“I apologize if I caught you in the middle of doing something nice for Goldie, Ana, but she’s not baking tonight.” He aimed his full attention on her, and she shrank away from his tone. “You’regrounded.” He pointed down the hall. “Go to your room, and when I come to tuck you in, you better still be there.”
What a world Goldie lived in where she might be in trouble, twice in one night, but her pseudo parent hadn’t withheld his affection or leveraged her angst over disappointing him to extract a vow for good behavior in the future.
For a brother, Rían made a great dad. Andno, that was not my ovaries talking.
Probably.
Thin shoulders bowed, Goldie slipped down the hall to the bedrooms and shut herself in hers.
“Let’s take this outside.”
Rían exited into the backyard, an area I hadn’t spent much time in. Mostly because it reminded me of all the time and effort I had put into mine only to have it come to nothing when I abandoned my house. His space reflected the previous owner, not him, but it was ideal for a kid Goldie’s age. Plenty of room for an obstacle course of her own, if she had wanted one. A fence for a dog. Er. No. Never mind. I remembered Rían telling me once that fledging dragons and pets didn’t always mix. Pets were too snack-sized during the period where human and dragon were still figuring things out, including what was and what was not a treat.
“Usually, those are fighting words.” I tried to joke to cover my nervousness. “Do I need a pistol?”
“We’re not dueling.” He sat in the grass and surprised me by flopping onto his back. “I just couldn’t be inside anymore. I get that way sometimes after my dragon stretches his wings.”
“It must be hard, not being able to shift like everyone else.”
“You would know that better than anyone.” He patted the spot next to him. “This world can’t handle creatures my size. I’ve always known that, so I’ve got a good handle on best practices to make the most of the time I have in my other form.”
Accepting his invitation, I dropped down next to him. “Have you considered allowing Fayne to bind you in a different shape?”
“Many, many,manytimes.”
“But you need your dragon to make a statement when one is warranted, like when you faced down the Nelson pride. The sight of you alone was enough to stop a brawl before one started. Minus the one guy Liam stomped flat.” I bit down on the thought too late. “But let’s not talk about him.”
“He shot you,” Rían rumbled softly, his temper sparking.
“If you could choose any animal, what would you be?” I diverted his attention, determined to bring down the temperature. “Lion, tiger, bear?”
“A shark, but it’s sadly impractical.”
“I did not see that one coming.”
“What about you?”
“A dragon, of course.” I didn’t have to stop and think about it. “Who wouldn’t want to be one?”
Considering how long I had pined for a wolf spirit of my own, I was adjusting to the idea of scales rather than fur quickly. Wolves were awesome, they would always hold a special place in my heart, but wolves also served as a reminder of Carmichael’s betrayal. I was glad to be something else, something different.
A smile tipped his lips as he gazed at the dark sky, and I couldn’t help but wonder how much more beautiful the stars would have been if we were at the ranger station and away from the light pollution.
“Discussing your shark fantasy isn’t why you asked me out here though,” I said, nudging him along.
“You heard Goldie.” He sounded resigned to his fate. “Do you have any idea what she meant?”
“Which part? Mate or bargain?”
“Either?” He made a fist and thumped it against his forehead. “Both?”
“I’ve heard Goldie call me your mate before, but I wrote it off as her being a kid. I figured she believed our betrothal, where our parents promised we would marry, was the same thing as mated, where fate says we’re meant to be together. After I got to know her, I should have reconsidered. Goldie is a smart cookie, and she wouldn’t toss around words so casually. There’s been so much upheaval, I haven’t given it another thought, really.”
“I should have told you from the start, but it was already a lot to explain you had a surprise fiancé.”
“Honestly, I can’t hold it against you.” I spluttered a laugh. “I would have bolted out of that room so fast, your head would have spun. I never would have believed you. It’s still hard to wrap my head around, but maybe shifting will help me pull it all into perspective.”
“You’ve been controlled enough, had your life planned out for you and your decisions stolen from you. I didn’t want to omit the truth, but it’s a lot. This situation you’re in.” He angled his head toward me. “It’s not too late to bolt, if it’s too much.”
