But Saffron wasn’t stupid. He whirled, staring over his shoulder at me with wide, terrified eyes.
Blood stained my white fur, clear as day. There was no hiding the evidence.
The raw pain on Saffron’s face was difficult to handle. His gaze was a pair of knives stabbed between my ribs.
“Saffron—” I choked out.
“Why, Rorik?” Saffron whispered.
It was his quiet voice that broke me. I wanted him to scream, lash out, berate me. I would’ve rather he just hit me. His gentle agony was too much.
Slow terror swamped me. I’d betrayed Aurum. I’d betrayed Poppy.
I’d betrayed Saffron.
I’d betrayed the only people who were ever truly kind to me.
As my mind spiraled and spun out, I couldn’t speak. I stood there like a gaping idiot, soaked in the blood of a dragon who had done nothing wrong.
A second wail rang out in the clearing. “Aurum!”
A short, chubby omega ran towards Aurum. I realized with a sickening twist of my gut that it must be his mate—the omega father of the innocent twin ferret girls.
Mylo wept as he stroked Aurum’s scales. “It’s okay. It’s all going to be okay,” he said shakily, as if trying to convince himself.
A burst of light caught my eye. I stopped, frozen in place as Saffron changed shape.
His human form was gone; a golden-yellow dragon took its place. Saffron curled his neck around Aurum’s like a shield, supporting him and staunching the flow of blood. He resembled a mother bear protecting her cub from a brutal winter storm. The two identical dragons lay intertwined in a fierce display of love.
Saffron never lied. He told me the truth, over and over again. Hewasa dragon. And so was his twin brother I’d nearly killed.
My throat tightened.
This was all my fault. I was in a nightmare of my own creation.
I backed up slowly, giving them space. I wanted to disappear. Not just from the scene of my crime. From the entire world.
But that would’ve been the coward’s way out. I had to atone for this.
I approached the dragons with cautious paw-steps and a bowed head, trying to indicate I wasn’t a threat anymore.
The second I was close enough to speak, Mylo whirled around to snarl at me. A vicious set of sharp ferret fangs glinted in his human mouth.
“Don’t take another step towards my mate,” he warned.
His tenacity gave me pause. I’d never seen an omega so protective of their alpha. I didn’t realize that was—for lack of a better word—allowed.
Saffron looked at me. Even as a dragon, I recognized his eyes. Pain and confusion shone in them, but unlike Mylo, he didn’t look seconds away from tearing me to shreds. He just looked sad. Hurt.
I opened my mouth to speak, but faltered. What could I say? No single apology would fix this. Words wouldn’t wash the blood off my fur.
I’m so fucking stupid.
My mouth was dry. “I… only want to know if Aurum is okay.”
“If you care so much, why did you attack him?” Mylo snapped.
The short omega had no fear of standing up to me. That was the strength of his bond with Aurum. It dawned on me that he would’ve done anything for his mate.
