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My dreams were chaotic and stressful. I dreamed of shifting and running through the woods back home. My paws skimmed over the leaves and moss and dirt, the scent of the outdoors filled my nostrils, the wind brushed my fur. Those images were interspersed with screaming monsters, splashes of blood, and dark figures reaching out to me. When I woke the next morning, I felt like I hadn’t slept at all.
Restless, I sat up. My dreams were a symptom of being on this island. All the death and danger everywhere, coupled with the fact that I hadn’t had a good run since getting here, had filled me with anxious energy. I’d run through the woods in my wolf form, but running for your life was way different from running for relaxation and enjoyment. Shifters weren’t meant for this. We weren’t creatures made to be caged up with no outlet for stress.
Part of me missed the grueling training of the Tranquility ops. Shifting and running through specialized courses would be better than what I was doing here. Maybe homesickness had something to do with my strange dreams? The thought struck me as strange. There’d never been a hint of that when I left my pack. Of all the things in my life to have made me wish for home, it should have been those months after I became a lone wolf. I’d been fine, though. Once my unofficial pack took me in, I felt even better. Almost like truly coming home.
Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I thought about my pack. August Evander was probably my closest friend aside from Kolton. He was one of the top lieutenants of the unofficial pack, had been since joining up with us three years ago, and I missed that son of a bitch like crazy. I’d have given my left arm to have August and Kolton here for an hour to trade some jokes, stories, maybe a few conversations about football or basketball. Anything. The longer I remained here, the more isolated and closed off I felt. I thanked the gods that I had Kira.
Before my homesickness could turn into full-fledged depression, voices from across the room pulled me out of my rapidly building despair.
“Bro, no way. Jamison would destroy that guy in man coverage. I’m not a fan of the Fangmore Beasts, but if you think the quarterback for the Eastern Wild Manticores is good enough to throw dimes on Jamison, you’re off your rocker.” It was J.D.’s voice.
I glanced over and found him tying his shoes, talking football with Abel.
Abel shook his head. “Are you serious? Clinton was the freaking MVP of the league last year.”
J.D. pointed at him. “MVP, but did his team win the Shifter Cup? Nope, the Flames did. That guy choked hard, threw four interceptions in the championship game. Jamison will eat him alive this year. Mark it down.”
Abel snorted a laugh and waved a hand at J.D. “Whatever. I’m going for breakfast. See you down there.”
“See you in a minute, dude.”
As Abel walked out, I looked at J.D. and saw that he was still smiling as he finished getting his shoes on. It was nice seeing him back to himself, or at least closer than he had been for several days. J.D. was the most likable person among the alphas, and much of our group attitude played off his positivity. His renewed happiness stemmed from Kira revealing that Leif was still alive on the island. Even knowing Leif was feral and lost in the jungle wasn’t enough to dampen J.D.’s spirits. That was good.
Kira was right. After we got Mika off the show, J.D. should be next.
I dressed and headed downstairs for food. I was starving. I hadn’t eaten during that damn ballroom challenge, and my stomach was about to cave in on itself.
The other guys were already munching away. At the buffet, I had the chef make me an omelet with spicy peppers, cheese, and sausage. I was craving spice this morning. While he cooked, I grabbed some buttered toast and sliced fruit, piling my plate high, then poured a massive glass of orange juice before taking my omelet and other food to sit at a table by myself.
While eating, I glanced surreptitiously at the others. Gavin looked sullen and kept casting pissed-off looks in my direction when he thought I wasn’t looking. Tate also sat alone but only had eyes for his food, not bothering to look up other than to take a drink.
Mika, J.D., and Abel sat together, chatting about nothing in particular. Mika looked tense, though. He was antsy for the plan to come together soon. I couldn’t blame him because I was, too. Every hour that went by was another chance for Von to screw with us and maybe get one of us killed.
I ate fast and left the dining room to poke around the mansion. If I could sneak around and be subtle about it, I might hear some of the support staff, producers, assistant directors, or tech guys drop some dirt I could use.
The main areas we typically used were pretty much always empty, only used for the cast or special things like revealing challenges or interviews. The first place I ventured to was at the back of one hallway, near the lounge Kira and I had used for a few minutes of fun and excitement a few days ago. At the end of that corridor, I found two techs and one of the fae staff members working on some of the hover cameras.
“Why does it keep wobbling?” one guy asked.
“That’s what she’s here to figure out,” the other tech said, pointing to the fae girl.
She sighed, poking one of the cameras with a finger. “These spells don’t do well after a while out in the jungle. There’s a lot of magic out there, especially twisted magic. When these things get caught up in it, it screws with the spells we put on these—oh, shit! Mr. Rivers?”
She’d caught sight of me and ruined my cover. The two techs spun around, and I had to think fast.
Plastering a massive smile on my face, I shrugged. “Sorry to interrupt. I was walking down the hall and heard you guys talking.”
The fae blinked rapidly at me and grinned. “This is gonna sound all kinds of corny, but can I get your autograph?”
I frowned and tilted my head. “Sorry?”
A pad of paper and a pen magically appeared in her hand and she stepped forward.
“Rhiannon, are you serious?” one of the techs said, staring at her like she’d lost her mind.
The woman looked over her shoulder and snarled. “Fuck off, Carl.” She turned back to me, her smile back in place. “Sorry. Do you mind?” She held the pen and pad out to me.
“Uh. No, it’s fine.” I took the pen, scribbled my name on the pad, then handed it back to her.
