The closing ceremonieswent off without a hitch. Gaius did his hosting duties by cheerfully rounding out the second successful season of the Dragonfate Games. He announced me as the winner, then drummed up interest in season three. As Gaius proclaimed us the fated couple, my fellow contestants-turned-friends all cheered from the front row. Muzo was the loudest, as usual, but Alaric seemed genuinely pleased at my success, and Poppy raised his voice above a whisper, so that was a win in my book.
But there were also a pair of familiar faces who showed up to support us. Taylor and Crimson sneaked into the crowd with Ruby in tow. My heart lifted to see them. It was nice not just to see Taylor, but to see him so happy. There was a light in his eyes that wasn’t there before he got together with Crimson.
I breathed a sigh of relief once the ceremony finished. Being in the spotlight was easier as Aquila. I’d have to get used to it after years of hiding myself away in the background.
Another thing I wasn’t used to was the swath of friends who swarmed me. Muzo led the pack, enthusiastic as always.
“Dude, that was awesome! Gaius was all like, ‘these two found their fated mates during the Games’, and well,duh,your performance last night was so cool, of course you won.”
Alaric snorted. “You know Matteo didn’t win the Games based on his singing talent, right?”
“Yeah, but it still ruled,” Muzo pointed out.
Sighing, Alaric turned to me. “Congratulations, Matteo. You deserve it.”
Poppy nodded along. “You two are, um, a really cute couple. Is that okay to say?”
“Of course, Poppy,” I said. “And thanks, you guys.”
Thystle’s hand curved around my waist. It was both a silent show of support and a public claim. Now that the Games were over, he could PDA all over me as much as he wanted.
Crimson’s familiar voice chimed, “Well, look what the amethyst dragon dragged in. Nice to see you again, Matteo.”
Taylor arched a thick brow at his mate. “Did you avoid sayingcatbecause of me?”
“I’m trying to be mindful of my language,” Crimson confirmed with a grin.
Taylor rolled his eyes playfully, handed Ruby to his father, then gave me a tight hug. The embrace was a pleasant surprise. On season one, I was friendly with Taylor but kept my distance because of my anxieties. Now I knew I was worried for no reason. He and everyone elsewantedmy friendship.
“Glad you came back.” As Taylor pulled away, he said, “You were right about your mate being here, after all.”
Thystle blinked. “You knew?”
I smiled at him. “I had a feeling. At the end of season one, I told Taylor that my mate was on this island.”
A blush bloomed across Thystle’s cheeks. He hooked his thumb into the belt loop of my jeans and pulled me closer with a pouty growl. “You never told me that!”
“It never came up.”
“You better not have thought it was any of my stupid brothers,” Thystle grumbled.
“One of your so-called stupid brothers is right here, you know,” Crimson pointed out.
“And?”
Crimson scoffed. “I, for one, am looking forward to Matteo mellowing you out...”
Taylor shot me a lopsided grin. “Welcome to the family, by the way. Putting the lack of legal human marriage aside, I guess this makes us brothers-in-law?”
Something about that felt right. I nodded eagerly. “Yes, I’d like that.”
“You like it when it’s Taylor,” Thystle remarked wryly. “Just wait until you meet the five others onmyside...”
Gaius swept into the conversation, patting Thystle on the back. “Don’t you meansixothers, my dragon pal?”
Thystle gave him a look. “Gaius, you’re a family friend, not one of my literal brothers.”
“Your callous nature wounds me,” the gryphon shifter said dramatically, clearly not wounded at all.
