gaius announced, flashing a pure white grin at the group of omegas. “You’ve all seen the set of today’s challenge by now. It’s impossible to miss, isn’t it?”
That earned a few suck-up chuckles from the crowd. I rolled my eyes, knowing their efforts were meaningless. But inside, I buzzed with smug pride. The other contestants didn’treallythink they could win, did they? The night I shared with Jade last night left no room for anyone else.
Yet paranoia gnawed at me. Did Jade feel the same way? I made eye contact with him again, eager for a response of any kind. I’d be gutted if he ignored me the way he did at the meet-and-greet.
