Alpha Dragon's Eagle (The Dragonfate Games Book 2), page 20
I caught up with Gaius on the beach. The sight of the gryphon shifter—and what he’d set up behind him—filled me with instant relief. For all of Gaius’s whimsy and quirky passion for eye-searing shirts, he was solidly reliable.
As I got closer, my jaw dropped. I stumbled to a halt and stared. The stage was twice as extravagant as it was during the Games. There were bigger speakers, a light display, and even a fog machine to create a moody atmosphere. A drum set and an electric guitar stand flanked a single microphone in the center of the stage.
My microphone.
A shudder chilled my spine. This familiar scene brought back so many memories—most of them great, some not so good. But those old tainted memories were changing, too. I’d since made up with Vani and Keaux after a few long talks over the phone. We each apologized for the way we handled the messy misunderstanding, and the fallout that came after it. Now that we were all in our thirties, it was embarrassing to look back on the way we acted a decade ago.
Vani and Keaux took their apology a step further. Our big argument was about me finding a mate and settling down. It turned out that after TalonStorm’s dissolution, Vani and Keaux got together after frustrating years of mutual pining. Who would’ve thought?
A hand landed on my shoulder, pulling me back to the present.
“Looking good so far?” Gaius asked with a grin.
“Everything’s perfect,” I said. “Thanks again for all your help. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without you.”
He winked. “Anything for a feathered friend. Oh, and a dragon, too, I guess.”
“What’s this about dragons?” Jade asked, poking his head into the conversation.
Gaius stood up straighter. “Nothing, dear dragon of mine.”
Jade’s green eyes sparkled with amusement. He was clearly poking fun at the gryphon. He turned to me and asked, “Are you ready, Matteo?”
I blew out a breath. “Getting there.”
Jade nodded in understanding. “Karaoke aside, it’s been a long time since you performed.”
Crimson strolled by, joined by Taylor and Ruby. “Especially with your backup,” he added.
I grinned. “Crimson, they’re not backup, they’re the other two-thirds of the band.”
“Psh,” he said, waving a dismissive hand.
Taylor nudged his mate. “Don’t say that so loud. You’re going to give the humans a bad impression.”
“What do I care about a human’s opinion?” Crimson asked with a haughty sniff.
I smiled. I knew Crimson’s attitude came less from his dislike of humans, and more from his desire to protect me. It didn’t matter to Thystle’s brothers that I only recently joined the family. They all treated me like I’d been part of it forever. It was a warm, welcoming feeling.
“I know they’re humans, but they’re my friends,” I explained.
Jade gave Crimson a pointed look behind his glasses. “Yes, and we made special arrangements to have them here for one night only. I expect you can behave for a few hours, yes?”
“Yes, yes,” Crimson replied, only to be elbowed by Taylor again. “Ow.”
“Did you say humans? Where?”
“We want to see them!”
The pair of voices could only belong to the twins. They manifested side-by-side like a pair of horror movie characters in a hallway, except they were eagerly looking around for any sign of humans.
“Don’t freak them out,” Crimson said. “Otherwise they’ll go back to their human world and tell everyone how terrifying dragons are.” He paused. “On second thought, go ahead and freak them out.”
“Crimson,” Taylor said in a fond warning.
“Fine, I’m behaving.”
Since the whole family was invited to the show, I looked around for the remaining two dragons.
“Where’s Cobalt and Viol?” I asked.
Aurum cocked his head towards the water. “Cobalt’s over there staring at the sea. He seemed excited about the show, so I think he just got distracted. Dunno if Viol will come, though.”
“Yeah, he heard humans were gonna be here, and noped out of it,” Saffron explained.
“Oh,” I said. It was a bit disappointing not to have the whole family present for the show, but if those were Viol’s limits, I’d respect them. I wondered if his turbulent history had something to do with humans.
Suddenly, Aurum and Saffron’s eyes went wide, as if noticing something behind me. A second later, I heard Vani’s raspy voice call out, “Yo, Q!”
I turned around just in time to see him and Keaux running towards me. Anxious joy swirled in my chest. I was happy to see them, but it had been so long since we met in person. Jade arranged their visit for tonight’s performance, and Vani and Keaux accepted.
It turned out I was nervous for nothing. My old friends slammed into me in a big group hug. Their embraces and familiar scents calmed my nerves.
“It’s so good to see you, dude,” Keaux said, wearing his usual lopsided grin.
“You guys, too,” I said, meaning it. “By the way, nice rings.”
They both blushed. The matching gold bands on their fingers shone bright, reflecting the stage lighting.
“Enough about us,” Vani said. “Where’s your man?”
“He’s on standby,” I said. “I want everything to be ready before we call him down.”
Keaux leaned in, speaking in a conspiratorial whisper. “Is he really a dragon?”
“Yes,” I said in a matching stage whisper. Pointing my thumb over my shoulder, I added, “All those guys are dragons. Well, except Taylor. He’s a tiger.”
Vani and Keaux blinked.
“Weird,” Vani said. “You’d never know they weren’t normal—er, regular humans.”
“We can all hear you, you know,” Crimson pointed out dryly.
Vani ducked his head as if Crimson would transform and cook him in a blast of fire. He cleared his throat. “Anyway, are we getting this show on the road or what?”
Keaux twirled his drum sticks. “Yeah, I’m itching to get on stage.”
“Me, too,” I agreed. Turning around to face my family, I took a deep breath. “Okay. We’re ready. Would somebody go grab Thystle?”
Saffron shifted into dragon form before anyone else could offer. “I’ve got it!” he called from halfway into the sky. Meanwhile, Vani and Keaux looked like they’d just seen a UFO.
“I told you dragons were real,” I teased.
By the time Saffron arrived with a blindfolded Thystle in tow, the rest of us were already on stage. My heart pounded when I saw my mate. He wore a grumpy yet curious expression. I could tell he wanted to see the big surprise, but didn’t love the fact that his younger brother robbed him of his sight and manhandled him all the way to the beach.
Since Thystle couldn’t see, Saffron took the liberty of holding Heather, so he was really only half paying attention to where he guided Thystle. Well, maybe more than half. Most of Saffron’s attention was on the baby, cooing and making kissy faces at them. It was adorable—even when Saffron accidentally led Thystle into a big rock.
“Ow,” Thystle mumbled.
“Oh, sorry,” Saffron said, still smiling at Heather.
Sensing imminent disaster, the rest of Thystle’s brothers arrived to take care of him. Crimson and Jade ushered him closer to the stage. Meanwhile, Aurum went and fetched Cobalt. Taylor smiled reassuringly at me while Ruby fussed in his arms. Everybody was present except Viol.
Or, that was what I thought—until he manifested out of nowhere behind everybody else. Dressed in all black leather, he looked like a walking shadow.
“Who’s the biker daddy?” Keaux asked.
Just as he spoke, Viol shot the world’s nastiest glare in his direction. Keaux paled and clutched his drum sticks tighter.
“That’s my brother-in-law,” I explained simply.
I was surprised to see Viol here after what Aurum said, but Viol’s body language indicated he wasn’t sticking around. He approached Taylor, tapped him on the shoulder, muttering something I couldn’t hear. A moment later, Taylor smiled, nodded, and handed Ruby to him.
The second Viol held the infant, his whole demeanor changed. A radiant, genuine smile spread over his face. It warmed my heart to see him that happy since I’d met him.
With Ruby squared away in his muscular arms, Viol went over to Saffron. I managed to overhear the conversation this time.
“It’s going to be too loud for the kid,” Viol explained. “Hand ‘em over.”
Saffron frowned, holding Heather closer. “What? No, it’s my baby time.”
Thystle, who was still blindfolded, mumbled, “Are you two fighting over my kid?”
“No one’s fighting,” Viol stated gruffly, “because Saffron is going to give Heather to me, and we’re going to enjoy a nice, quiet nap.”
“What, is there gonna be fireworks or something?” Thystle asked.
“The noise will be too much for infant ears,” Viol growled, glaring daggers at Saffron.
Shockingly, Saffron glared back. Despite being related, they couldn’t have looked more different. Saffron’s small, bright appearance clashed with Viol’s dark, domineering one. But they had one important thing in common—they both wanted to hold the baby.
I sighed. “Dragons.”
In the end, Saffron agreed about the impending noise and handed Heather to Viol. With both babies tucked into his arms, he swaggered off to a quieter location. If it was anybody else in the world walking away with my child, I would’ve flipped my lid, but I trusted Thystle’s family with all my soul. They were all incredibly caring uncles, especially Viol.
It was finally time. As I stepped up to the mic, everyone quieted down. It was no sold-out concert hall, but seeing every member of our little family gathered on the beach filled me to the brim with joy.
“Is anyone gonna tell me what’s going on?” Thystle demanded.
I chuckled. “You can remove the blindfold now.”
As soon as Thystle tore it off, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped. His brain seemed to short-circuit as he registered what was going on. His gaze snapped from me, to Vani and Keaux, to the speakers on stage, then back to me.
“You... wait, wait, wait,” Thystle blurted, getting amped up. “What the hell’s happening?”
My heart swirled in my chest as I brought the mic to my lips.
“Thystle Chromatimaeus,” I said. “You probably know this already, but you’re my world. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be standing here on stage with my former band mates, ready to give you a one-of-a-kind TalonStorm concert.”
Emotion wavered on Thystle’s face as he stared at me, his amethyst eyes full of stars.
“One-of-a-kind?” he asked softly.
I nodded. “The big surprise I was working on is a new song. Just for you.”
Thystle swayed from glee. He grabbed his closest brothers for support, clamping on to Jade and Saffron’s arms like he’d pass out without them.
“Holy fucking Drake, is this real?” Thystle whimpered. “Am I high right now? Am I dead?”
Crimson rolled his eyes. “Oh, please. And people think I’m dramatic.”
“Even Vani and Keaux are here,” Thystle said shakily in awe. “Holy shit. You guys let them come? Just for this?”
Jade smiled. “It wouldn’t be a true TalonStorm event without them.”
Thystle looked like he was about to burst into tears, or scream, or faint. Maybe all three.
Before my mate went unconscious, I gripped the mic and said, “Let’s go, everyone. Here’s our brand new single, Amethyst Heart.”
On my word, decorative fog rolled out behind the set. The stage lights darkened into a single spotlight that beamed onto the stage. I didn’t have to cue my old friends. Vani and Keaux knew exactly what to do. They eased into the track like they’d played it a thousand times, even though it was brand new. They must’ve practiced after I sent them the vocals and chords. They’d done it for me—for us.
I shut my eyes as I felt the spotlight rain down on me.
Aquila took over. Frantic energy rocketed through my veins as I sang the first line. I fell into a trance, thinking only of my heartfelt performance, feeling the song in the marrow of my bones.
It was a song wholly dedicated to Thystle—my alpha, my love, the father of my child, my fated mate.
As I sang my heart out, I locked eyes with him. The love flowing between our gazes was magnetic. I needed him on stage with me.
I kneeled over the front ledge and held out my hand. Thystle grabbed it and leapt on. His eyes were brighter than any flame, shining with pure elation.
The vibration of the drums and guitar shook the stage. The song pounded through our blood, humming like a living thing. The whole moment felt surreal, dreamlike. It was perfect.
When the song was over, the roar of the crowd exploded. I was drenched in sweat, and so was Thystle, but neither of us cared. We slammed together in a warm embrace. I felt his heart thudding wildly through his chest, and I knew he felt mine doing the same.
“I love you,” Thystle breathed, pressing his forehead to mine.
Warmth flooded my chest. “I love you, too.”
He panted hard. “Kiss me, Aquila.”
A shiver rolled across my skin. I grabbed Thystle, dipping him low as I crushed our mouths together in a hot, passionate kiss. Everybody went wild—our family, Vani and Keaux, Gaius, and even the stage helpers.
After we parted, Thystle stared up at me fondly, like I was the only person in the world.
“Can I get an encore?” he asked.
“Of the song, or the kiss?”
He shot me a sly, draconic grin. “Both.”
I laughed. “Anything for you, my number one fan.”
Twenty-Six
Epilogue: Thystle
The next morning, my eyes opened blearily to the sun’s rays on my face. I barely remembered anything that happened after the end of the concert, except that Matteo and I had a fuckton of post-concert sex. It was a perfect night, and the most amazing gift he could’ve ever given me, aside from birthing our child.
Our child.
Heather.
I bolted up out of bed—which, I realized quickly, wasn’t the bed, but the floor. Matteo was sprawled next to me in a messy pile of pillows and blankets. We must’ve ended up there during our rowdy escapades.
“Matteo,” I blurted, shaking his shoulder.
He mumbled incoherently. He must’ve still been exhausted from the concert, plus the mind-blowing rounds of fucking. But I knew an instant way to wake him up.
“Where’s Heather?” I asked.
Sucking in a sharp breath, Matteo sprang to consciousness. His hair looked like a bird’s nest. I would’ve found it hilarious if I wasn’t worried about my kid.
Matteo glanced around the room. “Gods. Did we forget them?” Then his shoulders relaxed, as if he’d remembered something. “Oh, right. Heather is with Viol.”
“You’re more relaxed about that than I am,” I grumbled, standing up and throwing clothes on in a hurry.
Matteo was nonplussed, but he slowly rose to dress himself. “Why wouldn’t I be? He’s a fantastic uncle. You brothers always fuss about him more than me and Taylor.”
I made a face, but I couldn’t argue. For some reason, Viol did get along better with the omegas than us, his literal flesh-and-blood brothers.
“It’s because you’re all so scared of him,” Matteo mused, giving me a soft smile. “Why don’t you treat him like any other family member?”
I crossed my arms. “I dunno. He’s just...Viol. He’s like the human personification of a rusty switchblade. One that stabs you in a dark alley.”
Matteo snorted and arched a brow. “Okay, Thystle. Whatever you say. Shall we go retrieve our baby from this so-called rusty switchblade?”
“Please.”
Just as we reached for the door to leave, it swung open. A glowering Viol stood before us. He always had bags under his eyes, but this morning they were darker than usual. I quickly realized why. Heather was fast asleep in his arms, looking cozy and comfortable wrapped up in a baby blanket. Our child must’ve kept Viol up all night. I couldn’t stifle a laugh at the mental image of him trying—and probably failing—to wrangle an infant dragon.
“What’s funny?” Viol grumbled.
I slapped a hand over my mouth. “Nothing.”
Viol glared at me, but the hard edges of his face softened when he handed Heather to Matteo. My mate took them with a bright smile. Heather blinked their brown eyes open and yawned, flashing rows of little fangs. Fangs that no doubt chewed on Viol all night long.
“Good morning, sweetie,” Matteo cooed. “Did you have fun with Uncle Viol?”
Heather let out a pleased draconic purr.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Matteo said, smiling at Viol. “Thank you. It was a big help that you watched them overnight.”
Viol almost looked uncomfortable at the praise. “No prob,” he muttered. He shuffled his heavy-duty combat boots as if to leave, but paused to wriggle a finger at Heather. “See ya, kid.”
He stalked off before either of us could respond.
“Seriously, how do you not think that’s weird?” I whispered to Matteo.
“Oh, stop it. He’s sweet.”
I gasped and pressed my palm to his forehead. “Oh, no. Do you have a concussion from being in the mosh pit last night?”
Matteo grinned, swatting my hand away. “Okay, first of all, seven people does not constitute a mosh pit. Second, nobody even dropped me, so I’m fine. Third, you alpha dragons are the weird ones.”
“Maybe,” I conceded, grabbing his waist. “But you love it.”
He sidled closer, a coy look in his eyes. “I do.”
I leaned in to kiss him, but was cut off as Heather chomped on my shirt. Their eyes were bright and full of mischief, just like their papa.
“Looks like we just ruined all of Viol’s hard work getting them to sleep,” Matteo said with a laugh. “Now they’re wide awake and hungry. Right, Heather?”
Our dragonet squawked like a demanding baby bird. Definitely awake and hungry.
