Page 58 of How to Rescue Your Surprise Baby

Ace, Raptor, and Crush all lit up, eyes bright with excitement. Duke frowned. “It’s not a date. For anyone.”

Telos nodded solemnly. “Of course not.”

Mav shuffled closer though, pressing his thigh against Telos’. Telos stared. That was new.

And Mav didn’t move his leg away.

Does this mean he wants me?Telos debated breaking the contact between them. Except Mav dropped his large hand on Telos’ thigh, looking at their team like he hadn’t just... initiated intimacy. In front of their friends.

Telos’ heart skipped. Mav’s lips twitched, but it wasn’t a cruel smile.

Somehow, Telos got through the discussion, helping to work out the kinks in the team’s new plan. By the time they wrapped up, he was buzzing under his skin. Estie had shifted back into a human, asleep in Mav’s arms.

“We need to talk,” he said to Mav.

“Sure.” Mav handed Estie back, his hands brushing against Telos.

Telos swallowed. He pressed a kiss to Estie’s sleeping face, then tucked her into her crib and grabbed Mav’s arm. “Out. We’re not talking in here.”

He pointedly ignored the whistling of their teammates and butlers, dragging Mav out of the hotel to the next building over. Once they were beyond most people’s hearing range, Telos spun around, folding his arms across his chest.

“Why’re you doing... all of this?” He gestured at himself. “I know you said you wanted to try. But you don’t have to. I’m not an omega. It’s not like you need to—to like me or be nice just because I—”

The words lodged in his throat. He still couldn’t say it.Just because I like you.

Mav took a step toward him, grasping his hand. His gaze didn’t once leave Telos’ face. “I’ve been thinking about everything. Estie. The mission. Reinford.”

Telos spasmed involuntarily. “I don’t want to talk about Reinford.”

“We have to. You were a different person back then,” Mav said quietly, intently.

He took another step closer, backing Telos up against the wall so their chests were barely an inch apart. Telos couldn’t look away from those amber eyes.

“Remember Admiral Johnson’s request? My flight sent me to his castle because he asked for help, but gardening woes were such a trivial matter that it didn’t warrant a senior dragon’s attention. And you were there, getting in my face at every turn, trying to prove that you were better than me.”

Telos had been attracted to Mav at first sight, back then. He’d been young and stupid, trying to show off to an alpha the way he’d show off to an omega. He’d lifted statues and tripped Mav just to prove he was faster, stronger, thinking Mav’s annoyed reactions were a good thing because they were reactions tohim.

He’d thought that maybe if he got Mav to scowl at him enough, to look at him enough, Mav would realize just how much of a catch he was. They’d begun sniping at each other, and he’d... stupidly assumed that Mav considered trading barbs to be flirting.

It had given him such a rush, thinking he’d succeeded in his courtship. Telos had envisioned a life ahead of them; he’d written to his parents, telling them he’d found someone to bring home.

He’d been so happy that, when Admiral Johnson’s garden flourished and the Admiral had held a ball to celebrate, Telos had immediately snarked at Mav to attend. Mav had sniped back. And Telos had assumed it meant Mav would be his beau.

He’d dressed in his best clothes and made his own bouquet. When he’d arrived at Mav’s chambers, he’d... heard sounds. Intimate sounds that shouldn’t have been there.

He’d barged in and found Mav in bed with some woman. Mav had curled his lip and demanded that Telos leave.

But what about us?Telos had asked.

Mav had looked confused.Us? You and who?

Telos had been so shocked, he’d walked right out. He’d hidden himself away in a corner of the castle, listening to the storm outside, trying to get a hold of his disappointment and anger. His shame at telling his parents about Mav, only for it all to be a misunderstanding.

It had taken him a long time to get over it. Thing was, their circles overlapped. Telos took to avoiding Mav as much as he could, except in doing so, he had to paymoreattention to where Mav was at all times, and what he was doing.

Over the years and countless instances of avoiding Mav, he’d learned that Mav was an asshole, but a good person deep down. Mav liked horses and cars; he made friends easily, and his taste in friends happened to be the same as Telos’.

In the decades and centuries that followed, Telos’ awareness of Mav had slowly transformed into a helpless sort of love, the sort where he knew it would never be reciprocated, but it dug its roots into him anyway. He’d given in and turned them into friendly enemies, bickering with Mav because that was the surest way he knew to keep Mav’s attention.

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