Page 10 of Gladiator's Bite
“What?” They both asked and then laughed and flashed me a sheepish look.
“I’m going to say this. If it happens again, fine, whatever. Just let me know. I don’t think it will but I’m just going to say that you two are okay in my book. If that takes the pressure off of whatever you’re fighting about.”
Teddy opened his mouth and shut it again. His thoughts were airtight over the Starscale link.
“Not my place to say what I think it is,” he shrugged. “For me, nothing’s changed.NOTHING!”
Sunny relaxed visibly for a second.
“Look, I’m actually going to leave now. Sunny, are we cool? Do what you need to do. I’ll buy you time with everyone else – even Liam and them. Just don’t dwell on it, okay? Have fun. Congratulations.”
“We’re okay,” Sunny nodded, and Teddy nodded in my direction before leaving.
“Any chance you want to tell me what that’s about?” I asked, circling my desk and sitting down on his lap.
“No,” he shook his head. “You know enough. We hooked up last night.”
“Let me take a guess. You’re both obviously alphas. This is about who was on top, or did he not want to take turns or something?” I pried a little.
“Don’t you want to talk about this whole ritual thing?” Sunny tried to change the subject as his face glowed redder with each word he said.
“To be honest, I’d forgotten about that,” I laughed. “You’re a compelling dragon, Sunny Moonscale. You’re all I can think about.”
“I’m not going to hook up with Teddy again.”
“Obviously,” I nodded. “He’s into hookup culture a bit, at least, and you’re not. I haven’t been interested in it in a long time either. Nothing wrong with it, though.”
“Do we have to talk about this right now?” Sunny asked, rubbing his thumb into his forehead.
Out of habit more than concern, I pulled his hand away from his face and checked his pupils. It wasn’t easy to give a dragona concussion and I didn’t think he hit his head in the arena, but stranger things had happened.
“I’m fine,” Sunny frowned. “I’m sorry all this bullshit---”
I shook my head to stop him.
“Don’t apologize. Don’t. I’ve watched dozens of pairs of mates meet. None of them go smoothly. Not the way you’d imagine. Not that instant everything works out. Hell, I asked the council to let me fight you and I was ninety percent sure who you were to me. We had very little chance of a normal start after that.”
“I meant the Teddy stuff.”
“The Teddy stuff is you stuff and you stuff is me stuff now,” I shrugged. “Seriously, take it from someone who has lived a while. It’s better to work this stuff out in the short term than let it drag out. I’ve seen friendships end over a kiss on a dance floor. Don’t let that happen to you two.”
“That would never happen with us,” Sunny said, his words almost snapping.
“Lots of dragons have said that. I’m not saying you have to chase him down right this second or anything. Just keep it in mind. I’m here if you want to talk about it.”
“No, you think I should talk about it.”
“Yeah, I want to know your hang-ups because there’s this pesky thing called magic pulling at us and tugging us together. Making me want to drag you into the shower and rip your clothes off. So, yeah, I want to know your hang-ups. I want to know everything about you. I’m not as levelheaded as the arena would make you believe.”
Sunny was quiet for a long moment, leaving me to wonder if I’d said something wrong or if he were a dragon of few words. I’d heard about Sunny here and there. He didn’t seem like the silent type.
“I just don’t want him to see me differently,” he said eventually.
“Why would he do that?” I asked.
“Were you a therapist before you were a gladiator?” Sunny laughed.
“No, but I’m the best at deflection. So, you can’t sneak it past me.”