Still, I relished this opportunity. Getting to touch him and smell him was incredibly gratifying. I didn’t realize how desperately I needed this alone time, this chance to worship him with my hands. After all Muzo had been through today, he needed this. He deserved this.

  “Cobalt, you’re growling,” Muzo pointed out questioningly.

  I halted and cleared my throat. “Sorry. I didn’t notice.”

  “Everything okay?”

  “Yes. It’s a good growl.”

  Muzo chuckled. “I didn’t know dragons had good or bad growls. Normally when canines growl, it ain’t ‘cause we’re happy.”

  I leaned down so my cheek was against his temple. “Then it’s time for you to learn about dragons.”

  He shuddered with a slight intake of breath. When I glanced down, I saw that the bulge in his pants had grown. His erection was hard and tenting now.

  “Are you enjoying yourself?” I asked.

  I already knew the answer. I wanted to hear him say it, to luxuriate in his own pleasure.

  Muzo shivered again, pressing his back against me like a magnet was pulling him. “Yeah,” he whispered. “The massage and everything feels really good.”

  To accentuate his comment, I ran my oil-slick hands over his shoulders and down the front of his chest. Muzo gasped. My fingers brushed past his nipples, earning a squirm and a squeak of pleasure. My hands paused at his belly, where a fluffy line of dark hair disappeared under the waistband of his pants. Muzo inhaled shakily and went taut.

  “Are you gonna...?” he asked.

  “I want to,” I confirmed. “Do you want it?”

  “Yes,” he blurted. “Is that even a question?”

  “I’ll never touch you in ways you don’t like. My only wish is to protect you and pleasure you in equal measure.”

  Muzo let out a blissful sigh as he relaxed his full weight against me. “Y’know, you should write a book or something. You have such a way with words. Even that card you wrote gave me the jitters, in a good way.”

  Now there was something I had never been told. People said I was blunt and straightforward, to the point of carelessness sometimes.

  “Really?” I asked.

  Muzo tilted his head back so he looked at me upside-down. “Yup. I think it’s ‘cause you’re so honest. Your words come from the heart.” He beamed, his smile reaching his eyes. “It’s really sweet.”

  Fondness shone in Muzo’s eyes. It struck a chord in my soul. We hadn’t discussed being fated mates—I didn’t even know if he realized it yet—but the love was there. It was in the way he looked at me with unconditional trust and honest affection.

  With his head tilted back, he was at the perfect angle to kiss him. So I did.

  I leaned down and pressed our mouths together. Muzo sighed into the kiss. The sensation of his warm breath over my sensitive lips made me shiver. I snaked my tongue into his mouth, gentle and probing. To my surprise, he met it with unbridled fervor. He’d gained enough confidence to kiss me passionately, to twist his slippery wet tongue against mine.

  The kiss fanned the flames of my arousal. I was painfully hard—too hard to stand the confines of my pants anymore. Without breaking the kiss, I undid my belt and unzipped with one hand. I shoved my pants down past my hips so my cock was free to tent my briefs instead. Instant relief washed over me.

  “Whoa,” Muzo said. He stared over his shoulder, wide-eyed at the bulge in my underwear. A hungry look crept into his gaze.

  But I wasn’t done with him yet. He gave me permission to touch him, and I wasn’t about to waste it.

  While Muzo ogled me, I slipped my hand beneath his jeans. He let out a yelp that melted into a moan as my fingers brushed against his sensitive cock. He was hard, and though it was proportionate to his lithe body, his cock was much smaller than mine. I could fit his entire erection in my hand—which is exactly what I did.

  Muzo’s spine went rigid. He cried out, his back flush against my chest. The delicious sound made my cock twitch.

  “Does that feel good?” I asked.

  He made an undecipherable noise accompanied by a firm nod. That was enough encouragement to continue. Muzo whined with need, cuddling up to me as I touched him. The warm weight of his body against my chest was delightful. I rearranged my position so my legs stretched out on either side of Muzo. He sat between them, fully engulfed by my presence. Safe. Secure.

  “Cobalt,” Muzo whimpered. The throaty hitch in his voice drove me wild. “You’re gonna make me... y’know...”

  My lips brushed his temple as I spoke. “Say it.”

  Muzo swallowed, his throat bobbing. “Gonna make me come.”

  I lowered my voice. “I want you to come.”

  A full-body shiver wracked Muzo. He tossed his head back with a high keening sound. My hand worked faster, speeding into a steady rhythm. My warm, oil-slick palm slid up and down his throbbing shaft. Each pump made Muzo hiss with pleasure. He twitched violently, pushing up against my chest as far as he’d go, as if trying to become one with me.

  My dragon soul pulsed. I wanted to bite him—claim him.

  Not yet.

  I forced the urge to subside. Not until he realized he was my fated mate. Tonight was all about his pleasure. I had to prove to him how much I cared, how much I wanted him to be happy.

  Muzo suddenly threw his arms up around my neck, clinging to me. His cock throbbed in my hand. He wasn’t far from finishing. I quickened my pace, eager to see him come.

  “Cobalt,” he half-spoke, half-breathed. “I wanna kiss you.”

  I crushed my mouth against his. The kiss wasn’t hungry—it was starving. I poured my alpha instincts into it, claiming Muzo’s tongue with mine, showing him that he belonged to me and I to him.

  Muzo’s body went taut. The split-second of silence was broken as he screamed with pleasure into my mouth. I swallowed the sound eagerly. I didn’t stop kissing him, or pumping his quivering cock. I wouldn’t stop until the last drop of cum was spent.

  When the last violent shudder passed, Muzo slumped against my chest. He panted hard, and his skin was drenched in sweat. I brushed the damp strands of black and blond hair from his forehead. His dark eyes sparkled with satisfaction, and an indescribable quality that looked a lot like love.

  “You’re like, really awesome,” Muzo said, then flashed a sheepish grin. “Is that a weird thing to say after you just made me come?”

  Warmth welled up in my chest. I kissed Muzo’s forehead.

  “No,” I replied with a smile.

  Muzo grinned back, then gasped. “Oh! I forgot.” His gaze snapped down to my cock. He licked his lips. “Should I, uh...”

  My pulse skyrocketed at the implication.

  “If you want to,” I rasped.

  Muzo turned around, then held out his palm. “Oil me.”

  I handed him the bottle. Once he’d slicked up his hands, he reached beneath the stretched fabric and touched me. I groaned in pleasure. The sensation was unbelievable.

  Muzo grinned. “Man, you’re huge. I should’ve figured, since you’re big in every other way.”

  He hooked a finger into my briefs and pulled them down, releasing my cock. He worked his hands up and down my length until it ached with need. My body trembled. I was no stranger to this feeling, but until now it came only from my own hand. Muzo’s touch was something else. It felt so much better.

  I was too worked up to last. A growl vibrated in my throat. My teeth transformed into fangs, grinding together with a sharp hiss. My dragon lurked right below the surface—he wanted me to sink my teeth into Muzo, plunge my cock into him, and breed him right here, right now.

  But the anticipation would make our eventual mating all the sweeter.

  Instead, my nails—which shifted into talons—raked the bed covers. I threw my head back with a feral roar as the orgasm ripped through me like a tidal wave. Muzo’s oily hands kept working my cock as I came.

  I exhaled a puff of smoke as the aftershocks slowly faded. My vision was blurry. My body was spent.

  And I still wanted more.

  Suddenly, Muzo grabbed me like I was an oversized doll and flopped backwards onto the bed. He beamed with a huge ecstatic grin, then snuggled up close. My draconic libido died down when I looked into his eyes.

  Sex could wait. We had a lot of cuddling to do.

  Before I could wrap my arms around him, Muzo cried, “Wait!” He grabbed the dragon plushie and cradled it against his chest. It was comically half his size. “There. Now all three of us can snuggle.”

  I raised a brow at the phrase all three of us. “I don’t remember him being invited,” I grumbled.

  Muzo laughed. “Wait, are you seriously getting jealous of a plush toy?”

  “I might be.”

  Muzo lifted the toy’s head. Its delicate hand-embroidered eyes met my gaze, begging for mercy.

  “Oh, please, Mr. Cobalt, please don’t kick me out of the bed,” Muzo said in a higher-pitched voice, speaking for the plushie.

  I pouted. “The toy is a symbol of my dragon form. You can cuddle the real thing. Me.”

  Muzo laughed again. Apparently, he found this hilarious.

  “C’mon, you don’t want Blueberry to sleep with us tonight?” Muzo asked.

  My second brow rose to join the first. “You named it? And the name isn’t Cobalt?”

  Muzo tilted his head, examining the toy. “He doesn’t really look like a Cobalt, does he? Blueberry suits him much better. Besides, his round little snout kinda looks like a blueberry, doesn’t it?”

  I was starting to regret commissioning Taylor to sew the damned thing. But it was fine. It was worth it to see the joy on Muzo’s face.

  “Just remember Blueberry won’t save you from drowning,” I said, pulling him closer. “And my cock is bigger than his.”

  That made Muzo cackle. He nestled his face against my collarbone with Blueberry squished between our bodies. Maybe it wasn’t so bad that he was there after all, as long as I got to sleep with Muzo tucked into my arms.

  A knock came at the balcony door.

  I frowned. My alpha instincts didn’t warn me of danger, but I still didn’t welcome the interruption.

  “What the? Who could possibly visit at this hour?” Muzo asked with a yawn. “And how the hell’d they get up there, anyway?”

  My frown etched deeper. Unfortunately, I had a pretty good idea of who our visitor was.

  I sighed, grudgingly getting off the bed. “Wait here.”

  Just as I expected, Jade stood on the balcony. He crossed his arms and tipped his head in an admonishing you-know-what-you-did way.

  “Cobalt,” he began.

  My frown was about to become permanent. “Yes.”

  “You’re not planning to accidentally fall asleep in Muzo’s bed, are you?”

  That was exactly what I planned on doing.

  “Why shouldn’t I?” I challenged.

  Jade gestured calmly with his hand. “Because every time an alpha dragon bachelor stays with their mate overnight, there’s a scandal the next morning. First it was Crimson causing a kerfuffle between Taylor and Alaric, and then Thystle overslept and missed the challenge he was supposed to be attending.”

  “I’m not like them,” I said. “I’ll wake up early and leave before I’m noticed.”

  “I’m sure that’s what they intended, too,” Jade pointed out. “But it’s not easy to resist the call of your mate’s arms, is it?”

  I bit my lip. He wasn’t wrong. I could’ve spent an eternity lying in bed with Muzo.

  After Jade finished his sentence, Muzo plodded outside with another yawn. Blueberry was clutched firmly in his hand.

  “What’s goin’ on?” he asked.

  “Good evening, Muzo,” Jade said with a polite smile. “I’ve come to gently scold Cobalt.”

  Muzo nodded, disappointed but understanding. “Oh. Right, ‘cause he’s not technically supposed to be here, huh?”

  “That’s right.”

  To my surprise, Muzo grinned at me. “It’s okay, Cobalt. I’ll still be here tomorrow. And we still have the rest of the Games to be together.”

  Something struck me as odd in the way he said that, but I couldn’t place why. Before I could analyze it, Jade’s hand on my arm pulled me from my thoughts.

  “One night’s sleep apart. That’s it. I’m sure you can manage that, hm?” Jade suggested.

  I grunted. “Fine.”

  “Splendid. And thank you, Muzo, for your cooperation.” Jade leaned on the balcony railing, ready to shift and fly back to the castle. “Coming, Cobalt?”

  I glanced back at Muzo, who waved at me. That adorable mental image was enough to tide me over until the next morning—especially with the way he snuggled the blue dragon plushie close to his chest. Different name or not, it was still a symbol of me.

  If I had to leave, then I was loath to do it without a goodnight kiss. I pressed a soft, quick kiss to Muzo’s cheek before joining Jade in the starry night sky.

  Thirteen

  Muzo

  I spent about two minutes being sad that Cobalt had to leave. Then the post-orgasm fatigue combined with the day’s exhaustion hit me like an eighteen-wheeler truck, and I passed out.

  The next morning, I was shovelling food onto my plate at the all-inclusive breakfast buffet when a hesitant finger tapped me on the shoulder. Poppy stood behind me with a shy smile.

  “Oh, hey, Pops,” I greeted, offering him a bite of my half-eaten roll. “Want some?”

  “Ah, no, thank you.”

  I shrugged and tossed the other half into my mouth. “What’s up?”

  “How was your date with Cobalt last night?” he asked.

  “It was awesome. I mean, I kinda screwed it up ‘cause I ate a bunch of chocolate beforehand, but we still had a great time. He’s really nice.”

  I didn’t mention the part when he came over after and we gave each other hand jobs. That wasn’t the type of thing you discussed over breakfast.

  Poppy’s smile brightened. “That’s wonderful. I’m happy to hear that.”

  Alaric slipped into the conversation uninvited like a typical cat. “Once again, the wolf has forgotten this is a competition,” he said, taking a sip of coffee.

  Poppy turned sharply to Alaric. “I haven’t forgotten!”

  Both Alaric and I blinked in surprise at his outburst. That was a big reaction to one of Alaric’s run-of-the-mill sassy comments.

  Realizing he’d raised his voice an inch, Poppy shrank. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to shout.”

  Alaric snorted. “If that’s shouting, then the jackal’s regular speaking volume is louder than a jet engine.” He took another sip. “In any case, the bachelor clearly has no interest in either of us.”

  Poppy’s eyes flashed with hope. “You really think so?”

  “I know so.” Alaric arched a brow. “Although I fail to see why you’re so chuffed about being a loser.”

  “I’m not,” Poppy argued weakly.

  “Sure. And I’m a Siamese.” Alaric sighed, rubbing his temple. “Honest to gods, if the producers drag us through every season of this show and I don’t end up with a mate at the end...”

  I munched on a strip of bacon as they went back and forth. For once, I agreed with Alaric. Why wasn’t Poppy invested in winning? He was a nice, sweet omega. He should have an equal chance with Cobalt.

  Then a sharp, twisting pain stabbed my chest and I nearly dropped my bacon.

  What the hell was that? Did I not want Poppy to be with Cobalt?

  For the sake of experiment, I imagined the two of them together. This time, I actually did drop my bacon.

  No, I realized. I didn’t want anybody else to be with Cobalt except me.

  The sensation was alien and bizarre. I wasn’t usually selfish. I never felt owed anything. But when it came to Cobalt, I distinctly didn’t want to share. I wanted him all to myself.

  Weird.

  “Um, Muzo? You dropped this,” Poppy said, picking up the bacon.

  Alaric pulled a face. “Please tell me you’re not going to eat that.”

  “Five second rule,” I announced, snatching the floor bacon and tossing it in my mouth.

  “Welcome, omegas, to the second challenge!” Gaius announced.

  We gathered at a stream at the base of an inlet, where the water met the forest, and the sandy beach turned to shrubs and trees. Gaius and Cobalt stood at the opposite end of the stream.

  My heart did a back flip at the sight of him. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed Cobalt. It was only one sleep and a couple hours apart, sure, but it still felt too long. No wonder he didn’t want to leave last night. It would’ve been nice if we’d spent the night together.

  “I bet you’re wondering what your task is today,” Gaius went on. His shirt was neon orange today. He put highlighters everywhere to shame. “Well, I’m glad you asked. You’ll be playing a game called Catch the Catch! You’ll need to catch something that catches the bachelor’s eye.”

  “That is an absolutely heinous name,” Alaric mumbled next to me.

  “I think it’s neat,” I whispered back.

  Alaric looked like he was about to gag on a hairball.

  “You’re free to gather whatever you like,” Gaius explained. “Plants, animals, rocks; water, land, sky, dirt—it’s all fair game. Use your imagination!”

  Alaric rolled his eyes. “Oh, goody. Another subjective challenge. I wonder who will win this time,” he added, shooting me a glance.

  Why did he do that?

  “I have the same chance of winning as everyone else,” I said.

  Alaric shrugged. “Keep telling yourself that.”

  Confused, I glanced across the stream at Cobalt. He stared directly at me with a slight smile in the corner of his mouth. His gaze was attentive, rapt—like nobody else even existed.

  My heart fluttered.

  Was Alaric right about me winning? But that didn't make any sense. That meant Cobalt thought I was special, that he liked me the most...