She waved my comment away. “It’s fine. I just really wanted a fated mate, you know?” Tears filled her eyes. “If I could have what I dreamed of, things would have been different with the mate who rejected me. I loved him so much. I know a lot of people end up paired with people they don’t care for or strangers or whatever, but he was different. I miss him, Wyatt. I really do. Other than my family and pack, my mate was the most important person in my life. Until he wasn’t.”
She sniffled, and I hurried to a nightstand to grab some tissues. “Here you go.”
“Thanks,” she said thickly, taking the tissues.
I felt terrible for her. Unlike Kira, Chelsey had not only been devastated by being rejected, but she’d had her heart ripped out because she’d actuallylovedher fated mate. I could have told Chelsey things would work out and she’d find love with someone other than the guy who’d rejected her, but anything I considered saying sounded cheesy and hollow. This was not the time for fake platitudes. I decided to get her mind off her heartbreak by focusing on her anger at the showrunners.
“I know Kira talked to you a little about what she wants to do. Breaking the show?”
Chelsey nodded, her tears already drying up. The muscles in her jaw flexed and rippled as she gritted her teeth. “Yeah. I told her that once she had a plan, I was all in.”
“Good.” I nodded. “We’ll need help, but I don’t want you risking your life for it. I want the show done, too, but not if you or Kira get hurt. I’d never forgive myself if you were hurt, and I think I’d die inside if something happened to Kira.”
“My brother, Hunter, is back home. They sent him back the same night I rescued him, but who’s to say they won’t abduct him again? I’ll do whatever it takes to fuck these people over. No one deserves to be hurt like that. I’m down for whatever you guys need to do.”
I smiled. Gods, a mountain had been lifted off me. Another ally. The more, the merrier. First Mika, now Chelsey,maybeJ.D. soon. Plus, Zoe and that Crew guy out in the jungle. The more people we had on our team, the more faith I had that we might actually succeed.
“So,” Chelsey said, glancing over at the table. “Those strawberries look really good. Do you mind?”
I laughed. “Go to town. Just… don’t look in the nightstand drawers. Unless you’re curious what a footlong dildo looks like.”
Her mouth formed a perfectOof shock. “Duly noted. I think I’ll stick to the treats and alcohol.”
Over the next forty minutes, we indulged in the chocolate, fruit, and whipped cream. I had one glass of red wine to calm my nerves, but Chelsey finished an entire bottle of champagne and passed out on the bed, snoring lightly. I settled down on the velvet couch beside the gas fireplace to sleep. There were only a few moments when I wondered how things were going in the other mating chamber, but I forced my mind to go blank. Gradually, I slipped into darkness.
Chapter5
Kira
I’d opted for the least revealing dress in my closet. Zoe had brought a ton of stuff, but nearly everything looked like something I’d wear to work a few hours at a strip club. The camera followed me as I strolled down the hallway behind the fallen angel bodyguard.
Rather than leading me to the mating chamber on the third floor, he guided me down the stairs to the second floor of the west wing. I’d been to the mating chamber the night Wyatt had almost died. That room had been much smaller than my suite, but almost more luxurious. Chairs and sofas all around, the massive bed, lighting, and mirrors—none of it had left any doubt as to the room’s use.
We rounded the corner and came to a door just as Von approached from a separate hallway, tailed by his own camera.
“Oh, right on time,” Von said and stepped forward to give me a peck on the cheek. I suppressed a shudder when his icy lips touched my face. “J.D. arrived a few minutes ago and is waiting for you inside. I have to say, you look gorgeous.” He turned to the camera. “Doesn’t she, folks?”
“Thank you, Von.”
“Tell me, did you come up with this look all by yourself?”
I wasn’t sure if he was goading me or just wasn’t smart enough to realize what he’d said. The smile on my face sat brittle on my lips. “Well, actually, I did. You see, my best friend was my stylist, but someone dragged her out of the mansion and took her to the jungle, never to be seen again. I wonder why I would have to get myself ready?”
Instead of being taken aback, Von laughed. “Oh, Miss Durst, you are a feisty one. Save some of that fire for inside the mating chamber. I’m sure J.D. will love a little excitement. He has seemed a bit forlorn lately. Perhaps,” he winked, “a nice roll in the hay will bring him around, hmm?”
The fact that he talked about J.D. and me like we were sex dolls made me want to gag. When Von addressed the cameras again, some of the tension in my muscles eased. I’d been seconds away from punching him in his perfectly white teeth.
“As everyone knows, the mating chamber is one of the most exciting and erotic parts ofThe Reject Project. Two shifters throw caution to the wind—along with their clothes, of course—to enjoy a night of unrelenting passion. It’s romance, it’s lust, it’s everything we love to see. And who knows, the person our lead mates take into the chamber may very well end up being the mate that the goddess Heline pairs them with at the end.” Von put a hand to his chest and nodded slowly. “So much beauty. So much love. Iadorethese nights as much as our fans do.”
My god, would he ever shut up? I’d had enough of pandering to the cameras. I snapped. “Von, I’m really tired. I’d like to go to bed, okay?”
Von laughed like I’d just told the funniest joke in the world, but instead of answering me, he turned back to the camera. “Ladies and gentlemen, it appears that Kira is itching to get under those sheets with J.D. My goodness, is he in for a wild ride.” He looked at me again. “Go to it, young lady. I only ask that you don’t break the poor boy. Leave some for Chelsey. She might have a chance with him later, and we want all his parts in working order. Enjoy.”
He strolled away, leaving me by the door. Seething, I watched him walk away, then shrugged it off and yanked the door open. The room was nice. If anything, it was even more luxurious than the regular mating chamber. Satin curtains hung from the ceiling, draping around the bed. The bed itself took up a huge portion of the room; it was just as big as the other mating chamber’s. Where the hell did they even get this stuff?
J.D. was sitting next to the fireplace but stood when he saw me. “Oh, hey.”
“Hey.”