His words sank in. For a long time, I believed that. But now…
I shrugged. “You altered my fate. That’s true. If you never attacked my village, then I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t have met Saffron, or the rest of your family.”
My alpha’s amber eyes flashed with emotion. He smiled and looped his arm around my waist.
I went on counting my blessings. “And if I hadn’t come to this island, I wouldn’t have known that my friend Poppy is still alive.”
Viol froze. His face was suddenly pale.
Was he going to faint? I opened my mouth to ask if he was okay when Jade’s voice rang out clear as a bell in the hall.
“Rorik and Saffron, do you have a moment? I’d like to discuss the final challenge together.”
Saffron nodded. “That’s a good idea. Let’s make sure he doesn’t come up with something wacky again. Likevolleyball,” he spat the word like a curse.
I nodded, moving to follow Saffron, then turned to say a final word to Viol. But when I glanced over my shoulder, he had already left.
20
Saffron
After our chit-chat with Jade,me and Aurum returned to our bedroom while I dragged Rorik along. It was too late for him to return to the hotel, and more importantly, I wanted him near me. When the three of us walked in, we saw a tired Mylo sitting splay-legged on the floor surrounded by strewn toys and two bouncing ferret kits.
“Oh, good, you’re finally back,” Myo said, tired but smiling.
Aurum chuckled. He reached down to pick up the twin girls like a pair of tube socks. Without hesitation, he deposited them in my and Rorik’s arms.
“Here,” he said. “Free parenting practice.”
Rorik stared in awe down at Desiree as the kit squirmed and tried to climb up his shoulder. He didn’t seem scared like he had the first time, but I figured he’d appreciate some guidance.
“You’re good,” I encouraged while balancing a ferret of my own. “As long as you don’t move around too much, she won’t fall off.”
“Okay. Oof,” Rorik added as Desiree crawled over the back of his neck. “Her nails are sharp.”
“All the better for digging up bugs,” Aurum teased. “C’mon, you two. Mylo wore them out, so they’ll settle down for a movie.”
I perked up. “Yes! Come on, Rorik!”
Mylo chuckled, standing up off the floor. “I see we’re having an impromptu movie night. I’ll go make the popcorn.”
“I’ll come with you,” Aurum suggested. “I stuffed myself at dinner, but I can’t say no to movie night snacks.”
As the two left for the kitchen, Rorik sat next to me on the couch. He moved easily compared to before—less like a stranger and more like he belonged. His hands were constantly in motion as Desiree clambered all over him, as if juggling a moving current.
“Do dragon offspring always have this much energy?” he asked.
I grinned. “Some more than others. Having twins is a special kind of tiring.”
Rorik paused, chewing his lip. His cheeks were tinged with pink. “Do you think…”
When he trailed off, I turned to look at him. “Hm?”
“When we…” Rorik cleared his throat. “When we have kids, do you think they’ll be twins, too?”
My heart soared. I loved knowing he was thinking about it. I leaned against Rorik, soaking up the warmth of his big body.
“Who knows?” I said. “Would you be opposed to that?”
