Chapter 1
Chapter One
Kayne
I pushed my brain to process what I'd just heard, but the words wouldn't click into place.
"I uh… you're supposed to pick one or the other." The show's host said to the woman sitting across from me.
"And I chose both." She gestured to me and my long time friend and constant rival sitting next to me.
"I'm sorry, but have you seen those two?
Besides, I'm supposed to choose which one I want as my mate.
What better way is there to see their personalities revealed than have them done with their competitor? "
Luke's mouth opened and closed a few times before he turned toward us. "Blythe has a point. Do either of you object?"
I glanced at Fritz, trying to read his expression, but I didn't need to.
I knew neither of us would. Competition was our thing.
We'd constantly pushed ourselves over the decades to prove who was better at any given thing; school, business, entrepreneurship, women…
it didn't matter. That was how we'd ended up creating a dating show streamed live to shifters all over the world.
It wouldn't be the first time we'd shared a woman either, though the entire point of this was to prove who could get a mate. So one of us had to win her over.
"Not in the slightest." Fritz pulled me from my thoughts.
I glanced up at Blythe, and the possessive pull from my beast reminded me there was no way I could lose. Blythe was fated for me. I felt it down to my soul. "Hey Fritz, you're welcome to join us, but I'll still win."
He laughed as he flicked a dismissive finger at me. "Other way around there buddy."
"We both know I'm going to win, might as well give in now." I couldn't help but ruffle him a bit.
"You wish. I haven't found my mate yet because I haven't bothered to look. Now that she's in my sights, you don't have a chance. We both know human women prefer me." Fritz leaned back in his chair with a smug grin.
The camera panned away from us as Luke shrugged.
"We knew this show would be interesting, but it looks like we're putting that to the test already.
May the best Agenwi win." The large stage lights turned off as the entire room drowned in the less flattering flood lights.
"Okay, so we'll have the mobile cameras for the restaurant.
I'll adjust the reservations to accommodate this little plot twist. You all have an hour to get ready, until all three of you arrive at the restaurant, you'll be required to keep your distance.
Wouldn't want the viewers to miss anything. "
I rolled my eyes as Fritz laughed before he spoke. "Thanks Luke, I'll make sure playboy over there behaves."
The host shook his head and slinked off the stage. Blythe stood at the edge of the set for a moment as her gaze danced between Fritz and me before someone from wardrobe dragged her away.
"We don't have to go through with this." Fritz's voice pulled my attention from the empty doorway.
"What?"
He leaned forward and placed his hand on my arm. When he spoke, his voice was low, too quiet for any camera to pick up. "We've always shared in the past. Just because everyone expects us to settle down with a mate, doesn't mean we have to. There's nothing wrong with how things have been."
While we were supposed to choose a mate, my plan was going sideways.
My gaze went to where Fritz touched me. I stuffed down the emotions and dreams he taunted me with.
It didn't matter how happy we were with things right now.
The shifter council representative had made their stance very clear.
If we didn't conform to what they dictated, they'd seize everything.
I opened my mouth to tell Fritz the real reason I'd pushed for this show, but it dug its claws into my throat.
I'd hoped to find him a mate, so he'd have someone to take care of him, but the moment I saw Blythe in the interview room, I'd known she was meant to be mine.
"There's plenty wrong with what we have now.
Besides, I can't deal with this stupid curse anymore. "
Fritz squeezed my arm. "Look, I get it. It sucks, I hate how stupid we look when we pop off, but now's not the time to discuss it. The last thing either of us needs to do is have an explosion in front of witnesses."
I jumped out of my chair as I focused on remaining calm.
The woman wouldn't want to mate either of us if she saw what our curse turned us into.
I silently cussed out the witch who'd forever changed our lives.
Fritz was right, now wasn't the time to think about it.
I stormed off the stage before I made a complete ass out of myself on tv.
If I was going to shame myself, then I might as well do it from the privacy of my suite.
*.*.*.*.*
Fritz
Where the hell was Kayne? He should have been here by now.
I slid out of the town car intending to find my friend, but he strolled into the garage as soon as I was out.
Dropping back into my seat, I raised an eyebrow at him.
Kayne sat and the driver took off. The cameraman in the front seat focused on us.
Not even one day had passed and I was already annoyed with the cameras in my face.
"It took me longer to put myself together than I expected." Kayne said it without a hint of a smile.
His sly reference to dealing with the after effects of the curse made me snort. "#PopcornPun."
The flat glare from Kayne made my smile grow. He shook his head and stared out his window until we arrived at the restaurant. We strolled inside and a server named Karl sat us at a table on the private balcony. "Welcome to Tsigo. I'll let them know you're ready."
The human disappeared and a minute later, Blythe appeared wearing a t-shirt, jeans, and a leather biker jacket.
While she stood out in the formal crowd inside the restaurant, she was fucking gorgeous in all her rebellious apparel.
A twinge of guilt washed over me as my body reacted to the sight of her.
The mating call swept through me. This competition wasn't fair since Kayne didn't have a chance.
Blythe was my fated mate. She'd pick me, which invalidated every ounce of my resolve to make sure Kayne found his mate first. Either way, I'd lose Kayne.
Hopefully having my fated mate would help make up for it.
"By the gods…" Kayne muttered as we both watched her approach. He jumped out of his seat and was at her side before I found my senses.
"Thank you Kayne." Blythe kissed his cheek, then let him push her chair in. "Nice to see you again Fritz."
"Nice to see you too, Fritz… I mean Blythe. Shit, I'm sorry. Dammit, I didn't mean-- Kayne, save me from myself?!" I cut off my ramble with a plea for help.
Kayne's deep laugh sent a wave of heat through me as I silently prayed for a pocket dimension to open up and portal me out before I embarrassed myself more.
I wasn't normally shy or nervous around women, but the fact she was my Tsigo and knowing how much it would hurt Kayne when she picked me was too much.
"I'm already enjoying this date." Blythe murmured as she crossed her hands and set them in her lap.
With my gaze glued to the butter knife sitting next to the bed plate, I listened to Kayne chat with her.
"So, what made you sign up for this?" He was using his charming voice, the one he reserved for any woman he was interested in bringing back to his place. If she wasn't my Tsigo, she'd fall right into his trap.
"I didn't intend to." That caught my attention, and my gaze shot to hers.
She shrugged. "My friend and I joined this group called Mateless Mates almost a year ago.
We'd hoped to find our fated mates, but haven't found anyone yet.
She heard about this show, and decided to do what most shifters do…
any mate was better than no mate. Except, she couldn't work up the courage to go by herself, so I volunteered thinking I'd never get picked. "
Kayne took a sip of water, then asked the same thing I wondered. "They offered you a chance to turn it down. Why did you say yes?"
Karl delivered the food the show's producers had taken before we arrived. I ignored it, wanting to hear the rest of her story.
"When I was in that interview room, I felt this feeling of… rightness. Like I was supposed to be there at that moment, and on this show. I don't know how else to explain it." Blythe toyed with her cloth napkin.
I knew why it felt right. My guilt returned as I tried to cope with ruining Kayne's chance to find the mate he sought.
The mate he was willing to give up everything for.
Everything we'd worked for… our entire business empire was at risk because of his latest need to compete.
Instead of giving into his taunts, I should have told him he'd gone too far this time.
He was the wild one, while I'd always reined him in when things were on the verge of out of control.
Too late I recognized I'd started to spiral. I felt the pressure building inside of me, but there was nowhere to run. Kayne caught my attention, and the last thing I saw was his look of horror as every emotion exploded out of me. My body shattered and my consciousness evaporated.