Alpha Dragon's Jackal (The Dragonfate Games Book 3), page 17
And that pissed me off.
“Screw you, dickhead,” I snapped, stepping in front of Poppy. “Leave him alone.”
The brown wolf lunged closer, his spittle flying across my face. “What the hell did you just call me?” he shouted. His roar echoed louder this time, ricocheting violently off the walls.
Suddenly, the floor rumbled beneath my paw pads. The entire cavern groaned. Dirt showered from the ceiling.
My heart leapt into my throat.
The narrow cavern chamber was about to collapse.
“Shit. Run!” the brown wolf yelled.
As he bolted away, a torrent of dirt landed where he’d been a second earlier.
I skittered backwards. Poppy yelped with fright.
Within seconds, the light at the end of the tunnel disappeared, and everything went dark.
Twenty-Two
Cobalt
“Pregnant?” Gaius said, his eyes going wide. “Did Muzo just say he’s pregnant?”
I stared at the live feed in disbelief. I’d been glued to the screen since Poppy and Muzo disappeared into the cavern twenty minutes ago, but the sudden topic of our relationship—and Muzo’s possible pregnancy—caught me by surprise.
“He could be,” I admitted, my heart fluttering at the idea.
Gaius let out a hearty laugh and slapped me on the shoulder. “Cobalt, you dog! You couldn’t even wait until the Games ended!” He put a finger to his chin thoughtfully. “Actually, all three of you did the deed during the show, didn’t you? You naughty dragons just can’t keep it in your pants.”
I waved a hand at Gaius to shush him. He was speaking over Poppy and Muzo’s conversation, and I wanted to hear everything.
But when a trio of omegas appeared on screen, Gaius quieted down on his own. He watched with a frown that was mirrored on my own face. It quickly became clear what was going on. They were there to harass my mate.
Anger twisted like thorns in my chest. How dare they?
I stood in a hurry, ready to run into the cavern after Muzo and teach those assholes a lesson they’d never forget.
Gaius grabbed my arm. “Cobalt,” he said, his tone uncharacteristically grave. “Look.”
The horrible scene unfolded in slow motion. The tense argument, the shaking camera, the onslaught of collapsing earth, then finally, an all-encompassing cloud of dust.
The live feed cut off from Muzo and Poppy.
They were alone in the caved-in tunnel.
My pregnant mate was in danger.
Hot fury exploded within me. In a heartbeat, my dragon tore free from my human flesh. The surrounding trees crumpled when my wings snapped open and my tail cracked like a whip. The earth yielded beneath me as my full weight manifested under my claws.
Unfortunately, Gaius was caught in the crossfire of my chaotic shift. He lay flat on his back under a mess of broken branches. He coughed, pushing a twig out of his face. There was a small cut on his cheek, but otherwise he appeared to be in one piece, thank Holy Drake. It terrified me that I could have killed him by accident.
“Gaius, are you—”
“I’m fine, you great big oaf,” he assured me, getting to his feet and dusting himself off. “Go save Muzo and Poppy.”
I nodded swiftly, then leapt towards the cavern. My careful instincts had served me well. I stayed nearby out of concern for my mate, so it only took a couple pumps of my wings to reach the site.
Panic fueled me. I raked my claws across the top of the buckled cavern, tossing the loose earth out of the way. Fear ran cold in my veins when nothing came of it. No matter how much dirt I shovelled aside, all that emerged was more packed earth.
My mate.
Where was he?
A dreadful scream-like roar ripped loose from my throat. I couldn’t lose him. I had to save him, no matter what. My body ran on instinct and desperation as I combed through the remains of the tunnel.
I sucked in a hopeful breath when a brownish canine head popped out of the dirt. But it wasn’t a jackal. It wasn’t my Muzo. It was a coyote, one of the bullies. It took every ounce of willpower to restrain myself from crushing him like an insect.
But my rage subsided slightly when the coyote spat out a mouthful of dirt and said, “Over there! Those two were further that way!”
He pointed to a section of the cave that went deeper underground. I left him and followed the length of the tunnel, frantically clawing through the walls.
I cursed myself. Not again. This couldn’t happen again. I couldn’t fail and let my loved ones get hurt. What good was my massive size and my raw power if I couldn’t even help my mate with them?
The uppermost part of the cavern was gone. The only thing remaining was the underground tunnel, and every time I pawed through a section of it, nothing and nobody turned up. My stomach flipped. How deep could they possibly have gone? Or were they buried under a heap of rubble?
It wasn’t working. I had to try something else. I thrust my long neck into the tunnel, blinking rapidly to adjust to the darkness.
But then I saw something.
Red. A huge pool of red.
My heart tripped over itself in shock and terror. Was that blood?
But as light poured in from above, I saw something else. Within the red circle was a fluffy yellow-white figure curled up tightly in a ball.
“Poppy,” I cried, my dragon voice booming in the underground chasm.
His ears flicked up. Slowly, he raised his head and blinked his wide brown eyes, then gasped. “Cobalt!”
Although I was relieved to see him safe, that didn’t ease my panic. My mate was nowhere to be seen.
“Where’s Muzo?” I asked.
I heard a familiar grunt of effort before a pair of pointy ears popped up from between Poppy’s paws. Poppy unfurled his body to reveal a very dirty but living Muzo.
He shook out his pelt. “Okay, if there’s one thing I hate getting in my nose more than sand, it’s dirt. Blech.”
“Muzo,” I said, my voice breaking with heart-wrenching relief.
My mate grinned like he’d just had an amazing adventure instead of a near-death experience. “Hey, Cobalt!”
I reached my paw carefully through the tunnel to pick them up. Poppy happily climbed aboard, but Muzo stayed inside the red circle.
“Wait, wait. Check this out,” he said, pawing at it. “Red moss! Isn’t this what we were looking for?”
I did a double take. I’d been so worried about my mate I hadn’t even recognized the moss, but Muzo was correct. The substance beneath them was the rare red moss needed for the river snails.
I was still so shaken with relief I could barely speak. “How did you...?”
Muzo was all too eager to explain. “So, when the cave-in happened, Poppy grabbed me by the scruff and used his body like a shield.”
Poppy looked embarrassed. “You just told me you were pregnant. I had to protect you.”
I felt an immense rush of gratitude towards Poppy. I was lucky my mate had such incredible friends.
“But the blast from the cave-in sent us flying down this tunnel,” Muzo went on. “That’s when we landed on this bed of moss. Pretty nifty, huh? It’s like destiny or something.”
I let out a relieved laugh.
It was destiny, all right.
“What do you mean you want to split the prize?” Muzo blurted.
He and Poppy were dressed in fresh clothes after being rescued from the caved-in tunnel. My dragon transformation had ripped my clothes into shreds, so I got a new outfit, too. Good thing I hadn’t worn Crimson’s custom-made suit today. His heart couldn’t handle any more clothing-related disasters.
The challenge was over. Everyone had gathered at the starting point to hear Gaius and I announce the winner of the coveted prize. I did my best not to glare at the trio of troublemakers who’d harassed my mate and his friend in the cavern. They hung their heads, their faces drawn with guilt. They looked like they were about to get the verbal smack-down of their lives.
Although they’d technically both landed on the moss at the same time, Muzo wasn’t participating, so Poppy was the true winner. That entitled him to the million-dollar prize.
Except...
“I don’t want it,” Poppy said firmly. “Not the whole thing.”
Muzo gaped at him like he had two heads. “Pops, it’s a million bucks! You’d be set for life.”
“I’m splitting it,” Poppy insisted. “It’s too much money for me. I’d feel better if it was distributed evenly.”
The other contestants stared at him in astonished awe. Not counting Muzo, there were fourteen remaining omegas—including the bullies. A million dollars split evenly among each contestant was still a handsome sum of money, and a nice consolation prize for competing in the Games.
“If that’s what you want, Poppy, we’ll make it happen,” I promised. Then I tapped the notebook in my pocket and murmured, “Just remember what I said earlier.”
But Poppy met my gaze evenly. “I want it split among everyone.”
I sighed. My inner dragon didn’t understand how this soft-hearted wolf could be so compassionate even to people who wronged him. But it was Poppy’s decision, and I’d honor it, even if I didn’t agree with it.
“All right,” I said.
Muzo heaved a sigh. “Man, you are way too nice for your own good, Pops.”
Alaric strode towards us with his arms folded across his chest. “I’m inclined to agree,” he muttered, shooting a nasty glare at the trio in question. “You’re far more forgiving than I would’ve been.”
“Somebody has to be,” Poppy said, his soft words almost defiant.
Gaius flounced into the scene. He sported a new dirt-free Hawaiian shirt, and the scratch on his cheek was covered up by skilfully applied foundation. “Wow, what a wild ride—and an exciting end to the challenge! The jackal found his fated mate, the alpha dragon found his mate and his moss, and the benevolent white wolf shared his winnings with everyone. You never know what’s going to happen on the Dragonfate Games, folks!”
Twenty-Three
Muzo
After the closing ceremony wrapped up and filming concluded, season three of the Dragonfate Games was officially over. And for the first time ever, I didn’t have to go back home at the end—because I was already home.
It felt weird standing on the beach and saying goodbye to Poppy. We’d always lost the Games together. We left the island together. We sat next to each other on the plane. We hung out all the time back in the human city. But now I belonged here, on Chromatimaeus Island. That chapter of our lives was over.
Taylor—my other best friend turned brother-in-law, via dragon mate shenanigans—joined me for moral support. He was always the rock in our trio’s friendship. His presence was the only thing stopping me from bursting into tears.
Well, it did for about five minutes, and then I started bawling anyway. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones—confirmed, thanks to a pee-on-a-stick test—but I was a freaking wreck. I clung to Poppy and soaked his shirt with tears. He was pretty sensitive too, so my crying made him cry.
Taylor patted both of us on the back as we hugged. “There, there, you guys. It’s okay. It’s not like you’re never going to see each other again.”
I gasped, sniffing loudly. “But what if we don’t?”
“You know Poppy is always welcome here, Dragonfate Games or not,” Cobalt reassured me. He was there to support me, along with Crimson, Taylor’s mate. The alpha dragons both knew we three omegas had a special friendship.
“R-really?” Poppy asked, his doe eyes watery.
Crimson scoffed in amusement. “Really, he asks, as if he hasn’t been invited to every season of the Games. By the way, the offer still stands for next time.”
Cobalt nodded. “Say the word and I’ll book your flight, no TV show required,” he promised with a smile. “I owe you for saving Muzo’s life. I’ll be forever in your debt.”
Poppy flashed a grateful smile in return.
“Can’t you just stay here on the island?” I asked, pouting. “There’s tons of spare rooms in the castle.”
Poppy shook his head. “It’s all right, Muzo. I have a life to get back to, and with the prize money, things will be easier.” He hugged his friend tighter. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll see you soon—and the baby, too.”
A warm feeling bloomed in my chest. The next time I saw Poppy, I’d have laid my egg and seen it hatch already. My baby would exist in the world, bright-eyed and beautiful.
“Okay,” I said, calmer now as I brushed the tears away. “But you’d better hurry up and fall in love with a dragon, okay?”
Poppy laughed softly. “I’ll try my best.”
A few weeks had passed since the Games ended, and living in the lap of luxury was finally starting to feel real.
It was the perfect beach day. Sunlight made the white sand glitter like diamonds, and the ocean was a picturesque shade of blue. The whole family gathered on the beach for a barbecue to celebrate my pregnancy, which was a pretty damn sweet thing to do.
I lounged in my pillow-padded chair, wriggling my toes in the warmth of the sun. It was nice to finally enjoy the beach without having to do any challenges.
But the most awesome part about the family BBQ was that Cobalt did the barbecuing. He wore the adorable “Kiss the Cook” apron Taylor sewed for him back when he first moved in with the dragons.
As Cobalt set up the grill, it reminded me of my burger flipping days. I’d never forget that charred burger patty from my final shift...
“Do you want help?” I’d asked Cobalt, reaching for the spatula.
“No,” he’d rumbled, holding the spatula high in the air, out of my reach. “You go sit down and relax. Let me do the cooking.”
So I’d plopped my butt down in my comfy chair. But even while relaxing, I couldn’t take my eyes off my mate. He looked sexy as hell manning the grill.
Saffron sat in the beach chair next to me. He leaned closer. “So, Muzo. Now that you’re part of the fam, are you gonna spill Cobalt’s secret?”
“What secret?” I asked, munching on a pre-BBQ strip of jerky. The pregnancy had amped up my appetite to eleven.
Saffron waved a hand. “You know. His hoard. You’ve seen it, right?”
I blinked as memories of the cum bucket flashed before my eyes. “Uh.”
Thystle snorted as he pulled up the adjacent two chairs for himself and his mate, Matteo.
“Don’t bother telling him, Muzo,” Thystle said. “He’s only going to make fun of it like he does with everyone else’s hoard.”
“Hey, I don’t make fun of yours anymore, emo boy,” Saffron argued. “Not since I saw Matteo live on stage. He was awesome.”
Matteo grinned as he sat next to Thystle. “Thanks.”
“You were awesome,” Thystle agreed, kissing Matteo on the cheek before turning back to his brother. “Anyway, if Cobalt wants to keep his hoard a secret, let him. Don’t feel peer-pressured to spill anything, Muzo.”
Saffron groaned. “Aw, come on! Look, I’ll trade you, info for info. I hoard movies, Aurum’s is video games, Jade obviously hoards books, and Viol’s is—”
Viol’s ominous voice cut in. “If you want to keep your tongue, stop using it.”
Saffron yelped, nearly leaping out of his skin. He went pale as Viol loomed darkly behind him. “Fuck, where do you come from sometimes?” Saffron blurted.
Viol ignored him, looking to Matteo. “Where’s Heather?” he asked gruffly.
Matteo gave a casual nod towards the sand, as if Viol hadn’t just threatened to cut someone’s tongue off. “Playing with Ruby. Taylor and Crimson are babysitting.”
A frown etched into Viol’s mouth. He looked disappointed, like a kid who couldn’t have a cookie. He suddenly turned to me. “When are you due?” he asked.
Math was never my strong suit, and time slipped away on this dreamy island paradise. “Uh... A few weeks? Not sure,” I admitted.
“How can you not be sure? You’re growing an egg inside you,” Viol retorted, sounding more confused than anything else.
I grinned, patting my belly. “Sure am. Man, it makes me hungry, though. Were you always starving, Matteo?”
Matteo tilted his head. “Not starving, but I craved my favorite food all the time.” With a playful smirk at Thystle, he added, “And my mate was happy to feed it to me.”
Viol’s lip twitched. For a second, I almost thought he looked jealous.
I perked up as Cobalt approached me with a big, steaming plate of food. I swallowed to stop myself from drooling.
“Heard you’re hungry,” Cobalt said with a knowing smile. “I made a lot, so eat up.”
I happily accepted the plate. The scents of sizzling meats and veggies wafted up to my nose, making my stomach growl louder. To my joy, half the plate was big, juicy grilled shrimp. Cobalt knew exactly what I loved. I didn’t hesitate to shovel them in my mouth.
“Hey, what about the rest of us?” Saffron asked, glancing hungrily at my shrimp.
Cobalt shot him a look. “Pregnant omegas eat first.”
“It’s okay, he can have a bite,” I said, offering a shrimp to Saffron. He looked as happy as a dog being fed scraps under the table.
I was about to offer a shrimp to Viol too, but he’d disappeared without another word. He must’ve slipped back into the shadows he manifested from.
“You guys want some?” I asked Thystle and Matteo.
Matteo reclined in his seat. “I’m good, thanks. I’m saving myself for sashimi.”
Saffron snorted. “It’s a barbecue, bro. That’s like the opposite of what you want.”
Tilting his head at his mate, Matteo put on a sly grin. “I guess Thystle will have to fetch it for me, then.”
Thystle was already halfway out of his seat, ready to cater to his mate’s every whim. “You know I can’t resist that sexy voice...”
“And I can’t resist that sexy face,” Matteo teased back. “I’ll come with you.”
