Chapter Ten

Magnus

I clasped my hands over Ayelet’s shoulders and pressed him into the hallway wall. His delicious scent clouded my every thought. His arms tightened about my neck.

I pulled back for air, gasping. “Three years, and I’ve never forgotten you.”

“Same.”

“It feels like it’s fated.” That word kept coming up.

Ayelet was about to answer when I kissed him again. Those luscious lips opened for me with no hesitation. He pulled at the short fine hair at my nape.

I thought I’d lost him. If it weren’t for my dragon’s instincts, I wouldn’t be here. I would never have known Ayelet had also been drawn back to San Diego.

The second time I pulled back, I took in his face, memorizing every curve, plane, and dimple.

His eyes were glowing. He grinned. “But, Magnus. Don’t you feel it?”

“This? Deeply. Sincerely. We can work something out here, yes?”

“Yes, this. But also, something—” He sniffed the air. “More?”

“It’s been you all along. In my dreams. In my fantasies.”

His fingers trailed along my head until he cupped my jaw. “Use your dragon instincts.”

“My dragon wants you .”

Ayelet laughed and kissed me again then quickly broke it off. “It’s a hint of sugar, stars, the open road. I don’t know, but it’s—”

“Oof.” Someone bumped into me and muttered, “Sorry, dude.”

There was so much noise and too many people, even in the hallway.

Ayelet made my thoughts into chaos. What was he saying? Something sweet burned the air. My vision turned a darker pink.

Nudge. Nudge.

My dragon kicked. But Ayelet was here in my arms. We’d found him. No need for more nudges.

“I see the look on your face. You smell him, too.”

I tilted my head. Ayelet made no sense. “What is that? Are they making fresh donuts on site?”

“I haven’t found him yet, but he’s here.”

“Churros, then.” A lightbulb moment. “Better! Funnel cake with powdered sugar!”

My dragon actually growled.

Ayelet laughed. “It’s not food. It’s an omega.”

I blinked hard. Omega funnel cake. I’d never heard of that.

My dragon stomped on my thoughts with claws out, poking them all aside. Then said, with a deep yowl, Mate!

Of course, I knew now. Ayelet was my mate. He was an alpha, but when it came to fated mates, that didn’t matter.

Be still!

Ayelet, with his wide, sweet eyes, held my gaze. Voice low, he said, “He’s coming closer.”

“He?”

“Ours.”

Omega. Mate.

That was when I realized how slow I’d been. In my defense, Ayelet had my brain in a fog of arousal. Who could see past such a handsome gazelle?

“Our omega?” My whisper was lost in the club’s din. But Ayelet nodded anyway, understanding.

The scent was everywhere, now. My stomach growled. Ayelet had my pulse up, but what he said got me curious enough to turn my head. In that same moment, the crowd surged and parted, and there stood a young man with his eyebrows narrowed, mouth open, staring at the both of us. The way the lights hit him in those first few seconds gave him a sparkly aura, magical, as if he’d just beamed in from his silver starship.

“That one. There.” I grabbed Ayelet a bit harder than I’d intended, but he came willingly with me.

I sniffed high, low, then bent to the stranger’s throat and inhaled. I’d never been raised to be so rude. But the stranger didn’t take offense. Instead, he let out a giggle that rippled straight to my heart.

Ayelet also leaned in, nostrils flaring. “It’s him. He’s the one.”

“Wow. Found you! I didn’t think it’d be that easy,” the omega said.

I turned to Ayelet. “That’s why we couldn’t understand it three years ago. We didn’t have all the puzzle pieces.”

The omega looked up at us, eyes shining. “Two alphas? Two? Jackpot. We need to talk.”

He had sensed us, as well. Fated mates. It took a magical intervention of the Fates to push us in directions we needed to go in order to meet. With three of us linked, that was much harder. And it had taken three years. But here we were.

“I, uh, see you two have already met,” the omega said.

“Three years ago,” I replied.

His mouth fell open. “You’ve been together three years?”

“No, we met three years ago and have been wanting to find each other ever since,” Ayelet explained.

“When we first met, we thought it wasn’t meant to be,” I said.

Ayelet nodded. “We didn’t realize we were missing you. Not until tonight. We just reunited minutes ago.”

“Magnus.” The omega bit his lower lip. “What a great dragon name. I’m Harbor. I’m a unicorn. And I scented you both as soon as I walked in.”

Hell, I’d always loved unicorns. When I was little, I’d slept with a stuffed unicorn toy. Had my dragon known that far back?

Ayelet grinned. “My name’s Ayelet. Gazelle.”

Harbor lifted his hand and pinched himself on the forearm.

I reached out, touching his wrist. “Don’t hurt yourself.”

He laughed. “Just making sure I’m not dreaming. I never thought this would happen to me.”

“We need to go somewhere and talk,” I said.

Together, we made our way through the crowds and found a less noisy, less populated outdoor patio. The area was surrounded by a forest of trees. The wind shushed softly as it blew through the branches.

Ayelet and I grabbed the same chair, both pulling it out for our omega, then laughed to see we were both already letting our alpha selves take over. Harbor hopped into the seat. Someone came and took our drink order.

Finally, we could talk. Instead, we all sat gazing at each other for nearly a minute before Harbor broke the spell.

“I guess this means we’re engaged. Or do we do that dating thing first?” Harbor said.

We all laughed, tension alleviated for the moment.

“I’ll do whatever you want,” Ayelet said.

Damn. I hated dating. Should I just go for it? “What do you say our first real date is going shopping to pick out rings?”

Both their eyes got very large.

“Hey, no worries.” I spread my hands in a not-my-fault gesture. “I invited you, so that means I’m buying.”

“I want us to shift together,” Ayelet said.

“I want that, too,” Harbor said.

My heart fell. Maybe I was moving too fast.

“And rings,” they added at the same time, smiling wide.

Such a relief to know my eagerness wasn’t just all me.

My dragon shivered in delight, something I’d rarely felt from him. And this time, it wasn’t because he loved to shop.

“I heard there’s a private place to shift around here,” I said.

“I want to see both your animals,” Harbor said. “Where do we go?”

Just then, the waiter came by to take another drink order.

“Can you shift on the property?” I asked.

“Definitely. The changing benches are that way.” He pointed. “Around the corner of the building. The area is private and guarded.” He looked at me, eyebrow raised. “We ask those who fly not to go more than fifty feet above the treetops.”

“Will do. Another round of drinks first?” I asked, holding out my credit card.

“Hello! Yes!” Harbor bounced on his chair.

Drunk shifting. What a great meet cute this was turning out to be.