75

I grabbed the closest clothes—a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt—and yanked them on before shoving my feet into my shoes.

“Why are you in such a hurry?” Nathaniel asked.

I glanced up at him. He was still working on his hair.

“I didn’t know it was any of your business,” I said.

He turned and shot me a shit-eating grin. “Someone’s in a pissy mood. What happened? Did you try to slip the ole salami to Kira last night? She shoot you down? Not surprising. She probably likes guys with”—he grabbed his crotch and squeezed—“a little more under the hood, you know?”

Ignoring the crude remark, I headed out the door and followed Omar and Tate’s scents. The farther I got from the alpha den, the stronger the smells got. The scents were mixing and hard to differentiate, but they were definitely together.

I saw the film crew come down a hallway, so I quickly hid in a small coat closet. They carried trays of food and looked to have come from another of the hidden staff areas, like the one Kira and I had found. Last night came rushing back, and my cock grew hard again as the mental pictures flashed through my mind. That wouldn’t help me track these guys down, so I shook the memories of Kira’s taste from my head and ducked back into the hall once the staffers were gone.

A few minutes later, I started to get a little nervous. Omar and Tate’s scents were leading me closer to Kira’s room. Why the hell would they be going there? Surely they wouldn’t try something as dumb as approach Kira off-camera.

Their voices caught my ear right before I rounded the corner.

“That’s what I’m saying, man. It only makes sense. Me and you. Together. That’s how we survive this thing today,” Omar was saying.

I froze and turned my head in the direction of their voices.

Tate sighed. “I get it, yeah. The Fight for Survival is dangerous, but if we form an alliance, won’t the other alphas target us in the next challenges?”

“Well, yeah, but that’s why we’ll keep it under wraps.”

So that was what was happening. They were treating this like any other reality game show. I wondered if these guys had ever even watched this show. Invariably, when these alliances were formed, one person almost always got stabbed in the back by the other. It was ridiculous.

I stepped out from around the corner and walked toward them as nonchalantly as I could. Tate was about to respond when he saw me strolling toward them. Surprise flashed over his face. When Omar glanced over to see what he was looking at, his lip curled.

“Can we help you with something?” Omar asked.

I shook my head and grinned. “You two should have stayed in bed. If you want to catch Kira’s eye, you’ll need a lot more beauty sleep. So, what are you two plotting? Anything fun?”

“None of your fucking business. Besides, shouldn’t you be the one still in bed and nursing your ego after Kira sent you packing last night?” Tate said.

“Right,” Omar added. “The only reason you won the first date with Kira was that you gave into her soft and weak side by rescuing that dumbass Leif. It’s cute but not what someone like Kira really wants. She needs a man who knows how to make the hard choices. Prissy little bitch like you doesn’t have a chance of getting into those panties, bro.” He stood taller and pulled his shoulders back as he glared at me.

“For real,” Tate scoffed. “Like, what the fuck were you thinking? You should have left Leif there to die. Thin out the competition.” He, too, stood tall, then flexed his muscular arms with a growl.

They were playing the alpha game, trying to intimidate me and establish dominance over someone they thought was beneath them. It was a silly game spoiled alphas often played. These guys were used to getting their way. They likely came from powerful families.

My smile went from friendly to grim as I stepped toward them. As a lone wolf, I’d learned how to fend for myself without the power of a pack backing me. Along with that, I’d learned how to deal with pricks like this who thought they could steamroll other shifters. The stare I gave them spoke of how dangerous I could be when necessary.

“I know your brains are pretty small, but the two of you need to remember that Kira has the power here. You forget, she doesn’t need to pick the last wolf standing. If only one of us survives today, and it’s someone she doesn’t want, she can simply refuse the goddess’s blessing and take the money. She’ll live rich and happy for the rest of her life, not giving a damn about whether any of us gets left behind to go feral.”

Realization and fear flickered in their eyes. They knew as well as I did that the refused rejects and survivors the prize mate didn’t pick were often left behind on the island. It was one of the many things I hated about the show—how bloodthirsty and uncaring it was for everyone involved. But now, these two saw our precarious position. You couldn’t simply hope to out-survive the others to win. The prize mate had to actually want you.

If Kira refused to take them, they could be left behind to be eaten by whatever monsters lurked in the jungle, or they’d slip into madness and go feral. Then they would be the monsters the next season of rejects had to outwit.

“I can tell you’re getting the picture,” I said. “What you two need to worry about is not winning the game with alliances. You need to worry about protecting Kira with every ounce of your being. If you aren’t on her good side, she’ll leave your asses here to rot.” I jabbed my finger into Omar’s chest. “And you’re wrong about Kira. She isn’t soft or weak because she saved Leif. That shows that she’s the exact opposite. The fact that she saved Leif and put herself in danger to do it means she’s tough as hell. If you cross her or piss her off, I guarantee she’ll leave you to die.”