2. Alaric

2

Alaric

The fifth season of the Dragonfate Games had barely begun, and I was already pissed off.

My face twisted into a scowl as I picked up my belongings from the beach-side baggage claim. A heinous scuff marred the surface of my luxury suitcase.

"This is unacceptable! Who's responsible for this?" I demanded, looking around for someone to yell at.

Other omegas milled around the area, chatting excitedly about the upcoming season. I didn't recognize any of them, and at this point, I didn't care to. I'd performed this song and dance enough times to be considered a gods-damned veteran, and cozying up to my competitors was the last thing on my mind.

I pushed the rabble's luggage out of the way, then grunted with effort as I hauled my poor suitcase to its feet. An old hard-shelled brown suitcase beside mine tipped over into the sand. No doubt the mark came from that hideous thing.

I traced the ugly scuff with my hand. My suitcase was pure white, just like my shifted form's fur, and the mark stood out like a sore thumb. The worst part was that the luggage was expensive, and I'd saved up at my minimum-wage job for months to be able to afford that brand. Not that I would ever admit that.

"I'm serious. Who did this? Who threw my belongings around like trash?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips.

My demands were ignored. Nobody was listening. The other omegas teemed with excitement, already on their way to the hotel. Meanwhile, the plane crew was nowhere to be found. As the crowd dispersed, only a single person remained—a familiar lost puppy of a person.

"Um. Hi again, Alaric," Poppy said with a meek wave.

I sighed and waved him over. "Hello, wolf. I suppose it's just the two of us again."

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "I don't mind. I'm glad to see you."

My eye twitched. The soft-hearted wolf may not have minded, but I certainly did. I was sick of being cast aside for less important omegas. None of them could offer what I could. None were as perfect as me. Why hadn't any of the bachelors on this gods-forsaken island seen that?

"Um," Poppy said, shuffling on his feet. "Can I just..."

He gestured to the pile of remaining suitcases. I sneered at the brown bag lying on its side. Upon closer inspection, I noticed how banged-up and decrepit it was. It looked ancient, like a crumbling fossil.

"Gods, that thing is ugly," I mumbled.

When Poppy ducked his head and grabbed the brown suitcase, my heart dropped.

"Oh," I said. "That's your bag, isn't it?"

He nodded sheepishly. "Sorry. I know it's a mess."

I kicked myself internally. Even a cold-hearted bitch like me felt guilt for hurting Poppy's feelings.

"It's a testament to your care it's lasted this long," I assured, seeing how the thing was practically falling apart.

Poppy frowned. "I'm sorry. It's my fault your suitcase got scuffed. Mine probably rubbed off on it..."

How anyone—much less a wolf shifter —could be so meek, I'd never understand.

"I'm going to get a migraine if you don't stop apologizing," I muttered. "Come on. Let's get out of the sun before my gorgeous skin gets burned."

We hauled our belongings to our respective hotel rooms, which were painfully familiar at this point. At first, the luxury of the hotel rooms were a blissful dream from which I'd never wanted to wake. They greeted us with pristine cleanliness, the highest thread count sheets, and cute little touches like clean towels folded to resemble kissing swans.

But I was disillusioned with it all. I growled at the swans' PDA and shoved them off the bed. Even the stupid towels found their fated mates before I did.

The Dragonfate Games stopped feeling like a vacation brimming with possibilities a couple seasons ago; now, it felt like a prison cell from which I could only sit and watch as other people fell in love.

I sat on the edge of my king-sized bed, staring at my scuffed bag and rubbing my temples. What was the point of unpacking? I'd have to pack all over again when some random nobody inevitably won the dragon's heart.

As if my frustration couldn't get worse, the contestants weren't told the bachelor's identity this time around. The mystery would do wonders for the show's ratings, sure, but it was hell on my nerves. There were only so many alpha dragons left—and if I didn't find my fated mate soon...

I shuddered in discomfort.

Being a single omega was not acceptable. It only led to disaster.

I had to find my mate. I couldn't keep watching unworthy omegas find their perfect match while I sat behind, lonely and unwanted.

A stab of terror sank between my ribs, but I tried not to let it linger. I strode to the window and took a deep breath of fresh air to shake the unsettled feeling.

A gentle knock at the door yanked me back from the edge of my spiral. The hopeful part of me fantasized about it being my fated alpha, here to claim what was his by tearing off my clothes and ravishing me on the hotel room floor.

My hopes were dashed when Poppy stood there instead.

"Hi, Alaric," he murmured, staring at the floor. "Um. I just wanted to say sorry again for your suitcase..."

I groaned. "You're impossible, wolf. Stop apologizing."

"But you were so upset," he insisted, rubbing his arm.

I waved a hand. "I'm dramatic. I'll be fine. Don't throw yourself on the sword for my sake."

He nodded, then awkwardly turned to leave.

My sudden pang of fear and loneliness struck a nerve. I didn't want to be alone right now.

I called out, "Where are you going? You came all the way here. You might as well stay."

Poppy blinked, then shuffled meekly into my room. He continued staring at the floor, as if worried he'd break something just by looking at it.

"So, er," Poppy began. "Who do you think the bachelor's going to be this time?"

I scoffed at the mere mention of bachelors. Like they were so important.

"Hell if I know," I grumbled. "There's only three left."

You're running out of time, the nagging voice in my head reminded me.

Silence, I retorted.

But the annoying voice was right, and it stirred up the layer of negative thoughts again. Whipping towards Poppy, I snapped, "We should've both found our mates by now. It's been four seasons already! What's taking so long?"

Poppy was taken aback by my outrage. Clearly he didn't feel as strongly—or didn't show it.

"Each dragon so far found their fated mate," he pointed out gently. "We just weren't the right omegas."

I steamed, but I knew Poppy was correct. Regardless of my righteous fury, I hadn't felt the magical pull towards any of the past alpha dragons, no matter how hard I'd tried to force it.

Then again, I'd never had a fated mate before. How was I supposed to know what it felt like? Was it possible I did feel it and simply didn't realize? That some other omega had snatched my true mate out from under me? The idea was horrifying.

"There has to be something going on," I growled, pacing in front of the window. The beautiful ocean view did nothing to soothe my bristling nerves.

Suddenly, a wretched idea struck me.

"What if they don't want us to find our mates?" I blurted out.

Poppy tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

Paranoia swirled in my mind, solidifying into a crystal-sharp belief. "That has to be it," I muttered. "I'm a perfectly good omega. I should have a mate by now. It's ludicrous that I don't. Somebody in production must have it out for me. I'm too bold and demanding. Is that it?"

Poppy fiddled with his hands uneasily. "Erm, I don't know if—"

"Or it's because I fought with Taylor on the first season," I declared. "Did that put me on some kind of Dragonfate blacklist? Except they keep inviting me back. Why would they do that? Is it because I make good television?"

"Um... Alaric?"

"They just want me for the ratings, is that it?" I hissed. "Those production bastards. If they want to mess with me, they'll get my claws."

Poppy furrowed his brows in concern. "What are you talking about?"

Defiance burned like lava beneath my skin. "They don't want me to win. I know it. Why else would I not have a mate yet? Someone's out to get me."

"You really think so?" Poppy asked. His tone hinted that he didn't agree with me, but he wasn't bold enough to refute it.

But it didn't matter what Poppy thought. This was my battle for my mate—and if some higher-up barred me from finding him, I'd make them regret it.

"The mastermind must be one of the dragons. Nobody else has that much authority," I decided.

I pulled every memory of the Games to the front of my mind, picking through them with a fine-toothed comb. There were three dragons I hadn't met personally, and only one stood out as a plausible suspect. A tall, well-dressed man who lurked behind the scenes during filming, and ran damage control when the other dragons went off-script.

Jade.

My nails shifted into sharp cat claws and a low growl vibrated in my throat. That green-haired bastard must've done something to stall my progress in this idiotic game show.

"Alaric? Are you okay?" Poppy asked.

I realized my demeanor might've frightened Poppy. I hid my claws behind my back and flashed him a civil smile.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me," I reassured him.

He didn't look comforted. "If you say so..."

That cotton ball of a wolf was too soft-hearted to be within my revenge radius. I needed privacy to plan my strike, and for that, I needed Poppy out of here.

"Why don't you go back to your room and rest?" I suggested. "We'll reconvene later."

Poppy hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "All right. Maybe you should rest, too."

"I'll try," I lied.

As Poppy left, my rage returned to full force. I considered raking my claws across all the hotel furniture like a stereotypical angry cat, but that kind of retaliation was too juvenile. Jade's embargo on me was personal. My revenge had to be just as intimate.

I glared towards the forested horizon, where I knew the dragons' castle loomed. If I caught him alone, there'd be no gaggle of security. Perfect for a face-to-face confrontation.

As twilight fell over the island, I seized my opportunity. Luckily for me, no animal was more graceful than a cat. I slipped into my feral form, gripping the outside of the building with my claws while carefully shimmying down the side, then landed on all four paws on the sand.

I'd never been to the dragons' home, but with my keen vision and sense of smell, it couldn't be hard to find. It was a castle, for gods' sake.

And find it I did. My cat vision pierced the darkness. After a walk along the shore, I saw an unnatural, jagged shape beyond the treetops, a towering spire in the distance. That had to be it. I broke into a gallop, fuelled by spite, ignoring my breathlessness and the burn in my muscles.

When I finally reached the castle, I stopped to catch my breath—and to admire the castle. I had to admit, its grand size and beauty took my breath away. It was one thing to see it from afar, but up close, its presence nearly overwhelmed me.

My heart twisted. Ever since I was a kitten, I'd always wanted to live in a castle. I wanted to be pampered and live in total luxury—to forget the painful difficulties of my real life.

My throat went dry. This castle could be my perfect home... if only some selfish dragon hadn't yanked away my opportunities.

My claws dug into the ground. Soon I'd have my vengeance.

The moon was a sliver hanging in the black sky, but thanks to my keen eyesight, I didn't need its light to see. I scanned the castle for signs of life. All the windows were darkened by curtains.

All except one.

Soft candlelight glowed from a bay window. If I squinted, I could see bookshelves lining the walls.

A spark crackled in my chest. Somehow, I sensed that was the green asshole's room.

I braced my claws against the castle's brick exterior and hauled my agile feline body towards the faintly glowing room. With every ascending paw-step, my heart drummed against my ribs. Angry defiance sizzled beneath my pelt. Jade would get what was coming to him.

As I reached the windowsill, I flattened my ears to stay small and undetectable. Luck was on my side—the window was cracked open just enough for a cat to sneak inside.

I didn't waste time peering into the room. I slipped through the crack and landed silently on the floor.

At first, the room smelled of incense and books. But instantly, a stronger scent flooded my nostrils.

Sweat. Arousal. Alpha musk.

It hit my nose like a bullet. A violent shiver ran down my spine, making me gasp.

It smelled... good.

My heart raced faster now for a different reason.

Was Jade having sex in here? If so, with whom?

And why in the hell did that infuriate me?

Keeping close to the ground, I prowled closer to the source. My whiskers twitched as I drank in more of that heady scent. It made my pelt prickle, and my heart raced faster than a cheetah on the hunt.

A large wooden work desk hid me from view as I crawled low to the floor. When I peeked around the corner, I saw a black curtain on the opposite side of the room, blocking the door. It looked temporary, as if Jade set it up to stop intruders from seeing inside if they barged in. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. What was going on here?

Then I heard a moan.

I stopped dead in my tracks.

The languid sound shot a bolt of arousal through my body so vivid and powerful that I forcibly shifted back to human form. I landed on my ass with a grunt. It was uncouth and embarrassing.

But not as embarrassing as Jade's moans cutting short. His thick voice called out, "Who's there?"

Dread washed over me like a bucket of ice water.

Oh, dear gods, strike me down right now, I thought.

I wanted to speak, but for the first time in my life, my voice wouldn't function. Two words from Jade had rendered me speechless.

But I couldn't stay frightened on my ass forever. I had to do something.

Crawling forward on shaky knees, a clearer glimpse of the full picture came into view.

And when it did, I regretted sneaking into the castle.

Jade stood before me. From the neck down, he wore gleaming, skintight black latex that left little to the imagination. An intricate full-body harness hugged his tall, lithe figure. His long green hair was tied neatly, trailing over the bodysuit like a streak of emerald against the obsidian latex.

And that wasn't even the craziest part. That honor belonged to whatever the fuck was going on behind him.

My brain struggled to comprehend what I was seeing. There was an object I could only describe as a giant pool toy shaped like a dragon. And like Jade, it was also dressed in full bondage gear. Its puffy front claws were handcuffed together. A black blindfold covered its eyes. A leather collar adorned its neck, and its squeaky plastic body was wrapped up in a matching harness.

Slowly turning towards me, Jade fixed his piercing green gaze on my soul. A shudder ran across my skin.

What the everloving fuck did I just get myself into?