22. Mylo

Twenty-Two

The fourth DragonfateGames came to a close in a blur of chaos and contentment. I didn't know if I'd made good TV or not, but I didn't care. I'd found new friends, family, and of course, my fated mate.

All I had to do was stand there with a smile. That wasn't difficult, since Aurum was by my side. Gaius dealt with the lion's share of wrapping things up. Everything he said oozed with charisma, and all his speeches ended on inspiring high notes. He made the audience forget their disappointment that only one twin found their mate. Instead, he hyped up me and Aurum's love, as well as the next season—whoever ended up being its bachelor.

Apparently, Jade already knew, but he was tight-lipped about his schemes.

"An omegas'night?" I asked, blinking at the invitation card Taylor handed me.

The tiger shifter gave me a cool smile. "That's right. Poppy and Alaric are leaving the island tomorrow, so I wanted to spend a night together. Just us omegas."

My heart jumped. I'd grown fond of my two new friends, and I thought the little party was a great idea.

"And I'm invited?" I repeated just to make sure. I'd never been invited to anything. Well, except maybe mandatory staff meetings at my job. Well, ex-job. Since I was mated to a rich dragon, I didn't need to work minimum wage at a game store anymore.

Taylor had a firm purr in his voice. "Of course you're invited. You're one of us."

"Who's that at the door?" Aurum called from the bathroom. He strode out in a towel, squeaky clean after his shower. The couch we'd had sex on was just as clean after we thoroughly scrubbed it down.

Taylor ignored the fact that Aurum was half naked. "We're stealing Mylo tonight."

Aurum gasped, throwing his arms around me in a possessive embrace. "What? Why?"

"Omegas' night."

Aurum pouted. "But I wanted to play DreamHunt 14 with you."

I smiled in sympathy. "Don't worry, I still want to play, too. But my friends are leaving tomorrow, so this is the only chance we have to hang out."

"Oh, right." Aurum perked up. He pressed a goodbye kiss to my head and released me from his clutches. "Go have fun. Take care of him, okay, Tay?"

"Of course I will," Taylor stated. "Come on, Mylo. Everyone's already waiting."

I followed him with a skip in my step. It was nice to be included, and this could be a good opportunity for me to ask about omega-related things. Taylor was Crimson's mate, and he had a kid already. Could he ease my mind about my possible pregnancy?

I thoughtwe'd hold our little gathering in the castle, but Taylor took me back to the hotel. He punched the top floor in the elevator and led me to a huge penthouse. My heart leapt with excitement. The normal hotel rooms were beautiful, but the penthouse blew my mind. It had an incredible view of the ocean and the island.

A group of omegas hung around a big sectional couch. A tantalizing array of snacks were laid out on the table. I recognized a few of the omegas—besides Taylor, there was Poppy and Alaric. There were also two faces I didn't know, but they smiled and waved.

"H-hi, everyone," I said, feeling awkward with everyone's attention on me. Even after being on the Dragonfate Games, I still wasn't used to it.

But there was no judgment on anyone's expression. They greeted me warmly, inviting me to the couch.

"Mylo, this is Matteo," Taylor began, gesturing to a handsome omega lounging on the couch. Black eyeliner rimmed his brown eyes. He exuded the cool aura of a rock star, but his smile was down-to-earth.

"Nice to meet you," Matteo said.

The darker-skinned omega next to him vibrated with excitement, like a student desperate to be chosen by the teacher.

Taylor snorted as he gestured to him. "And that wriggly one is Muzo."

"Hi!" Muzo exclaimed. To my surprise, he leapt out of his seat and hugged me like we'd been friends for years.

"Hey," I said, returning the hug. His black-and-blond hair brushed against my cheek, and I noticed he smelled like salt water.

Muzo grinned as he plopped back on the couch and grabbed a handful of popcorn. "The gang's all here! Isn't this awesome?"

"Quite inspiring," Alaric said dryly.

I'd gained a lot of confidence over the Games, but old habits died hard. Since I was the newest in the group, I didn't know where to sit, so I hovered over the edge of the couch.

"Come over here," Poppy encouraged, patting the empty spot between him and Alaric.

My heart warmed at his invitation. I sat down, very aware of my big butt, expecting them to shuffle further away to make room. But once again, to my surprise, neither Poppy nor Alaric moved. Happiness surged through me at their acceptance.

"So, you fell for one of the twins, eh?" Matteo asked. "What was that like?"

"Yeah, that's wild," Muzo added, stuffing popcorn into his mouth. "I can't even tell ‘em apart!"

I grinned humbly. "I dunno, it's pretty easy for me. Aurum's... brighter, if that makes sense?"

Alaric gave his lollipop a nonchalant lick. "That's because he's your fated mate. I assume each mated omega here feels that way."

Muzo, Taylor and Matteo all got a dreamy gleam in their eyes.

"Are you two mated as well?" I asked them.

Matteo nodded. "Thystle is my mate, and Cobalt is Muzo's."

Alaric's expression tightened and his teeth grazed the lollipop with a soft clack. He must've been envious of all the paired omegas. After all, there weren't many alpha dragon bachelors left at this point. Didn't only three remain? I hoped Alaric found his mate soon.

And then there was Poppy. He wasn't as openly jealous as Alaric, but I sensed he wanted his fated mate just as badly. The wolf shifter was shy—maybe even more than me. I worried that he'd be too passive and let his alpha pass him by.

"By the way, Mylo," Muzo's curious voice probed into my thoughts. "What kinda shifter are you?"

"I'm a black-footed ferret," I told him.

He lit up. "No way! I'm a black-backed jackal. We're twinning!"

"Aren't those endangered?" Matteo asked me with a sympathetic glance.

"Yes, they are," I murmured, glancing down at my belly. "For the sake of my kind, I hope I'm already pregnant..."

Taylor grunted. "It's not your sole responsibility to restore the black-footed ferret population. Don't take that burden on yourself."

I shook my head, grateful for his reassurance. "I'm not. I do honestly want to have a kid with Aurum. Maybe even a couple." I sighed. "But I'm kinda nervous about the whole thing."

Matteo offered me a gentle smile and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "That's normal. We all felt the same way before we delivered our eggs."

My brows shot up. "Eggs? Oh... I guess that makes sense, since the alphas are dragons." I searched everyone's faces. "So, did any of you give birth to a baby from your shifter heritage?"

Matteo, Taylor and Muzo shook their heads. I couldn't help feeling a pang of disappointment. Had I let my kind down by falling in love with a dragon instead of another black-footed ferret?

"I guess dragon genes are strong," I murmured.

"Even though they're dragons, Ruby, Heather and Lazuli all kept traits from the other shifter's side," Taylor pointed out. "Maybe there's a spectrum of how much they inherit."

Poppy fidgeted with his hands. He'd been quiet this whole time, but he finally spoke up. "Maybe... you could pray for ferret kits?" he said in a small voice.

Alaric snorted, ready to tease him, but then he saw Poppy's face and realized his suggestion was genuine. "Oh. You were serious."

"Yes, I am," Poppy confirmed.

"Pray to who, Pops? The shifter gods?" Muzo asked, puzzled but curious.

Poppy stared down at his hands folded in his lap. "You could... but don't the dragons have their own god? Holy Drake?"

Alaric arched an eyebrow. "I assumed that was a figure of speech when they needed to curse."

Matteo crossed his arms thoughtfully. "Putting gods aside, it's not a bad idea to wish for ferret kits if that's what you want, Mylo. The placebo effect is real. You can influence your body in ways that might surprise you."

I wouldn't have believed that if the idea originated in my own mind, but hearing it from someone as cool and confident as Matteo swayed my opinion.

"It wouldn't hurt to try," I said, hope budding within me. "Thanks, everyone."

Matteo smiled. "No problem. We're here for you, Mylo."

"Yeah, we omegas gotta stick together!" Muzo agreed.

Taylor nodded. "Going through a pregnancy can be nerve-wracking, but you're not alone. We're all here to support you."

Emotion welled up in my chest. Everyone in the extended Chromatimaeus family was so kind and uplifting. I wasn't used to having this many friends and supportive family members.

I put my hands over my plump stomach. "Um, how will I know when I'm pregnant? I'm already chubby, so I don't think getting bigger will be a good clue..."

Matteo chuckled. "Getting a larger tummy isn't the only clue you're pregnant. You might get morning sickness, or—"

"Or get super horny," Muzo butted in.

"That, too," Matteo agreed.

I blushed. That sounded like a more... pleasant symptom.

"Or you could do the smart thing and simply take a pregnancy test," Alaric pointed out, examining his nails.

"Yes, if you desperately want to know ASAP, a test is a valid option," Taylor said. "But since you'll technically be gravid, not pregnant, you'll feel the egg inside you sooner or later. I laid Ruby's egg about a month after conception."

"The egg," I murmured. Could ferret kits really hatch from an egg? If I prayed for them, would I get pregnant the old-fashioned mammal way? Then I blurted out, "Wait, did you say a month?"

Taylor, Matteo and Muzo all laughed.

"It's not that unusual," Matteo explained with a friendly grin. "Golden eagles—like myself—lay their eggs about 45 days after mating."

"That's so soon," I said, staring at my belly with growing curiosity. Only a few days had passed since Aurum and I had sex. Surely it was too soon to notice a difference in my body? Then again, ferret gestation wasn't much longer. I guess it just never occurred to me how fast a pregnancy could be.

"Do you want a pregnancy test, Mylo?" Taylor asked. "I can have one brought to you."

I mulled it over for a moment. "No, that's okay. Thank you, though." I smiled at the tiger shifter. "I'll wait and see."

Taylor nodded in understanding.

"Aw, no fair," Muzo complained, slumping back in the seat. "I want to know..."

"Excited to be an uncle again?" Matteo asked.

"You bet. I'm gonna schedule so many play dates with Lazuli. And Apple, Cucumber, and Raspberry. Oh, and Blueberry 2.0, duh."

I knew Lazuli was his child, but I didn't know who the people with fruity names were. Except the last one.

"Blueberry 2.0?" I asked, imagining the blue dragon plushie.

Muzo lit up. "Yeah! Tay made him for me. He's so soft and squishy, and perfect for cuddling when Cobalt's not around."

I wondered if I should confess to Muzo that I knew the culprit behind Blueberry 1.0's disappearance, but decided to keep Viol's sneaky actions a secret. Instead, I said, "Actually, Muzo, I know where Blueberry 1.0 is."

Muzo nearly flipped the popcorn bowl by accident as he flailed at the revelation. "What? Where?" he cried.

"Saffron found him," I explained, which wasn't far from the truth. He did find both plushies on the floor of the room, although I still had no clue what they were doing there or why Viol was involved.

Muzo thrust the popcorn bowl into Matteo's lap. "Gotta go!"

He sprang off the couch, shifted in midair to a wiry little jackal, then bolted down the hall.

Taylor got up with a sigh and followed him, muttering, "Doesn't he know he can't use the elevator with paws?"