Alaric strode towards us with his arms folded across his chest. “I’m inclined to agree,” he muttered, shooting a nasty glare at the trio in question. “You’re far more forgiving than I would’ve been.”
“Somebody has to be,” Poppy said, his soft words almost defiant.
Gaius flounced into the scene. He sported a new dirt-free Hawaiian shirt, and the scratch on his cheek was covered up by skilfully applied foundation. “Wow, what a wild ride—and an exciting end to the challenge! The jackal found his fated mate, the alpha dragon found his mateandhis moss, and the benevolent white wolf shared his winnings with everyone. You never know what’s going to happen on the Dragonfate Games, folks!”
Twenty-Three
Muzo
After the closingceremony wrapped up and filming concluded, season three of the Dragonfate Games was officially over. And for the first time ever, I didn’t have to go back home at the end—because I was already home.
It felt weird standing on the beach and saying goodbye to Poppy. We’d always lost the Games together. We left the island together. We sat next to each other on the plane. We hung out all the time back in the human city. But now I belonged here, on Chromatimaeus Island. That chapter of our lives was over.
Taylor—my other best friend turned brother-in-law, via dragon mate shenanigans—joined me for moral support. He was always the rock in our trio’s friendship. His presence was the only thing stopping me from bursting into tears.
Well, it did for about five minutes, and then I started bawling anyway. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones—confirmed, thanks to a pee-on-a-stick test—but I was a freaking wreck. I clung to Poppy and soaked his shirt with tears. He was pretty sensitive too, so my crying madehimcry.
Taylor patted both of us on the back as we hugged. “There, there, you guys. It’s okay. It’s not like you’re never going to see each other again.”
I gasped, sniffing loudly. “But what if we don’t?”
“You know Poppy is always welcome here, Dragonfate Games or not,” Cobalt reassured me. He was there to support me, along with Crimson, Taylor’s mate. The alpha dragons both knew we three omegas had a special friendship.
“R-really?” Poppy asked, his doe eyes watery.
Crimson scoffed in amusement. “Really, he asks, as if he hasn’t been invited to every season of the Games. By the way, the offer still stands for next time.”
Cobalt nodded. “Say the word and I’ll book your flight, no TV show required,” he promised with a smile. “I owe you for saving Muzo’s life. I’ll be forever in your debt.”
Poppy flashed a grateful smile in return.
“Can’t you just stay here on the island?” I asked, pouting. “There’s tons of spare rooms in the castle.”
Poppy shook his head. “It’s all right, Muzo. I have a life to get back to, and with the prize money, things will be easier.” He hugged his friend tighter. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll see you soon—and the baby, too.”
A warm feeling bloomed in my chest. The next time I saw Poppy, I’d have laid my egg and seen it hatch already. My baby would exist in the world, bright-eyed and beautiful.
“Okay,” I said, calmer now as I brushed the tears away. “But you’d better hurry up and fall in love with a dragon, okay?”
Poppy laughed softly. “I’ll try my best.”
* * *
A few weekshad passed since the Games ended, and living in the lap of luxury was finally starting to feel real.
It was the perfect beach day. Sunlight made the white sand glitter like diamonds, and the ocean was a picturesque shade of blue. The whole family gathered on the beach for a barbecue to celebrate my pregnancy, which was a pretty damn sweet thing to do.
I lounged in my pillow-padded chair, wriggling my toes in the warmth of the sun. It was nice to finally enjoy the beach without having to do any challenges.
But the most awesome part about the family BBQ was thatCobaltdid the barbecuing. He wore the adorable “Kiss the Cook” apron Taylor sewed for him back when he first moved in with the dragons.
As Cobalt set up the grill, it reminded me of my burger flipping days. I’d never forget that charred burger patty from my final shift...
“Do you want help?” I’d asked Cobalt, reaching for the spatula.
“No,” he’d rumbled, holding the spatula high in the air, out of my reach. “You go sit down and relax. Let me do the cooking.”
So I’d plopped my butt down in my comfy chair. But even while relaxing, I couldn’t take my eyes off my mate. He looked sexy as hell manning the grill.
