Page 48 of Gladiator's Bite

“Sorry, Teddy!” Laken called as Teddy disappeared.

“Don’t worry about him. He’s a big boy,” I said, climbing into the nest where my mate was stripping off his clothes.

“He carried me inside as soon as I shifted. He knew. Either he’s working the flight link or you two are more in sync than you know.”

“We’re in sync. I’d do the same for him and his mate,” I nodded “Whoever and wherever he is.”

“Waiting off world apparently,” Laken said. “Now stay but shut up. I have to concentrate. This is so fucking weird. I was warned it would feel weird- but fuck!”

Chapter Twenty-One

Laken

An hour later, Sunny and I laid on either side of our orange eggs. Both of them had shells orange enough to match Sunny’s scales. The shell didn’t always predict the color of the dragon, but I hoped it did. Having two little Sunnys running around sounded incredible. Teddy sat on the ledge of the nest like a guardian watching over us and running back and forth to the kitchen whenever I wanted a snack.

The easy part of carrying was over. Now was the part where we had to protect and tend eggs outside of my body where the world and the elements could come into play more than ever before. I trusted Sunny and Teddy. Only Sunny or I would ever be left alone with the eggs but that was more my dragon’s rule than mine. Still, Teddy fit into our lives and I hoped for Sunny’s sake his future mate did too. Though, how easily he let go of Selt worried me. Maybe it was because he always knew it would happen. Maybe it was because he really did want to meet his own true-mate or maybe that was his style. People could slip through his fingers because he wanted what was best for them.

I pushed the thoughts away and focused on Sunny’s gentle fingers stroking through my hair. In a few weeks, I could get cleared to go back into the arena. I missed it. I needed to punch and kick and toss someone around a bit to feel like myself again. I loved our twins. Loved them without ever laying eyes on them. I’d kill for them or die for them, but I still needed to ensure I didn’t lose what made me who I was. That wouldn’t be good for them. Happy and fulfilled parents raised kids with a higher chance of finding the same thing in their own lives.

“I’ll be around while you’re at the arena. Might make Teddy go with you just in case,” Sunny said, picking up on my thoughts over our mating link.

“That would be acceptable. Not that I plan to run into problems but two of us would ensure that I made it back in time if the eggs started to hatch,” I nodded. “We might even look into making sure someone stays with whoever is alone with the eggs. Maybe someone from your crew or one of the guys from the arena.”

“Maybe your grandma,” Sunny laughed.

“She is an acceptable choice,” I nodded.

“I’d say my parents but they’re ankle deep in wolf fur and getting bit,” Sunny grinned.

“Eh, if they survived two dragon hatchlings gnawing on them a wolf will be a piece of cake,” I laughed.

“You’d think so, but who knows,” Teddy shrugged. “My carrier was a fox. She loved to chew on stuff.”

Sunny grinned. Teddy didn’t bring up his carrier often but we both took it as a sign he was feeling better and not dwelling on the whole Selt leaving with zero notice thing.

We all had a long wait ahead of us. We had to wait on Selt as a flight and as a family we had to wait on these orange babies to make their way out of their shells. Their eggs were tiny now but wouldn’t be that way forever.

“I’m going to stretch my legs,” Teddy yawned and disapperared from the nesting room.

“He’s good at disappearing sometimes,” Sunny chuckled, leaning over to give me a soft kiss. “You feeling alright?”

“I’m good,” I nodded. “Better than good. The kids are here. You’re here. We have good friends. I’m not so worried about Selt anymore. Before you know it, your parents will be meeting these two.”

“I hope so. I’ve seen dragon eggs before, but they never looked so small until they were ours,” Sunny said.

“They’ll grow. They always do,” I chuckled.

“I love you. I love how you came right into my life when I needed you the most. Sometimes fate is kind,” Sunny whispered, holding my hand.

“Sometimes you have to kick fate’s ass and make it be kind. That’s what we did. That’s what we’ll keep doing. If fate acts up, we’ll bite it,” I smirked.

“Bite you.”

“I bite back,” I chuckled, and cupped his chin for a kiss.

Epilogue

Selt

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