20

The crowd applauded again, but I barely heard them. I was staring at Von Thornton, my bowl of ice cream forgotten.

“I’m here for this special program to announce that there has been a bit of a wrench thrown into the production of season thirty-one. A wrench that, on first inspection, could have proven disastrous, but upon closer study, may be the greatest and most exciting wrinkle that’s ever happened.”

Von stood, smoothed his immaculate suit, and walked to the edge of the stage. “Our female star has, unfortunately, had to withdraw from the show.”

A murmur of disquiet ran through the crowd. Zoe gasped and put a hand to her mouth. I’d never heard of a female contestant stepping down. I wasn’t as huge a fan as Zoe was, but the show was an omnipresent part of life, an institution almost everyone followed—even if unwillingly.

Von held up his hand to silence the crowd, then flashed another bright smile. “Easy, everyone. This isn’t my first rodeo, as the humans say. An exciting opportunity has arisen for one lucky female wolf. I and the other showrunners have decided to make things more exciting rather than simply elevating one of the several other females who were chosen as, shall we say, understudy to our lead. We all know how dangerous Bloodstone Island is, and as past seasons have shown, not every lead makes it home to tell the tale. Starting today at noon and running through tomorrow at noon, we will be holding impromptu auditions for our next female lead. How exciting is that?” he shouted, raising his arms over his head.

I stared at the screen and felt a lick of hope. Fleeting and tenuous as it was, it sat bubbling in the deepest recesses of my mind. It was a million-to-one chance, but it was still a chance.

After a moment of hesitation, the crowd cheered. Von strutted back and forth across the stage, seeming to bask in the glow of the crowd’s adoration.

Once the noise died down, he said, “Any young lady is free to come to Fangmore City and audition for our casting directors in the next twenty-four hours. If you are a rejected mate between the ages of eighteen and thirty, we look forward to meeting you.” Von sighed and cocked an eyebrow. “Oh, and of course, you better be gorgeous.” After another round of laughter and applause, Von finished his monologue. “Twenty-four hours, ladies. Who wouldn’t want to have a bunch of hot, muscled wolf hunks fighting over you? So I ask you this: do you have what it takes? I hope so. Our slogan at The Reject Project stands true. Everyone loves an underdog.”

The special showing switched to a screen that showed the address and phone number for the casting director’s office in Fangmore City, followed by a bunch of legalese about the dangers associated with the show. I was still staring at the screen when Zoe turned to look at me as if she could read the thoughts forming my mind.

“No way. No godsdamned way, Kira,” Zoe said.

“‘No way what?” I asked, but my voice was hazy, my mind deep in thought. This was the best thing I’d heard since Jayson rejected me. I was desperate to redeem myself in the eyes of the pack. What better way than being on this show?

“Don’t even think about it. There’s no chance in hell I’m letting you audition.”

I turned and raised my eyebrows. “What do you mean?” Was I really that transparent?

Zoe pointed at me. “I can see what you’re thinking. It’s not a good idea.”

Sighing, I gestured toward the screen. “But you love the show. It’s your favorite thing to watch. You’ve seen all the reruns of every season like four times.”

Zoe leaped to her feet. “That’s exactly the problem, Kira. I’m obsessed with the show, which means I know for sure I don’t want anyone I know on it. Don’t you know how dangerous it is?”

I stared right into her eyes. “What do you get if you win?”

Zoe stared back. “You know. You’ve watched it.”

Rolling my eyes, I said, “Indulge me.”

She crossed her arms, but her shoulders sagged a bit, and her face softened. “You get a buttload of money, for one thing. Then there’s the fame and stuff. Several winners have ended up getting modeling contracts or going into acting or music. You get granted immediate access to a home in one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in Fangmore City. And then…” Her eyes widened as she remembered the last part. The very thing I’d set my sights on. “You become an honorary member of the First Pack. The most powerful wolf pack in the world.”

“Exactly.” I jabbed a finger at her. “And you get a new mate. Plus, the Moon Goddess will bless the new pairing on live TV. It’s like the rejection never happened.”

Jayson and I had been fated mates, even though neither of us loved each other. Even then, the rejection hadn’t only hurt emotionally and psychologically but also physically. The rejection had left me with a bone-deep ache, like part of me had been sheared away. It was something I’d have to live with forever. But if I won this show, the Goddess Heline would take away the pain. With one blessing, I’d be whole again, regain my standing in the pack, and create a connection between the Eleventh Pack and the First Pack. Such an alliance would blow the original pairing with the Ninth Pack out of the water.

The First Pack was the most powerful in the world. Everyone tried to gain favor with them. If I did this, if I won, then I could fix everything with my pack. That would be amazing, but there was something else I had my eye on. Something even more powerful than all that.

“Then there’s the other prize,” I said.

Zoe frowned. “Huh? What other prize?”

“The favor from Heline.”