Page 3 of Last Resort

The man with the clipboard looked at his female companion, and they softly spoke as they looked at the footage. Poppy could hear them comparing her times to that of previous applicants. The man smiled and beckoned her over. She walked over and stood politely. “Yes?”

“Miss McGrath, do you know how to kayak or sail, snorkel, or scuba dive?”

“I snorkelled on the vacation. Does that take me off the list?” she asked hopefully.

The woman smiled. “No. Did you want off the list? If you do, Sityr can’t compete.”

Poppy wrinkled her nose. “Fine.”

The woman grinned. “I love the enthusiasm. Are you tired?”

“Yeah. It was an eventful weekend. Not a lot of downtime.”

Another alpha from their party with a familiar aura came by. “Spent time with friends?”

Poppy looked at the other concealed Elite. “Yeah. It was a real riot. Time flew by.”

He nodded. “I see. So, do you have issues cutting loose and being yourself?”

“Well, time and place.”

“Precisely. Are you looking forward to the challenges?”

“Not really, but I will do what I can then come home and do some gardening.”

“No one to miss you?”

“I have one artificial plant, but he and I have a calm roommate agreement situation.”

He inclined his head. “Good. You will be invited to hang around for an extra week on Wonder.”

“Why?”

“Filming will be stressful. You will need to decompress.”

“I really won’t. Can I go home right after if I want? I need to be where friends and family can get me if they need me.”

“I am sure they will be able to be without you for two weeks.”

She cocked her head. “The game takes a full week. Why two?”

“One day for orientation and to get your gear to make sure it all fits. Then we film individual intros, and from there, the game begins.”

“Do you have any objection to a two-piece?”

“As long as it is sport and not bikini. The ladies don’t like running around in hammocks.” She gestured toward her chest.

He grinned. “So, you clocked what I am?”

“Oh, sure. It’s why I didn’t shake your hand. They don’t know, and until the notification comes out, I want to stay under the local radar.”

“A trip to the islands will do that for you.”

“Really? You seem to be adapting well with someone whose skin absorbs sunlight. You have a beta mate?”

“Yes. She is the partner to the king, and I am the partner to her soul. It works out well.”

“You were one of the separates?”

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