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MOLLY

Asshole couldn’t stop talking about himself.

I swear, he was trying to sell himself to me like one of those obnoxious salesmen who doesn’t listen to what the customer wants or needs.

Oh, and his name was actually Kyle.

Though he did seem like an asshole, so the shoe fit.

While he talked and I pretended to be listening to the details about his life, my mind kept returning to the real problem:

Cameron Cassette.

I’d thought I could trust him.

Learning otherwise hurt.

It really fucking hurt.

And even more than that, it made me wonder what the point was. If I couldn’t trust a fae I’d spent four years literally living with, could I ever learn to trust the one I ended up mated to?

They just wanted their immortality. They didn’t care about us little humans.

Eventually, the boat returned to the beach, and we climbed out. Asshole offered his hand to help me stay balanced. I couldn’t think of a good enough reason to turn him down, so I accepted.

The rest of the men had already started working on—you guessed it—the shelter I’d been wondering about. A quick glance told me there was no wood, nails, or anything else to help build it.

So, we were using bamboo and woven leaves and vines.

It was going to be great .

None of the men had put shirts on, but it was insanely hot, so that didn’t surprise me. It wasn’t like anyone had extra clothes anyway.

I was so sticky with sweat that getting all the sand off my skin had become a pipe dream.

I went through the pitiful pile of survival supplies we’d been given. There was a shit-ton of sunblock, a few cans of food, and a small bag of rice, which was good. But everything else?

Junk.

Literally.

We had four boxes of ice cream. The guys had eaten what they could salvage of those while I was on the crappiest date of my life. Whatever hadn’t been eaten was not only melted, but hot, thanks to the island’s temperature.

On top of the ice cream, there was candy.

Boxes and bags of melted, gooey gummy candy.

In most situations, I could easily eat as much candy as your average four-year-old on Halloween. My supply of lollipops had taken up almost an entire box when I was packing. But on a deserted island, when it was just melted goo?

I’d pass.

The guys I hadn’t met yet tried to casually take turns coming up to me. They introduced themselves and asked how I was doing, stuff like that. It was kind of awkward, but I could tell they were trying to be nice and friendly.

One of the last few to come up to me was one of the ones who’d introduced himself to me earlier. I still couldn’t remember his name. He had pale skin and blond hair, and didn’t look kind.

He reintroduced himself as Julian as he sat down beside me and started weaving palm fronds with me. It was monotonous, but something to keep my mind somewhat distracted from the heat and exactly where I was.

“What happened between you and Cameron?” the guy asked me. I tried not to stare at his glass-like wings too much. There were swirls of color in them that kept drawing my attention.

“I’m sure you got the gist of it earlier.”

“That’s the full story?”

“We’ve been at odds ever since he showed up with my blood results and announced he was my guard,” I said. “Not telling me about this was just the icing on the cake.”

“Has he ever mentioned wanting you?”

I flashed him a dark look. “Of course not. We don’t get along.”

He dipped his head. “It’s just strange.”

“What do you mean?”

“Cameron is friends with everyone. He’s one of the few old unmated fae who doesn’t hold grudges or hate anyone.”

“He’s old?”

“Yeah. Won’t live much longer without taking a mate.”

My throat constricted slightly. “Why didn’t he go on Bachelorette , then?”

Julian shrugged. “Probably the possessiveness, but I never asked.”

The possessive bit didn’t make sense, so it went in one ear and out the next.

But I had never asked him either.

Maybe I should.

I’d assumed he was young and had plenty of time. I didn’t know how long fae lived without taking mates to ensure the immortality thing, but had assumed they’d physically look aged as they approached the end of their lives.

Guess I’d assumed wrong.

“Well he’s obviously not winning this game,” I said.

Julian chuckled and didn’t say anything else.

It was kind of nice that he didn’t try to sell himself to me or convince me how great he was. Made it seem more like he wanted to see if he was interested in me before pushing.

Or maybe he just realized that me choosing between the last three contestants wasn’t much of a choice, and thought he’d have the upper hand if he let me breathe when the other guys didn’t.

Everyone probably had an ulterior motive.

But that thought made me wonder if Cameron did. Because Cam? The guy had to be thinking something . He wasn’t a moron.

And if he wasn’t interested in winning the contest or just seeing what happened to me, he wouldn’t be on the island. Period.

But what did that mean for me?

I had no idea.

My body and stomach both ached fiercely by the time the sun finally set. The temperature dropped when it did.

Exhaustion had set in hours earlier, but our shelter was made of bamboo, and looked the opposite of comfortable. So, even when the guys told me to rest, I kept weaving palm fronds.

Someone cooked all the rice and most of the vegetables while I was making a visit to the place we’d designated as the bathroom (no, it did not smell grand), so that was shitty.

Everyone only got a few bites of food.

A few of the guys offered me their portion, Cam not included, but I politely turned them down.

The last thing I wanted was to owe a debt to someone on that island.

I tried not to, but couldn’t stop myself from noticing when Cameron slipped away after dinner. Some of the fae guys were barraging me with questions about my life, and didn’t want to take no for an answer.

Though I played along for a while, my frustration grew when they refused to leave me alone, and I finally made a show of saying that I needed to use the bathroom for a few minutes. Alone.

I must’ve sounded almost as annoyed as I felt, because the men let me go.

Rhett would follow me at a distance to keep me safe, so it wasn’t like it was dangerous for me to abandon the group and the campfire.

As soon as I was out of the group’s view, I headed in another direction, toward a part of the beach I hadn’t seen anyone explore yet. Most people had been sticking close to each other all day—and close to me too.

When I stepped through the trees and onto the stretch of beach, I stopped.

It wasn’t as empty as I’d thought.

Cameron was sitting on his ass, sprawled out on the sand and staring at the ocean.

Part of me wanted to turn around and walk back to the fire. The angry part.

The frustrated part of me wanted to find my own beach to sit down quietly on.

But the confused, hurt parts of me?

They propelled me across the sand.

My footsteps were quiet, and Rhett remained in the trees when I made my way to Cameron’s side.

“Hey, Loll.” His voice was quiet, but upbeat as I sat down next to him.

I didn’t reply to that.

I didn’t know what to say.

A minute of tense silence went by before I finally spoke. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It was against the rules. The Society was very clear that if I told you anything about the new game or my presence here, I wouldn’t be coming. Considering they can read minds, they would know if I broke that rule.”

“Why did you even want to come?” My voice rose slightly.

He chuckled. “The same reason the rest of these bastards are here.”

“You want a mate.”

“Do I?”

“Stop. I’m not dealing with your avoidance anymore. Answer my questions honestly, or walk away.”

He let out a long breath. “Habit. Sorry.”

I shook my head. “Julian told me you’re dying.”

“Of course he did.”

“Why didn’t you go on Bachelorette ? We both know you could talk just about any of those women into mating with you. You’re charming when you want to be.”

He chuckled. “If I gave a damn about any of those women, maybe I would’ve.”

“What does that mean?” I frowned.

“I’ve lived a long time. Even without mating, fae don’t have short lives. I’d rather die with my freedom than tie myself permanently to a woman I didn’t want.”

My forehead creased further. “If you want to say something, just say it.”

“I have connections. More than any of the other guys here. I knew I’d be fighting for you before we ever met, Lolli. And I was always going to play to win. Guarding was just a way to get to know you first.”

Holy shit.

Holy shit .

What was I supposed to do with that information?

“I can admit the island caught me off guard. No one told me we’d be starting a new game show until I got the invitation letter last week,” he added. “But when I did, I put together a plan.”

“Care to enlighten me?”

He flashed me a grin. In the moonlight, his green eyes were brighter than usual, and his teeth glinted white. His hair was a mess, and his gigantic horns were definitely eye-catching, but it was the golden wings that really made me stare. “What’ll you give me if I do?”

I scoffed. “Less hatred?”

“You don’t hate me.” His voice was amused. “I’m the only man on this island you trust.”

“How could I possibly trust you? You lied to me. And apparently, you’ve been planning to marry me since the first moment we met.” I tossed a hand toward the ocean. “For all I know, you’ve been altering my mind to make me like you since then. Doesn’t exactly scream trustworthy .”

“I don’t have that kind of magic, Lolli. The fae with the delicate-looking wings are the ones with mental power. The rest of us are elemental. All our power is physical.”

“What’s your element, then?”

“Fire.” One of his wings stretched out behind me, and soft flames licked up the golden feathers. I couldn’t help but stare.

The warmth felt so good that I found myself leaning closer to him.

“Damn,” I said. “How do I know the mental magic thing is true?”

“Ask any of the other guys. They have no reason to lie about it.”

“I’ve seen you talking to them, though. They like you.”

“Like I said, I have a plan.”

“One that involves lying to me?”

He chuckled. “No. I’ll never have to do that again.”

They shouldn’t have, but the words eased my worry a bit. “I should probably go. Someone will come looking for me soon.”

“You’ve got a little more time. You were getting irritated long before I left. Even the stupidest of them would’ve picked up on it by the time you walked away. None of them want to be on your bad side, so they’ll give you space until they have a reason to be suspicious.”

“And me being alone with you isn’t a reason?”

He grinned at me again. “They don’t know we’re together. And I’m not on anyone’s radar as a threat.”

He was probably right.

Everyone thought I hated him. And I kind of did.

But I also still kind of trusted him. Which was obviously a problem.

Wasn’t it?

“What do you want in exchange for telling me your plan?” I asked, staring out at the ocean so I wouldn’t have to meet his gaze again.

He considered it for a moment before answering.

“A hug.”

“A hug?” I lifted an eyebrow in his direction.

“Yup. You’ve never hugged me, because of the rules. I want to experience it.”

I snorted. “I’m sure you’ve hugged a woman before. It won’t be any different than that.”

“Compatible mates smell different.” He lifted a shoulder. “Take it or leave it.”

I looked back at the water. “How long does the hug have to be?”

“I don’t know. Not short. Not endless either, for obvious reasons.”

Obvious reasons being that we were on a deserted island with eleven other guys who wanted to make me their mate.

“You’ll have to let me burn my scent off you afterward, too,” he added. “If you smell like me, they’ll realize we were together.”

I considered it.

A hug for a confession.

It did sound reasonable. Reasonable for me, at least. He didn’t really have anything to gain from telling me his plan. If I didn’t like it, I could probably do something to hurt it.

And a hug wasn’t exactly a huge ask.

“Alright,” I agreed. “A hug for a plan.”

“I’ll tell you after you pay up.”

I agreed, stood up, and brushed sand off my ass. Though I expected him to stand too, he remained where he was.

When I frowned, he beckoned me toward him.

I rolled my eyes, but sat down on his lap. I didn’t consider that I’d be straddling him until my legs were on either side of his hips, and I was looking him square in the eyes.

His body was warm.

I wanted to lean in closer, and we had made a deal.

So, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my chest against his.

He took in a long, deep breath as I pressed my body closer, hugging him. His arms went around my back, and his warmth seeped into my bare skin.

He felt good.

Really, really good.

I felt him harden beneath me, but didn’t comment on it. I was getting a little turned on by the contact, and didn’t want him mentioning that .

“I’m sorry they threw you out of a plane,” he murmured. “If I’d known that was coming, I would’ve made sure it didn’t happen.”

My eyes stung. “Yeah, that was terrifying.”

“I know.” His hand moved over my back, the touch slow but calming somehow.

I didn’t want to let go of him. Didn’t want the hug to end.

“Tell me your plan before I regret sitting on you,” I mumbled.

He chuckled, his body rumbling against mine.

That felt nice.

“The Society refused to let me tell you anything, so I knew you’d be pissed when you saw me, and used it to my advantage. Most of the guys think you hate me now. A few of them are smart enough to realize I might be playing into that on purpose, but I’ll ally with the stupid ones to make sure the suspicious are gone first. By the time they realize what I’ve done, I’ll already have won the game.”

“Assuming I pick you in the end.”

“You know you’ll survive living with me. Can you say the same about anyone else?” he countered.

I couldn’t.

“Better the devil you know than the one you don’t?” I asked. “Seems like a risky thing to make a bet on.”

“Lolli,” he said, humor in his voice. “I’m making a bet on you . And you can be damn sure it’s not one I’m going to lose.”

As much as I was uncertain, I did believe him.

I just didn’t know how to feel about it.

“And what if I tell someone else about your plan?” I finally asked.

“You could,” he agreed. “But you have no guarantee they’ll be any better than me. All of the bastards on this island are old, and mean. If I thought any of them could treat you better than I can, I’d let them have you. But they don’t know you like I do—and they don’t have your best interests in mind like me.”

“I want to believe you,” I said, fully aware of the fact that my body was still pressed against his.

And that my bikini bottoms were getting slightly wet over the certainty in his voice as he talked about treating me well.

If I’d had any reason to think he’d be a doting mate, maybe I would’ve kissed him too. But I didn’t know him well enough for that.

I did know that he would protect me, though.

And I told myself that was why I wasn’t pulling away.

“You’ll get there.” He dragged his hand over my lower back, and my hips arched just a little. “If you do decide to work with me, you can make the plan even better.”

“How would I do that?”

“Be vocal about disliking me, but not too vocal. Spend extra time with the guys who may be on to me, to make them bigger targets.”

“Who are the first targets, then?” I asked.

“Julian and Kaden.”

Julian was the smart, blond one I’d spoken to while weaving the fronds. He had mental magic, if Cam was telling the truth.

Kaden was the one with the furry wings who’d been back first during the challenge. Which meant his magic was elemental.

“They’d be the first to realize what you’re planning?”

“Yes. Julian is smart. He knows I wouldn’t be here unless I was planning on winning. Might not realize the extent of my plan, but he realizes something’s up. We need to get him off the island first.”

I bit my lip. “He was asking me questions about us earlier.”

Cameron nodded, his head moving lightly against mine. “I assumed he would. You need to keep up the facade of being pissed at me.”

“I am still pissed at you.”

He chuckled. “Keep telling yourself that.” He brushed a few strands of hair from my eyes. “I wanted to hold you like this every night in our apartment.”

My face flushed. “You did not.”

“I did. You don’t have to believe me; I’ll prove it to you.”

“Sure you will.”

“I will.”

A thought occurred to me. “What if someone reads our minds and realizes the plan?”

“Mental magic is prohibited here, but Julian and Ev are the only telepaths. I can’t see either of them risking their position to try to figure out my plan or read your mind. Ev will be high on the priority list to remove because of his magic, just in case. Julian will be gone before he can do any damage.”

It was my turn to nod. “How physical should I be when I’m trying to make it seem like I’m into them?”

His arms tightened around me, just slightly. If I hadn’t been so aware of his body, I probably wouldn’t have noticed it. “Not physical at all. Just spend extra time with them.”

“That might work in the beginning, but I can’t imagine it will in the long run,” I countered. “And the shelter is tiny. Plus, we don’t have any blankets. I’m going to have to sleep next to someone.”

“You sleep next to me.” His voice was edged with something I hadn’t heard before.

Something gravelly .

I had no idea what the sound was, or what to do about it. It wasn’t like I spent much time in close proximity to men. Definitely not enough to tell what he was thinking.

“Sleeping next to you would ruin your whole plan, Cam. I’m supposed to hate you.”

His grip tightened, but he didn’t disagree.

“I’ll sleep next to Julian tonight, since he’s your first target,” I said. “It’s freezing outside, so I’ll have to snuggle up with someone . I can go with Rhett if you’d rather, but?—”

“I don’t want you snuggled up with anyone .” His words came out a definite, clear growl.

It made me shiver a little. I wasn’t sure whether that was from nerves or because the sound was kind of sexy.

“It’s not avoidable.”

His head snapped to the side. “Someone’s coming.”

I landed on my ass a heartbeat later, and hot flames licked my skin for a moment. The touch was so light, it didn’t burn me, though it did warm me.

“I’ll have to sleep in the forest,” he said, his voice low as he stood up and tucked his hands in his pockets. “I’d lose my fucking mind watching you cuddle up with any of these bastards.”

“You’ll have to figure it out,” I warned.

“Come on, Lollipop,” Cam protested, raising his voice. The sudden change in his mood and tone were enough to tell me he was putting on a show for whoever was coming. “Give me a chance to explain.”

“I don’t want to hear a word from you,” I shot back. “I came out here for a few minutes of privacy. Just leave me alone, Asshole.”

He winked at me, lifting his hands up by his head as if in surrender. “Alright, alright. I’m walking away.”

“Finally.”

He strode off the beach in the other direction.

I huffed like I was angry and turned back toward the ocean, remaining where I was for a few more minutes. My mind replayed my conversation and hug with Cameron.

I wasn’t sure what to think or how to feel about all of it. Honestly, I was shocked that he was even interested in mating with me. I really hadn’t thought he liked me.

When I started shivering a couple minutes later, I decided it was time to head back to the shelter for some awkward snuggling.