Tilting his head at his mate, Matteo put on a sly grin. “I guess Thystle will have to fetch it for me, then.”
Thystle was already halfway out of his seat, ready to cater to his mate’s every whim. “YouknowI can’t resist that sexy voice...”
“And I can’t resist that sexy face,” Matteo teased back. “I’ll come with you.”
After the couple left, Cobalt sat by the foot of my chair. “Well? How is it?” he asked, examining my face hopefully.
“Mmm.Sogood,” I said, snatching another shrimp. “You should cook more often, Cobalt. That apron looks sexy on you.”
His cheeks flushed. “Oh.” He cleared his throat. “I had no idea.”
I looked him up and down, soaking in the sight of my mate. “Maybe you can wear it tonight?” I suggested.
“Guys, I’m right here,” Saffron reminded us dryly. “Love that you’re in love, but I don’t need a live viewing of your sex tape.”
Cobalt turned to him. “Then feel free to leave.”
Saffron gawked. “Holy Drake, who’s this pervert and what’s he done with my big brother?”
Cobalt smirked at me. There was an undercurrent of desire gleaming in his deep blue gaze.
“Maybe he’s been here all along,” Cobalt remarked, staring directly into my eyes with such intensity that it sent a shiver down my spine.
Saffron’s seat clattered as he rose from it. “Yup. And that’s my cue to escape.”
Twenty-Four
Cobalt
There weretwo cues that Muzo neared his egg-laying date.
One was his obviously enlarged appearance. His tiny body was stretched to the limit accommodating a massive dragon egg.
But the second was the change in his behavior. His easily distracted personality disappeared. He was solely focused on one thing—nesting.
“Why isn’t there any dirt in this castle?” he grumbled, pacing around the bedroom. He’d woken up five minutes ago, but instead of his usual thoughts of breakfast, he kept insisting he needed dirt. It wasn’t until I recalled Taylor and Matteo’s strange pre-egg-laying habits that I realized it was nearly Muzo’s time. If Taylor hoarded blankets and Matteo created a rooftop nest, then Muzo’s obsession for dirt wasn’t too farfetched.
“There are house cleaners whose job is to keep dirtoutof the castle,” I reminded him. “But if you want, I can make it happen.”
He blinked at me, wide-eyed. “You can?”
I put my hand on his shoulder to ease his restless energy. “I’d makeanythinghappen for you. You know that.”
He nodded. “Okay, yeah, true. I mean, I don’t want to get the bedroom dirty, but...” He bit his lip, trailing off. He clearly felt an urge he couldn’t put into words. It must’ve been his jackal instincts.
“Muzo, we’ve done plenty of dirty things in this room, remember?” I teased.
He snorted, slapping my arm playfully. “Not likethat.” He gasped as if an idea struck him. “Wait, wait. Isn’t there, like, a garden or something?”
“Sure,” I said, not quite understanding.
Then he ran out of the room at a speed I thought would be impossible given the size of his belly.
Spurred on by his urgency, I followed him outside the castle. I didn’t want to leave him alone, not when he was so close to laying. This was when he needed the most protection. It didn’t matter that the island full of dragons was the safest place on the planet for my mate—my instincts dictated that I had to be by his side.
Just as Muzo turned a corner ahead, a door opened in front of me and I crashed into the figure emerging from it. Judging by the yellow hair, it was one of the twins, but I was in too much of a hurry to focus on the hue, so I didn’t know which one.
“Ow,” the crashed-into twin complained, rubbing his head. “Dude, Cobalt, what’s the rush? Is the house on fire?”
