He squeezed my cock gently, moving his hand upward in a languid motion that shot off fireworks in my skull. I threw my head back against the pillow and hissed in pleasure. My fingers curled against the sheets, bunching them up in my fists, desperate for anything to hold onto. My back arched into Thystle’s touch. My body begged for it.

  Arousal flared within me, setting my body on fire. Sweat dripped down my temples. I clenched my teeth shut as Thystle worked my cock.

  “What, are you worried about the neighbors?” Thystle asked with an edge of irritation. “The rooms are soundproofed. Let it out.”

  I hadn’t noticed until Thystle pointed it out, but I’d subconsciously held myself back from making noise. I wasn’t used to being loud. Not anymore. The last time I’d really belted it out was on stage. It was Aquila who screamed himself raw, not Matteo. Was that why I reined it in?

  I stopped biting my lip. Thystle waited, eager to hear my moans and wails. But I hesitated to let loose. For years since the break up, I went out of my way to avoid drawing attention to myself. I didn’t want it. I wanted to be plain, to blend into the background. I’d wanted to be Matteo, not Aquila.

  Now, it was like I was scared of my own voice, and of the attention it brought upon me. If people knew who I really was, they’d dredge up the past. They’d make me relive the awful moments I tried to forget. I just didn’t want conflict anymore.

  But Thystle demanded my voice. I didn’t want to refuse him.

  If anybody knew the truth and accepted me for it, my heart told me it would be Thystle. I wasn’t ready to tell him yet, but the least I could do was let him hear me.

  I dragged myself back to the present. I focused on the sensations coursing through my body. Thystle’s hand stroked my sensitive flesh up and down in a steady rhythm. Each brush of his skin against mine zapped my blood. The arousal pooling in the pit of my stomach burned, growing hotter every second.

  As Thystle gently squeezed my cock, a moan slipped out of me. It was soft, barely voiced, but it was there.

  A feral grin split Thystle’s mouth. His eyes flashed with desire.

  He liked that.

  “Your voice is so hot, Matteo,” he murmured. His dragon’s growl slipped in, roughing up his tone and revealing his wilder side.

  The comment made me flush. I’d heard it before in my past life, but never in this context. This wasn’t my singing voice, and I didn’t intend to put on a performance. Any sound that came out of me now was raw, organic. It was for Thystle alone.

  He rubbed his thumb up along the bottom of my shaft, teasing my head. I shuddered and let out a shaky moan that only encouraged Thystle more. He looked crazed with lust as he leaned in, breathing hard, his lips inches from the tip of my cock.

  “Yes, let me hear you,” he rasped. He sounded more dragon than human.

  Lust sizzled inside my belly. Being wanted like this turned me on fiercely. I wanted to reward Thystle with whatever he desired.

  A second later, Thystle wrapped his lips around the head of my cock—and he got exactly what he wanted.

  A brazen cry ripped from my throat. The sound of it shocked me. It had been ages since I’d been so loud.

  Thystle’s mouth around my cock curved into a grin. He loved it. He wanted me to keep going. To speed things along, he sucked my sensitive flesh and earned another moan in return.

  “Good,” Thystle growled excitedly. “More.”

  He dove back in, engulfing my cock. The velvety wet heat of Thystle’s mouth beckoned me. I couldn’t hold back anymore. I bucked my hips instinctively, plunging my cock into that addicting feeling. Thystle easily kept up with my pace. A growl rumbled in his throat as he blew me. The vibration of it made everything ten times hotter.

  I felt delirious with pleasure. I let out moans and cries without a care in the world anymore. Sweat drenched my body as the heat of arousal burned within me. The pillow and sheets beneath me were soaked.

  And they weren’t the only thing, either. My hole twitched, leaking slick. Thystle awakened my omega instincts. If he kept teasing me, I’d lose my fucking mind.

  “Fuck me,” I blurted out.

  Too late. I’d already lost it.

  Thystle’s eyes widened. His pupils had narrowed into draconic slits, like he was partially transformed. It was beyond sexy.

  Unfortunately for my empty hole, Thystle had the mental fortitude to resist.

  “We shouldn’t. Not yet,” he growled, sounding as disappointed as I felt. Then he lifted his hand. “But I can do this...”

  I gasped as two of his fingers slipped effortlessly into my slick hole. I was so wet that there was barely any friction. Pleasure rocketed up my spine as Thystle angled his fingers, thrusting in and out. As if I wasn’t unhinged enough, his mouth captured my cock again.

  White hot pleasure crashed into me like a tidal wave. I lost control of myself. My back arched. My hips bucked.

  When I came, I let out a loud, ragged scream.

  Thystle paused for a split second. He didn’t move as my throbbing cock emptied down his throat. A moment later, whatever spell came over him broke. He gulped it all down before popping off with a wet sound.

  Meanwhile, I collapsed against the pillow. Stars danced in my vision. I fought for breath until the dizzy spell faded. I couldn’t remember the last time I came so hard—or screamed so loud.

  Suddenly, I sat upright. Thystle hadn’t finished yet. I couldn’t leave him hanging.

  “What about—” I began, then cut myself short.

  Thystle breathed hard. His silky hair was damp with sweat, clinging to his forehead. His eyes were glassy with satisfaction. That was when I glanced down to see his flagging cock and a splatter of white droplets against my thighs.

  “Did... did you already come?” I asked.

  Thystle’s cheeks flushed. “Um. Yeah. When you came, you screamed.” He paused, as if remembering the sound. “It was really fucking hot.”

  “Oh,” I said, flustered. As far as I knew, nobody had ever had an orgasm to the sound of my voice before. It was kind of sweet. “Well, sorry I didn’t get to be more involved,” I added with a chuckle.

  “Don’t apologize,” Thystle grumbled. “I told you, your voice was enough for me.”

  “I see. Maybe next time I can be more hands-on,” I suggested teasingly.

  “Then it’s a date.” He tilted his head, regarding me. “You know, this might be a weird thing to say, but your sexy scream sounded kinda familiar.”

  My heart lurched.

  “Ah,” I said, keeping it cool. “Did it?”

  “Yeah. It reminded me of Aquila in one of his songs. Remember, that band I was telling you about?”

  My mouth fell open. That comment sideswiped me, taking me off guard.

  Shit. I knew exactly what song he meant. What should I say? Should I play dumb? Or was it finally time to fess up and tell the truth?

  Thystle leapt up as he glanced at the digital clock. “Holy fuck, is that the actual time?”

  Saved by the bell.

  “Shit,” he grumbled. “I don’t want to leave, but I have to talk to Jade about the stupid challenges before it’s too late to change the next one. You are not running another obstacle course or whatever the hell the producers have planned.”

  “What do you have in mind?”

  Thystle scowled while scrambling to put his clothes back on. “I have no clue. Like I said, reality TV isn’t my thing.”

  “What if they were tailored to your interests?” I suggested. “That makes the most sense.”

  “Yes! That’s an amazing idea, Matteo. I’ll bring that up to Jade.”

  Once his clothes were on, he hesitated. He clearly wanted to stay here with me, which felt nice. I wanted him here, too, but his comment about my scream poked my paranoia. I was glad to be off that subject.

  “I’ll be here if you come back,” I said.

  Thystle scoffed. “You mean when I come back.”

  My heart skipped a beat.

  Just before Thystle left, he glanced at me fondly for a long moment. Then he leaned in, pressed a shy kiss to my cheek, and scampered out of the room.

  Twelve

  Thystle

  The last thing I wanted to do was abandon Matteo, but I had urgent business to attend to. If I didn’t deal with this challenge crap soon, who knew what kind of ridiculous tasks would be sprung on him?

  After wrenching myself out of bed and sneaking out of the hotel, I shifted and flew directly to Jade. I suspected he was holed up in his library-turned-office since the beginning of the Games. My hunch was correct. The door was ajar when I reached his library, so I knocked then poked my head in.

  “Jade?” I called.

  “Thystle. Come in.” He greeted me with a smile without lifting his face from the stack of papers. “How go the Games?”

  “The Games? Bad. My experience during them overall? Great.”

  Jade glanced up over the rim of his glasses, giving me a once over. “I’m glad to hear the latter, at least. Why have the Games been bad so far?”

  I slumped into the chair across from him. “That’s why I came to talk to you. What’s with this obstacle course shit? Who’s designing the challenges, a dog trainer?”

  Jade paused. He must’ve realized I was serious because he put down the papers and folded his hands together. “Ah. Gaius told me what happened. Why did you miss the first challenge?”

  “Does it matter?” I grumbled.

  Jade arched a brow. It was such a classic Jade expression. He resembled a stern but fair schoolteacher who was fully aware of my crimes. If he gave someone that look for long enough, they’d confess to anything.

  “I overslept, okay?” I admitted, throwing up my hands. “It won’t happen again.”

  “I see.” He nodded, still giving me a sly look. “You know, I checked your room, and you weren’t there.” Dammit.

  “I wasn’t in my bed,” I mumbled. “I was... somewhere else.”

  The corner of his lips curled into a knowing smirk. “Would that ‘somewhere else’ have anything to do with why you smell different?”

  Heat rushed to my cheeks. I bolted upright in my seat. “I do not!”

  Jade thumbed through the papers, unconvinced. “If you say so...”

  Why did I even bother trying to fool Jade? He was a living lie detector, like instead of a dragon he was a fucking polygraph shifter.

  “Fine. I was with Matteo,” I said, crossing my arms. “You squeezed it out of me, you viper.”

  “I did no such thing,” Jade said mildly, knowing exactly what he’d done. “And congratulations. You look happy, Thystle.”

  The heat in my cheeks intensified. It wasn’t often any of my brothers commented on my visible joy. Not that I was often visibly joyful.

  “I am happy,” I said under my breath.

  Jade flashed a genuine smile. “I’ll keep this between us. Duke doesn’t need to know.”

  “Oh, right. The stupid rules.” I rolled my eyes. “Thanks, Jade.”

  He shrugged. “The rules are for good TV, not for real relationships. At the end of the day, it’s your happiness that matters. That’s the whole point of the Games.”

  As much as my brothers got on my nerves, I didn’t want to be the reason they missed a chance to find love.

  “Yeah, but if Duke finds out and gets pissed, he might not want to produce any more seasons,” I pointed out. “I don’t want anyone to get screwed because of me.”

  Jade wasn’t concerned. “Duke gets paid handsomely. It’s enough incentive to produce seasons of this show for the rest of his life. He may be a grouch, but he’s no fool. Don’t worry, Thystle.”

  I nodded slowly. “So... it’s okay that I like Matteo?”

  “Why wouldn’t it be?”

  “Because the Games have barely started, and I’m head over heels for him. It’s not really fair to everyone else.”

  “Did Crimson worry when he fell in love with Taylor?” Jade countered.

  “I dunno. I guess not. I still haven’t watched the show,” I admitted.

  Jade’s brows raised. “You haven’t?”

  “Geez, was I supposed to? I want to watch it, I’ve just... been busy.”

  Jade smirked. “I can imagine.”

  I flushed, wanting to change the subject since I didn’t want Jade thinking about my sex life. “Let’s get back on topic. The challenges, remember?”

  Jade leaned forward. “All right. What about them?”

  “They suck,” I said bluntly. “No more obstacle courses, or other shit like that.”

  Jade pulled out a pen and crossed off some text on a piece of paper. “Noted. What would you prefer?”

  I shifted my weight in my seat. I didn’t exactly have a plan when I stormed up to Jade’s office. Since I’d already fallen for Matteo, none of the other contestants stood a chance. How could I tailor the challenges in his favor without being too obvious about it? Not that I cared that much. At the end of the day, Matteo would always be my choice.

  I recalled our conversation. An idea sparked in my mind.

  “If the challenges are supposed to figure out who my fated mate is, shouldn’t they be about my interests?” I asked.

  Jade hummed in affirmation. “Yes, that’s a good idea. Any suggestions?”

  I mulled it over. “What about... a quiz? The second challenge could test what the contestants know about me. I mean, if they want to be my mate, they should know a thing or two about the bachelor, right?”

  Jade’s pen flew across the paper. “Excellent. Anything else?”

  I wracked my brain, but my mind-blowing afternoon with Matteo had turned it to mush. “You put me on the spot here... Can you give me time to think about it?”

  “I can spare a day or two, but not much more. We need time to prepare the set and make arrangements,” Jade said.

  “That’s fair. I’ll think of something,” I promised. “Thanks, Jade.”

  “Of course. I want the Games to be as rewarding for you as they were for Crimson.”

  Was that a hint of envy in Jade’s voice? I wondered if he looked forward to his turn. Jade never made a fuss about finding his fated mate, but he was an alpha dragon all the same. It was instinct. We couldn’t stave it off.

  Speaking of which, my instincts were pissed at me for leaving Matteo alone in his hotel room. There was nothing I could do about it, though. My best option was to head home and finally watch the first season of the Dragonfate Games, just like I promised.

  My hopes of a relaxing night watching Matteo on TV were dashed as soon as I opened my bedroom door. The smell of popcorn wafted from inside. A pair of uninvited guests sat on the floor, leaning against my bed and staring at my laptop screen.

  “What the hell are you two doing in my room?” I grouched at the twins.

  “Oops. Busted,” Saffron said. He made no attempt to move except to toss another piece of popcorn in his mouth.

  “Oh, hey, Thystle,” Aurum said without wrenching his gaze off the screen. “Come on, we just started episode three. This is a juicy one.”

  If I hadn’t let off so much steam with Matteo, I might’ve shifted and clawed their ears off. Because I had, the twins’ unwanted presence only mildly infuriated me.

  “Why are you even in here? And what are you watching?” I demanded.

  “Dragonfate Games season one,” they said in unison.

  I instantly forgot about my anger. I leapt onto the bed and stared at the laptop screen, watching closely for any sign of Matteo.

  “Where is he?” I blurted.

  “Who?” Saffron asked curiously.

  I blushed. I’d forgotten that only Jade knew. “Nothing, never mind.”

  Aurum snorted. “You can’t just say that and then pretend it’s not important.”

  “Shut up.”

  Saffron wasn’t willing to let it go either. He turned around, narrowing his eyes at me. “Who’s he? I wanna know.”

  “Nobody,” I insisted. “Pass the popcorn.”

  Saffron scrutinized me, as if I’d admit the truth if he stared long enough, but eventually he gave up and thrust the bowl in my hands.

  I was halfway to shoving a handful of popcorn in my mouth when the screen panned to a wide shot of the forest cliffs. Was this one of the challenges? I paused, my mouth hanging open as the shot changed. All the omega contestants waited in animal form at the starting line.

  “What is this?” I asked.

  “Race to the top,” Aurum said, sounding bored. “Whoever’s first wins, except not really, ‘cause Crimson chooses an actual winner regardless of who was first.”

  Guilt wormed in my belly. That wasn’t what happened today. Since I was absent, Gaius felt forced to choose a winner based on points... and that was Talon. I tried not to feel too bad about it. After all, Matteo’s jealousy about it ended up in a round of hot sex.

  As Gaius said go, all the omegas took off. I held my breath as I searched for a golden eagle. My heart stumbled over itself when I saw him.

  There!

  Matteo, in all his winged glory, soared to the top of the cliff without a problem. This challenge was incredibly easy for him. For all intents and purposes, he should’ve been the clear winner—but I sure as hell was glad he wasn’t. Thinking about Crimson picking Matteo as his date made my blood boil. Matteo was mine.

  But Crimson wasn’t after anybody’s mate but his own, and that was Taylor. The camera spent most of its time zoomed in on him and his selfless rescue effort. Seeing Taylor save Muzo from the boulder was nice and all, but I wished the camera would pan back to Matteo, who perched patiently at the top of the cliff.

  After what felt like a century, the shot changed to the clifftop where all the winning omegas were gathered. I leaned in, eyes wide and heart racing as I stared at Matteo.

  “Is that who you’re into?” Saffron asked, close to my face.

  I jolted. Since when had Saffron been watching me so closely? Creep.

  “What? No,” I blurted.

  He flashed a rascally grin. “Don’t bother. You can’t fool me. I see that sentimental look in your eyes.”

  Aurum glanced over. “What are you talking about? He looks the same as always.”

 

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