My pulse raced as I remembered last night's date and our spicy evening visit. I swallowed at the memory and mentally swatted it away before I got a boner again.

  Cobalt obviously wasn't doing those things with other people. His gestures were sweet, his words sweeter, and he always went out of his way to please me. Almost like he was trying to prove something…

  Across the stream, Gaius nudged Cobalt with his elbow and nodded towards the hotel. Cobalt frowned deeply. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but it seemed like Gaius was telling Cobalt he had to leave. Maybe the producers didn’t want Cobalt present since he’d interfered during the last challenge. I thought about what Alaric said—would Cobalt help me win if he stayed?

  He’d really do that for me...?

  But it was no use challenging the host. As Cobalt flashed the biggest pout known to man, Gaius nodded sympathetically and urged him away. Before Cobalt stomped off, he glanced over his shoulder at me, his blue eyes clouded with longing.

  I smiled to reassure him. I had a feeling we wouldn’t be apart for too long.

  I was so busy watching Cobalt walk away that I didn’t pay attention to Gaius’s spiel. All of a sudden, I heard him call: “Ready, omegas? Go!”

  Everyone scattered. Some omegas ran off in their human forms, others as animals. Meanwhile, I stood there like a lump, not knowing what to do. The sudden realization about Cobalt flustered me. I had no idea where to begin for this challenge.

  “Muzo!” Poppy cried.

  I glanced down to see him in his wolf form. The fur on the back of his neck ruffled with excitement, or nerves. Knowing Poppy, it was probably the latter.

  “I have an idea,” Poppy said. “A bunch of omegas are hunting for prey in the forest, but I don't think that's right. Remember how the first challenge was about water? I think this one is, too. We should try fishing in the stream.”

  “We?” Alaric interjected. “I wasn't aware this was a group activity.”

  Poppy's ears flattened as he glared at Alaric. Which was unusual because Poppy never glared at anybody. What was up with him lately?

  “We've helped each other in challenges before," Poppy pointed out.

  Alaric sniffed and turned to leave. “Suit yourselves. I'm not about to get my hands dirty for a challenge I have no possibility of winning. If you need me, I'll be tanning on the beach.”

  “Forget him,” Poppy insisted. “We can do this together.”

  It was rare to see him so determined, so I didn't want to turn down his offer, though I still didn't understand his uncharacteristic ambition.

  “Sure, Pops, if that's what you want,” I said.

  He nodded, relieved, then hunkered down by the stream about ten feet away. “You start there, I'll start here, and we'll meet in the middle.”

  “Okay.”

  Poppy instantly got to work. His eyes scanned the rushing water, his paw at the ready to catch a fish.

  I stared into the stream. The flow calmed me. I could've shut my eyes and listened to the peaceful running water until I fell asleep.

  But it wasn't the time or place for that. I wanted to try my best to win the challenge on my own terms, no matter what Alaric said. If Cobalt chose me as the winner, I'd be happy.

  If he didn't, then…

  My skin prickled with unease. Actually, I didn't want to think about Cobalt picking a different winner.

  I kneeled at the edge of the stream in human form, my fingers curling into the earth. Unlike Alaric, I didn't care if I got dirty, especially if it resulted in another shower session with Cobalt.

  Ugh, I couldn't think about that stuff right now. Getting a boner was not conducive to fishing.

  “I got one!” Poppy cried, his voice muffled by a big fish clenched in his jaws.

  He looked ecstatic, but the fish had other ideas. It thrashed for dear life, slapping Poppy’s muzzle with its tail until it broke free. Poppy yelped as the fish disappeared back into the stream.

  “Catch it, Muzo!” he cried.

  Even if I wanted to catch the fish, it was too late. The aquatic escapee sped past me and my clumsy human hands, disappearing downstream.

  Poppy ran over to me with a crease in his brows. “Why did you let it go? It might've helped you win.”

  I shook my head. “Thanks, Pops, but I want to do this on my own. I’m gonna prove to Alaric that I can win fair and square.”

  Poppy’s ears flattened. He looked uncomfortable, like he was struggling not to argue with me.

  “What’s up with you lately?” I asked. “You’ve been acting weird since we got here.”

  Poppy’s pelt prickled. “No, I haven’t.”

  “Uh, yeah, you have.”

  He licked the fur on his chest distractedly. “A-anyway, we shouldn’t waste time. I’m gonna catch another fish.”

  “And give it to me?” I accused.

  Poppy’s eyes widened like saucers. “No!”

  I grasped either side of his furry head. “Poppy Faolan, did you just tell a lie?”

  Poppy whimpered like I’d stepped on his paw. He looked ready to faint. I suddenly felt bad, so I backed off.

  “Sorry, Pops,” I said. “I’m not trying to agitate you. I just want you to tell the truth.”

  The next words out of Poppy’s mouth sounded like they’d been boiling for days. “Then so should you,” he muttered.

  “What?”

  Poppy anxiously peeked over his shoulder at the camera crew. “I don’t want to say it in front of everyone,” he murmured. “But... you know. Your situation.”

  It finally dawned on me. That’s why Poppy was so worried. That was why he kept pushing me to do well and assisting me during challenges at his own expense.

  Because if I lost the Dragonfate Games this time, I had nothing to go back to. No home. No job.

  No mate.

  A wave of emotion hit me. I wrapped my arms around Poppy’s fluffy neck in a big hug.

  “Oh, Pops,” I murmured into his fur. “You’re the sweetest friend a guy could ask for, y’know that?”

  A soft whine escaped him. “I just want you to be safe...”

  “I am safe.”

  His voice quivered. “I don’t mean right now. I mean after the Games. When we go back to reality. I’m not supposed to have people over in my apartment, but if we’re careful, you can stay with me. But my place is so small, and my job barely covers my bills. I don’t know if I can feed both of us...”

  “Whoa, whoa, slow down,” I said. I stroked the top of his head, hoping to calm him down. “Don’t worry about all that now. We’re supposed to be on vacation.”

  Tears formed in Poppy’s big, brown eyes. “How can I not worry? I can’t relax when you’re—” His voice broke. “Homeless...”

  “Everything’s gonna be okay,” I promised with a smile. I didn’t know how or why, but I believed it to my very core. What I told Poppy was the truth.

  He gave me a curious look with his doe eyes. “Cobalt likes you, right?”

  “Sure does.” I grinned. “In ways I haven’t even told you about yet.”

  Poppy lifted his head, his ears perking forward. “Really?”

  “Uh huh. So, don’t sweat it.” I nodded at the stream. “Let’s catch something, okay?”

  He sniffled. “Okay.”

  I crouched by the stream and scanned the water. Fish darted past, but none of them caught my eye. I heard Poppy splashing upstream. He must’ve been trying to catch as many as possible.

  Glancing past the fish, I searched the stream bed. Silt and rocks dotted the calm, motionless floor. It looked so peaceful down there.

  Slowly, I reached my hand inside. I ignored the panicked fish giving me a wide berth. Closing my eyes, I trailed my fingers along the bottom. I experienced a flash of feeling, of being spiritually close to Cobalt.

  My fingers hit something solid. I paused. It was about the size of my fist with a hard surface, like a rock.

  When I opened my eyes, I felt an unexpected powerful flash of nostalgia.

  It wasn’t a rock—it was a shell. The beautifully spiralled shell of a snail. The modest gray and brown stripes blending into the stream bed in the perfect camouflage.

  I stared at it in fuzzy recognition. Where had I seen this snail before?

  As the memory suddenly unfurled in my mind, I sucked in a soft breath. That fateful day in the ocean, way back when...

  I shuddered, then smiled at the snail. I didn’t know why, but I felt as if Cobalt would like it, too. I gently picked it up and placed it in the bucket with some water from its home.

  Poppy bounded over. “Muzo, you caught something! What is it?”

  I proudly showed him the bucket. “Look!”

  When he peered inside, his fur flattened in disappointment. “Oh. It’s... just a snail?”

  “It’s not just a snail,” I said, shaking my head. “There’s something special about it. I feel it in my gut.”

  Poppy didn’t seem convinced, but tried to keep an optimistic expression. “Well, it’s a good start. Let’s keep trying.”

  He went back to fishing, but I was finished. I had the only catch I needed.

  “Hey, little guy,” I whispered to the snail. “You and me—we’re gonna win this challenge. I just know it.”

  The snail wiggled its antennae.

  Fourteen

  Cobalt

  The last place I wanted to be right now was trapped in a hotel office with the twins.

  My leg bounced impatiently. After my brief appearance at the start of the challenge, I was ushered away against my will. Apparently, my presence might’ve influenced the contestants’ decisions, and Jade thought the challenges would seem fairer if I wasn’t there fawning over Muzo the entire time.

  I suppose he had a point.

  I sighed in frustration, sinking back in my chair. The longer the Games went on, the more I agreed with Crimson’s initial disdain for them—it was a whole lot of bullshit.

  I wasn’t left completely in the dark, though. The producers provided a TV in the office airing a live stream of the challenge so I could watch it from a distance. The footage was only meant for me, but the twins were famously nosy. They snuck into the office before I even showed up, so I didn’t bother kicking them out—even if they were blocking half the TV.

  Aurum and Saffron crouched shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the screen, loudly narrating and commenting on everything like they were watching a football game.

  Out of all my younger brothers, the twins felt the hardest to reach emotionally. Ever since they hatched from the same egg, they’d lived in their own little bubble, always preferring each other’s company to the rest of the world. They respected me as the eldest dragon, but at the end of the day, each other’s input was more important.

  To be honest, I worried for them. How would they find fated mates if they were constantly attached at the hip? The Dragonfate Games were originally Saffron’s idea, so I assumed he wanted a mate, but Aurum only showed interest in watching the Games, not participating.

  “Dude, are you seeing Alaric right now?” Aurum asked. “He’s straight up tanning during the challenge.”

  Saffron snorted. “He needs one. He’s paler than a ghost.”

  “Harsh. But true.”

  It was safe to say neither of them were fated to Alaric. I obviously wasn’t, either. From what I could see over the twins’ matching golden heads, the cameraman was interviewing Alaric on the beach. I wished the live feed would pan away from him already.

  “He’s the one, right, Cobalt?” Aurum asked with a snarky grin.

  “No,” I growled.

  They snickered among themselves.

  “We already know which one you like,” Saffron said smugly. “His name starts with M and ends with uzo.”

  “Yeah, he likes the one who almost drowned.” Aurum rolled his eyes. “I still don’t know how that showed off his water affinity, but whatever.”

  The hairs on the back of my neck bristled. “You wouldn’t understand,” I said quietly.

  “Yeah. I don’t. That’s literally what I just said, bro.”

  “He would’ve done fine if the other contestants didn’t interfere,” I insisted.

  It didn’t bother me that Aurum didn’t understand. I saw something different than everyone else that day—something only I would’ve noticed.

  Aurum shrugged dismissively. “I dunno. I just think you can do better, Cobalt.”

  Saffron started, his eyes widening. “Dude. You can’t say that.”

  Frowning, Aurum met his twin’s shocked gaze. “Why? It’s my opinion.”

  “Still,” Saffron argued, now sporting a frown of his own.

  “What? I’m not saying he shouldn’t like the guy, I just said he could do better—in my opinion,” Aurum repeated.

  The sudden tension in the air gave me pause. The twins rarely argued, but they’d been doing it more often since the Dragonfate Games first started. Saffron was always the sensitive one while Aurum leaned more devil-may-care, but their differences intensified when it came to love. It was strange and uncomfortable to see them disagree.

  “It’s fine, Saffron,” I said to diffuse the situation. “I’m not offended.”

  Aurum took that as a win. He puffed out his chest. “See?”

  “Hmph,” Saffron muttered, facing the screen again.

  The awkward blip faded as the twins got absorbed in the live stream again. I didn’t care what happened on the screen unless Muzo was involved, so I laid back in my chair and shut my eyes. Jade must’ve directed the camera crew to capture more footage of the other contestants so they’d have enough diversity for the final cut.

  I couldn’t have given less of a shit about the TV show. I just wanted my mate. Wasn’t that the point of all of this?

  “Cobalt, you have a scary expression right now,” Saffron said hesitantly. “You okay?”

  I peeked an eye open. “I do?”

  “It’s just his resting alpha face,” Aurum remarked. “He’s probably pissed he’s not macking on Muzo right now.”

  “I am,” I stated.

  Aurum shook his head. “I don’t get that. You seriously can’t handle spending, what, an hour or two apart?”

  Aside from his usual tone, his question sounded genuine. But the longer I spent in this office, the thinner my patience wore. Aurum’s comment grated on my nerves.

  “When it happens to you, then you’ll understand,” I assured.

  Aurum barked a derisive laugh. “Yeah, no. That won’t be happening to me.”

  Saffron stared at him again. I did the same. The office went uncomfortably silent for a beat.

  “What?” Aurum asked. “You guys are looking at me like I said the worst thing imaginable.”

  “What do you mean, it won’t happen to you?” Saffron demanded. “Are you, like, worried that it won’t?”

  “No. I just don’t care,” Aurum said bluntly. “Now can we get back to the stream?”

  But Saffron looked frazzled. “What do you mean you don’t—”

  Suddenly, a flash of black and blond hair caught my eye. Muzo was on screen.

  I bolted from my chair. In my excitement, I accidentally shouldered the twins aside. They fell over like a pair of bowling pins.

  “Hey!” Aurum cried.

  Saffron gasped, pointing at the screen. “Look, there he is!”

  Aurum grumbled as he pushed himself back into a sitting position. “Was it worth giving me a concussion?”

  “Sorry,” I said.

  My heart pounded. Just the sight of Muzo on screen ignited my passion for him. I cursed Jade’s restrictive rules. I should’ve been there to cheer on my mate, not stuck in this office.

  The live stream showed Muzo in human form speaking to his friend Poppy as a wolf. The feed was synced up with their mics, but Poppy spoke so meekly it was difficult to hear him.

  “See? That wolf’s pretty cute. Why not go for him instead?” Aurum suggested.

  “Be quiet,” Saffron and I snapped at the same time.

  Aurum scoffed. “Bro, now you’re twinning with Cobalt instead of me? Not cool.”

  My patience ground down to a single molecule. I whipped my gaze to Aurum.

  “I am trying to hear my mate speak,” I growled. “If you’re going to talk over him, then you can leave. Is that clear?”

  I must have looked terrifying because fear flashed across Aurum’s face before he snorted and got up.

  “Fine,” he muttered. “You two watch by yourselves since you’re so close. I’m out of here.”

  Saffron frowned. “Wait, Aurum—”

  But his twin had left already, slamming the door behind him. In any other circumstances, I would’ve chased after him to make sure he was okay, but I couldn’t tear my attention from Muzo.

  Something was happening on-screen. It looked like the friends were having a disagreement. But over what? Poppy was submissive and gentle, and Muzo always went with the flow. Neither omega argued easily.

  I had a bad feeling about it. I held my breath, leaning closer to the screen.

  Then, Poppy said the word that stopped my heart.

  Homeless.

  Time slowed around me. I forgot how to breathe.

  At first, I didn’t know what to think. It couldn’t be true, could it?

  But Muzo didn’t deny it.

  Something grabbed my wrist. It snapped me out of my daze.

  Saffron stared at me in disbelief. “Cobalt, did you hear that?” he asked hurriedly. “Are they serious?”

  A cold feeling shimmied down my spine, then froze in the pit of my stomach. I recalled the unexplained sharp, stabbing pains in my chest—the ones that stopped when I finally came face-to-face with Muzo.

  My dragon rumbled within me, encroaching on my consciousness.

  I had to go to my mate.

  As soon as I stood, I lurched to one side. My dragon’s weight was too much for my current body. I pushed against the wall with my hand to stop myself from falling. I gritted my teeth with a sharp hiss. My dragon raged against the barrier separating us.

  This revelation was too much to take. He wanted out.

  “Cobalt?” Saffron asked. “You okay?”

  His voice sounded distant, like it was coming from a different room.

 

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