Page 40 of Stripe for the Picking
Rylan moved like liquid lightning, his combat training evident in every economical motion. "You're reading this course like sheet music."
"I'm just getting started," she replied, her confidence building as she tracked multiple threats converging on his position. "Rogue program attempting to reroute your path marker—I'm overriding... now. Your true route is straight ahead."
We're in perfect sync, just like during our practice sessions.
As Rylan navigated the increasingly complex obstacles, their communication flowed like a rehearsed dance. She anticipated his needs before he voiced them, rerouting energy barriers and neutralizing digital hazards with surgical precision.
"Wren, I've got a trapped civilian at my three o'clock, but there's a massive energy field blocking access," he reported, his breathing controlled despite the physical demands.
"Working on it." Her fingers flew over her interface, finding the field's control matrix buried in layers of protective coding. "Field dropping in five... four... three..."
The energy barrier flickered and died just as Rylan reached the virtual civilian, scooping up the holographic figure with fluid efficiency.
"Brilliant work," he praised, genuine admiration warming his voice. "Your calm under this pressure is incredible."
He's right—I'm not nervous at all. This feels natural, like I was born for this moment.
A new threat materialized as a rogue shifter—a massive dragon construct—blocked Rylan's path to the next checkpoint. Without hesitation, he began the transformation that still took her breath away.
His human form dissolved into pure power and predatory grace as his tiger emerged—black and gold stripes rippling over massive muscles and blue eyes blazing with primal intelligence. Even in animal form, he moved with the controlled precision that marked him as an elite warrior.
"I can still hear you perfectly," she murmured into her comm, watching in fascination as he engaged the dragon construct with devastating efficiency.
The crowd in the observation deck erupted with impressed murmurs as Rylan's tiger form proved why he'd held his commander position for a decade. Claws and fangs became weapons of lethal precision, dismantling the threat with calculated brutality.
As Rylan shifted back to human form, got dressed, and sprinted toward the final checkpoint, Wren realized they were significantly ahead of their closest competitor—a wolf shifter from the Ice Mountains who'd been maintaining a steady pace throughout the course.
"Final stretch," she announced, adrenaline singing through her veins. "You're about to make history."
Rylan crossed the finish line with a time that made the arena erupt in astonished applause. The leaderboard updated instantly, displaying his name at the top with a point total that separated him from the competition by a substantial margin.
We did it. We actually did it. Two more rounds just like that and he will win the Trials.
Wren glanced over to the observation deck, where most Council members were on their feet, applauding with evident approval. But Arvox remained seated, his expression twisted with barely concealed disgust before he abruptly stood and stalked out of the arena.
That scheming bastard can't stand to see us succeed.
A fierce determination flared through her as she watched the Prime Minister's retreat.
Round one is ours. And sorry Arvox, but we're just getting started.
EIGHTEEN
RYLAN
Rylan crossed the finish line with his chest heaving and sweat coating his muscled torso as the arena erupted in thunderous applause. Forty-two minutes. A record-breaking time that sent electric energy through the crowd and made his name blaze at the top of the leaderboard with a commanding twenty-point lead.
Wren did that. My clever, impressive mate made that possible.
Pride surged through him as he jogged toward the arena exit, his tiger still prowling beneath his skin with triumph. Every precise direction she'd given, every trap she'd spotted, every barrier she'd dismantled—her genius had turned what should have been a grueling obstacle course into a masterclass in strategic partnership.
The locker room buzzed with post-competition energy as the other twelve competitors filtered in. Several approached him with genuine respect, their voices filled with admiration that made his chest swell with territorial pride.
"Incredible run out there, Kaedor," called Damien, a dragon shifter from the city of Dragos. "That route through the energy maze was pure brilliance."
"Your partner's got eyes like a hawk," added Elina, a lioness from the eastern territories. "Never seen anyone read the arena like that."
Rylan accepted their praise with controlled grace, but his focus remained locked on getting back to Wren.
