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six

MOLLY

Sure enough, Kaden showed up ten minutes later to invite me back to our shelter.

“It’s getting cold out here,” he said, his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

It was getting cold out there.

I’d been freezing my tits off ever since Cam left with his delicious body heat.

“Fine,” I said, standing up and brushing sand off my ass. There was no getting rid of the sand entirely. It was going to be stuck to my skin until I finally got off the island.

“Voting Julian off wasn’t personal,” Kaden explained. “We know you were sticking with him, but he’s well-known in the Society for being quiet and strategic. None of us wanted to risk competing with him as the game progressed.”

“I don’t want to talk about that,” I said flatly.

We walked in silence for a minute before he finally said, “I can give you more information, if that would help you feel better.”

I eyed him.

He definitely had my attention.

When he started to walk slower, I did too.

“Cameron has the same reputation as Julian. I’m sure someone’s told you that.”

“No one tells me anything, actually.”

“Not even Cameron?”

“We didn’t talk about our personal lives when he was guarding me. We definitely haven’t since landing on the island.”

He studied me, as if trying to decide if I was telling the truth.

I was.

We didn’t talk about our lives while he was guarding me, and we still hadn’t talked about our pasts. Which was concerning, since I was working with him, but there was no real way around it at the moment.

“If you’re that worried about him scheming, just vote him off. I’d be more comfortable with Cameron gone anyway,” I said.

It wasn’t really a lie.

I would be more comfortable with Cameron gone… but not for the reasons he would think.

I’d be more comfortable because I wouldn’t have to overthink our hugs on the beach or the fact that I was helping him with his plan to win me like I was a damn prize.

“There are bigger threats,” Kaden finally said, still walking slowly. “Not to the game, but to you. Oren is a wildcard. He can be dangerous. And the only way to prove if he’s using magic against you is to have your mind read by a telepath, which could interrupt the whole game. Travis is almost as bad.”

“What could they do to me?” I wrapped my arms around my middle like I was hugging myself. Mostly because I was cold, but also because I wanted him to think I was clueless and shrinking.

“Oren could plant dreams in your mind. They could be anything from sex dreams to dreams of conversations between you two that make you feel like you can trust him. Travis could manipulate you, making you do things you wouldn’t otherwise do.”

“How do I protect myself from them?”

“You don’t.” Kaden’s words were apologetic.

“Can I…” I trailed off, like I was rethinking my question.

I really hoped he couldn’t tell that I was playing him a little. I didn’t have much experience lying. Cameron and I had spent years trading sarcastic responses, so I hoped that had somehow helped my lacking acting skills.

But if Kaden possessed even a sliver of the protective instincts Cameron had, my little idea was going to be a huge success.

“Can you what?”

“Never mind. I don’t want to make you a target like Julian,” I said quickly.

“I have allies,” Kaden urged. “We can protect you. What’s the question?”

I hesitated for another minute before finally sighing. “Can I sleep next to you and your friends in the shelter? I hate being close to Kyle, and I don’t want to end up next to Oren or Travis if they can manipulate my mind.”

“Of course. We’ll switch places every night so no one gets particularly suspicious of any of us,” Kaden agreed readily. “We’ll do what we can to keep you safe from them.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course.” He gave me a small smile, and I tried to return it.

My failed smile only supported the game I was playing.

The next two days felt endless.

It was just me, the guys, and the island.

We ate an assload of fish.

My stomach still rumbled frequently.

We wove more palm fronds and kept beefing up the shelter, finally making it big enough for everyone who wanted to sleep beneath it.

Travis, the guy with the compulsion magic, refused to sleep snuggled up with the other guys. Cam played along with that too, so they both made their own little shelters just out of everyone’s sight.

I didn’t talk to him the third or fourth day on the island. I couldn’t get away without making it obvious. He couldn’t either.

So, I stuck with Kaden’s trio and otherwise kept to myself. Everyone knew I “felt betrayed” after the Julian vote, so the lack of friendliness seemed natural.

Halfway through the fifth day, a boat showed up to pick us up. The ride was quiet, and we eventually landed on a small, desert island.

I looked up and down the structure that had been built on it, my eyes widening as I realized what the tall, wooden walls and other strange shapes were.

A maze.

A gigantic maze.

The sound of mechanisms whirring and the sight of shapes moving overhead told me that the walls of it must’ve been able to move or rotate or something.

Cameron whistled from where he stood a few guys back from me.

Chris muttered a curse.

Rhett grabbed a sheet of instructions off a wooden bench to the side of the maze. I walked to the bench, assuming it was for me, and sat down as he cleared his throat.

“Today’s challenge is simple. Get through the maze. The last two guys through lose their votes in tonight’s council. The first two spend the rest of the day and tonight on a private beach with Molly. There will be shade, sustenance, and a bed big enough to share.”

My eyes widened.

What if the two guys on the island with me were Kyle and Travis? Or Oren? Or what if they were Cameron’s allies, and he got voted out while I wasn’t there to see him or act like I was all over Kaden? Or?—

“No destroying walls. No magic. No wings. Anyone who breaks any rule or any part of the maze will immediately lose their vote and be removed from the challenge. Are we clear?” Rhett looked out at the group.

All of the men nodded, their wings shimmering for a moment before they disappeared. The men shrank back to their human sizes, their horns vanishing as well.

“There’s one final advantage up for grabs,” Rhett added. “Somewhere in the maze, there’s a box that holds Molly’s luxury item. Whoever finds it gets to give it to her, regardless of what place they take in the challenge.”

A few eyes gleamed.

Rhett had them all line up at a few different entrances, and then, they began.

He took a seat beside me as everyone disappeared into the maze.

“What’s my luxury item?” I asked. “No one told me to pack anything.”

“I don’t know. It wasn’t on any information I received. How are you doing?” He changed the subject, but I didn’t mind that.

I was a little surprised he wanted to chat, though. He rarely said a word.

“About as well as I was doing when you threw me out of that airplane.”

He chuckled. “Have you felt any mental magic being used against you? If you do, you need to report it to me right away. We have a mated telepath without connections to anyone in the group who will find the truth if you suspect anyone.”

I shook my head. “I don’t think so. I’ll keep that in mind, though.”

Rhett nodded.

“You’re coming to the private island with me tonight, right?” I asked.

“Of course.”

The admission eased my tension just a little.

“And I won’t get to return for the voting?”

He shook his head. “The Society wants it to be clear that you’re not a part of the game. You’re just the final judge.”

“I’m just the prize, you mean?” I tossed back.

He didn’t answer that one. “This game wasn’t my idea, for the record.”

“Somehow, that doesn’t make my position any better.”

He fell silent, so I did too.

We heard curses and shouts a few times as the maze went on. My eyes followed the cameras in the sky above it, all of which followed a different man. They were made in a way that they were hidden for the most part, but when I looked closely, I could see their outlines despite the magic hiding them.

It must’ve been a complicated maze, because thirty minutes had gone by when the first guy finally burst through.

My stomach clenched when I saw Kyle.

The bastard whooped and did a victory dance before he jogged over and lifted me off the bench. I grabbed him by the hair before he could toss me in the air, and when I hissed at him to put me down, he reluctantly obliged.

I tugged my bikini’s tiny strip of fabric back into place (luckily it had only moved a little, so my boob hadn’t fallen out or anything) and waited for the next guy to come through.

A few more minutes went by before he emerged.

Oren.

My throat swelled.

He didn’t do a victory dance, but high-fived Kyle and grinned at me when he made it out.

My stomach shriveled a little.

The rest of the guys came funneling out over the next hour. No one was bleeding, for once. Cameron was in the middle of the pack, just like he had been in the first challenge.

The last two guys to finish were Kaden and Chris. Chris came out empty-handed, but Kaden was grinning broadly. He had a backpack slung over his shoulder, which I assumed held my luxury item.

The two of them would be losing their votes, so if all went according to plan, Cam would make sure Kaden was gone before he could give me whatever was in the backpack.

I feigned looking out at all the guys as I watched Cameron, hoping for some kind of sign that he was confident everything would be fine even after I left.

He winked at me, and breathing became the tiniest bit easier.

I was led to another boat, with Kyle in front of me and Oren behind me. Though I didn’t want to go, I had no choice, so I kept moving.

The boat was tiny, so both guys were squished onto the bench next to me. Both of them pressed up against me, so I tried to make myself smaller, but failed.

When we were finally let off the boat at the island retreat, I let out a long breath and prepared myself for the most uncomfortable hours of my life.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t as bad as I’d expected. There was a feast of fruit and burgers, so that was heavenly.

And without so many extra guys around, Kyle eased up on the touchy-feely thing. He gave me space, and Oren did too.

Though Oren still kind of gave me the creeps, he seemed friendlier and more normal without so many men around to compete with.

That was nice.

I still wouldn’t have chosen to be there if I had options, but it could’ve been so much worse.

Nighttime wasn’t even awkward. I expected to be beyond uncomfortable, but the guys politely offered to let me sleep on the edge of the bed. They ended up smashed together, and while one of their sides was pressed up against mine, I could almost imagine I was sleeping in the bed alone.

The blanket was amazing, too.

Despite my worry for Cameron, I slept like a rock for the first half of the night.

But somewhere around the middle, I started feeling… different.

My body was flushed when I woke up. I couldn’t remember what I’d been dreaming about, but I was slick between my thighs.

That was uncomfortable.

I looked at both guys, but they looked like they were sleeping.

So maybe something about falling asleep in a bed with gigantic men made me horny?

I’d never been interested in the reverse-harem thing before, so I wasn’t entirely convinced. But what other option was there?

I managed to fall back asleep after a while, but when the dreams came back, they came back insanely intense.

The dreams were powerful , and changed rapidly.

Kyle had his hands between my thighs.

Chris was fucking me against a tree.

Oren ate me out with enthusiasm.

Ev’s hands were in my hair as I gave him a blowjob.

Reid gripped my ass while I rode his cock.

Kaden held my wrists behind my back while he took me from behind.

It took what felt like ages before I finally managed to wrench myself out of the dreams.

Stumbling from bed, I grabbed the tree I nearly crashed into and held on for dear life. My chest rose and fell rapidly, almost painfully .

Those dreams hadn’t been mine, had they?

I wasn’t normally horny.

I barely even liked sex.

It had been almost five years since I’d gone home with someone, and I hadn’t even wanted to since.

Oren must’ve put those dreams in my mind.

…Right?

But the more I looked at him, the more certain I was that he was still sleeping.

My legs shook.

I was drenched between my thighs, but I obviously couldn’t do anything about it.

Rhett was relaxing in his chair nearby, watching me closely. He mouthed something that looked like, “You good?”

I gave him a thumbs-up.

Somehow, I must’ve been the one coming up with all those dreams.

So, I made my way to the beach on shaky legs and sat down in the water, hoping the salt would wash away the scent of my need before the guys woke up and realized what had happened.

My legs were steady when the boat returned to the shore with the sunrise, but I kept quiet and didn’t say much.

The more I’d thought about it, the more uncertain I was.

I never had sex dreams. I’d never even been attracted to any of the men on the island with me except Cam. And I was only a little attracted to him.

Fine, that was a lie.

I was very attracted to him.

The other guys, though? No.

So, the dreams probably weren’t mine.

But I couldn’t accuse Oren of putting them in my head while he was sleeping. So where did that leave me?

It left me needing to talk to Cameron.

And information he might know.

And… maybe another hug too.

Maybe.

It didn’t occur to me that he might not be on the island until we started approaching it.

My entire abdomen clenched at the thought.

When I saw him at the back of the group of men as the boat stopped, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

Kyle didn’t seem to notice, though Oren gave me a curious look when he heard.

I quickly scanned the group, trying to determine who was gone. None of the guys had their wings or horns out again, so it was a little more challenging to come up with their names. But mentally, I went through the list until I landed on the one who was missing.

Colt.

Kaden was still there, and still holding on to the backpack on his shoulder. My luxury item, whatever it was.

We got off the island, and Kaden immediately pulled me to his side, putting his arm over my shoulder. Though I wanted to cringe away from his touch, he was our next target.

So I couldn’t step away.

He steered me away from everyone else, and Reid stepped up to his side as they explained to me in frustration that the other guys had targeted his ally.

“It’s my fault,” I said quietly. “I got too close to you guys.”

“It’s not,” Kaden argued.

Reid gave him a look that said it was.

“But we’re going to have to distance ourselves from you for now. Hopefully it will buy us enough time to make a few more allies,” Kaden added reluctantly.

I sighed. “I get it.”

He pulled the backpack from his back. “Here. I got this for you.”

I accepted it and undid the zipper. When I opened it and found a huge, soft orange blanket I recognized from my living room, my eyes burned a little.

I was so tired, and so uncertain about everything. I just needed to talk to Cam, but I had no way of doing that without making someone suspicious.

Zipping it back up, I blinked away the tears I wouldn’t let fall. “Thank you. This means a lot to me.”

With that, I stepped back up to the rest of the guys and cleared my throat. Most of them were already looking at me, so it wasn’t a stretch to get everyone else’s attention.

My eyes were still a tiny bit watery, and I noticed concern on a few men’s faces. “I need some space,” I said to them. “From all of you. Just… leave me alone for a while.”

With that, I walked away.

I wouldn’t go to mine and Cam’s section of the beach. They’d notice if he slipped away.

But I did go as far down our beach as I possibly could before I tucked myself up against a rock and closed my eyes, trying to decide what the hell I was going to do.