41

Unbidden, the memories of our night together flashed through my mind—his fingers inside me, his tongue on my skin, his lips at my ear. You damn well can have a good time with me. Those words and the way he’d shown me exactly how much of a good time I could have with him rattled around in my head.

“Already got your eye on someone?” Leif asked with a grin.

Blinking, I forced myself back to the present. “Huh? Sorry?”

His grin broadened. “Those red cheeks…looks like you’re blushing. Maybe one of us has already caught your eye?”

I laughed off his comment. “I’m only thinking about how exciting all this is. I don’t know any of you well enough to take a liking yet. We’ve literally just met.”

Omar’s jaw clenched at that. He’d obviously assumed he was too good a catch for me not to have already realized he was the goddess’s gift to women. Abel deflated a bit as well, though not in a self-important way. If anything, he appeared to be insecure, especially for an alpha. What was his story?

I wanted to feel bad for him because he looked sort of dejected, but I cautioned myself. These guys knew the risks when they signed up, just like I had. They were all hoping for a fated mate. It wasn’t my fault that they’d turned to this show out of desperation. I had too much to worry about on my own end. None of this was about love or lust for me. My one goal was to protect my family and prevent a war. That was all I had my eyes on.

Ten minutes later, the limos pulled up to a helipad near the coast. Three helicopters sat on the tarmac, surrounded by pilots and more bodyguards. One was a huge demon with two-foot-long horns curving out from his forehead, his thick muscles barely contained by his suit.

Zoe pointed out the window. “We’re gonna be on TV again.”

Glancing out, I saw luminescent orbs floating near each aircraft—magic drone cameras taking in every scene as we made our way to Bloodstone Island. I wondered if those things had followed us the entire drive.

We parked beside the helicopters, and Von Thornton leaped out of the limo Wyatt was in.

He raised his arms, gesturing to the helicopters. “I hope no one is afraid of heights.”

A small chuckle ran through the contestants. I felt Wyatt’s eyes on me, hot and insistent. Like he was begging me to look at him. I bit the inside of my cheek and forced myself not to look at him. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction.

“Ladies, you’ll be in this chopper with me, J.D., Leif, and Mika,” Von said, stepping toward the craft in the front.

I breathed a sigh of relief that I wouldn’t have to share a flight with Wyatt. I was still trying to process everything. The longer I had to prepare myself without him in the vicinity, the better. Despite my best efforts, as I buckled myself into my seat, I looked out the door and watched as Wyatt got into the farthest chopper.

“How long is this flight?” I asked Von.

“Not long, my dear. Not long at all,” he replied with a grin.

I frowned. Bloodstone Island was one of the most remote places on the planet. If I remembered correctly, it was hundreds of miles offshore. It should have taken at least an hour to get there.

The helicopters were enchanted so that the spinning blades above us made almost no noise. The air swept around us with a faint whoosh as we took off. The helicopters cruised above the trees, and a moment later, we were over the open ocean headed toward the horizon, the night sky inky-black above us. The stars twinkled, and the massive white face of the moon shone down on us.

The air rippled, the stars shuddered, and even the lunar surface became distorted. My ears popped, and suddenly an island was visible in the distance. I gaped at it, looking over at Zoe in question.

Her face was ablaze with admiration. “Damn. That’s some good magic. Temporal displacement of this many people and these giant helicopters is not easy.”

Von heard our conversation and patted me on the knee. “The Reject Project only employs the best fae spellcasters. We spared no expense.”

Behind us, the floating cameras sped along, keeping pace with the aircraft as we descended to the island. It was huge. Much bigger than it appeared on TV. I glanced down at the choppy waves of the ocean. This far from the mainland, we were in the realm of the merpeople. Huge clans of the mysterious ocean dwellers were said to reside this far out. I wondered if I’d catch a glimpse of one at some point.

As we drew nearer, more of the island took shape. Dense, shadowy jungles became visible, along with a small chain of volcano-shaped mountains. Maybe Leif would get his wish. It was beautiful in a savage sort of way. But along with the beauty was something sinister. The island was cloaked in danger. The land basically screamed that it was dark, mysterious, and terrifying.

Shaking my head, I tried to get a grip on myself. Everyone knew the place was dangerous. The challenges would be difficult and life-threatening. I’d have to use all my training and every ounce of my instinct and ability if I ever wanted to step foot on the mainland again. I was here to win. Nothing would stop me.

The choppers landed gracefully on a massive helipad, and that was when I caught sight of it. Reject Mansion—an enormous, sprawling estate built into the side of the coast. I’d seen it a million times while binge-watching the show with Zoe, but TV didn’t do it justice. It was one of the grandest houses I’d ever seen.

We all offloaded from the helicopters, and Zoe squeezed me tight and squealed in delight. Her fears and worries vanished for a few minutes as she fan-girled at the sight of the mansion. She bounced on her toes as we made our way toward the building.