Page 6 of Lust & Lollipops

Nine hours?

Holy shit.

“Where’s the island?” I asked, since that didn’t seem to be an illegal topic.

“I don’t know.” He took his own seat, but didn’t buckle up.

I didn’t bother telling him to prioritize his safety. He was fae. If the plane started to go down or something, he could just fly off.

“Can I have my phone back?” I asked, hoping I could text Cam just to see if he knew anything about this new game show. As annoying as he was, he was my only actual contact in the fae Society.

“After you’re mated.”

He handed me the remote to a TV before I had the chance to sigh, so I turned on an action movie to distract myself.

Three and a half movies later, Rhett turned the TV off.

I didn’t protest at the sudden interruption.

Finally, he was going to tell me something.

“You’re being placed in a new kind of mating game,” Rhett said, his gaze on me.

I bit my lip.

Couldn’t tell him I’d already learned that.

“It’s called Survival of the Mated. Many of the rougher, older fae are unwilling to play Bachelorette. Or to pursue a woman who is dating another man. Let alone a dozen of them.”

I blinked.

Older, rougher fae?

That didn’t sound good for me.

“This one is entirely male driven. It’s a spin on a game show called Survivor, but you aren’t truly an active participant in the events. You won’t choose your mate until the end, when you select one of the three final contestants.”

My eyes widened.

“The men will vote one of your potential mates out on their own every two to three days. You’ll have no say in the voting. If you show any particular affinity to one of the guys, he will likely be off the island immediately.”

Shit.

Holy shit.

I scrambled mentally to remember the bits and pieces of Survivor I’d seen as a kid. I’d watched it with my family, and I could remember the alliances. The scheming. The betrayal.

I wasn’t playing Bachelorette… I was playing whatever the hell the opposite of it was.

There would be no developing feelings between me and the guys. No friendship.

Because anyone I showed interest in would get voted off immediately.

I had so little control over who I’d spend my life with, it was horrifying.

“Can’t they find someone else to test this out on?” I finally whispered.

“All of the candidates aging out this year were considered, and you were chosen as the best.”

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