Page 6

6

Saffron

Rorik was… odd.

My curiosity ran rampant. For once in my life, the movie faded into the background. I couldn’t concentrate on it at all.

Where was Rorik from? And what the hell happened to him? Why didn’t he know about dinosaurs? Why had he never watched a single film?

I felt defensive over him again. Sure, he was a huge polar bear who didn’t necessarily need my protection, but something felt wrong. I knew it in my gut. My instincts said to protect Rorik. I needed to draw out the truth so I knew what exactly I was dealing with, and how I could help him.

I picked up the remote and paused the movie. Rorik kept staring at the screen like nothing had happened.

“Hey,” I said. “It’s okay, I paused it.”

He turned to me. “Oh.”

His lower jaw parted as he panted quietly. The TV volume must’ve been loud enough to smother his heavy breathing earlier. I felt bad for not noticing. How was he still in his polar bear form? He was going to bake to death.

“Dude, seriously, you can shift whenever you want,” I insisted. “I don’t want you to overheat.”

Rorik stopped panting. I practically saw the mental war waging in his brain, though I didn’t understand why. Shifting was natural and normal.

What is going on with him? I thought, starting to worry.

My concern for his safety opened the floodgates of general anxiety. Did Rorik dislike me? Was that why he acted withdrawn? Did he want to leave? Worse, did he feel pressured to stay?

Cobalt’s words came back like a slap in the face: You don’t want to overwhelm your potential mate.

Shit. Was I doing that right now?

Rorik exhaled a long breath through his nostrils. “All right. I’ll shift.”

My heart quickened. Excitement bubbled within me, killing off my anxiety. I still hadn’t seen his human form. What did he look like?

Rorik closed his eyes. He was still for a few seconds, as if remembering how to shift. Then an ancient magic washed over his massive polar bear body, twisting and transforming.

The next time I blinked, there was a huge naked man on my couch.

Rorik was... big.

Really big.

Even sitting down in human form, he towered over me. He wore his light blond hair in a handsome crew cut, short but thick. He had the same bear-dark eyes below a pair of strong brows, and rugged pale stubble lined his jaw.

Mesmerized, my gaze drifted lower. The first thing I noticed was Rorik’s big belly. It looked so soft, especially with the dusting of pale hair. I wanted to bury my face in it.

Rorik was fat, but clearly fit. Powerful biceps lurked beneath the flab of his arms, and his hairy thighs were as thick as tree trunks. He looked strong enough to lift the couch with one hand.

In summary, he was really fucking hot.

I stared at him like a wolf drooling over a raw steak. I was already drawn to Rorik before, but now I was deeply, wildly attracted to him.

I wanted him.

My haze of lust was tempered when I noticed the many scars crisscrossing his body. I hadn’t seen them beneath his fur, but they stood out plain as day against his human skin.

Anger sizzled in my chest, and my instinct to defend him reared its head again. Where did those scars come from? Who’d dare lay their hands on Rorik?

He sighed in contentment, wiping the sweat off his forehead with his arm. “That’s better.”

His relaxed tone sucked me back into the moment. I was glad he wasn’t dying of heat anymore, and it let me focus on other things—like the fact that he was stark naked.

“Hey, uh… Did you want some clothes?” I asked. Somehow, my eyes resisted the urge to stray lower. “Totally okay if you don’t.”

Rorik glanced down at himself, then back at me with the same stoic yet confused expression. It was already adorable as a bear, but it was somehow cuter in human form.

“Would you prefer I put clothes on? Because I didn’t bring any,” Rorik said.

I was about to tell him it didn’t matter to me when his second statement hit me like a truck.

“You… didn’t bring any clothes?” I repeated.

“I brought nothing at all.”

Rorik spoke as if it were incredibly normal to get on a plane and fly to a freaking island without a single possession.

Okay, there’s definitely some fuckery going on here, I thought. I’m getting to the bottom of this.

“Not that I want you to put clothes on,” I began, standing up from the couch, “but I don’t think the producers will let you be totally naked all the time.”

Rorik stood. It felt like time slowed down as he reached his full height. Finally, he glanced down at me, ready to follow where I led.

Holy Drake, he’s a huge omega, I thought in awe. He must be at least 6’4”.

I scratched my head. “Well, none of my clothes will fit you,” I mumbled, disappointed that I couldn’t drape him in my scent. “But I know someone who can spare to lend you some.”

Rorik followed me to Cobalt’s room, standing patiently behind me while I knocked on my eldest brother’s door. As we waited, I asked, “Why do you always do that?”

“Do what?” Rorik replied.

“Stand behind me.” Before he could answer, I took a step back so we were side by side. “See? Isn’t that better?”

Rorik’s eyes widened. He rolled his shoulders awkwardly and avoided my gaze. “It doesn’t feel right.”

“Why?” I asked, baffled.

“I’m an omega. I rank beneath you. I should not stand at your side,” Rorik said quietly.

I gawked at him.

What the hell did he just say?

Just as my jaw dropped in utter shock, Cobalt opened the door.

“Good evening, Saffron,” Cobalt said, his deep voice shattering the silence. He paused, then asked, “Why is there a large naked man in the hallway?”

My head still reeled from Rorik’s confession, but I had other shit to deal with. I shook my head to dispel the horrible revelation.

“Uh, right,” I said. “Cobalt, this is Rorik, one of the omega contestants. Rorik, this is my eldest brother, Cobalt.”

Cobalt’s brows rose a fraction of an inch. Understanding settled over his face. He could be oblivious sometimes, but even he realized why I’d brought a stranger home. There was only ever one reason a bachelor sneaked a contestant into the castle—to explore a budding relationship.

“I see,” Cobalt said, nodding in greeting. He was tall enough to be at eye level with Rorik. “Nice to meet you.”

Cobalt extended a hand. Rorik didn’t shake it. He stared, unsure of what to do.

Oh, sweet Holy Drake, I thought, incredulous. Rorik is way more messed up than I thought.

A protective instinct flared within me. Although this man was as tall as a skyscraper and more than double my weight, I felt the fierce urge to protect him from the world.

“Cobalt wants to shake your hand,” I explained to Rorik. “Like this.” I demonstrated. “Now you try it.”

Rorik hesitated. He shot Cobalt an unsure glance, as if afraid the bigger alpha would lash out at him. “Are you sure?”

“Trust me, Rorik,” I said with a smile.

His dark eyes flashed. There it was again—that fierce, feral intensity that sent shivers across my skin.

Then Rorik slowly faced Cobalt and shook his outstretched hand. Rorik was so big that their hands were rivals in size. He was easily the largest omega I’d ever met.

After shaking with Cobalt, Rorik quickly withdrew his hand. He still looked nervous. I didn’t understand why. Cobalt usually had a calming effect on people, not the opposite.

“Rorik didn’t pack any clothes, and none of mine will fit him,” I explained, wanting to smooth out the awkward silence. “Can we borrow some of yours?”

“Sure,” Cobalt said. “Wait here. I’ll try to find clothes without jackal hair on them.”

I sighed, relieved that he’d agreed without interrogating us about why Rorik had arrived empty-handed.

When Cobalt disappeared into his room, Rorik shook his head, distressed.

“This isn’t right,” he mumbled. “I can’t accept his clothes.”

“Why not?” I blurted.

Rorik stared at the door anxiously, like a monster was about to pop out and bite his head off.

“Cobalt is my superior,” he said under his breath. “I don’t deserve to borrow his belongings.”

Something snapped inside me.

“Stop that, Rorik,” I growled. “You’re not inferior to anybody. My brothers and I being alphas doesn’t mean we’re better than you.”

“Yes, it does,” Rorik insisted, his tone completely accepting.

My stomach twisted with sympathy and anger.

“We don’t believe that,” I stated.

Rorik slowly faced me, his expression lost in confusion. “I don’t understand.”

The door opened again. Cobalt held out a big pile of clothes.

Rorik didn’t move.

“Take them, Rorik,” I instructed. “Please.”

Rorik obeyed.

Shit, I thought. I can’t order him around because he’ll actually listen. He’s straight-up brainwashed.

“Thanks, Cobalt,” I said hurriedly. “C’mon, Rorik.”

He fell in step behind me.

Fuck! I did it again!

I stopped suddenly, making Rorik stumble into my back. His bulk felt nice against me, but it wasn’t the time for that.

“I’m sorry, Saffron,” Rorik said.

I gave myself a single moment to relish the fluttery sensation in my chest when he said my name.

“Shush.” I maneuvered beside him again. “No apologizing, and no following behind. Walk next to me.”

Rorik’s lips were a straight line. He clearly wanted to argue his position, but I wasn’t having any of that bullshit. Instead, Rorik trudged down the hall like there was a stick up his ass, but to his credit, he stayed beside me.

Back in my room, I plopped on the couch with a sigh. That ten-minute adventure had drained me. Now I understood that Rorik’s strange behavior stemmed from an unhinged belief system. He was messed up really bad.

Aurum must’ve heard our return. His bedroom door opened and he strolled out with a yawn. “You guys still up? It’s almost midnight.” He ground to a halt. “Uh, why’s there a huge naked guy in our room?”

“That’s Rorik,” I explained.

Aurum blinked. “Wow. He’s big. And naked.”

Why was he still naked? I glanced over at Rorik, standing in the center of the room with his armful of borrowed clothes.

“You’re allowed to put the clothes on ,” I told him.

Rorik pouted, then grudgingly shoved his legs into a pair of shorts.

“Are those Cobalt’s clothes?” Aurum asked. “Anyway, whatever. I just wanted to let you know me and Mylo are going to bed soon, so—”

Suddenly, the door behind him creaked open. Two long furry shadows darted out into the shared living space.

“Hey, you two! Get back here!” Aurum called.

The twin ferret kits chittered with amusement as they dodged their dad’s grabby hands. Aurum nearly fell flat on his face as his girls snaked out of reach and ran right towards Rorik. They stopped at his feet, their wings folded neatly against their long backs, then stood on their haunches and stared up curiously.

Rorik shot me a panicked look. “What are these creatures?”

I realized he must not have seen black-footed ferrets before in the tundra—especially not ones with tiny wings.

I flashed him a reassuring grin. “That’s Kiara and Desiree. They’re twin black-footed ferret shifters, and they’re Aurum’s daughters.”

Rorik’s eyes widened. He was so stunned that he dropped the remaining pile of clothes, burying the girls.

Immediately, he gasped and dropped to his knees. He moved way faster than I expected of a man his size. He frantically threw the clothes aside to free the girls, who squealed with laughter.

“Agin!” Kiara said.

“Agin!” Desiree echoed.

Rorik looked horrified at his actions. “Are they okay? What are they saying?”

I couldn’t help but laugh again. “They’re saying ‘again’. They want you to put clothes on top of them.”

“Why?”

I grinned. “Because it’s fun.”

Rorik frowned, worry and sympathy painted across his face. “I don’t want to hurt them.”

My heart lifted. It was the most honest, straightforward thing I’d heard from his lips.

There he is, I thought, hope bubbling in my chest. The real Rorik, buried underneath the layers of conditioning.

I strode towards Rorik and put my hand on his shoulder, which I could only reach because he kneeled on the floor.

“You won’t hurt them,” I promised. “Ferrets love being buried in piles of clothes. Look.”

I pinched a shirt in my fingers and let it fall on top of Kiara and Desiree. They squealed with joy, squirming like worms beneath the fabric. Their matching masked faces popped out from the shirt collar a second later.

“Agin, agin!”

“See?” I told Rorik. “Here, now you try it.”

Rorik hesitated, then picked up a pair of sweatpants and gingerly dropped them onto the ferrets.

Kiara and Desiree each took a route up separate pant legs. They crawled up the inseam before exiting through the waistband. Then they spun around and went back down the opposite way.

As he watched them, Rorik breathed a sigh of relief. He ran a hand through his short hair. “Hells, I was afraid I’d crushed them…”

Aurum sauntered over to collect his daughters. “Don’t worry, big guy. It takes more than that to hurt ‘em.”

Another wave of relief washed over Rorik’s face. As he watched Aurum and his girls, there was a tenderness in his eyes I hadn’t seen before. It warmed my chest. That was the Rorik I wanted to know better—the one I wanted to protect.

Aurum crossed his arms. “Okay, girls, enough clowning around. Time for bed.”

“No!” the girls complained in unison. “Play!”

I grinned at Aurum. They sounded just like us when we were their age.

“Girls, c’mon. Your pops is tired,” Aurum said haggardly, reaching down to snatch them up.

The ferrets squealed with glee as they dodged his hands and shot up Rorik’s huge arms, balancing on his shoulders like a living fur scarf.

“Play wif Uncle,” Kiara said, putting her tiny paws on Rorik’s chubby cheek.

Desiree mirrored the gesture on the opposite side. “Play wif Uncle!”

Rorik’s expression utterly melted. His eyes softened into dark pools of sweetness. All his sharp intensity vanished, replaced by pure affection.

My heart skipped a hopeful beat.

There it is again. The real Rorik.

“You like kids, huh?” I asked, unable to stifle a grin at the adorable scene.

“Of course I do,” Rorik mumbled, his tone bittersweet. “But I am not their uncle…”

Aurum seized the chance to pocket his daughters—literally. They giggled as their dad stuffed them into his hoodie pouch.

“Nah, they don’t care about that,” Aurum explained. “Anyone who’s part of our family is their uncle.”

“Part of your family?” Rorik sputtered.

Aurum smirked. “Is that not why you’re here?” He shot me a knowing look, winked, then sauntered back to his bedroom. “See ya.”

Rorik remained gobsmacked after Aurum left. He looked at me almost pleadingly, as if wanting me to refute my twin’s statement.

That sure as hell ain’t happening. Rorik has to know that he’s welcome here.

“Listen, I know this is a lot,” I began. “You probably think we’re all super weird.”

Rorik worked his jaw. “Yes, you are weird.”

I grinned, glad to hear him admit his true feelings. “That’s just how we are in this family.”

Rorik gathered the fallen clothes. His brow screwed up in confusion. After a long pause, he said, “May I ask something?”

I chuckled. “You don’t have to ask if you can ask.”

He glanced at Aurum’s bedroom door. “Your twin… Is he also a dragon?”

“Sure is.”

“Then why are his children ferrets?”

I smiled. “Because Aurum’s mate is a ferret.”

Rorik’s pale brows flew to his hairline. “A dragon mated with a ferret shifter? No, that doesn’t make sense. Why not mate with another dragon?”

I shrugged. “Love’s about feeling, not logic. You don’t choose your fated mate. You love who you love.”

Rorik snorted in derision, like I’d said something preposterous. I could tell the sound came out of him without thinking.

“What?” I asked.

“Love has nothing to do with it,” Rorik said, shaking his head. “You do your duty to your alpha. That is what I was taught.”

Rage surged through my blood like a volcanic eruption.

“Then whoever taught you that was an idiot,” I snapped.

Rorik stared at me. The soft warmth I’d seen on his face when he played with the girls was gone, iced over like a blizzard on the tundra. His expression was cool and restrained, but I sensed the storm of emotions beneath the surface. He’d retreated. He was hiding again.

I breathed hard. The anger didn’t subside. I usually didn’t get so worked up, but what Rorik said pissed me off. Who the hell twisted his mind into such backwards, subservient knots? As the anger flooded my veins, I felt my nails shift into dragon claws.

Rorik watched my claws warily, but said nothing. He glanced at Aurum’s bedroom door for a second, then back at me.

“It is late,” he finally murmured. “I should return to the hotel.”

Was that a note of fear in his voice? Shit, I didn’t mean to scare him.

“Let me walk you back,” I offered, reaching out for him.

Rorik’s eyes locked onto my talons. They curved unnaturally on my hand, five obsidian daggers jutting from the tips of my human fingers.

Rorik’s voice was cool and firm. Distant. “Thank you for the offer, but I can make it on my own,” he said, already halfway out the door.

My heart plummeted to the pit of my stomach.

No… I screwed everything up!

As I stood frozen with indecision and doubt, Rorik left without saying goodnight.