17. Jade

17

Jade

Waking up to the warm scent of my mate was a pure bliss I never thought I'd experience. But as my eyes fluttered open, there was Alaric—his pale lashes brushing against his cheeks, his white hair tousled from sex and sleep yet still effortlessly beautiful.

Behind him on the bedside table was my antique clock ticking away. It wasn't late, but I knew it was best to rise before we caused another challenge-related mishap.

I pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Good morning, kitten. Are you still sleepy?"

Alaric made a small mumbling sound, then buried his face in my chest.

I stroked his silky hair. "I know, I'd rather stay in bed together, too. Unfortunately, the Dragonfate Games are not yet over."

"Cancel them," Alaric mumbled.

I chuckled. "I can't do that, my love. My brothers would be rightfully cross with me for skirting my duties."

Heaving a dramatic sigh, Alaric lifted his head and rubbed the sleep from his mismatched eyes. "Fine. I don't want to be the cause of another family argument."

I kissed him again. "You were not the cause of anything. It was a little lapse of judgment on my part. Now, would you prefer to shower separately, or together?"

Alaric snapped awake. He grabbed my hand and yanked me out of bed. "I'm offended that you even asked."

We snuck in a romantic tryst during our shower with plenty of time to spare. After getting dressed, we met my brothers in the entry hall. It was hard to miss a conglomeration of five dragons and their raucous chatter.

Aurum perked up when he saw me. "There you are, Jade," he called excitedly.

I exhaled in silent relief. I feared he'd be nervous around me after yesterday's incident, but he seemed unfazed now that it was over.

Saffron and Thystle looked happy to see me, too. I wasn't an overly sentimental man, but their acceptance made my chest clench with sincere emotion. They were my youngest brothers. No matter how irritating they could be, they deserved my patience and good will. I vowed to myself that—feral or not—I'd never lash out at my family again.

Saffron not-so-subtly sniffed the air beside Alaric. "Someone smells like... dragon," he said, grinning.

"There are many dragons present," Cobalt pointed out, clueless to Saffron's comment.

I pushed up my glasses. "So, what's our plan today? Are we still proceeding with a new third challenge?"

Everybody turned and stared at me pointedly.

"What?" I asked.

"Dude, we all know you fucked Alaric," Aurum stated casually. "Pretty sure everyone else knows it, too."

Alaric blushed, crossing his arms. "Can you be any more crass?"

My younger brother grinned. "Actually, yeah, but I don't think you want me to."

Crimson waved a hand to silence him. "Yes, we're aware you and Alaric are romantically involved. We'll have plenty of time to congratulate the happy couple later. Right now, we need to wrap up the Games."

Thystle scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, it's probably not a good look that the last footage we got was... you know."

Shame licked my insides. "Was anybody hurt during that?" I asked. "The contestants, or crew?"

"No, everyone is fine," Cobalt said. "Gaius dealt with the aftermath. He lifted the mood, then sent everyone back to the hotel."

"Thank Holy Drake," I mumbled, feeling another stab of guilt that I'd nearly hurt Gaius in my feral state, too.

Alaric caught my eye. "Jade, if you want that footage removed from the final show, you have the means to do it."

Cobalt nodded solemnly. "He's right. We all understand if you want it wiped."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. I wasn't running from my actions or pretending they didn't happen. But I'd hate if our audience thought poorly of dragons because of me and my one terrible breach of lucidity.

If this was the final season of the Games, I might've considered leaving it. But Saffron and Viol were still single. Mateless. I wouldn't abandon them. The current system worked, and I hoped it would work for them, too.

"Yes," I finally said. "I'd prefer that. Someone please ask Duke to destroy the footage."

"I never said destroy it," Alaric interrupted, looking offended. "I was going to keep it for myself..."

The twins cackled.

"Whoa, I didn't know you were so freaky, Alaric!" Aurum said, elbowing him playfully. "You want a secret tape of Jade going feral, huh?"

"Do you think this is another untapped market?" Saffron chimed in.

Alaric scowled and swatted them away like a pair of annoying, identical flies. "If you must know, then yes, in that moment I found your brother very sexy."

Talk of me being sexy was enough to dissuade the twins from bothering him anymore. They promptly shut up.

"Can we get to the point?" Crimson said. He shot Thystle a pleading look. "You're creative. Why don't you think of something?"

"No fucking way," Thystle said bluntly. "I'm not coming up with any more challenges."

"Ugh, I'm just so tired of being in charge," Crimson complained. "I want Jade to do it again."

"Yeah, being responsible sucks," Aurum grumbled.

"Dude, you're literally a father," Saffron pointed out.

"So? Being a dad is awesome. Dealing with staff and papers and organizing crap is not."

"Okay, true."

I was sympathetic to their plight, although I admit to feeling thoroughly sanctimonious that they all wanted my help. However, I didn't want them to struggle, so help they would receive.

"I have an idea," I announced. "And Thystle?"

He perked up. "Yeah?"

I smirked. "It's not too far off from your original concept..."

"Are you sure about this?" Gaius asked under his breath. He glanced suspiciously at the silk ropes binding my ankles.

"I'm sure," I said with a reassuring smile. "This won't be like last time."

"If you say so, master of bondage."

I sighed. "Please don't call me that. By the way, I should apologize for snapping at you."

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 hot flames are 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 delicate rope 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 you can't touch 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 collector admiring a precious piece of art. The smirk that played on his lips made my heart stutter.

The world surrounding us was an unimportant blur, but I was vaguely aware of the other contestants watching, enraptured by the scene. None of them had dared touch me. I wouldn't have wanted them to. The hands of my fated mate were the only ones I desired.

My heart leapt into my throat as Alaric held my gaze. One blue eye, one green, both glinting with possessive adoration.

"There's only one way I can think of to win this challenge," Alaric murmured. "And I don't intend to lose."

He closed the electrified gap between us. His lips captured mine. I shuddered as a burst of gratification coursed through me, heat thrumming in my veins. It felt so good, so satisfying. The intense build-up of anticipation made the contact so much sweeter.

Alaric parted his mouth to enter mine. The wet warmth ignited my lust, turning the smoldering embers to a blazing inferno. I breathed faster, harder; my heaving chest strained against the ropes pressed tight to my body.

Alaric made a soft, smug sound before kissing me deeper. He grasped the sides of my face, shoving his tongue into my mouth with more fervor than I expected in front of a crowd. But as the dizzying pleasure swept over me, I realized that I didn't care who saw. Let them all see.

Suddenly, a piercing pain bloomed from my bottom lip. Alaric bit me with his sharp cat fangs before lapping his tongue across the wound.

Oh, that naughty kitten...

A muffled chuckle escaped me. I figured that was enough public foreplay. I shut my eyes and freed my restless dragon.

It roared to the surface, exploding in a vivid display of scales and feathers. The silk ropes were instantly torn to shreds. Alaric stood right where he was, watching my transformation with a proud smile, knowing he'd been the only one to summon my dragon—not once, but twice now.

My wings unfurled to their full span. My long tail trailed behind me like a feathered whip. The downy mane flowing down my spine bristled with freedom. The only part of my dragon anatomy I forcibly kept in check was my erection, lest the entire crowd see my excitement. That was a treat for my mate alone.

Alaric stared up at me, fond and dazzled. His face beamed with love. I arched my neck down to meet him, nuzzling his soft cheek with my smooth scales.

"I finally won," Alaric murmured, proud and genuinely happy.

A draconic purr hummed in my throat. "So did I."