Corbin squeezed his hand.That, you and I are going to have to talk about in private.
Anytime, my love. I don’t want you to be worried. I don’t think he would try to do me in in order to get my place. He would just take this opportunity to leave me where I am.Evander reached out to grab a bite of some sort of little cake that had been cut into pieces and had a spiral of cream inside and a coating of delicate chocolate on the outside. It was oddly sweet and a little cloying, but somehow completely irresistible.
“Those are Swiss cake rolls,” Cosmo told him. “Corbin wanted you to try them.”
He stuffed two more into his mouth. “They’re amazing,” he said around the food.
“They really are.” Cosmo laughed and handed a bite to little Elliot.
“Nom nom nom.” Elliot snapped it up, beaming at his dad.
“Give me cake.” Hawk held out a big hand. Goddess, he was a huge dragon. Ev had to like the guy, really.
Cosmo fed Hawk three big bites.
Evander fed the little ones tiny nibbles, Tisi and Serena staying close and snuggling in. They were so amazing, and he couldn’t help but wonder what his children with Corbin would be like.
They would be fierce and great warriors, amazing defenders and lovers and growers of things. They would be beautiful dragon-fae ladies, too, sweet but strong as Amazons.
He grinned at the thought, and little hearts appeared around Serena.
Oh, you like that, do you? The thought of more little ones to play with?
She chirped, then snorted like a little unicorn, her tiny horn rubbing his cheek.Friends.
Yes, lovely. Friends. One day, we will have so many friends.
She squealed, which made his ears pop. Goodness, she was something.
Isn’t she? She’s the only one of her kind.
He smiled at Corbin. She’s amazing. You are so lucky to have this family.
I am. I’m lucky to have you. I waited for you for a year.
I waited for you too.Evander smiled again, or maybe it was just that he kept smiling. He seemed to be doing that an awful lot these days.I love you.
I love you too. Thank you for being so kind to my family.
They’re my family now, too, and I’ll protect them. I promise you.
Corbin just chuckled and gave him an odd look, but he thought that was just because Corbin was so used to being the one who protected. He would learn. Evander was very, very good at giving people the horns.
Chapter
Five
Corbin fell into a routine over the next couple of weeks. He loved spending time with Evander in and out of bed. He liked to watch Evander eat; it was one of his favorite activities. He also loved watching Evander learn new things about media and human life and dragon life.
When he wasn’t with Ev, because the fae man was still resting more than he probably would like to admit, Corbin was avoiding his mother. She would show up, she would wander in, and he would wander out another door either into the dragonlands or into the human world to go see his friend, Yarrow.
Like he was right now.
Yarrow whistled through his two big front teeth. “Still avoiding the mom, eh?” This friend was a beaver shifter, and he could make the most amazing noise with both his teeth and when he was in beaver form, his tail.
“Yeah, I really just don’t want to deal with it.” Corbin sighed, hunching his shoulders a little bit. “I know I should, and eventually she’s probably going to show up and confront Evander if I don’t. But I just don’t want to have to have that conversation. She’s constantly goading me.”
“She’s probably just scared.”
