“Dude,if you wanted some alone time with this guy, why’d you bring me along?” Aurum asked, leaning against a thick tree.
“Because I want you to meethim, duh,” I said, leaning against the opposite tree.
The crescent moon hung in the black sky, glittering alongside a sprinkling of stars. It was the perfect moody atmosphere for an illicit evening encounter. My heart skittered as I imagined Rorik walking out to greet us.
“So, it’s barely been a single night, and you’re already inviting this guy to our room,” Aurum said. His tone was more curious than judgmental. “You think he’s the one?”
My chest tightened. I liked Rorik. He was adorable, and his stoic mannerisms were charming. I was drawn to him immediately, which was a feeling I didn’t have with the other contestants.
But doubts gnawed at me like lurking shadows waiting to pounce. I’d had bad judgment in the past. Could I be sure of anything anymore?
That was half the reason I’d brought Aurum along tonight. He’d seen the truth before, and saved me from a crappy situation. If I couldn’t trust myself, I could trust my twin.
I turned to Aurum and dropped the same bomb I’d heard earlier: “By the way, Rorik has never seen a movie before.”
Aurum choked as he whipped his head towards me. “What? And youlikethis guy?”
I rolled my eyes. Aurum got lucky with his mate, who was just as video game-obsessed as he was.
“Just ‘cause he’s never seen a movie doesn’t mean he won’t enjoy one,” I retorted.
Aurum was still shocked. “I don’t get it. How? Is this dude from fucking space?”
A flash of bright white among the trees caught my attention. A polar bear in the dark was hard to miss. As Rorik stepped towards us, my heart picked up speed.
“Rorik, over here!” I called, waving him closer.
Rorik stopped mid-step, holding his massive paw in the air. He tilted his head.
“There’s… two of you,” he said.
I chuckled. His bluntness was so funny.
“Yeah, this is my twin, Aurum,” I introduced.
Aurum nodded in greeting. “Yo.”
Rorik looked back and forth between us, genuinely surprised. Did he seriously not know we were twins? Did he knowanythingabout the Dragonfate Games before signing up? Combined with the fact that he’d never watched a movie, this was bizarre. I supposed it was possible he was old-fashioned, and simply didn’t own a TV or computer. There was nothing wrong with that. But I had a feeling something else was going on with him.
Rorik finally put his paw down and sauntered towards me. His white fur reflected the moonlight, making him glow like a beacon in the darkness. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. My fingers itched to comb through that thick, dense fur. It was probably so warm to cuddle against...
But we had more important matters to handle.
“Follow us, Rorik,” I said with a grin. “You’re about to have an awesome night.”
5
Rorik
This was terrible.
It was supposed to be the two of us alone in a dark, secluded location. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect opportunity to pick him off. But it was too good to be true. Saffron ruined everything by showing up with his identical twin.
My head throbbed with anger. Why didn’t Sheba warn me about this? Then my training kicked in, and my petulant thought died. If she didn’t mention it, she must’ve had a reason. Yes, that was it. The fact that Saffron had a twin was irrelevant. At the end of the day, I had to kill as many dragons as possible. Their relationships didn’t matter.
But the twin’s presence made my assassination attempt difficult, if not impossible. If these two scrawny blonds reallyweredragon shifters, then I was outmatched. If I attacked one, the other could shift in the blink of an eye and strike me down.
With a cold shudder, I recalled that the dragon who’d attacked my clan was faster than it looked. It was unwise to underestimate them.
