I chuckled at that. "We should wait until Eleanor removes the spell safely first."
It should have been easy to say it. Instead, I stared at the chessboard and tried to remember how the game worked.
"Bryce is my son," I said, finally. The weight of the world rested in those words.
Nathan’s jaw clenched. He looked away, picking at a seam in the arm of his chair. "Yeah, that’s what Krys said."
He sat back, the tension turning his arms to cord. "Doesn’t change much. I helped raise that boy. My pack did. He’s a wolf."
"Is he?" I asked, genuinely curious.
Nathan’s face went cold. "You looking to take him?"
My dragon bristled at the implication, but I forced it down. "No," I said. "I wouldn’t do that. I just want to be part of his life. That’s all."
The silence thickened. On the TV stand, a plastic clock ticked away the seconds.
Nathan broke first. "He’s happy, you know. Got friends. Got family. We don’t need a dragon swooping in and messing with his head."
"I get that," I said. "Family is just as important to dragons as it is to wolves. I want what is best for him and Krystal. And you know my clan is deeply rooted in this area, too. I have no plans of leaving."
He nodded, almost imperceptibly. "What’s the plan?"
I hesitated. "I don’t know. I’ll follow Krystal's lead. I just wanted to sit down with you. Let you know my intentions, and that they're totally honorable."
For a while, neither of us said anything. The house felt smaller with both of us in it.
Nathan looked down, jaw flexing. "If you hurt him or her…"
"I won’t," I said flatly. The dragon in me made it an oath. "I’ll protect both of them. Always. Krystal is my mate, and I plan to claim her after the spell is broken, as soon as she'll have me."
Nathan shifted, his posture less combative. "Krystal’s a good mother. The best. But she’s got her own scars. You help her, or you stay the hell out of the way."
I nodded. "I will."
Another long pause, this one not quite as sharp.
Nathan sighed, the sound heavy with decades. "You want a beer?"
I almost laughed. "Yeah," I said. "I do."
He rose, crossed to the kitchen, and returned with two cold ones. He tossed me one, which I caught without thinking.
We cracked them together, a small, reluctant truce.
Nathan said, "Bryce talked about you nonstop until his mom picked him up."
My chest warmed, and my dragon purred at hearing that. I sipped the beer, letting the cold settle my nerves. "At least he won’t have to worry about the curse."
Nathan grunted in agreement. "That’s a plus for your whole clan."
I raised the can. "I’ll drink to that."
I finished my beer and stood, setting the empty on the coffee table. "Thanks. I just wanted you to know my intentions. She'smy mate so there will be no walking away. Now that I know I have a son, my dragon is pushing me to go to her."
Nathan followed me to the door. "You want to see him, you clear it with Krystal first. She’s the only one whose permission matters."
I nodded. "Understood."
