Tirrian stays behind. I’m sure he will grill her for more information, and I’m okay with letting him handle that. I have twelve mates, and I need to spread the responsibilities out, otherwise I’m going to be spread too thin and have a nervous breakdown before we even arrive in Earth’s orbit.
CHAPTER TEN
Caspian
“Brother!” Malik cheers, holding up his bottle of beer and saluting me with it. The rest of my act cheers as well as I take a seat at the table they have commandeered. It’s rowdy, and most of them have enjoyed an alcoholic beverage or two. I smother a grin. They will feel a little under the weather tomorrow morning. I’m pretty sure it will be the perfect time to announce a rehearsal to rework our act, but I’ll let it be a surprise.
“Sit and tell us what being mated is like. Is it all it’s cracked up to be?” Thorn demands, the dragon prince slurring his words.
“Of course it is. Lila is an amazing woman. My brother got really lucky.” Malik slaps me on the back, and I cough with surprise. “Now tell us about that beauty she was with earlier. What species is she? Is she single? What does she do in the act, and can you assign me to assist with it?”
I gape at my brother. I’ve never heard him speak so enthusiastically about a potential paramour in my life. Heusually likes to play it cool and let them come to him. Titus elbows him hard, and Malik spits out a mouthful of beer.
“Forget about squid rings. Tell me, does she like dragons?”
Thorn just rolls his eyes and shakes his head. “Jesus, what has gotten into you two?” he mutters. “Just moments ago we were checking out all the available singles on the ship, and now you are focused on one. Boring.”
“I think she’s my mate,” they both announce and then look at each other in shock.
“No, she’s my mate,” my brother argues, shaking his head.
“No, my dragon insists she’s ours. The minute her scent hit our nose, we knew.” Titus shoves Malik, who shoves him back. Titus stands up and tackles him, and the two of them hit the ground and start rolling around, wrestling.
I sigh and look at Thorn. “What the fuck?” I ask him, and he shrugs.
“They are always like this. They just need to fuck and get over it.” He rolls his eyes and turns his attention to the person on his other side.
Oh, huh. So it’s like that, is it? I was going to step in and tell them that she’s Skarrian, like Lila, so it is possible she’s both their mate, but now I’m going to let them go. They need to work out their own shit. It doesn’t take long.
I order myself a beer and something to eat, and eventually, they stop rolling around and sit down, both of them adjusting their pants in a way that makes me want to smirk.
“Are you finished?” I ask dryly as they settle into their seats.
“For now,” my brother mutters, not meeting my eyes, and I want to chuckle, but I hold it in. I can make him suffer later.
“Do you want me to tell you about Magenta or not?” I ask them, and they lose the sullen fury and perk right up.
“Yes,” they say together, and Titus mimes zipping his lips.
“Magenta is Skarrian, and she has a solo act in the circus. Her power is levitation, and she does a pretty thing with silks and then plays a game of dodge ball with the crowd. It’s a fan favorite because if anyone hits her, they get to take her out on a date.”
“Skarrian, you say?” Malik asks, side-eyeing Titus. “That means she will have multiple mates, right?”
“Possibly,” I hedge, not willing to give them any hope. It’s fun to see them both deflate. “And she likes females as well. She certainly is popular, but I’ve never seen her get too serious with anyone. May I make a suggestion?” I continue without waiting for them to reply. “Your beasts are insisting she’s your mate, but be careful on how you approach this. They could very well do what mine did to Lila and force the issue. I’m not sure Magenta would be as understanding as Lila if she was mated and knocked up after one night of fun. In fact, your survival would be in question. You also need to be open to the idea that you two may not be the only ones Magenta is attracted to. Remember, she doesn’t feel the mate call like you do. She will be attracted, but it won’t be as imperative to her.”
“You need to woo her,” a voice says over my shoulder, and I grin.
“What do you know about wooing?” Malik asks Nikos as he takes a seat next to me. “From what I hear, you tricked Lila into mating you.”
Nikos holds up his hands at the aggression in my brother’s voice. “While we may have started off as a misunderstanding, I can assure you we are all on the same page now.” Gone is the bubble-headed himbo we all knew, and in his place is a calm, sensible man who has embraced fatherhood with open arms. “I’m telling you so you don’t make the same mistakes Cas and I did. I suggest you romance her. Bring her gifts, take her out on dates, and hold off on the sex for a little while. Magenta’s self-esteem isn’t as good as it should be. Many see her as the sluttySkarrian who is good for a few nights but not long term. Don’t make that mistake.”
Both Malik and Titus stare at the merman with undisguised shock. Yup, the man is surprisingly insightful now that he’s not pretending to be a dick. “He’s not wrong. With Nixie not returning and Hale and Velorina being no-shows, Magenta is alone for the first time in a while, and I don’t think she felt as casual about the three of them as she pretended to.”
“Also, don’t turn it into a competition between you. Listen to your beasts but come up with a plan to woo her together. Show her you are willing and happy to be involved in a mating circle. Shifters are notoriously prejudiced against poly relationships,” Nikos points out, and I nod my agreement. We did get some disapproving looks from various shifters on Fluxx, including the dragons.
He continues. “You don’t have to fuck each other, but you have to be willing to work together to give her pleasure.”
Malik and Titus both shift uncomfortably in their seats, and I really don’t think that is going to be a problem. In fact, if the two of them aren’t fucking by the end of the week, I will take charge of all potty training with the triplets which, let me tell you, has not been easy. Jack likes to whip it out wherever he is.
