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I gave him an awkward smile. “Uh…yeah, it was great, actually. Really fun.”

“I had fun as well,” Kira said, her voice clipped and perfectly pitched—exactly how she thought the showrunners wanted her to act.

Von clapped. “Well, I have some exciting news. The final contestant is on his way. He was unfortunately delayed, but he will arrive on Bloodstone Island later today to meet all of you.”

With everything going on, I kept forgetting that another alpha would be joining us. What made this guy special enough to get a free pass to miss not only the first couple days of the show but also the first dangerous challenge? He was getting to jump in without risking his life as much as the rest of us already had. It made me a bit paranoid.

“The final edits for the first episode were fantastic,” Von went on. “It aired last night, and all I can say is wow. It looks amazing. You have outdone yourselves with drama, danger, sexiness, and tension. We already have fan groups forming. I thought you’d like to see.” He nodded to a TV on the wall.

The screen came alive and showed crowds of screaming fans outside the studio headquarters in Fangmore City. Hundreds and hundreds of fans, all holding up signs or wearing custom shirts. I squinted as I tried to read the signs. Leif + Kira Forever, read one. Others said Underdogs love J.D. and Omar is HOT! The camera panned over to a group of ladies wearing matching shirts that read The Kwyatts.

The camera approached this group, and I heard one of them shout, “Kira! Kira! You need to pick Wyatt. He’s the one for you. Pick him. Pick him!”

I grinned and cut my eyes over at Kira. Sensing my gaze on her, she looked at me. I smirked, warmth rushing through me as she blushed.

The other alphas had their own fans in the crowd. Even Mika smiled when he saw one woman kissing a cut-out of his face.

Von turned the TV off and turned his attention to us again. “As fun as that is, this is no time to linger on your newfound fame.” The smile on the vampire’s face didn’t leave but became more sinister. “Not when you’re about to be thrown into the Fight for Survival.”

If I didn’t know better, I would have thought the temperature in the room had dropped ten degrees. The mood shifted quickly from joviality to tension and fear.

Ignoring the change, Von went on. “The Fight for Survival will take place in Dark Swamp, north of Reject Mansion. This fight will test your very limits. You’ll have to navigate your way out of the swamp. The swamp is home to ghosts—many ghosts. If, at any time, you disturb one, a specially designed magical shield will erupt and trap you in with the specters to fight for your lives.”

Von described the challenge like it was an amusement park attraction, and we’d each be handed a bottomless bucket of popcorn and told to enjoy ourselves. The other guys glanced around nervously. Kira kept her eyes glued on Von as he described the event.

Von’s eyes gleamed with exhilaration. “These aren’t any old ghosts. This isn’t Aunt Beatrice moaning and groaning through the halls of Grandpa’s house. No sir, these are deadly ghosts that have been captured and placed here by some of the best Tranquility operatives in the world. Each ghost has at least one confirmed kill and can possess contestants. Your fellow competitors may very well become your enemies during this challenge. Once possessed, contestants have been known to accidentally kill each other. Isn’t that exciting?” He was nearly vibrating.

His disregard for our safety and his desire to see us fight for our lives made me sick. His hunger for sadistic drama had me more worried by the second. If Kira died, he’d probably be stoked about the ratings boost. Not only that, but I didn’t trust any of the other knuckleheads in the room to keep Kira safe. When the shit hit the fan, the only person who would be looking out for her was me. As I watched her, I promised myself I’d stick by her side like glue during the entire fight.

Chapter 25

Kira

My heart was racing so fast, I thought it would give out. In all my time as a Tranquility operative, ghosts had given me the most trouble. They were nearly impossible to stop without a trained operative exorcist or some kind of enchanted weapon to disperse them. The threat of being possessed was freaking terrifying. I’d watched an operative have his body taken over by a ghost in my first six months, and it had been horrible. The guy had started attacking the other operatives. We’d had to put him down before he killed any of the others.

My anxiety was skyrocketing when Von, basically reading my mind, added, “Enchanted weapons will be available at the location.”

A small sigh escaped my lips. We wouldn’t be totally defenseless.

“These weapons will banish the ghosts for a time, though not forever. Which means speed is of the utmost importance in getting back to the mansion.”

“Sounds like fun,” Nathaniel said, cracking his knuckles like the dumb moron he was.

Von pointed at him and laughed. “That’s what I like to see. Bravery, a cocksure attitude, and excitement. Those will all be necessary if you want to survive and, let’s not forget, give our viewers a good show.” His gaze slipped back over to me. “Speaking of a good show. Kira, are there perhaps any of these gents you want to send packing early?”

The conversation Zoe and I’d had last night sprang to mind. Was that what Von was alluding to? Doing my best to remain impassive, I shrugged.

“Maybe,” I said as I straightened in my seat.