The thought of Saffron impregnating me made my cheeks flush profusely. “I… was not aware of that.”
A warm feeling persisted in my chest. What if Saffron and Ididhave a baby together? He kept calling me his mate, so surely it wasn’t out of the question. But the idea was so far removed from everything I’d known in my past life. Fated mates, real love, a baby… Could it all be possible for me?
Back in the tundra clan, I never wanted to be impregnated. The idea of bearing children for Knox repulsed me. It wasn’t until now that I realized why. Maybe I wanted children after all—I just didn’t want kids withhim.
Saffron, however...
I caught his gaze in my peripheral vision. His expression was reassuring, as always. His thumb still glided across my hand.
Then, before I could string two words together, Saffron asked point-blank: “Is that something you’d want, Rorik?”
My heart raced. My throat went dry, but my eyes suddenly felt wet.
“I’ve never thought about it before,” I admitted.Not with you.
Saffron smiled. “But?” he encouraged, hearing my unspoken words.
I swallowed. “I would like that.”
Coos and congratulatory murmurs went up around the table. Nothing had even happened yet, and the dragons were still celebrating.
Like a brick to the head, it finally sunk in how accepting they were. I wasn’t Aurum’s assailant. I was Saffron’s mate, a new family member, and potential parent of a baby. They’d moved on from who I’d been in the past, and welcomed the new Rorik in his place.
But there was one alpha dragon who hadn’t said a word. The unsmiling leather-clad figure on the far end of the table—Viol. He’d barely moved. His plate was barren, and his glass was half empty. His gaze never crossed mine, either. He just stared at the white tablecloth like a statue.
Saffron noticed me examining his older brother and gently squeezed my hand. He gave the slightest shake of his head.From the subtleties of his expression, I gleaned his meaning was notdon’t bring him up,but ratherthis ain’t about him.In Saffron’s words, of course.
Still, it was hard not to feel a little awkward when somebody at the table was fully ignoring my existence.
Jade cleared his throat, distracting me. Did he do that on purpose?
“So, Rorik,” he said. “Tell us your favorite thing about Saffron.”
Saffron sat up straighter, angling closer and watching me with rapt attention. “Oh, this is gonna be fun,” he said playfully.
I blushed as everyone’s attention fell onto me. “Where do I start…”
The restof dinner went well. Chatter and laughter filled the air. I felt like I understood everyone better. I had to admit, dragons were growing on me.
When it ended, I felt lighter and more relaxed than I had in ages. But there was one more thing I wanted to clear up.
As everyone stood to leave, I noticed Viol was the first to make a break for it. I moved without thinking, fueled by some instinct buried deep within me.
In the lingering chatter, nobody noticed us slipping away. Except—
“Rorik,” Saffron called with a note of urgency. I didn’t stop, but I let him catch up. “What are you doing?”
“What I should’ve done a long time ago,” I said.
A flicker of unease crossed Saffron’s face. He loud-whispered, “Listen, you can’t kill my brother right after family dinner. That’s just rude.”
I shot him a wry glance. “I’m not going to kill anyone. I mean it this time.”
Saffron squinted at me, then sighed. “Okay, but I’m coming with you. For moral support. And possibly bodyguarding. I’m not sure forwhoyet.”
His antics made me smile. “Thanks.”
We tracked Viol down as he turned to stalk down the hallway. He knew we were following him. As I sped up to match his stride, he walked faster.
