Crimson flashed me a lopsided grin. We butted heads a lot when we were younger, like on that infamous day ten years ago, but we were cool now. When my brother found his fated mate, it really chilled him out. Taylor balanced out his arrogant attitude and brought him down to earth. Honestly, it was nice to see them together. They were a cute couple. Not that I’d admit that out loud.
“We missed you at the beach earlier,” Taylor remarked. “We planned a family lunch, remember?”
I blinked. “Huh? Oh, sorry. I didn’t remember it was today.”
”Were you particularly busy?” Crimson asked, raising a brow. “It looked like you were lazing around in bed.”
“I wasn’tlazing. I was... thinking,” I mumbled.
I didn’t expect Crimson to remember the significance of the date. He wasn’t that interested in my favorite band, the same way I didn’t care about his suits. But he knew it was part of my hoard. That was the one thread that connected all dragons. No matter how different we were, dragons intimately understood that bond to a hoard.
“It’s TalonStorm,” I said quietly. “Today is the ten-year anniversary of their breakup.”
Crimson’s expression softened. “I see.”
“TalonStorm?” Taylor asked.
“My favorite band.” I cast a glance at Aquila’s poster behind me. “He was the lead singer.”
Crimson nodded to the poster. “Thystle was obsessed with him,” he murmured to his mate.
“I still am,” I corrected.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Taylor said with a sympathetic frown. “Did the members go on to start personal projects or anything?”
I rubbed my arm, feeling cold and empty. “No. They all just... vanished.”
The sudden quiet in the room was interrupted as Ruby waddled up to me. He leapt onto my bed, shifted into his dragon form, and gnawed on my pre-ripped jeans. I grinned and patted him on the head.
“Thanks, Ruby,” I said. “You’re making them even more fashionable.”
Ruby squeaked happily. I suddenly felt bad for missing the family lunch earlier. If I’d gone, I would’ve enjoyed a sunny outing with Ruby, Taylor, and my brothers. Instead, I locked myself in my room, moping over a band that would never return.
Why couldn’t I stop thinking about Aquila and TalonStorm? Anyone else would’ve forgotten about them by now, or at least accepted the reality that they’d moved on. But I hadn’t. I was stuck in the past, pining over an omega who didn’t even know I existed.
My mood threatened to spiral again, but my family’s presence grounded me. I took a breath and moved past it.
“Sorry I couldn’t make it,” I said. “I’ll remember next time.”
To my surprise, Crimson put a hand on my shoulder. “It’s all right, Thystle. Sorry you weren’t feeling up for it.”
I blinked. I wasn’t used to him being this affectionate. Taylor really had a positive effect on him.
I was happy for him, but also a bit jealous. How different would my life be if I had a fated mate, too? If Aquila was in it?
“You know what? There’s still some leftover hot dogs,” Taylor noted. “Why don’t you come down to the beach with us? We can have a post-lunch lunch.”
I grinned, happy to be included. “That sounds great.”
The four of us headed to the beach. Everyone else had scattered to go about their day, but that was fine with me. I was still in a fragile mood, so it was nice not to be overwhelmed by my whole family’s presence.
But as soon as I grabbed a lukewarm hot dog and lounged in a beach chair, a flurry of feathers flapped above my head. That could only be one man. A familiar gryphon touched down on the sand, then shifted into his human form, complete with a gaudy fuchsia Hawaiian shirt.
“Good afternoon, drakes and felines!” Gaius said brightly. He took a spare hot dog from the grill without asking. “How are we feeling on this beautiful Wednesday?”
“You know, the Dragonfate Games ended months ago. You can stop talking in that official announcer voice,” Crimson said.
Gaius took an offended bite of food. “I’m not doing a voice. This is simply how I speak!”
