Gaius waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, that was nothing! Remember when Cobalt nearly bit my head off? That was way worse than your little temper tantrum.”
I smiled dryly at him reducing my feral outburst to a ‘little temper tantrum.’ That was a trait I liked about Gaius—he always found a silver lining, no matter how dark the circumstances.
I grunted with effort as I tightened the knot on my upper thighs. “In any case, it was uncouth. It won’t happen again.”
Gaius nodded, happy to forgive and forget. Then he asked, “When should I summon our eager contestants? When you’re all wrapped up like a mummy?”
“A couple more minutes. I’m nearly finished.”
Gaius peered curiously at the intricate bindings. “So, if the contestants can’t touch the ropes, how exactly are they supposed to win?”
I chuckled. “What, you can’t use your imagination?”
Gaius tapped his chin. “Would a blowtorch work?”
I arched an amused brow. “You can’t touch the ropes, remember?”
“I’m not touching the ropes, my dear dragon friend. The burning hotflamesare touching the ropes.”
“Try again.”
Gaius thought about it for one entire second. “I give up,” he declared. “But I’m looking forward to everyone’s creativity!”
After my delicaterope work was completed, Gaius invited the contestants to the beach. They arrived bright-eyed and eager. To my relief, none of them seemed shaken by my feral hissy fit. Nobody had left the island or opted out—if anything, the novelty of the botched third challenge ignited their enthusiasm to participate.
It was a shame I couldn’t return their adoration. Alaric was the only omega in my heart. This challenge was merely a victory lap for what the two of us already knew.
“Your task is to free our bachelor Jade from his bondage, but youcan’ttouch the ropes!” Gaius told the crowd.
As Gaius explained the rules and 5-minute time limit, my heart started to race. What if someone figured out a different way to win the challenge—an alternate method than the one I had in mind? Would I be forced to concede victory to that contestant instead of my fated mate?
I buried my doubts. I believed in my convoluted scheme—and I had faith that Alaric thought in the same twisted way I did.
As the challenge began, my mind went calm and still. The first contestant approached. He hemmed and hawed, looking at the ropes from every angle. In the end, he spent so much time thinking that he never made a single move. His time was up, and his attempt over.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Alaric standing rigidly in line while tapping his foot. He wasn’t nervous—he was impatient for his turn. We shared a silent glance of mutual understanding.
The second contestant approached the stage, raring to go—but as he glanced at the highly detailed rope work, doubt crept over his expression. He realized he had no clue how to dislodge the ropes without touching them.
This became a common problem with each subsequent challenger. A few instinctively reached for the ropes only to balk when they remembered the cardinal rule. Since tools were also off-limits, they were all flummoxed. They had no inkling how to win.
Finally, it was Alaric’s turn.
He sauntered up to me, exuding confident swagger with every step. I couldn’t stop a satisfied smile from spreading over my face. My confidence in my mate was well placed.
“Hello, Jade,” Alaric said.
I glanced up at him. “Hello, kitten.”
Alaric didn’t spare the ropes a single glance. He kneeled in front of me, leaned closer, and stared into my eyes. My heart skipped with anticipation. Inside, roiling heat swirled in my chest. My dragon simmered close to the surface. He growled in low satisfaction, breathing in the familiar warmth of Alaric’s breath. I held his metaphorical leash loose, ready to release him at Alaric’s unspoken command.
“I’m meant to break the ropes without touching them. Is that right?” Alaric asked, his voice playful.
My gaze slipped to the black leather collar encircling his pale throat. The silver heart locket tinkled with each subtle motion. If my hands weren’t bound, I would’ve hooked my finger into the collar and tugged Alaric into a fiery kiss. But I was completely at his mercy. Whatever happened next was up to him.
Alaric didn’t let me down. Like two halves of the same whole, we vibrated on the same wavelength.
His delicate fingers cupped my face—the only part of my body that wasn’t snared by ropes—and angled it like a collectoradmiring a precious piece of art. The smirk that played on his lips made my heart stutter.
