Telos froze, staring at Mav in awe. “And what would you suggest for the other two?”

“Mass and BH.”

“I lov—” Telos swallowed the words before they could burst out of him. “Shut up and help me get my stuff into your car.”

“You love the names,” Mav said smugly.

Telos grinned and elbowed him, and didn’t reply.

Telos was carryingEstie through Mav’s lair one day, when she squawked. Then her arms turned into triangular leathery wings—pterodactyl wings—and he almost dropped her.

“Holy shit!”

Mav looked over, both his eyebrows shooting up. “Good job, Estie. You’re doing great!”

Telos raised her high above his head and paraded her all over the mansion. “Dino queen, dino queen!”

She giggled and flapped her wings, and stuffed her foot into Telos’ mouth.

Telos didn’t even mind.

Three months into his pregnancy,Telos and Mav celebrated Estie’s ten-month anniversary. They put together a spread of boiled pasta, soft fruit, eggs, and yogurt on the tray of her high chair, and watched as she stuffed a fistful of eggs into her mouth.

“You’re doing so well,” Telos cooed, his insides melting all over again.

Mav grinned and took a picture of them.

Then Estie squawked, and there was suddenly a tiny pterodactyl in the high chair, struggling against her clothes.

“Oh, fuck!” Telos grabbed at her clothes to rip them off before she could hurt herself. Mav helped, too, swearing under his breath.

By the time they’d freed her, Estie was calm and happy, hopping a little in her seat as she flapped her wings.

“She managed a full shift,” Telos said, choking up.

“Yeah, she did.” Mav looked just as overwhelmed.

Telos gathered her out of her chair and shed his own clothes, so he could shift into a pterodactyl with her.

Mav took a picture of them, hesitating.

“You should join us,” Telos said.

Mav grinned and shed his clothes too, shifting into a golden dragon so he could curl around them.

23

MAV ASKS AN IMPORTANT QUESTION

Telos nudged his sleeping alpha. “Mav.”

“Whuh?” Mav stirred, then slumped back against his pillow.

“Mav.” Telos nudged him again. “I want fries and a sundae.”

His alpha snored.

“Mav.” Telos grunted when there came a kick in his belly. “Thebabywants fries and a sundae.”