38

The flashing cameras temporarily blinded me as I tried to get a look at Kira’s expression. Unable to focus on her, I glanced at the crowd and quickly found Kolton. He was right where he’d said he would be. He nodded gravely. He’d been the only person I’d told about this. As a close relative of the female lead, he’d been put up in a nice hotel, though not as nice as Kira’s. He’d literally been throwing up from worrying about his sister. When I broke the news that I was going on the show to help protect her, he’d wept with relief. He’d spent the last few days thanking me profusely, but I could see his worry had returned. Why shouldn’t it? Now, not only his sister but his best friend were going to compete in one of the most dangerous shows in the world.

Kolton raised a hand, waving but not at me. He was trying to get Kira’s attention. My heart thundered. What was he doing? Kira spotted him, and I watched as the two siblings made eye contact. Kolton glanced at me, then back at Kira, shaking his head slowly and deliberately. The message was clear. Don’t tell anyone she knew me.

Kira didn’t answer overtly, but from the set of her jaw and her shoulders, I had to believe she was agreeing. Well, I hoped so, anyway.

Von gestured to the line of alphas, including me, who stood to the side of the stage. “Now, Kira, don’t they all look delicious?” he said, flicking his tongue across one of his long incisor fangs.

That elicited more wild cheering from the crowd. Kira smiled and made a show of sliding her gaze up and down the line of men. She barely paused at my face before moving along.

“They are nice to look at,” Kira said with a laugh.

The audience shrieked again.

Von laughed and leaned forward. “I think the ladies in the crowd agree. Am I right, ladies?”

My head was starting to ache from the raucous crowd. How the hell could they be so excited about this? It was noxious. Ridiculous. Like cocks strutting around hens in a farmyard. But no matter my true feelings, I made sure the confident smile stayed put on my face.

“Kira, are you ready to sink your claws into these hunks over there?”

She leaned forward and put a conspiratorial hand on Von’s thigh. “Oh, I think it would be more fun to sink my teeth into them.”

I bit back a cackle. The tone she was using was the same sickly-sweet voice she slipped into during a sting. That perfect amount of pouty flirtatiousness turned men’s heads into jelly and made it easy for her to get whatever information she could out of them. Everyone else in the crowd, including Von, thought she was a hundred percent serious. The host clapped his hands, and dozens of whooping catcalls erupted from the crowd.

Von stood again and grabbed a microphone from a small table beside his chair. “Let’s get to know our men.”

He walked over to the far end of the line. None of the men had engaged in conversation on the drive over, each of us lost in our thoughts about what was coming. Now was my chance to see how each man reacted. Did they dodge questions, did they lie, were they submissive, confident, cocky, or aggressive? My operative training might help me determine the biggest threat.

At the moment, they all were my biggest threat. Each of them was eyeing Kira like they wanted to eat her for dinner.

“We’ll start backwards based on the pack hierarchy and work down to the First Pack alpha.”

As Von moved down the line getting names, I listened and logged the information in my mind. Ryan from Tenth Pack, a quiet sort and a little intimidated, if I wasn’t mistaken. A young shifter named Leif from Eighth Pack, who kept glancing toward another alpha down the line—perhaps they knew each other. A meaty, muscle-bound alpha named Nathaniel from Seventh Pack, who was the definition of a dickhead. Then another guy named Garrett, who was smiling a lot but didn’t look comfortable being here.

As Von drew closer to me, my eyes finally took in the guy beside me, and I was in for another shock. I knew him. It had been a long time, and his body and hair had changed, but his face was still familiar. Mika Sheen of First Pack. His long dark hair was tied back in a man bun. He turned, his eyes locking on mine. Recognition flashed there, though his face was devoid of emotion. We’d been kids the last time we’d seen each other.

All Mika gave me was a nod of acknowledgment before turning back to watch Von. I wasn’t sure if he would be a threat to me. He came from money and had always been privileged, but even as a kid, he had a tortured soul that wasn’t easy to break. If he was here, he had to be a reject in some way, but that didn’t track with what I knew about him. This contest was getting more complicated by the moment.

Von continued his path. A greasy and selfish acting alpha named Omar from Sixth Pack. Tate from Fifth Pack, who made me nervous for some reason I couldn’t put my finger on. A quiet guy named Abel from Fourth Pack, who seemed to be genuinely happy to be on the show, more so than most of the others. J.D. from Third Pack was full of energy, even wrapping Von in a bear hug. On first impression, he looked like a good enough person, even if he did act a bit like a frat bro. He was the one Leif had eyeballed earlier. I wondered if there’d be drama or fighting between those two during the show.

Even as I tried to memorize all the names, faces, and pack allegiances, I felt like I’d failed. The men all blended together. Once we got to Bloodstone Island, I’d do a better job of getting a bead on each of the contestants.

Then, like magic, Von was in front of me. I could sense the frenetic vampire energy radiating off him. His face was perfectly unblemished.