“I’ve, erm, never ridden a horse before,” I admitted.
He snorted. “Then we’re in the same boat. I’ve never beenriddenlike a horse, either. Need help getting on?”
I examined the space where his neck met his back. There was a smooth dip between his shoulders that seemed reasonable to sit on. I jumped up and swung my leg over, trying not to look too silly or awkward. When I was actually seated, it felt more natural than I expected.
A happy laugh bubbled out of me. “This is already fun.”
Aurum’s voice was warm as he rose to all fours. “Then Jade’s nonsense was worth it.” He glanced at Saffron. “Ready, bro?”
Saffron was in dragon form, too. Somehow, the twins looked even more identical as dragons. But when I looked at Saffron, I didn’t get that hot, tingly zap of instinct in my chest.
Saffron held up one paw, as if clutching something. “Huh? Oh, yeah. Let’s go... gallop or whatever horses do.”
Aurum’s shoulders stiffened beneath me as he paused. He must’ve noticed the hidden item, too, but didn’t comment on it.
“Hold on tight,” he told me. “If you feel like you’re gonna fall, shift to your ferret form. You’ll hit the sand easier as a furry tube than a human.”
I chuckled. “Understood.”
The twin dragons took off. I yelped in surprise and joy as Aurum leapt into action. Cool evening air hit my face and thesalty tang of sea water filled my nose. To my surprise, I didn’t feel like I was going to fall off, but I clutched Aurum’s thick spines for support anyway.
“This is amazing!” I cried over the whipping wind.
Aurum’s deep chuckle vibrated between my thighs. “Having fun up there, cowboy?”
He pushed his muscles, running faster over the sand. It was weird to see a dragon run instead of fly, but he was much faster than I expected. Pure elation pulsed through my body. I felt like I was on a roller coaster—I’d tentatively ridden one once in my life before vowing never to do it again—but better in every single way.
“Yo, Saffron! Keep up!” Aurum called over his shoulder.
I glanced over to see Saffron falling behind. He ran on three paws, since one was occupied with whatever he held. I didn’t know if it was my imagination, or if Aurum’s shoulders stiffened with tension. My suspicions were confirmed a second later when he growled and thwacked Saffron’s snout playfully with his tail.
“Ow!” Saffron cried.
“Whoops,” Aurum replied in an angelic tone.
Saffron pushed forward, catching up to us. “Dude, I know you did that on purpose.”
“Maybe,” Aurum admitted. His tone was light and teasing, but there was an undercurrent of concern in it. He stared pointedly at Saffron’s curled paw. “So, what’s the deal? Does Billy want to chat?”
Who was Billy? I’d never heard of him before. By the sound of it, Aurum wasn’t too keen on him.
The scales on Saffron’s face went taut. “Yeah, actually. He does.”
Aurum’s shoulders tensed. “Well... I support you.”
I got the vibe that wasn’t quite true, but Aurum tried his best to believe it.
Saffron was quiet as he ran. Then, out of the blue, he stretched his wings and shot upwards into the sky.
Aurum’s gaze snapped up. I couldn’t explain it, but it felt like I understood his feelings, even without the context of their disagreement. Worry radiated off him. He wanted to be there for Saffron, even if he didn’t like his actions.
“I need to talk to him,” Aurum said. He tried to keep his voice steady so he didn’t worry me, but I sensed his unease as if it were my own. “I’ll drop you off here.”
“No,” I said instantly. “I’m coming, too.”
Aurum blinked at me. “This is between me and Saffron,” he began, sounding unconvinced. “But... maybe you can help us figure it out.”
“I want to try,” I insisted. “If you’re my fated mate, then Saffron is my family, too.”
