“It’s not that unusual,” Matteo explained with a friendly grin. “Golden eagles—like myself—lay their eggs about 45 days after mating.”
“That’s so soon,” I said, staring at my belly with growing curiosity. Only a few days had passed since Aurum and I had sex. Surely it was too soon to notice a difference in my body? Then again, ferret gestation wasn’t much longer. I guess it just never occurred to me how fast a pregnancy could be.
“Do you want a pregnancy test, Mylo?” Taylor asked. “I can have one brought to you.”
I mulled it over for a moment. “No, that’s okay. Thank you, though.” I smiled at the tiger shifter. “I’ll wait and see.”
Taylor nodded in understanding.
“Aw, no fair,” Muzo complained, slumping back in the seat. “Iwant to know...”
“Excited to be an uncle again?” Matteo asked.
“You bet. I’m gonna schedule so many play dates with Lazuli. And Apple, Cucumber, and Raspberry. Oh, and Blueberry 2.0, duh.”
I knew Lazuli was his child, but I didn’t know who the people with fruity names were. Except the last one.
“Blueberry 2.0?” I asked, imagining the blue dragon plushie.
Muzo lit up. “Yeah! Tay made him for me. He’s so soft and squishy, and perfect for cuddling when Cobalt’s not around.”
I wondered if I should confess to Muzo that I knew the culprit behind Blueberry 1.0’s disappearance, but decided to keep Viol’s sneaky actions a secret. Instead, I said, “Actually, Muzo, I know where Blueberry 1.0 is.”
Muzo nearly flipped the popcorn bowl by accident as he flailed at the revelation. “What? Where?” he cried.
“Saffron found him,” I explained, which wasn’t far from the truth. He didfindboth plushies on the floor of the room, although I still had no clue what they were doing there or why Viol was involved.
Muzo thrust the popcorn bowl into Matteo’s lap. “Gotta go!”
He sprang off the couch, shifted in midair to a wiry little jackal, then bolted down the hall.
Taylor got up with a sigh and followed him, muttering, “Doesn’t he know he can’t use the elevator with paws?”
Twenty-Three
Aurum
The morning after Mylo’s omegas’night, I noticed him staring longingly out into the garden. I prepared him breakfast in the kitchen while he sat at the bar, looking over his shoulder at the full-glass door that led outside.
“Somethin’ on your mind?” I asked as I opened the fridge.
“Huh?” He turned back to me. “Oh, no, it’s nothing.”
I raised a brow. “That sounds a lot like youdohave something on your mind, and you’re just not telling me. Spill.”
Saffron yawned as he strolled into the kitchen. He took the bottle of orange juice from my hand and poured himself a glass. “What’s goin’ on?” he asked sleepily.
I noticed Mylo didn’t blink as Saffron inserted himself into our conversation. It made me deeply happy that my mate accepted my twin as just another part of our lives together.
“I’m just thinking,” Mylo said, dodging my question again.
“About?” Saffron and I asked simultaneously.
Mylo huffed in amusement. “Hey, it’s not fair if you both do it.” He paused for a moment. “What do you two know about Holy Drake?”
My twin and I blinked at each other before turning to Mylo.
“Not much,” I admitted while Saffron shrugged. “Why?”
