3. Jade

3

Jade

The horror that descended upon me when I heard another living being in my office was indescribable. The pleasure previously surging through my veins halted, replaced by icy fury.

Who was in here? How had they gotten in?

"Who's there?" I called, my dragon's voice laced into mine.

No reply came. My blood boiled with indignation. How dare somebody intrude on my sacred space?

I shut my eyes, took a deep breath, then prepared to unleash my wrath upon whoever had broken into my room. This was no accident. This was deliberate and calculated. I briefly wondered if I should call for security, but then again, I was an alpha dragon. I was security.

Blowing out a hot breath, I glanced towards the window—the one entrance I hadn't blocked off. That was terribly thoughtless of me. I should've known to cover my tracks better when engaging in... certain practices.

I cursed my own lack of foresight. There was no time to change my outfit or rid the room of the smell of sex before confronting the intruder. Whoever they were, they'd seen a darker side of me. One I didn't want to share.

I took a few steps closer to the window, and then I saw him.

A white-haired young man was naked on his knees on the floor. He had heterochromia; one sky-blue eye, the other verdant green, both of them wide and staring at me.

My silent rage dissipated into confusion.

"Alaric?" I asked.

The omega was still and silent. Only the rapid rise and fall of his chest indicated he was alive.

A strange quiet hung between us. I was no longer infuriated—at least, not to nuclear levels. Now I was mostly curious. First of all, how did he get in here? The simplest conclusion was that he climbed the castle wall in cat form. But why? From what I knew about the proud and boastful omega, he preferred a luxurious existence. He never performed unnecessary tasks. So why go out of his way to break into my office?

But the bigger problem was me. My outfit—if you could call it that—and the incriminating scenario behind me. Clearly, the blackout curtain was useless if an intruder came in through the window.

When Alaric didn't speak or move a muscle, I cleared my throat. That jolted him out of his panicked reverie. He gasped as if he'd surfaced from drowning and taken his first gulp of air.

"Jade."

He hissed my name, and despite his breathlessness, I heard the animosity in it. That intrigued me. I'd never even spoken to Alaric one-on-one. What kind of grudge could he hold?

Unfortunately, my interest in the cat omega had to wait. The situation had yet to unfold.

Alaric's gaze flicked behind me. He stared as if witnessing a car crash, unable to look away.

A sense of disgrace crawled up my back. The scene wasn't meant to be viewed by anyone but me, yet here was an interloper in the midst of my private acts.

"So, Alaric," I began, putting on my most civil voice. "You've broken into my office and seen things nobody was meant to witness. Care to explain yourself?"

Alaric blinked. His lashes framed his blue and green eyes beautifully—even if those eyes brimmed with a mix of defiance and utter shock.

Then, in an unbidden flicker of the eye muscles, his gaze travelled down my body. The only thing covering my skin was a glistening black latex bodysuit, with a matching rubber body harness. The outfit was not subtle. I was certain my painfully hard bulge was on full display.

It happened fast. In all likelihood, Alaric hadn't meant to look. But he was a cat, after all. They were known to be killed by their curiosity.

But my fetish outfit wasn't even the worst part, and I knew it.

"Is that... a giant pool toy?" Alaric finally asked. It was the first time I'd heard him sound uncertain. At least I could take credit for throwing off his unshakable confidence.

There was no point in denying it. "Yes, it's an inflatable."

Alaric squinted at it. "In the shape of a dragon?"

"Yes."

"And... it's wearing bondage gear."

"Indeed."

As if wrenched from a daze, Alaric shook his head. "All right. That's something you don't see every day."

The latex squeaked as I crossed my arms. "Surely that's not all you have to say about it. Go ahead. Tell me how you really feel."

Alaric's cheeks flushed. He looked deeply flustered. "I—" His mouth hung open. "I don't know what to say."

"Why don't you start with the reason you broke into my office?"

The omega's demeanor flipped to annoyance. Despite kneeling on the floor, he puffed out his chest and squared his shoulders. "Yes. Let's start with that."

The corner of my mouth curled into a smirk. He looked silly exuding so much righteous fury in that position.

"By the way," I interrupted. "Whatever your plan was, you forgot to include a change of clothes."

His brow twitched as he shuffled his thighs closer together. "I'm aware," he muttered.

I felt disappointed I didn't catch a glance of his intimate areas, which deeply shocked me. I felt like a computer that had tripped over a string of code and malfunctioned. During all my years, I'd never experienced attraction to another person before. My tastes ran more towards fetish gear and inanimate objects. That was one of my deepest secrets, and part of the reason I dreaded being the bachelor. I couldn't imagine myself with a living, breathing partner.

So why did it disappoint me that I couldn't see all of Alaric's naked body?

Intrigued yet still annoyed, I took a step closer. The thick heel of my boots clopped against the hardwood floor.

Alaric didn't move as I towered over him. The cornered cat narrowed his eyes, like I was the one in the wrong here.

"Well?" I prompted.

Alaric lifted his head and stated, "I came here to confront you, dragon."

That was not quite what I expected.

"Oh? Whatever for?" I asked, even more curious now.

Alaric exuded a shocking amount of confidence despite being naked on the floor. He stuck out his chin, his eyes sharp as daggers.

"You have a vendetta against me, don't you?" he hissed.

He spat the word so viciously it took me off guard.

"Pardon me?" I asked.

The leeway gave him space to kindle his anger. He rose to his feet in a flurry, jabbing a perfectly manicured finger in my direction. "Don't deny it, dragon. I've been on this island four times, and each time, I've been humiliated and cast aside!"

It was true Alaric had never ‘won' the Dragonfate Games, but his fury was misguided. Still, I liked the fiery quality of his accusation. I was excited that he seemed ready and willing to start an altercation with me.

"You think I'm responsible for your lack of success in the Games," I clarified.

"Yes," he spat.

I smiled. "Then you would be wrong."

My blatant refusal stunned him. His jaw dropped before his face twisted into a sneer. "I can't be wrong! Look at me—I'm a perfect omega."

I took his invitation to run my gaze over his body. Pinpricks of heat sizzled across my back, making me shudder.

He wasn't wrong about that. I thought he looked perfect, too.

"There's no reason I shouldn't have found my alpha by now," Alaric hissed. "But I haven't. I knew after the fourth gods-damned time that something was suspicious. You're the one messing with everything. I know it's you pulling the strings of my downfall!"

I couldn't help but smile at his dramatic flair. He was just so charming.

"So it was after the season in which Aurum, my most irritating younger brother, was the bachelor that you felt compelled to speak up," I said.

Alaric faltered. "I didn't want him to be my mate in particular."

"But you just said it was suspicious that you didn't win."

He huffed. "I didn't mean Aurum, or any particular dragon, I meant—"

"Ah, so you broke into my office and invaded my privacy simply to vent your frustrations. Which, I should remind you, is a major violation of the rules and grounds to terminate you from this season."

The blood drained from Alaric's face as he realized what he'd done. Then suddenly, he crossed his arms and spat back, "Oh, so it's okay when alpha dragons break into omegas' rooms but it's suddenly a problem when I do it?"

My smile widened. I was enjoying this argument a little too much.

"The hotel is our property," I explained. "Technically, we're allowed to come and go as we please. However, this castle is our home and pointedly not a fixture of the Dragonfate Games. If you'd like, I can show you exactly where it's written in your contract. The one you signed, remember?"

Alaric slowly narrowed his eyes and scowled. "You are a bastard."

That made me laugh out loud. "You could call me that," I said with an amused shrug. "You'd be correct, since I don't know my father."

Alaric wasn't amused. His catlike glare continued to stab me.

"Oh, come now, kitten. I thought that was funny," I remarked.

Every inch of Alaric bristled as he spat, " Kitten?"

"You're a cat shifter, are you not?"

He looked ready to claw my eyes out. Apparently, I liked that in an omega.

"Don't act so smug, dragon. Yes, I broke into your office." Alaric's sneer curved into a smug grin. "But I saw your secret."

I stopped laughing. There was no bluff in that statement. He had no qualms about revealing what he'd seen to anyone and everyone—and that was an outcome I wanted to avoid at all costs.

"All right. Then we're at a standstill," I said calmly. "I could disqualify you from the Games..."

"And I could ruin your pristine reputation," Alaric provided, just as calm.

I sighed in amusement. "What a predicament."

The cat shifter's eyes flashed with determination. "I'm not going home. I don't know who the bachelor is, and I don't care. I will find my mate on the Dragonfate Games."

I kept my expression steady to hide the flicker of surprise running through me. My brothers had organized the Games, so I had no idea what was going on. Had they kept the bachelor's identity hidden, even from the contestants? A cheap tactic, certainly, but one that worked for building suspense and intrigue.

If that was the case, Alaric had no idea he was currently speaking to this season's bachelor.

This is getting more fun by the second...

"I have no desire to kick you off the Games," I told him. "But your violation of both the rules and my privacy is an infraction I must punish."

Alaric swallowed. I noticed his gaze darting to the inflatable behind me, as if worried he'd suffer the same fate.

But perhaps suffering wasn't the right term. Was it my imagination, or did I see a flash of curiosity in his eyes?

I strode closer to the inflatable, running my hand across the dragon's smooth, rubbery neck. Alaric watched with full attention. When my fingers caught on the toy's thick black collar, his breathing audibly hitched.

A warm feeling stirred in my chest. Was Alaric interested in this sort of thing? I wasn't one to jump to conclusions, but the inquisitive gleam in his gaze didn't lie.

I tested my theory by hooking my finger under the collar and tugging on it.

Alaric sucked in a breath. Not scared or disgusted. Just curious.

I watched him for a long moment, waiting for his expression to change, but it didn't. I wasn't making things up. He was interested.

That changed everything.

With one deft motion, I unlocked the collar from the inflatable and held it in my palm. Alaric stared at it as I approached him.

"Tell you what," I began. "You will be punished. But not by being excluded from this season."

His burning gaze snapped to mine.

"Instead, this collar will be your punishment," I explained. "It represents our pact of mutual secrecy."

He scoffed loudly. "You want me to wear a collar like some kind of pet?" he challenged.

But he was unable to stop the blush creeping into his cheeks. I sensed his desire for the item, despite his act of half-baked rebellion.

"Yes, Alaric. I want you to wear it as proof of your penance," I said.

Upon hearing me say his name, his blush deepened. His cheeks were the vivid pink of a blooming rose.

"Fine," he spat. "I'll wear your ridiculous fetish gear, you green-haired bastard."

I grinned. That was a nickname I could get used to, especially coming from those haughty lips.

"Excellent." I unfurled the collar, preparing to place it around his thin, smooth neck. "Remember, it represents our promise."

As my fingers brushed against Alaric's skin, I felt the rapid thrum of his pulse. An electric jolt zapped up my finger and down my spine.

Was this how it felt to touch another person? Or was there something special about Alaric?

Ignoring the random burst of arousal, I held steady. I draped the luxurious collar around Alaric's neck. When I finally clicked it into place, I heard the tiniest whimper escape his lips.

For some reason, I didn't want to pull away from him, but I forced myself to step back and examine my work.

He looked beautiful with the collar on. His pale, creamy skin complimented the expensive black leather adorning his throat, and the silver heart-shaped trinket added to his kittenish charm.

Alaric screwed up his nose like a cat tasting sour milk. He touched the collar, getting a feel for the novel accessory. Then his brows furrowed. "Wait a second. Where's the buckle?"

Poor Alaric. He assumed it was like a regular pet collar. Clearly he hadn't taken a good look at the collar before allowing me to put it on.

"That's not how it works," I clarified.

"Then how do I get it off?" he snarled.

"You don't. But if you're asking how the lock mechanism works..." I reached into my breast pocket and pulled out a small silver key. "Here it is."

Alaric gaped in astonishment before hissing, "You never said it locked! "

I smiled. "You never asked."

Alaric's eyes burned furiously, but passion lurked beneath his anger. In truth, I wouldn't have put it on him if I didn't think he would like it.

"Fine," Alaric grumbled. "I'll wear this ridiculous thing, but I won't like it."

The breathy pitch of arousal in his voice said otherwise.

"Very well," I said, smiling. "Now that we've sealed our pact, you're free to go."

Alaric curled his lip. "I am not crawling back down the side of the castle like this."

"You really didn't think this through, did you?" I teased.

"Be quiet, fetish-freak."

I laughed again. His jabs, though sharp, felt affectionate somehow. Or perhaps I was getting ahead of myself and Alaric did want to rake his claws over my eyeballs. Either way, I was eager to see how this all played out.

"Well then. If you give me a moment to change, this fetish-freak will walk you to the front door," I offered.

"You'd better."

"And if you behave, I might even give you an outfit to wear on the way home."

His brow jutted upwards. "And walk back to the hotel looking like you ? No, thanks."

"I have normal clothes, you know," I pointed out. "But suit yourself."

Alaric huffed and puffed as he headed for my office door, then recognized his explicit nakedness.

"All right, fine," he conceded. "Give me something to wear."

I handed him an unassuming white shirt and sweatpants. He shoved them on while I exchanged my own outfit for something more appropriate.

"You may lead me to the front door now," Alaric instructed, smoothing out the shirt. It was adorably oversized on him, and his grumpy frown only made him look cuter. His feisty attitude was growing on me by the second.

"Very well," I said. "Come with me."

The rest of the castle dwellers were either asleep or too engaged in their own activities to notice a pair of footsteps in the halls. I was grateful for each additional moment alone with Alaric. I even felt disappointed when we finally reached the front doors and exited the castle. It meant this little nighttime tryst was over.

Alaric frowned but made no effort to walk away. Was he concerned about getting back?

"Do you know the way to your hotel?" I asked.

He scoffed. "Obviously. I've got a cat's sense of direction."

"Then why do you hesitate?"

Alaric glared at me. "I'm not hesitating. I'm leaving right now. Goodnight, freak."

"Goodnight, kitten," I replied as he stormed off.

He stopped abruptly. Then without turning around, he flipped me off and walked faster until he disappeared into the trees.