Thystle’s lined eyes shone wet with tears. He sniffled, wiping his face. “I can’t believe it... We’ve got a baby in the family.”
A large, warm hand touched my shoulder. It was Cobalt. For the first time since I’d met him, he smiled.
A pair of rowdy voices in the sky grew louder. Aurum and Saffron shifted midair, touching down in the sand and running over.
“We missed it!” Aurum cried. “All because of those stupid books!”
Jade was too enthralled by the baby’s presence to chide his brother about calling books stupid. He gestured for the twins to come closer.
The golden twins went wide-eyed at the sight of the baby. Saffron, apparently the more openly emotional of the two, cried tears of happiness.
“Hang on,” Crimson said. “If you two were in the castle, how did you know the baby hatched?”
“Viol told us,” Aurum said.
Crimson frowned. “What the—? He wasn’t even here.”
Aurum shrugged. “Maybe he was lurking in the bushes or something. Anyway, who cares? Look at the widdle stripey baby. Yes, that’s you! Cute little guy...” He poked a finger towards the baby’s mouth—and promptly got bitten by a row of tiny dragon teeth. “Ow!”
Crimson laughed. “That’s my kid, all right.”
I pulled the sassy baby dragon into my lap. They instantly calmed down, nuzzling against me and eliciting a group “aww” from Crimson’s brothers.
“Call me ignorant about dragons, but how do I tell if my newborn is a boy or a girl?” I asked.
Jade chuckled. “When baby dragons hatch, they tend to stay in that form for a while. You might not know until the first shift.”
“Yeah, it’s not like a mammal where you can just lift the tail and know,” Aurum chimed in.
I smirked up at Crimson. “So, what you’re telling me is...”
Crimson sighed dramatically. “Yes, weareessentially overgrown, fire-breathing lizards.”
I grinned, relishing in the joy of finally winning this debate. “Thank you for admitting it.”
“Have you guys picked a name?” Saffron asked.
Our baby yawned, then settled back into my lap. I smiled at Crimson.
“It’s a little on the nose, but we picked a classic dragon name,” I said. “Ruby.”
Nobody seemed to mind that it wasn’t the most original name in the world. Crimson’s brothers were too busy welcoming Ruby into the family, cooing and gushing over them.
As I watched, I felt overwhelmed with love. After being left behind by my biological family, I didn’t know if I’d ever feel welcomed in a familial setting again. But Crimson and his brothers filled that loss, replacing it with something good and whole. As we all gathered on the beach, happy for the newborn dragon and hopeful for the future, I felt truly at home on Chromatimaeus Island.
My mate leaned over to kiss me. He shared my wavelength, as always.
“I would say the hard part’s over, but with a newborn dragon, it’s just beginning,” Crimson teased.
I shrugged. “Small, striped, lots of teeth and claws... I’d say a baby dragon is pretty similar to a tiger cub.”
He chuckled. “So you’re up for the challenge if we want a second?”
I kissed him again, but this time, I gently bit his lower lip. “Don’t push your luck, lizard.”
Cobalt’s deep voice summoned everyone’s attention. “We should celebrate. Barbeque tonight on the beach.”
“Dude,” Aurum said, looking excitedly at me. “You haven’t lived until you’ve tasted Cobalt’s lambchops.”
