Page 19 of The Monster at the End of This Molt

Lemon ran his thumb over the tabletop. He was small, even for an omega. His hair was black like most unmated omegas, but I noticed something unusual around his neck and wrists.

I grabbed his wrist and pushed his shirt sleeve up. Instead of the brownish-green stripes all omegas were born with, his were a sickly washed-out yellow. Eventually, he would meet his mate and his stripes would change color to match, but for now, he looked too pale.

I released his hand, and he tucked them both into his lap.

"My parents said I was their miracle." He shook his head. "They should have let me die. It would have been easier for everyone."

"There's someone out there for you. I'm sure of it."

"How can you be so sure?" He sank down further in his seat. "What if I'm destined to be alone?"

"You'll never know until you try." Weld was the only kobold I knew who had tried to defy fate and mate on his own. Everyone else at The Pavilion and beyond believed in fated mates, and most had found their mates once they were free to travel the continent. "The next dragon reunion is in seven weeks. You should come to The Pavilion with us."

He squinted at me. "Why would a kobold omega go to a dragon reunion?"

"It started off with betas, but more unmated alphas and omegas join us each year. We've had more success getting everyone in one place than we used to with the dances."

He blinked. "Dances?"

"Omegas used to travel from village to village when we were still worried about the dragons. They would meet up with the village priestesses and dance with the eligible alphas to see if any were their fated mates."

"We don't have a priestess, or any female." He sighed. "No one ever comes here. Except Weld, and then he never left." He darted his gaze to mine before looking away again. "That will change soon. You're taking him away."

"He's my mate." I gestured to my arms before pinching the streak of green hair that stuck out over my left eye. "I've had these markings since I was a baby."

He met my gaze with vehemence. I scooted my chair back from the table.

"So have I," he said. "That doesn't make me someone's mate."

"I'm sorry. That was the wrong comparison, you're right." I sighed. "Maybe your mate is this color." Tuft and Axel had golden scales darker than Lemon's pale yellow. Lemon reminded me of an albino boa constrictor, though his eyes were the omega shade of gold.

"Maybe this is what unmateable omegas look like." He dropped his head to his hands. "I've heard it all before. My brothers are assholes."

"I don't believe that." My brothers called me a hopeless romantic, but I believed all kobolds had fated mates. It was the reason I'd only slept with humans. "You can't believe that until you meet some eligible alphas, and unless we start rotating where we hold the dragon reunions, you won't meet them here."

Once the words were out of my mouth, I wondered why we didn't change the location of the reunions every year. Galen and the other dragons loved their pavilion, it was true, but we kobolds could organize annual meetups of our own.

That was a problem for another day. For now, I'd made a bad situation worse. "I'm sorry your family sucks. If you come to The Pavilion, I'll introduce you to my alpha brothers and sister. The three of them know everyone in the village. They'll show you around and introduce you to more alphas than you've ever seen in your life."

He frowned at me. "You'll be too busy with Weld?"

My face heated from the implication Weld and I would be doing anything beyond antagonizing each other. "I'm not as familiar with all the new people. I spent six years on Earth. I was working on my doctorate thesis when my tail fell off …" My face heated as I remembered all the nights I’d spent patiently waiting. "Then I came home and waited for Weld for over two years. I should have spent more time with the kobolds my own age."

"I lost my tail two months ago, and I just got the courage to talk to him this week." He grinned, and for the first time, he met my gaze without flinching. "A rumor that some young omega was staying with him might have ignited my confidence."

"Sorry about that."

"Don't be." He shook his head. "I appreciate you talking to me. When I saw you by the barn earlier, I half expected you to pounce on me and beat me up or call me names as I ran away." He grinned. "This was nice."

My heart broke for the existence he must have led for the last twenty-five or so years. "Even if you don't come to The Pavilion, you should go somewhere, anywhere. A little travel will do wonders for your confidence."

"Why do you care?" he asked.

I held my tongue and counted to ten before I disparaged his family and the entire village. "Everyone deserves a chance to shine," I said, picking my words carefully. "You've been surviving here, and I'm glad you did, but now it's time for you to find your place in the world and thrive."

"When you talk, it's like I can see a different future," he said. "One where my life can be bigger than four walls while I wait for my prince to come."

"I know how that feels." I rolled my eyes at my naïve past self, who’d thought Weld would come for me. "I couldn't wait anymore. I had to find him, instead. Now, it's your turn."

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