Page 7

7

Rorik

Dragons are dangerous.

Dragons are evil.

Dragons must be killed at all costs.

The glint of Saffron’s black talons gripped my mind. I was foolish. How could I have forgotten the basic commandments of my training? Sheba was right. Dragons were manipulative. Nefarious. In the span of an hour, Saffron had lowered my guard almost to the point of real trust—and then his talons emerged.

I shuddered. Those sickle blades could shred through flesh like paper.

My heart lurched as I hurried back to the hotel. It wasn’t safe there, either—nothing was truly safe in the dragons’ domain—but it was the closest thing to a home.

I have to finish my mission and go back to my real home as soon as possible .

Saffron’s smile floated into my mind like a blinding ray of sunlight. I screwed my eyes shut, shaking it off.

It was all a trick. He wanted me to feel safe and secure; then he’d strike.

But that incident with the ferret children…

My chest tightened painfully. Was that a trick, too? I didn’t think so. Saffron’s warmth towards those kits felt genuine, and Aurum clearly loved his daughters.

But why hadn’t Sheba warned me there were children involved? Then my initial outrage redirected at my own ignorance. I should’ve put the pieces together myself. Of course there were children involved. The entire point of the damned Games was for the dragons to breed.

I was foolish. I should’ve devised a better plan.

Could I still kill Saffron in his room with kits next door?

As much as I hated it, I shoved that concern aside. I blamed my omega biology for these sympathetic feelings. They were only a hindrance.

I would destroy the dragons. It was critical I complete my mission.

Otherwise, I could never return home.

I slept poorly, but I prepared for the first challenge with determination. I checked the paper slid under my door. It indicated today’s challenge would take place on the beach.

I groaned. The beach again? One look out the sun-streaked window told me everything I needed to know—it was hotter than hells outside. My polar bear form wouldn’t cut it today. I threw on a random outfit from the borrowed pile and trudged to the meeting spot.

Dozens of contestants stood crowded on the sand, waiting for the challenge to start. A tall net separated two halves of an empty rectangle. Was it some kind of game?

“Good morning, folks!”

A streak of terror shot through me. I recognized that upbeat voice. It belonged to the man with the blinding shirts—Gaius. As he strode towards us, I dared not look directly at him. From the corner of my eye, I saw him wearing an awful neon gold button-up. I didn’t know fabric could be that bright.

“Welcome to the first challenge of the Dragonfate Games! If you take a look over here and see our wonderful net, I’m sure you all know what we’re playing today,” Gaius said with a wink.

Not even the dragons and their cronies take this seriously , I thought.

“That’s right—volleyball!” Gaius announced.

I ground my teeth. What was volleyball? I wasn’t familiar with that game. I needed to learn the rules quickly if I wanted to win.

Then I paused. Why did I care? Winning the Dragonfate Games was never my goal. My mission was to kill dragons, not succeed at idiotic challenges.

Gaius’s booming voice cut into my thoughts: “The whole group will be divided into two teams.” He mimed slicing a hand through the crowd. “Like… so! All of you on the left, take the left court. Right side, do the same, if you please.”

I was assigned to the right. Pretending to know what was going on, I blended into the group on the right side of the court. It was easier in human form, but I still towered over all the rest of the omegas. No matter what form I took, I’d always stand out. It made me feel even more isolated.

I noticed my teammates taking distinct positions. Did they already know how to play this game?

“I assume everyone knows how to play volleyball,” Gaius said.

I bit my tongue. Years of intense training kept me from revealing any weakness. I couldn’t admit my ignorance, not in front of everybody.

“Wonderful!” Gaius chirped. He climbed up a tall chair beside the net and sat, gazing down at us.

My skin itched as I noticed the kobolds circling the court. They stood at a distance with large black machines in their hands. Cameras, maybe? That explained how Sheba had footage of the dragons. I didn’t like being a subject to record, but there was nothing I could do.

Just focus on winning this stupid game so you can continue your mission, I told myself.

Gaius tossed a ball to a tall brown-haired omega on the left court. It was Kaskian, the grizzly omega I’d met on the first day. He smirked, clearly pleased to be given the ball.

“Ready? Go!” Gaius called.

Kaskian threw the ball in the air, then smacked it with his fist. It flew into our court faster than I could blink. When I glanced over my shoulder, an omega on my side lunged for the ball and bumped it back with his forearm. The ball bounced back and forth over the net like a metronome.

This is ridiculous. What a waste of time …

Something hit me in the back of the head. Instinctively, I whirled around with a snarl. “Who did that?”

A short omega picked up the ball from the sand. “Sorry, man. It was an accident. You’re so tall that I couldn’t get the ball past your head.”

I huffed, turning around. I couldn’t even trust my own teammates in this game. I’d win on my own. But how?

Gaius blew a whistle. “You dropped the ball on that one,” he teased. “Left team gets to serve.”

My teammate grumbled and tossed it over the net. Kaskian caught it. With a boastful grin, he tossed the ball straight up, then leapt after it. Before I could even think to intercept the ball, Kaskian smacked it hard into the sand on our side.

“Another point for the left team!” Gaius called.

Now I understood. I needed to hit the ball onto the ground on the opposite court.

And I was very good at hitting things hard.

Kaskian took control of the ball again. He suddenly met my eyes, then nodded conspiratorially.

Wait a second, I thought. Does he still think I’m on his side? That I’m going to let him win Saffron?

My chest constricted with sudden jealousy. That pissed me off. Kaskian wanted Saffron’s love, while I wanted to kill him. But the reason was unimportant—Saffron was my target. That had to be why I was so annoyed.

I didn’t know why I wanted to win, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to let Kaskian do it.

Gearing up, he threw the ball and leapt high into the air.

Suddenly, as Kaskian got out of the way, something caught my eye.

Way at the back of the opposite court stood a white-haired young man. He looked just familiar enough that it turned my blood to ice.

I froze, staring at him. Meanwhile, Kaskian had served the ball. I didn’t move as it flew over my head and slammed into our court, gaining another point.

“Dude, what’s wrong with you?” my teammate berated me. “You didn’t even try to volley it!”

Similar complaints rang out on my team. But I barely heard them. I furrowed my brow, concentrating on that small figure lurking warily at the back of the opposite court.

It can’t be him… There’s no possible way.

Then the white-haired omega caught my eye. His warm brown gaze widened until recognition dawned on his face.

My pulse raced. My world turned on its head.

It is him, I realized. A slow wave of hope flowed through me. I’d never forget those soft eyes.

Kaskian grunted with effort as he served the ball again. A thunderous smack filled the air, a testament to the grizzly’s power.

Without looking at it, I caught the ball in one hand. My fingers clenched it so tightly that my nails punctured the skin. It deflated.

“What the hell?” Kaskian snapped. “Ref, that’s a foul!”

As air escaped the ball, I couldn’t stop staring at the white-haired omega. I was entranced, as if in a dream—or like I was seeing a ghost.

My grumbling teammate took the now-useless ball from my hand, replacing it with a fresh one from the sidelines. Everyone on my team kept their distance from me.

I understood why these strangers treated me like an outsider. What I didn’t understand was why the white-haired omega kept his distance from me . Why didn’t he rush up to the net to greet me? He did recognize me, didn’t he?

Hells, maybe the heat was melting my brain and he was a completely different person. I couldn’t be sure until I got close enough to smell him.

Unless I called out his name and—

Kaskian snarled as he smacked the ball.

It hit me square in the face.

The impact was hard enough to make my ears ring. Agony exploded across my nose. As I stumbled back, roaring in pain, I tasted the coppery trickle of blood on my tongue.

My instinct to fight kicked in. It took every ounce of willpower not to shred the net, and Kaskian’s face with it. Instead, I grabbed the fallen ball and launched it back with a vengeance.

But unlike me, Kaskian paid attention. He reversed the ball’s trajectory with precision.

I underestimated his power; the ball broke past my defenses and hit me in the nose again. I gasped in anger as blood gushed down my mouth.

He’s hitting me in the face on purpose, I thought furiously.

My willingness to follow the rules flew out the window. Now this fight was personal.

Spitting out my own blood, I ducked under the net and launched myself at Kaskian. We fell in a heavy, snarling whirlwind on the hot sand.

Gaius blasted the whistle. “Hey, you two! Knock it off!”

I didn’t care. Rather, I couldn’t care. My years of training kicked in. I went into autopilot; my body was caught up in rage and self-preservation, eager not only to fight, but to win . I grabbed Kaskian’s head and shoved his smug face in the sand.

“Get off me, asshole!” Kaskian roared. He struggled to no avail. I’d pinned him down, and I was too heavy and strong to shove away.

When I didn’t let up, Kaskian grabbed a handful of sand and tossed it into my eyes.

I hissed in pain, shielding my eyes. This terrain was alien to me; I knew how to fight in snow, not sand. But I wouldn’t lose to the grizzly. If I couldn’t even defeat him , I had no chance at killing a dragon.

As blood lust took over, I raised my fist. One good punch was all it took to render a man unconscious—or worse.

“Rorik, stop!”

The gentle voice cut me to my bones. I froze as the white-haired omega dashed towards me, his eyes wide with concern and fear. He grabbed my raised fist with small, trembling hands. He wouldn’t let me hurt my opponent.

As the painfully familiar scent of arctic wolf brushed my nose, I knew it was him.

“Poppy?” I murmured. “Is that really you?”

He hesitated, then returned a slow nod. “Yes.”

I couldn’t believe it.

This was all too surreal.

Kaskian seized his chance. He shoved me aside and climbed out from beneath me, loudly cursing all the while. But I didn’t care about fighting him anymore.

“You’re alive,” I whispered to Poppy. “How?”

Poppy’s lip trembled. He dropped his gaze. “I—”

“Rorik!”

The voice calling out was the only one with the power to break this dreamlike spell. I snapped my head around to see Saffron bolting towards me. Concern was etched over his face.

His expression looked so genuine. Was he… worried about me?

It’s not real, I reminded myself, shutting down the feeling. It’s all a sick and twisted lie.

Saffron threw himself on his knees as he skidded beside me. “Rorik, you’re bleeding!”

“I’m fine,” I said flatly.

Poppy glanced at Saffron, then me, blinking a few times.

I couldn’t gauge his expression. Was he afraid of the dragon?

Icy rage surged within me like a crashing glacier. Had the dragons hurt Poppy? How long had he been held hostage in this wretched place?

I suppressed a rising growl in my throat. Poppy didn’t need to be scared anymore. I was here. I wouldn’t let the dragons harm him.

A sharp tearing sound wrenched me from my thoughts. Saffron had ripped off a strip of white fabric from his sleeve and reached for my face with it. I jerked back.

“What are you doing?” I asked suspiciously.

“Wiping the blood off your mouth,” Saffron said, his voice unusually serious. His golden eyes sharpened. He wouldn’t take no for an answer.

I was so bewildered that I remained still. An alpha tending to a wounded omega? It was bizarre. Back home, I would’ve hunkered down in a corner to lick my wounds alone. Why did Saffron care? Unless it was just another faked display to drop my guard...

“Who did this to you?” Saffron asked. His tone brimmed with barely restrained anger. “Was it that man over there?”

I glanced over to see a few kobolds checking Kaskian’s injuries, but he grunted and shooed them away. His injuries were minor compared to mine. I’d hurt his pride more than anything.

“It’s not important,” I mumbled, wiping off the leftover blood with my arm. “It’s just a nosebleed.”

A low, rolling growl vibrated in Saffron’s throat. “Nobody hurts you on my watch.”

The unexpected gravity of his voice made me shudder. It was different than his normal casual, upbeat cadence. This tone was confident. Powerful.

My brain felt scrambled. Saffron, a supposed dragon, claimed he’d protect me? It was laughable. Dragons didn’t protect anything. They mindlessly destroyed until nothing was left.

But as I searched Saffron’s glinting amber eyes, I felt a minuscule flicker of doubt.

What if he was telling the truth?