Page 28 of The Dragon, the Bear, and Their Sugar Glider Omega

We all burst out laughing. My mates were the best.

Soon, all three of us were on the floor and sorting amid a lot of oohs, aaahs, and wows.

Until I saw them all unwrapped, I hadn’t realized how many I had. Some of them were really nice, too. My dragon loved them all the same, unconditionally.

We decided to sort by color. But when we found special pens that were unique, bigger, or looked more expensive, we set them aside to be placed in the single display holders.

I had duplicates of so many. Those were the results of sales, when I had bought packs of the same brand.

When I looked up at the window, the sunlight was receding.

“Guys, we’ve been at this for hours.”

“It’s fun,” Clay said. “I barely noticed the time.”

“We only have one shelf done though.” I hung my head.

“No big deal. We can work on it some every day.” Armel ruffled my hair.

“Thanks.” My eyes stung a little.

My mates were so kind to me, even the smallest of gestures could bring me to tears. I realized how empty and lonely I’d been since leaving my flight. And even in the flight itself, I’d been alone, different, not really loved. Plus, my parents were not the emotional, hugging types I’d always wished for.

This was my new life, and it was so wonderful, I lately wondered what I’d done to deserve it.

As always, Clay was deeply tied in to my emotions. Often, it was like he could read my mind.

“You’re a beautiful alpha with a beautiful heart,” Clay said. “You deserve this.”

My lips trembled.

He stood up on his toes, caught my face in his hands, and kissed me. When he broke away, he said, “You deserve everything.”

I turned to face Armel, Clay at my side. “I love you both. So much. I couldn’t have imagined better mates.”

“I feel exactly the same.” Armel brushed his fingers over my left cheek.

“Same,” Clay piped in.

“Now.” Armel rubbed his hands together. “Anyone hungry?”

In unison, Clay and I answered, “Yes!”

“Okay, then. We’re going out to eat. We need to celebrate. Our new place and Rome’s beautiful hoard.”

“Our hoard now,” I corrected.

“I’m honored.” Clay made a dramatic bow.

“We’re both honored,” Armel added.

Chapter Twenty

Clayborne

I loved my job. Really, I did. But getting myself out of bed and in to work today had been a struggle. I hit my snooze button more times than should be legal and still, I was barely awake.

I wouldn’t say I was sick, but I did not feel like myself. Heck, I couldn’t even stand the coffee I made for myself, and I was beyond exhausted. In hindsight, I should’ve taken a rideshare to work. I wasn’t going to be driving back home. I didn’t even remember half my trip, and that’s never a good sign.

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