Page 41 of Gladiator's Bite

They were never going to see eye to eye on Selt but we could all lay eyes on our egg if those two just kept their egos in their pants for a bit longer.

Chapter Sixteen

Sunny

I wasn’t jealous of Selt.

Did it make me uncomfortable that our ‘type’ seemed to overlap so much? What did that say about me? I didn’t think I was an asshole, but most assholes don’t walk around acknowledging the fact.

I didn’t like the part of Teddy that I witnessed Selt bringing out either. Every dragon could fight. It was in our DNA. We’d all heard the stories about his dad when he was younger. Teddy played rugby with the best of them, but he always seemed so solid and reliable. His temper seemed not to exist, but Selt brought that out of him, and I wasn’t sure it was good for him. Laken was right. It wasn’t my choice, but I wanted what was best for him even if that was never going to be me. Even if I hadn’t met Laken the day after Teddy and I hooked up, romantically we wouldn’t have worked out.

“Neither will he and Selt,” Laken flashed me a soft smile while Teddy made snacks, and we waited in the living room for Izora to arrive. “It’s not like that. Selt’s lonely. Teddy’s exploring life. They both know they’re making bad choices but they’re still making them. You have to let people do what they do. They’re not hurting each other or anyone else.”

“What if Selt breaks his heart?” I asked.

“Then we do what friends do and we pick up the pieces,” he shrugged. “I think they’ll part amicably when one of their mates shows up.”

“I couldn’t have done that. I couldn’t have gotten serious about someone and then lost them to someone else and—” I stopped myself. There was no way we’d solve that age-oldquestion of what everyone should do before and until they met their true-mate before Izora arrived.

“And you don’t have to think about that anymore. I’m right here with at least one of your eggs in my belly,” he said, taking my hand and placing it there. I let out a long sigh. He was right. We had an egg incoming. Sure, getting the Other World gateways set up was still a priority but I couldn’t chase behind Teddy and makes sure he only stuck his dick in holes I approved of.

Twenty minutes later, Laken was stretched out on the sofa while Izora explained to him how the portable ultrasound worked. It had this little wand that he’d move around Laken’s belly and it would take pictures of the egg(s) growing inside his womb. Laken practically vibrated with anticipation as Teddy and I gathered in close to watch the screen. I entwined my fingers through Laken’s and let everything to do with Selt go. He could be Teddy’s problem from now on.

Two little eggs – so tiny they were almost freckles on the screen – appeared together as if even now the twins leaned close together to find comfort and familiarity together.

“They’re so freaking tiny,” Laken said, sounding softer than I ever heard him sound since meeting him.

“Eggs in the plural,” I whispered and kissed his earlobe. “We were right.”

“Our babies,” he said, pressing his lips together.

Teddy and Izora excused themselves as soon as the healer had finished performing the ultrasound. Laken teared up. Hormones or overwhelmed with joy? I wasn’t sure. It didn’t matter. I couldn’t watch him cry without pulling him into my arms.

“I’m alright. I think it’s hormones. I think. Hell. Fuck. I don’t know. They were so tiny. He’s going to print ours out like he did for the other dragons, right?”

“He better,” I said and meant it.

Of course, Izora would print them out for us. He wouldn’t leave us hanging like that. Even if he lived in the mushie forest with his wild born mate now, he was still a Moonscale and a crew member. He was family and the little eggs in Laken’s belly were family to him too. They were Moonscales just like we were.

“We’re ready for this, right? Or at least we will be by the time they come?” Laken asked me.

“We are and we will be even more ready. No matter what happens.”

“I hope they don’t want blood,” he whispered to me.

“Do they really do that here?”

“They do in the arena,” he whispered back.

“Well, we’ll get through what we need to,” I said and kissed his temple.

“You’ll play nice with Selt at dinner?” he asked.

“For you,” I nodded.

Chapter Seventeen

Laken