Page 50 of Stripe for the Picking
"After we annihilate this second round, I'm ready to show him what happens when he threatens my mate and the planet I've grown to love."
TWENTY-TWO
RYLAN
"Round two commences in one minute," the automated voice announced across the arena.
Rylan rolled his shoulders, working out the residual stiffness from his tiger's transformation as he moved into position for the round's start. The twenty-point penalty sat like acid in his gut—not because of the lost lead, but because of the familiar pattern it represented.
Every goddamn year, some technicality or suspicious ruling costs me points I rightfully earned.
His irritation only grew as he realized with crystal clarity that Arvox hadn't just orchestrated today's attack—he'd been manipulating the Trials for years. Arvox had clearly wanted to ensure Rylan never quite achieved the decisive victory that would cement his promotion to Security High Commander and eliminate any threats to whatever twisted agenda the Prime Minister harbored.
Rylan studied the transformed landscape before him with tactical precision. Cliffs now jutted out at treacherous angles, their surfaces slick with alien moss that would make climbing nearly impossible. Waterfalls created shifting curtains of mist and steam designed to obscure visibility and mask potentialthreats. Platforms moved in complex orbital patterns, requiring split-second timing to traverse successfully.
"This course is absolutely diabolical," Wren's voice crackled through his earpiece, carrying a note of impressed disbelief.
"I guess they wanted to level the playing field," Rylan muttered.
"Well, joke's on them. We don't play on level fields—we annihilate them entirely."
The countdown reached zero, and Rylan exploded into motion. His enhanced reflexes carried him across the arena's opening stretch with fluid grace, but his mind kept circling back to Zarik's attack and Arvox's satisfied smile afterwards. The sneaky bastard had tried to have him killed—or at a minimum, eliminated from competition through serious injury.
"Focus, handsome," Wren's voice cut through his dark thoughts. "I can feel your rage through our bond, and while it's incredibly sexy, we need that tactical brain of yours engaged right now."
Rylan vaulted over a collapsing platform, his boots finding purchase on stable ground just as the structure crumbled into the artificial chasm below. "How can you tell I'm distracted?"
"Because you just took the long route around that obstacle when I could have rerouted the plasma field to give you a direct path." Her tone carried gentle amusement. "Plus, our mate bond is practically vibrating with your desire to tear Arvox's throat out."
"The thought had crossed my mind."
"Right now, I need you thinking about how we're going to celebrate after we demolish this course."
The mental image of Wren spread across his bed, her skin flushed with pleasure as he worshipped every inch of her body, sent a jolt of heat through his system that cleared away the angry fog clouding his judgment. His tiger purred with satisfactionat the promise of claiming his mate thoroughly once this competition ended.
"Much better," Wren said, her voice carrying a sultry edge that made his cock twitch despite their very public circumstances. "Now, incoming hazard at your two o'clock. I'm rerouting the energy barriers to give you a clear path to the second checkpoint."
Rylan's enhanced senses picked up the subtle shift in the arena's electromagnetic field as Wren worked her technological magic. Where moments before a wall of crackling energy would have forced him into a time-consuming detour, now a narrow corridor opened just wide enough for his large frame to slip through.
"You're a beautiful magician," he breathed, diving through the gap with inches to spare.
"I know. Now stop flattering me and start moving faster—you've got three virtual civilians trapped in that collapsed structure ahead, and the simulation timer is running."
For the next thirty minutes, Rylan moved through the arena like a force of nature guided by divine intelligence. Wren anticipated every threat, neutralized every trap, and created opportunities where none had existed before. Their communication flowed seamlessly, built on absolute trust and the unbreakable connection of their completed mate bond.
When plasma cannons emerged from hidden alcoves, Wren disabled their targeting systems before they could lock onto Rylan's position. When shifting platforms threatened to dump him into artificial lava flows, she stabilized the mechanisms long enough for him to traverse safely. When holographic enemies materialized to test his combat skills, she highlighted their weak points.
"Final checkpoint ahead," Wren announced as Rylan scaled a near-vertical cliff face with his enhanced strength. "You'recurrently running twelve minutes faster than your closest competitor, despite the increased difficulty."
Rylan hauled himself over the cliff's edge and sprinted toward the finish line, his powerful legs eating up the distance with predatory grace. The scoreboard materialized in his peripheral vision as he crossed the threshold, and a fierce grin spread across his face.
First place. Again.
"Fifty-five minutes flat and seventy-seven points for the round," Wren's voice rang with pride and satisfaction. "That's a new record for most points in one round and you did it running the most challenging course in Trials history."
Rylan found her command station in the overhead gallery and met her green eyes across the distance. Even from here, he could see her triumphant smile and the way her cheeks flushed with excitement.
"Two-point lead," he said into his comms. "Not as commanding as yesterday, but we're still on top."
