"I can," I mumbled. "The part I can't believe is that we both accepted the offer."

  Poppy smiled slightly. "No one's ever picked me for anything. When they called me, I thought it was one of those scams you're always warning me about…"

  I snorted. "I did, too. No opportunity could be this perfect. But I guess being rich has some benefits."

  Poppy shuffled his feet. "Do you really think we’re going to meet dragons?"

  "I would hope so," I said dryly. "It is called the Dragonfate Games. Besides, I imagine only dragons would spend big money on something as stupid as this."

  Behind me, somebody sniffed loudly. We turned around to see a young white-haired omega with crossed arms.

  "Do you think talking badly about your benefactors is appropriate?" he asked, raising a penciled-on brow.

  I didn't know who this guy was, or why he bothered sucking up to people who weren't even here, but I wasn't about to let some little punk come at me with that attitude.

  "Oh, I'm sorry," I said sarcastically. "I didn't know my conversation was an open forum."

  The omega sneered. He had a fake, powdery smell that smothered his natural scent, so I couldn't tell what type of shifter he was.

  "Sounds like something a first-out would say," he said with a haughty tone, as if he'd just let loose an epic burn.

  Sensing Poppy's distress, I turned back around without giving the random omega another second of my time. He was the type of person who got upset from being ignored. I sensed him fuming behind me.

  "Looks like they're ready to board," I said to Poppy. "Want to head over there together? I'll get your luggage."

  Poppy nodded, eager to be away from the confrontation. I knew he was sensitive about that sort of thing. Grabbing the handles of both our suitcases, I dragged them towards the boarding area.

  To nobody's surprise, Muzo was at the head of the line. He grinned and waved us over, earning him grumpy looks from the people between us. I shook my head. When we didn't join him, Muzo frowned, sighed, and dragged his luggage towards us.

  "C'mon, I wanted to sit together," he whined.

  "This isn't a field trip, you know," I reminded him. "Besides, it's a big plane. There's plenty of space for us to sit together. Not that I necessarily want to."

  He let out a snrk of laughter and elbowed me playfully. "You know you love me."

  "Some days it's debatable."

  As the three of us waited in line, I heard a familiar haughty voice behind us say, "Oh, good. You're multiplying."

  Not that white-haired omega again. I rolled my eyes and mouthed, "don't give him any attention," but it was already too late. In any situation, Muzo jumped in first and asked questions later.

  "Who the hell are you?" Muzo said, raising a brow.

  I cursed Muzo for asking. This was the opportunity that haughty asshole had been waiting for. I could practically feel the raw smugness oozing out of the omega's body.

  "My name is Alaric. You'd do well to remember it, since I'll be the undisputed winner of the Dragonfate Games."

  Muzo casually sniffed the air. "Why do you smell like a baby's ass?"

  Never mind. I take back everything I said about Muzo. Hearing Alaric's mortally offended gasp was worth it.

  "It's perfume," Alaric shot back. "Very expensive, and clearly not a brand you recognize. And it does not smell like a baby's bottom."

  "Ass," Muzo said.

  From the corner of my eye, I saw Alaric's white arm hair standing on end with fury. It reminded me of an animal's hackles rising. I figured he was some kind of mammal shifter, at least. Even while standing next to him, it was impossible to tell. He really did smell like a baby's freshly powdered ass.

  Poppy tugged on my sleeve. "Um, the line's moving."

  I nodded. "Thanks, Poppy. Let's get on the plane."

  Muzo wriggled his fingers at Poppy. "It's about to gobble us up! We're gonna sit in its big plane tummy!"

  "Are you eight years old?" I grumbled. "Leave Poppy alone."

  Behind us, Alaric sniffed loudly. "I thought you had to be at least 18 to apply."

  "I don't remember inviting you to this conversation," I said without looking at him.

  Sensing Poppy's anxiety, I put my hand on his shoulder as the lady at the counter took our tickets with a big smile and told us to have a great flight. I wondered if she was human, or some kind of shifter hired by the bigwig dragons.

  "Tunnel!" Muzo yelled as we entered the tunnel connecting the airport with the plane.

  I sighed and didn't bother telling him to behave. He was like a kid who'd eaten three pounds of sugar. What would happen when filming began? Would Muzo even last one day, or would the dragons send him packing?

  I thought of Poppy, too. He shuffled beside me, clutching his backpack tightly to his chest. I was honestly surprised he'd accepted the offer to join the Games.

  "Hey, Poppy," I said quietly as we waited for the people in front of us to enter the plane. "Why did you decide to join, anyway?"

  "Um... I don't know." Poppy put a hand to his shirt. "I got this weird feeling in my chest."

  "Anxiety?" I suggested.

  "No. Well... yes, but something else, too. An important feeling. I knew I had to try, even though I was scared."

  I smiled. "I'm proud of you. It's not easy to push past your fear."

  Poppy smiled back. "Thanks, Taylor."

  "Oh, so the big brute has a name," Alaric remarked.

  My annoyance sizzled into anger. Alaric had yanked on the tiger's tail too much.

  I whirled on him with a snarl. I felt my canine teeth elongating into thick fangs. It was something I held back when I was among humans, but everyone was a shifter here, so I didn't feel pressured to contain the beast.

  "Listen," I growled. "Stop butting your head into my life. Mind your own business, and I'll mind mine."

  Alaric's eyes flashed, but he didn't move. I noticed for the first time that he had heterochromia—one eye was blue, the other green.

  "Touchy, touchy," Alaric mumbled. "You think you can boss people around with your bulk? Well, I won't stand for it. The winner of the Dragonfate Games will have poise. They won't need to bully their way to victory."

  "Who's bullying anyone?" I demanded, annoyed and baffled.

  Alaric smirked. He glanced at the other contestants watching us. I noticed how the scene must've looked—a broad-shouldered, tall man snarling at a shorter, slimmer one. Alaric had tricked me into looking like a villain.

  With a flash of shame and irritation, I reined in my tiger. Normally I had better control of myself. The stress of this TV show was getting to me and it hadn't even started yet.

  Poppy grabbed my arm and led me. Usually I was the one who comforted him, but now he returned the favor. I felt myself relax.

  A smiling middle-aged man who I assumed to be the pilot welcomed us on board. "Have a great flight! We're just finishing up the magic fueling, then we'll be on our way."

  "Magic fueling?" Muzo asked, brows shooting up to his hairline.

  The pilot nodded. "That's right. Our team of wyvern engineers fuel the plane with magic. One of the dragon brothers in charge, Cobalt, was insistent the Games be as environmentally friendly as possible."

  That was a pleasant surprise compared to all the human superstars with no qualms about polluting the air for the sake of their personal convenience.

  "Whoa!" Muzo cried. "Did you hear that, Taylor? Not just dragons, but wyverns, too! And magic! This is not a drill—this is really happening, people!"

  Alaric cleared his throat and addressed the pilot. "Is Cobalt the dragon whose affections we will compete for?"

  The pilot gave a mellow laugh. "Well, I'm probably not supposed to tell you... but no, it's not Cobalt. Different color."

  Poppy blinked. "Cobalt...?"

  "He said different color, Pops," Muzo said. "Think green, or yellow, or whatever. Anyway, let's board already, I'm tired of waiting around!"

  As a group of three, we found our seats. The inside of the plane was surprisingly spacious and comfortable. Muzo took the window seat, Poppy sat securely in the middle, and I took the aisle, since I didn't care where I sat.

  Alaric shot me the stink eye as he passed, but we kept our jabs to ourselves. I was not looking forward to being on a remote island with him.

  Still, despite all my misgivings about my decision to accept this offer, I couldn't help my curiosity about whatever was to come.

  As the plane began its descent over the picturesque island, it finally hit me.

  This was real.

  Muzo clambered against the window. "Guys, look! It's a freaking island!"

  Anxiety forgotten, Poppy glanced outside and gasped. "Oh, wow. It's beautiful."

  Even I joined in. From the sky, I saw lush green forests, blue-gray mountains dotted with trees, and white sandy beaches. It looked like an award-winning photograph out of a nature magazine.

  And we were going to live there for the foreseeable future.

  The kind flight staff assured us our luggage would be brought to the hotel, so all we needed to do was walk there. After getting off the plane, we stepped out into the warm air. It was so clean and fresh, with a tinge of salt from the sea breeze. I closed my eyes to breathe it in. After the human city air, it smelled incredibly sweet and pure.

  The hotel sat on a grassy outcropping above the beach. It was a modern building with clean lines. Despite being surrounded by untouched nature, it looked unobtrusive, like it was designed for minimal impact.

  As we entered the lobby, I continued to be impressed. The inside of the hotel was modern yet homey, lavish yet unpretentious. It was nicer than any hotel I'd ever been in, but still managed to feel welcoming. Not like those glamorous rich people hotels I passed when walking downtown.

  But in reality, we were competing for the affection of a glamorous rich person—the unknown dragon brother. He was probably just as bad as those snooty humans. If so, he'd pick Alaric, who was already salivating to win.

  After the concierge politely handed out key cards to our rooms, we were told to enjoy ourselves until the Games began that afternoon, when the opening ceremony was to be filmed. A mix of nerves and excitement fluttered in my stomach. I'd nearly forgotten that this whole spectacle was going to be broadcast on TV. I recalled the way Alaric riled me up earlier. I wouldn't let that kind of slip-up happen again, especially not for the world to see.

  "Last one to their room loses!" Muzo declared before racing up the stairs.

  "Loses what? You just made up a game on your own," I mumbled, following behind him at my own pace.

  Poppy clutched his key card tightly. "Will they get mad if I lose this?"

  "No, they won't," I promised. "If you do, they'll just give you another one." Seeing his uneasy expression, I said, "Nobody's out to get you here, Poppy. The staff and everyone's been nice to you so far, right?"

  "Right..."

  I smiled gently. "They want you to be here. That's why they invited you. So chin up."

  "Okay."

  Alaric scoffed as he briskly passed us. "You know some contestants get cast as filler, right? For there to be a winner, there have to be lots of losers. In fact, most of the people in this room are losers," he added with a smirk.

  Poppy wilted. His shoulders slumped like a weight had dropped on them, and his big brown eyes filled with sadness.

  Righteous anger filled me. It took everything I had not to claw Alaric's smug look off his face. Getting on my nerves was one thing, but harming Poppy's shaky confidence was something I would not tolerate.

  "Leave my friend alone, Alaric," I growled. My tiger's voice rose to the surface, filling my throat with a rumbling vibration. I didn't realize how loud it was until multiple people turned to see. But this time, I didn't care. Getting stared at was worth it to defend my friend.

  Alaric put his hands on his hips. "Or what? You're going to lunge at me? Claw me to shreds?"

  Had he guessed I was a tiger already? Unlike him, I wasn't slathered in perfume, so it wasn't hard to miss my scent up close.

  "I know you're trying to pick a fight with me, but leave Poppy out of it," I warned him.

  "Some people just don't have the confidence to be a dragon's mate," Alaric said smoothly. "I'm just calling it as I see it."

  His sudden shift in tone confused me. Why did it sound like he was speaking to an audience?

  I caught motion in the corner of my eye. A short, scaly humanoid creature held up a big camera—and pointed it right at us.

  Were they filming already?

  The hairs on the back of my neck rose. Now I understood. Alaric had baited me on purpose. Again. And this time, he must've known the camera was nearby.

  I wasn't in the mood to be filmed right now, but it was too late to back out. I'd already signed the contract to be recorded—whenever, wherever. Nowhere was truly private on this private island.

  I put my hand on Poppy's shoulder. He'd frozen out of fear and needed help escaping the situation. Urging him away, I said, "Let's go, Poppy."

  The short-legged, scaly creature briefly tried to catch up with me—presumably to ask my opinion on what just happened—but I was much taller and faster, and escaped into the stairwell before he had the chance.

  On the other hand, Alaric had no desire to dodge the spotlight. I heard him speaking loudly to the cameraman in an affected I-know-I'm-on-TV voice. I was shocked my eyes didn't pop out of my skull with how hard I rolled them.

  I found Muzo on the second floor grinning like a maniac. He'd propped his front door open with his empty suitcase and gestured inside his new abode.

  "Check it out," he said. "King bed. Private bathroom. Huge freaking windows with a view of the beach! And it's all free! Can you believe it?"

  I had to admit, I was surprised at how gorgeous the room was, even with Muzo's things immediately strewn everywhere. It was easy to overlook the mess, though. The bright blue sky and crystal-clear waters were visually striking. The windows were more like glass walls that revealed a panoramic view of the island.

  "Wow," I murmured.

  Muzo laughed. "When Taylor's speechless, you know it's good." He blinked, then squinted at the window. "Hey, what's going on over there?"

  All three of us shuffled against the glass. There was a commotion right outside the hotel. A crowd of those little scaly camera-wielding creatures huddled around a single figure, but respectfully kept their distance, as if the person was incredibly important.

  My gaze focused on the figure. It was a tall man dressed in a brown suit. His jet-black hair was interrupted by a single blazing red streak. I couldn't see any other details from this distance, but he had a distracted and snooty aura, like he was uninterested in what was going on around him.

  "Holy shit," Muzo muttered. "Do you think that's him? The dragon dude?"

  My eyes widened. Could it be? If so, I was surprised Alaric hadn’t slobbered on him already. But maybe he wasn't allowed to go near him yet, since the Games hadn't officially begun.

  Suddenly, the man lifted his head.

  He looked directly at me.

  A tangible shock ran down my spine. Gasping, I backed away from the window.

  What the hell was that?

  I allowed myself a moment to get over the tingly sensation. Thankfully, neither of my friends noticed. They were both enthralled by the suit-wearing man outside.

  "I'm gonna go to my room," I mumbled, then took off before they could stop me.

  Once inside, I sighed loudly and collapsed on the bed. The crisp, white bed sheets felt cottony soft and comforting beneath my skin. I took a breath to decompress after the whirlwind chaos leading up to this point.

  This was my new reality. I was a contestant in the Dragonfate Games. I'd entered on a whim, thinking it was to protect my friends... but was that really true?

  Would my life be the same after this?

  Six

  Crimson

  As the staff buzzed and bustled around, I did my best not to yawn. Filming a TV show was a lot more boring than I expected. Most of it involved waiting around while the professionals did all the work. All I had to do was stand there and look handsome. Easy enough.

  But the opening ceremony was about to start, and that's when my real work began. I had to act like I truly gave a shit about the show and its contestants, if only to pave the way for future seasons.

  My brothers were counting on me, so I guessed I'd give it my all.

  The ceremony was being filmed on the beach with the sunset as a backdrop. A platform had been set up, and the staff gathered the rested-up contestants from their rooms.

  I glanced curiously back at the hotel. I hadn't seen the omegas arrive, but I'd caught a glimpse of one through the second-floor window. The sun's glare made it hard to tell who it was, but I was oddly intrigued.

  Not that it mattered. I wasn't bedding any of these omegas. I just had to be friendly with them until this was over. Maybe I'd throw in a round of flirting or two for good measure.

  "You ready, bro?"

  The dual voices came from behind me. Saffron and Aurum grinned expectantly. I was surprised to see them here so close to filming. Duke, the director, had told all my brothers to stay away from the set.

  "Ready for this to end," I replied.

  Aurum snorted. "Yeah, whatever. Once it starts, you'll change your tune."

  "Doubtful."

  "You're lucky," Saffron said, pouting. "We're not even allowed to watch the filming. We only get to show up at the end, after you find your mate. Duke says it'll warp our opinions on the contestants if they reappear on later seasons or something."

  Duke currently barked last-minute orders on stage. He hadn't noticed them yet.

  "Yeah, he put us in time-out and ordered us to stay put in the castle," Aurum grumbled.

  As annoying as the twins were, I sensed their disappointment at not getting to watch.

  "Think of it as delayed gratification for when you do finally get to meet the contestants," I reminded them. "Besides, you can watch the episodes after, right?"

  Aurum frowned. "Yeah, but it's not the same..."