Mylo chuckled heartily. “You spent the first half of the Games pretending to be your twin brother, remember?”
Jade grinned. “Ah, so what you’re saying is, I should follow Aurum’s example and act manipulative to find my fated mate.”
“Oh, shut up, you know that’s not what I meant,” I grumbled, thrusting the spatula at my older brother. “No pancakes for you, Jade.”
“I’m wounded,” Jade said.
Rolling my eyes, I flipped a buttery stack of hot pancakes onto a plate and drizzled syrup on top, then placed it in front of Mylo. “Here. If you want more, just ask.”
Mylo’s eyes gleamed. “Wow, Aurum, these look amazing! I had no idea you could cook.”
Jade sipped his coffee with a dry smile. “I didn’t, either. I believe he tried his best just for you.”
I was about to growl at Jade, but Mylo’s beaming expression stopped me. He looked at me with such adoring passion that it made my heart squeeze. I smiled in return.
After plating my own pancakes, I sat at the bar across from Mylo. Jade quietly read his book and sipped his coffee as we ate. I had to admit, it was a pleasant family moment, just sitting together.
“This is really nice,” Mylo said suddenly, echoing my thoughts. “I don’t know if this is too cheesy to say, but... thank you for welcoming me into your family.”
Jade offered him a genuine smile. “Not at all. We’re lucky to have you.”
“What he said,” I put in. “Speaking of family, though, didn’t you say your parents forced you to sign up for the Games? Have you spoken to them since?”
Mylo tilted his head thoughtfully. “We’ve texted here and there, but that’s it. They’ll be glad to know I won after all.”
“The post-production is almost finished, and the show is set to air next week,” Jade explained. “Youcouldlet them find out that way.”
Mylo looked entertained at the idea. “I think I’ll do that. They won’t mind if I don’t call right away if they know I’m busy with my alpha dragon.”He paused, his gaze falling to the marble countertop. “Although... there is something I’ve been thinking about.”
I put down my fork, watching him closely. “Yeah?”
“Um...” Mylo bit his lip and was silent for a few beats. “Would you be really offended and upset if I wanted a ferret kit instead of a dragon?”
I blinked, more confused than anything. “No. Why would I?”
Mylo seemed like he’d gathered all his courage to speak. “I want to have a kit. I just don’t know if I can. All the other omegas had dragonets, so...”
I exchanged a glance with Jade. He was more knowledgeable than me in most areas, so if anybody had helpful insight for my mate, it was him.
“Three data points isn’t much to go on,” Jade pointed out. “Plus, every dragonet has inherited species traits from the other shifter parent. That tells us there’s a good amount of genetic recombination. Therefore, I believe it’s wholly possible your egg will hatch into a ferret kit.”
“Really?” Mylo asked, his eyes widening with hope.
My stomach unclenched. For once, I was extremely glad for Jade’s presence. He might’ve been a total smart-ass, but right now, a smart-ass was exactly what Mylo needed.
“I spoke to the other omegas, and Poppy suggested praying for kits,” Mylo murmured shyly. “So, I wondered if I could pray to Holy Drake about it?”
Jade stroked his chin. “I see. I have to admit, even we dragons don’t know much about Holy Drake. We have a single old book about him, but it’s mostly folklore. Still, there’s no harm in trying.”
Mylo nodded slowly.
“I wonder,” Jade murmured, pushing up his glasses with a contemplative look. “This is simply conjecture, but your body might lean towards kitting if you spend more time in your ferret form. A human body is better suited to carrying a dragon-sized egg. A ferret’s body simply wouldn’t work.”
Mylo sat up straighter. “You really think so?”
“I can’t say for certain, but it’s an option,” Jade said with a kind smile.
Determination flashed in Mylo’s eyes. “I’ll do it.”
