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one

ERIN

I didn’t bother saying goodbye to my old guard as I followed my new one out of the fifth-floor apartment I’d been forced to live in for the last four years.

We weren’t friends.

Never would be.

And considering my new guard was the grumpy fae I’d seen on the first two episodes of the game show, Survival of the Mated , I was aware that my life was about to become hell.

I’d tried to ditch my guard twice in the week since I got the letter declaring I would have to play, but no dice. He was faster than me.

My new guard, Rhett, was even bigger than my last. He was at least 6’4”, with light brown skin, and loose dark curls that looked like they’d missed the last few haircuts. The messiness was kind of sexy, but I wasn’t about to mention that.

When we reached the armored vehicle that would be driving me to the airport, I slammed the door shut behind me.

He blinked at me, pausing for a moment outside the vehicle. He recovered quickly though, taking his seat in the front.

I didn’t say a word as he pulled out of the parking garage.

He kept glancing back at me in the mirror, though.

As he pulled out onto the road, he cleared his throat and said, “Buckle up, Erin.”

“Nah. If we crash, I’m hoping it’ll kill me before I have to mate with some bastard.”

He blinked at me again, through the mirror.

Someone behind us honked.

He turned onto the road just long enough to pull off to the side, so he wasn’t blocking anyone else. “Buckle up,” he repeated.

“No.”

“We’re not moving until you’re buckled.”

“Thank fuck for that. Do you have a knife?”

“A knife?”

“So I can cut the seatbelts, and we can stay here forever.”

He blinked yet again.

I draped my legs over the seat, pressing my back to the car’s uncomfortable door.

“Is there a reason in particular that you want to stay here?” he finally asked.

“I think avoiding being forced to wear a bikini on television while a bunch of assholes compete to win me like a prize is reason enough,” I said pleasantly.

“Ah.”

“Mmhm.”

A few minutes of silence went by.

I didn’t budge, though my back was starting to hurt.

“What will it take to get you to buckle?” he finally asked.

“Brainwashing, probably.”

He grunted.

Two more tense minutes passed.

“I can’t do anything to stop the competition. There are too many fae on death’s doorstep for that. They won’t let you go. I can make your life easier on the island, though,” he said.

My eyes narrowed. “I’m listening.”

“I can call the stylists and send them out for whatever you want to wear.”

That was something.

Not enough, but something.

He studied me in the mirror. “I can make them land the plane instead of forcing me to toss you out.”

That was better.

He was closer.

“I’ll make them pack you a small bag of toiletries, and a blanket too. With whatever you want in it. If you want anything more than that, you’ll have to come out and say it.”

I let out a long breath, staring out the window across from me. “I want rice given out at every challenge so I don’t have to starve when the gigantic assholes refuse to ration it,” I finally said.

Rhett dipped his head. “I’ll make a call.”

“I’ll wait.”

He studied me again, as if waiting for me to change my mind.

I didn’t.

Rhett finally hit a few buttons on the car’s console screen. I saw him tap on the name of a contact, Christina Cassette, and the phone started to ring.

“Who’s Christina?” I asked.

“She and her mate lead the Society,” Rhett said.

“And you have her phone number?” My voice was skeptical.

He lifted a shoulder.

Christina answered the phone. “Hey, Rhett. Is everything okay with the new Survival girl? Erin, right?”

She knew my name?

My skepticism grew.

“Yeah, she’s in the car right now. She’s not willing to play unless we make a few changes.”

There was a moment’s pause. “That’s fair. The way they treated Molly wasn’t acceptable. What is she hoping for?” she finally asked.

No way in hell was the woman one of the Society’s leaders. She was way too nice .

“She wants to choose what she wears, and for the plane to land, so she can avoid skydiving. A bag of toiletries and a blanket, too. And she wants rice, given at every challenge so the contestants can’t eat it all on the first day.”

“All of those requests are reasonable. I had already arranged for the plane’s landing, the blanket, a pillow, and a change of clothes for her. I’ll call the stylists to make sure they’re aware that she gets to approve her wardrobe, and that they’re to go out and get whatever she wants after she’s seen what they chose. They can grab the toiletries while they’re out. The rice will take convincing, but I’ll make it happen.”

“What proof do I have that you are who Rhett says you are?” I countered. She probably didn’t know she was on speaker, but her surprise didn’t matter.

I was the one who was about to be dropped on a tropical island with a dozen horny fae assholes.

“Hi, Erin.” Christina’s voice remained pleasant. “I suppose I don’t have any proof to give you over the phone, but I lead the Society alongside my mate, Charlie. Our son, Cameron, won Survival’s first season. Given that the first contestant, Molly, is our new daughter-in-law, it’s in our best interest to make sure the second season runs more smoothly for you. I’d have a hard time convincing her that I’m sorry for the shit she went through if I didn’t change anything for you, don’t you think?”

My forehead creased.

That made sense, but it wasn’t proof.

“If the stylists don’t let you choose what to wear and provide you with what you need, then you can simply refuse to get on the plane. If they do, you’ll know I’m in enough of a position of power to make that happen, correct?”

“I guess.” My voice was reluctant.

“There will have to be some level of trust involved to have the rice delivered consistently. Even if there wasn’t, I think we both know that Rhett could get you there by force if he wanted. Keeping the peace rather than muscling their way through everything is a choice fae males make. I was human once, too. I understand the difference in strength better than most.”

She was?

My defenses eased slightly.

“Alright, fine. I’m not cooperating if the stylists aren’t aware of the change in plans when I get there, though,” I said.

“That’s perfectly fair. You’ll find them ready and waiting. Good luck, Erin. I hope this experience ends up far better than you’re expecting.”

The call ended, and I felt Rhett’s eyes on me in the mirror once more.

Had he been staring at me the whole time?

I wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

“Buckle up,” he said again.

“I don’t know why you’re so concerned with my safety.” I finally removed my legs from the bench seat and turned to sit properly.

“It’s my job.” He pulled onto the road again as soon as I was buckled.

“We’re in an armored vehicle, and everyone loves the fae. It’s not like I’m in any danger.”

He grunted, and said nothing else.

I glared out the window through the rest of the ride.

As Christina promised, the stylists were ready and waiting for the wardrobe change. They told me how many clothing items I was allowed to bring, and had me list out exactly what I wanted, down to brands I liked.

Two of them disappeared immediately to get that stuff, and everything else Christina had asked for.

As much as I didn’t want to admit it, there was some evidence that she was who she said she was. Rhett hadn’t called anyone else before we arrived, and someone had spoken with the team before we got there.

I refused most of the processes the stylists had planned. I wasn’t wearing eyelash extensions, or getting highlights, or anything else that would change what I looked like. My body was mine; if the fae only wanted me with a makeover, they could find someone else.

Because of my refusals, we were done early. So, I spent two hours sitting on a couch, eating way too many of the pastries that had been provided by the Society. Rhett had confiscated my phone the moment I pulled it out of my pocket, so there was nothing else to do.

When the stylists returned, I put on the sports bra, shorts, and long-sleeved tee I’d requested, all in black.

Then, I went through the bag of items I’d been promised. When I was satisfied everything was there, I followed Rhett out of the building and got on the plane like a good little compatible mate.

My throat constricted as we took off, heading straight for my personal hell.

I managed a few hours of sleep through the eleven-hour flight, though they were all restless. I tried to watch a few movies, but mostly ended up staring out the window while fighting off feelings of panic.

I was trapped.

So very trapped.

And every time I glanced at Rhett, I found him looking at me.

I didn’t bring that up. Or question it.

There was too much other shit to consider.

There was another guy just as big as Rhett on the plane too, but Rhett didn’t chat with him. I didn’t recognize him from the first season of Survival, so I had no idea who he was.

When we finally landed, I was ready to get out of the flying hunk of metal and get the game show over with.

If only I had bargained to make the contest three days, instead of thirty.

The chance of Christina agreeing to that seemed near zero, but still. I should’ve tried .

I unbuckled my seatbelt and stood up, stretching my back a little as Rhett picked up the hiking backpack that had been stuffed full of my new things.

When he held the straps out, I slipped my arms through them. He reached out to buckle the bits that would hold it in place around my chest and waist, but I swatted his hand away and buckled it myself.

“You’re protecting me, right?” I asked him.

“Yes,” he confirmed, at the same time the other man in the plane stepped up beside him and said, “No.”

I blinked at them both.

Rhett’s forehead creased as he looked at the other guy.

“Christina sent me with this.” He handed over a thick envelope with Rhett’s name written in cursive on the front.

Rhett ripped the envelope open and pulled out a card. Murder filled his eyes as he read it. Strangely, I felt safe enough with the guy not to feel the need to step away from him.

“I’m Jordan,” the newcomer said. “I’ll be your guard on the island while Rhett competes with the other men.”

“Like fuck I will,” Rhett snarled.

My eyebrows shot upward. “He’s in the game?”

“No,” Rhett said, at the same time the other guy said, “Yes.”

I snagged the card from Rhett’s hand and read it myself.

You’re the twelfth man competing on the island. Jordan is taking your place as the guard.

The Society needs you. We need you. Don’t let yourself fade.

Love,

Christina

P.S. We both know that if your mother was still here, she would’ve forced you into every game that’s happened. Play this one for her.

My eyebrows lifted higher.

Rhett took the card back and crumpled it. “I’m not fucking doing it. You can compete, or you can fly back when this plane leaves,” he told Jordan flatly.

Jordan snorted. “Everyone is aware that I’m only interested in men. There would be bloodshed if the Society sent me to play for a woman. Too many bastards wanted the chance to be here. You have to play, if just to keep the peace.”

“Just tell them to vote you out first,” I told Rhett.

Rhett leveled me with his glare. “Every male on the island knows I don’t want a mate.”

“But they also know you’re straight,” Jordan said. “There’s no way around playing. Stop bitching about it and get off the plane.” He opened the door and hit a button to lower a set of stairs, then put a hand on my lower back and started propelling me out.

The hand was ripped away almost as soon as it touched me.

“Don’t touch her. Do you want one of these bastards to kill you?” Rhett snarled.

I remembered seeing Rhett steady Molly with a hand on her arm in the first season. It couldn’t have been against the rules.

So why was he getting angry at Jordan for it?

“Alright, I’m going,” I tossed back, stepping out onto the stairs.

I made it to the bottom of them before I realized it was raining outside.

Shit.

When I tried to turn around, I found a massive, glowering Rhett behind me, blocking the path.

Jordan was behind him.

I wasn’t getting back on the plane.

All of my stuff was going to get wet.

The blanket and the spare clothes I had bargained for?

They would be useless, at least until the rain stopped.

“Keep going. The other guys will be arriving soon,” Jordan said. “Rhett, you should take to the sky and fly down with them.”

The look he gave Jordan said hell could freeze over and he still wouldn’t be flying with the other men.

I looked up at the sky, pleading with it to stop raining.

Thunder rumbled overhead, promising it had no plans to do what I wanted.

Dread tightened my abdomen.

Another plane flew overhead, and the other eleven contestants jumped out. I barely glanced at them as they flew down.

“Walk this way,” Jordan said.

I reluctantly shuffled a few feet in the direction he wanted me. My running shoes were already filling with sand. I had a pair of sandals in my backpack, for that reason.

At least they were waterproof.

All eleven of the other fae landed, most of them looking between me, Rhett, and Jordan as they tried to figure out what was going on.

At Jordan’s instruction, they lined up with Rhett on the beach.

The rain was growing heavier, but the fae bastards didn’t even seem to notice.

I looked over all of them, trying to forget the falling water and focus on the game I was about to be submerged in.

Other than Jordan, there was only one guy I didn’t recognize from the first two episodes of the first season of Survival. I’d watched it repeatedly, trying to memorize the names, faces, and personalities so I wouldn’t be starting from zero.

Silently, I went down the row.

Kyle—obnoxious, dominant asshole. Water elemental fae. Blond hair, blue eyes.

Travis—laid-back, quiet guy. Mental magic of some kind. Pale skin and dark hair.

Kaden—bronze skin, bright smile. A little too friendly. Earth elemental.

Chris—tan skin, brown hair, friendly but not awkwardly so. White feathered wings, marking him as an air elemental.

Ev—laid-back and smart. Telepath. Brown skin and curly black hair.

Julian—quiet, cunning, observational. Light skin and hair. Also a telepath.

Harker—outgoing, a little obnoxious, but quiet when necessary. Fire elemental. Golden, feathered wings.

Jim—lazy, vulgar, annoying. Blond hair, tan skin. Water elemental, so a dragon.

Reid—quiet, introverted. Dark skin and hair, and brooding eyes. Mental magic of some kind.

Colt—easygoing, quieter. Tan skin, brown hair. Mental magic of some kind.

And then there was Rhett, who also had mental magic. His glass-like wings proved it. While all the other men had colors in their wings, his were like blank slates.

The final competitor was the second guy with furry brown wings. I was pretty sure that made him an earth elemental.

Looking at all of the men told me that the winner of the last season had been Cameron, the phoenix shifter who had been working with Molly during the game after being her guard for a handful of years. On second thought, Christina had confirmed that.

The only other guy missing was Oren, and he had seemed like a creep.

“Welcome to the second season of Survival of the Mated,” Jordan announced. “As you’ve probably realized, Rhett Rapture is joining as a competitor this season. And yes, the Society made that decision for him.” He winked.

Understanding dawned in multiple men’s eyes. A few of them shot him apologetic looks.

“Thanks to Oren’s departure last season, we also welcome Ian Anders to the game. I assume our lovely leading lady knows everyone else?” he looked at me.

I dipped my head.

“Perfect.” His lips stretched in a polished grin. “Now, would you like to introduce yourself?”

Jordan was still talking to me.

He nodded in encouragement, as if that was what I was looking for.

“I’m Erin,” I said. “And I wanted to come here about as much as Rhett did.”

One of the guys coughed back a snort.

A few lifted their eyebrows.

Three frowned.

Two grinned.

Kyle was one of the latter.

“Well,” Jordan said, clearing his throat. “Let’s jump into the first challenge, shall we? We’re starting this season the same way we started the last, with a race through the jungle. There are two bags of necessary tools and weapons—the men who find them earn an afternoon with Erin. The last man back loses his vote in tomorrow night’s council.”

He counted down from three, and then the men took off into the island’s jungle.

All of the men, except Rhett.