They were right. Aside from the fact that I was a twin, this challenge had nothing to do with me as an individual. Dammit, Jade. Wasn’t he supposed to be good at planning the Games? I had some stern complaints for him after this was over.
Gaius ignored the stray comments and grinned like he was having a great time. At least somebody was.
“You all know our wonderful bachelor Saffron here is a twin,” he went on, gesticulating at me. “But canyourecognize him?”
As the contestants’ eyes swiveled onto me, I tensed. I’d always imagined this kind of moment to be a fun ego boost. What alphawouldn’twant a group of omegas staring at him?
Instead, I just felt like a collectible, a toy wrapped in packaging that was only worth something as an object, my value stemming only from what others perceived of me: a wealthy celebrity alpha dragon.
I hated it.
But one pair of eyes was different than the rest.
My heart skipped as Rorik met my gaze. His black, brooding eyes were changed from last night. He looked… lonelier.
Claws gripped my heart. What happened after I left?
Dammit, why did I run? I should’ve been there for him.
I wanted to throw myself into the crowd and talk to him, but before I could move, a casual arm looped around my shoulder. The golden glow in the corner of my eye told me who it was before I faced him.
“Yo,” Aurum said, flashing a grin.
He wore the exact same outfit I did, and since he’d stopped dying his hair after meeting Mylo, we were visually identical. Immediately, Aurum’s arrival caused a stir in the previously disheartened crowd. People murmured, glancing back and forth between us as they tried to memorize which twin was which.
Rorik didn’t look at Aurum. His shadowed gaze was pinned on me. There was something like desperation hidden in his dark pools.
“Earrings, please, boys,” Gaius instructed, producing an outstretched palm.
I frowned, then grudgingly removed the dangling topaz from my ear. Aurum did the same. Our movements were mirrored as we dropped them in Gaius’s hand.
“These will be your prey,” Gaius announced, showing off the earrings to the crowd. The crystalline facets gleamed in the sunlight. He tossed them expertly to a pair of kobold staff members nearby, who immediately darted off. “They’ll be hidden in the surrounding woods, so use your sharp senses to hunt them down! To win, you need to find both earrings,anddivine the correct owner.”
My stomach turned. This was stupid. Couldn’t they just guess? It was a 50/50 chance to get it right. If Jade had rigged the challenges in Rorik’s favor, how did this help him at all?
After the kobolds returned, Gaius finished his long-winded spiel and officially started the challenge. All the omegas shifted into their animal forms and bolted into the trees—all except two.
Rorik and Poppy.
They stood an awkward distance apart, not looking at each other. The tension was palpable.
I was so confused. Weren’t they friends? Did something happen between the nurse’s office and now?
Aurum leaned close to my ear. “Hey,” he whispered, only loud enough for me to hear. “You like that polar bear, right? Want me to help him win?”
My chest tightened. In my era of uncertainty and confusion, I’d forgotten I had a twin I could rely on.
“How d’you know where the earrings are hidden?” I asked.
“I eavesdropped on Jade’s instructions earlier. I know exactly where they are.”
I felt a thrill of excitement. I’d helped Mylo win during his scavenger hunt, and now Aurum was returning the favor.
“I mean… I won’t stop you,” I teased. Then my nerves crept in. I added in a whisper, “But be careful, okay? Rorik’s not like other omegas.”
“How so?”
“He’s been brainwashed by a freaky ice cult. He’s stupidly stubborn and proud. He might take your offer to help the wrong way, so try to be subtle about it.”
