35

Aspen

I held Opal’s hand as the EMTs finished strapping her to the gurney. She was so pale. Her skin was a sickly shade of gray and her eyelids fluttered open weakly, revealing blown pupils.

“Aspen.” She tried to grasp my fingers.

“I’m right here.” I put my other hand on top of hers, feeling how deathly cold it was. Shifters didn’t get this cold. Even touching her felt wrong. I ignored my repulsion, walking alongside the gurney as the medical team angled it out into the lobby, and didn’t let go of her hand.

“What happened to her?” I asked.

The medics wouldn’t look at me and the rest of the contestants refused to meet my eyes.

“Cupcakes,” Opal whispered.

“What?”

Her hand slipped from mine as the EMTs carried the gurney outside. I stayed with them, intending to go with her to the hospital. This was insane. Shifters didn’t fall ill with normal diseases, but Opal was an Omega and might have had a different immune system than the rest of us.

My mind was reeling, trying to understand what was happening, as they loaded the gurney into the back of the ambulance. I wasn’t sure where they were taking her or if I was even allowed in the vehicle, but she’d asked for me and I wasn’t about to leave her side.

A security guard grabbed my arm as I tried to follow the medics into the ambulance and I growled, looking up into the face of a bald wolf shifter with a scar across his cheek.

“Let go of me.”

He immediately released his grip.

But the medics were already closing the doors.

“Hey!” I pounded on the metal. “What hospital are you taking her to?”

One of the medics took pity on me, cracking the door open an inch. “She’ll be okay, but we need to get her out of here.”

With that, the doors closed and the ambulance sirens blared as the vehicle pulled away.

I was left standing in the dust as I spun on the other contestants who were crowding on the front porch of the resort. “Can we get a driver? I need to make sure she’s okay.”

The other Luna candidates still wouldn’t look at me as they stepped to the side, making room for Molly and the team of cameras who followed her.

“You need to come with me,” Molly said.

I nodded with tears burning my eyes and my wolf howling protectively inside me. “Which car are we taking?”

Molly didn’t walk to the vans. She turned and went back in the lobby, leaving the security guards to escort me back inside. The cameras were still rolling, zooming in on me as tears streamed down my cheeks and the ambulance rumbled down the gravel driveway.

*

The security team walked me to the conference room. I hadn’t been in this part of the basement since the first night here when I signed my soul away.

Molly was already seated at the head of the table with a few of the lawyers we’d met that night. Back when Stefanie was the worst of my worries. The doors shut, keeping the camera crew outside, and the guard with the scarred face followed me to the table.

“Can someone tell me what’s going on?”

Molly frowned. “We were hoping you could tell us. Why was Opal carrying a delivery of cupcakes for you?”

“Cupcakes?” I shook my head. I didn’t even like cupcakes. “She said there was something for me at the front desk and I assumed it was more letters. She offered to bring it up.”

Molly’s gaze went to the shifter beside me as he sniffed the air and I stood there with my arms at my sides, letting him smell the truth. He nodded.

“Take a seat.” Molly sighed.

I pulled out the chair and sat. “What happened to her? How did she get sick?”

“Opal was poisoned.”

“Poisoned?” I cried. “With what?”

“Silver toxicity. We’re assuming the flakes were in the sprinkles.” Molly glanced at the wolf shifter guard again, asking me, “Did you have anything to do with that?”

“No.” A lump tightened in my throat. “She is my friend. I wouldn’t have hurt her.”

The shifter shook his head and Molly looked to the lawyer sitting at the table who was scribbling something on a page.

“Do you want to explain why you’re blaming me?” It wasn’t a question I would have asked in my pack, knowing it wouldn’t get me anywhere. But I hated this. I’d done so much to protect Opal and now I was accused of hurting her.

“You’re the one with prison connections and would know how to do this sort of thing.” Molly’s eyes narrowed. “And we are well aware of your stylists’ competition with each other. Plus, that delivery was intended for you. You have to understand how we would connect these dots.”

“I didn’t do anything.” I couldn’t help the growl that slipped out. “What about Cindy? She was the one who attacked her and made threats.”

“This attack if you could call it that seemed to be directed at you.” Molly watched me as if I was the one with the answers. “I already had the security team look into Cindy. She was vetted and doesn’t know anything about this situation.”

If it wasn’t Cindy, then who? I didn’t know because I hardly knew any of the other women here. “Opal was kind to me. She isn’t like the rest of the candidates and I would have done anything to protect her.”

Molly looked at the shifter.

He nodded again.

“Very well.” Molly glanced at the page the lawyer slid over to her. “Which brings me to our next situation. You aren’t exactly like the other candidates either.”

“How so?” I asked through gritted teeth.

“Don’t get me wrong, you’ve managed to capture the heart of the viewers until you lost them, but the Luna Trials is only a small part of the show. I’m not sure you or your Alpha contestant have what it takes to give us the umph Mating Season is known for.”

Something cold snaked its way down my spine. “Why are you talking about ratings when Opal is on her way to the hospital?”

Molly’s smile wasn’t kind. “This is how show business works. We have an opportunity here and need to take advantage of it.”

“I’m not following.”

“You wouldn’t, but that’s okay.” She looked down her nose at me. “Everyone loves a Cinderella story, but those are a dime a dozen. You’ve been great for rankings until you weren’t and Trenton is barely getting noticed. I don’t think he has the personality to cut it on Mating Season. And to be honest, you leaving is for the best. We don’t know who targeted you with the delivery and it will be hard to keep you safe. So here’s what we’re thinking…”

Molly’s voice trailed off as she looked to the numbers the lawyers were busy writing down.

I sat there, stunned, and trying to figure out how I was so close to the end of the trials just to watch them be ripped away. And it wasn’t only me. They were talking about sending Trenton home too.

Alpha Derek would never forgive me.

He’d never sign the release.

“We can spin the story and have you take the blame for Opal’s situation. The producers are willing to offer you double your base pay plus the bonus incentive for a grand finale explosion tonight. We’ll have one of the other contestants confront you and all you have to do is admit that Opal was a threat so you took her out. Then you and Trenton can go home and live your lives in peace.” Molly slid me the page with the total amount.

I stared at the number until it blurred. It was already so much more than I had in my bank account. “You want me to say I hurt my friend?”

“It’s only a little plot twist for the show. Viewers love the unexpected.” Molly offered a sympathetic shrug. Like she actually cared. “We all can see you don’t want to be here anyway. It’s a dating show. You don’t flirt or cause drama or even interact with the Alphas. Take the money and go home.”

I thought about it. I really did. But all the money in the world wasn’t worth my pride. I shoved the paper back across the desk. “I’m not going to lie and say I hurt Opal.”

And I definitely wasn’t going to take the fall for whoever did. Someone meant to harm me and I wasn’t tucking tail on that. I’d find them myself if I had to, make them pay for what they did.

Molly groaned, motioning to the lawyer. He started writing another number down.

“Stop.” I put my hands on the table. “I’m not stupid. You want more drama. Let me help you with that. What do you need for Trenton and me to stay on the show?”

A calculating gleam came into Molly’s eyes and she looked at me like I was something new. Which probably should have scared me more than it did. Especially when she said, “I have some ideas.”

*

My stomach was in knots and I was worried sick about Opal, but Molly promised to update me on her condition after the final trial tonight. I’d somehow gotten special treatment with Jesse being able to style me in my room, but I don’t know if it was for my safety or to feed the rumors that would follow me for the rest of my time here.

Molly wanted more drama.

And something had fundamentally changed in me over the last two weeks because I was going to give it to her.

“There we go.” Jesse draped the last of the hot curls against my exposed back as I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. This look was…

“Wow,” I breathed out the word.

The black silk of the dress dipped artfully down my chest and my breasts were perked up nicely thanks to the tape Jesse insisted I use. The top of the dress tied behind my neck with diamond strings cascading along my spine. The black silk clung to my hips and pooled around my ankles. I’d probably kill myself in these strappy heels, but I’d practiced walking in them and doing a few simple turns.

My hair was swept to the side in that loose romantic look and pinned above my right ear with more curls falling down past my shoulders. Jesse made my eyes dark and smoky, completing the look with a pop of red lipstick that stood out against all the black.

I looked like me and yet I didn’t look like me.

I guess that was the point.

“You’re going to send them into an early rut.” Jesse smiled, admiring his work as he put diamond studs into my ears. “This might be the best look I ever created.”

“Thank you,” I said sincerely. “For everything.”

Trenton knocked on the door.

“The fun is just starting.” Jesse winked as he handed me a black handbag. “Go get ‘em, killer.”

I checked my phone, smiling at the single text on the screen.

Papa: I’ll be watching tomorrow. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.

“Are you ready?” Trenton asked through our link.

“Coming,” I called out as I plugged in the phone on the charger and slowly made my way to the door so I didn’t trip on the carpet with the heels.

“Goddess, Aspen.” Trenton stood in the doorway, scratching at the collar of his white shirt. “You look…”

He didn’t look too bad himself, dressed in a tuxedo with his blond hair gelled back. Maybe Nuva Pack could clean up after all.

“She looks amazing,” Jesse hissed from behind me as he zipped his makeup suitcase. “Use your words.”

“Right.” Trenton nodded. “She looks great.”

I took Trenton’s offered arm, shushing my wolf who growled. She wasn’t a fan of the heels either. I tried not to look for the cameras in the hallway, but like in my room, I could feel them watching.

“Do you have a favorite?” I asked, making casual conversation. “Luna, I mean?”

“Don’t start acting jealous on me now.” Trenton pulled at his collar again. “You and I both know we didn’t have to be here.”

“That’s not what I meant.” I touched his arm, telling him with my eyes to stop tugging on his shirt. “We’re going to have to do things differently if we want to stay and find you a Luna.”

“That’s what I like to hear.” Trenton puffed out his chest as he pushed the button for the elevator. “Are you finally going to listen to me?”

“Not a chance.” I patted his shoulder and tried not to roll my eyes. “But you’re going to need to start listening to me.”