“Making friends.”
Her breath caught. “Well. I mean, Felicity and I have been friends for years. Jacqueline is as new to being a shifter-mom as I am, so we have that to talk about. Lainie—did you meet her yet? We’ve had some good chats, though obviously she’s busy with the baby. And—Hideaway has had some issues around humans living here. Non-shifters being allowed to stay is a relatively new thing, so everyone is careful to, you know. Be nice around me.”
“Or perhaps they enjoy your company.”
She snorted. “I spend most of my time trying to stop Tomás from peeling shiny things off the walls or stealing people’s spare change. Some of my neighbors, the only words I’ve exchanged with them are ‘Oh, god, I’m so sorry.’ I’m sure their lives would be much simpler without my company. But—Hideaway is a sanctuary. Everyone here is very clear on that. It’s what the town was founded on. So that’s what they’re doing. Giving him a place to grow up safe, around people who understand him.”
“You think they only let you stay because of Tomás?” Corin regarded her curiously. “Then you should know that while she was packing our lunch, Caro sent me a very detailed and specific warning about what would happen to me if I treated you poorly.”
“Really?Caro?”
“Extremelydetailed. I was impressed. She could give Saint-John Montfort lessons.”
“I don’t—that’s—oh.” She pressed her lips together.
“Why does it surprise you so much that the people here care for you?” He leaned forwards, his eyes intent, and suddenly Maya was floundering out of her depths.
“I’m just—aware that things can change quickly.”
Corin stilled. It was a predator’s stillness, and it made the hairs on the back of her neck tremble, but she wasn’t afraid. “You’ve never had anyone on your side before.”
Alarm bells went off in her head. She didn’t even know what they were trying to warn her about.
“That’s not true,” she protested. “I’ve always had Felicity.”
“Not when it came to the fact that your infant son could turn into a dragon.” Corin’s voice was the same as ever, but there was a burr of heat behind his clipped tones. “You were entirely alone. There was nobody you could trust with the truth. I—I should have been the person you could trust. And I wasn’t.”
His face twisted. “Miss Flores.Maya.You will never be in that position again. You know what I am. What we all are. Hideaway has welcomed you. You’ll be safe here.”
You can’t promise me that.She didn’t say it out loud, but damn him, Corin looked at her as though he’d heard the words anyway.
His voice softened. “After everything I’ve put you through, you have no reason to trust me now. But listen to me, at least. I will not allow anything to harm you or Tomás. Whoever stole the treasure—”
“The treasure,” she repeated on a gasp. Of course. The treasure. That was why he was here. He wasn’t evenmentioningbeing her mate. She shook herself and something in Corin’s eyes hardened.
“I will find the thief. I will protect you from whoever has been stalking through Hideaway’s waters. Whatever you need, I will provide.” His voice lowered. “No more secrets. From this moment on, I am yours.”
Her heart stopped. Everything stopped. There was only Corin, sitting in the shreds of his clothes, his dark eyes piercing her soul.
He continued, “Anything you want to know, you only have to ask.”
He hadn’t meant it. He wasn’thers.He meant he would answer her questions.
She should have been relieved. Instead, her ribs tightened.
As soon as he caught the thief, he was leaving. That was what he’d said. And Corin always kept his word.
He would leave. She would be safe.
She wet her lips. “There are a few things I wanted to ask you, actually.”
14
Corin
In the time Maya Flores had worked for him, she had never asked him anything. At first, he’d thought nothing of it. He had been raised as heir to the Blackburn clan; the only people who questioned him were his grandfather and a few brave tutors. Everyone else in his life jumped to anticipate his needs before he knew them himself. If they needed to know anything, they asked his assistants.
They asked Maya. And Maya always knew everything.
