Chapter 2
Brenin couldn’t believe his luck.He’d not even wanted to go to the diner when he’d been invited, and now he’d found his mate.She was a little skittish, but he thought that was just his fault.He’d been a little forward in talking to her, and now she was afraid of him.He didn’t like that feeling that he’d given her, but it couldn’t be helped right now.He was going to make it up to her by talking to her.He also wanted to know what was going on with the school and how he could help her with that.He’d heard both ends of the conversation as the woman on the other end of the line had been loud.Something about a little boy beaten nearly to death, and he was now in the hospital.
“What are you going to do?”Of course, they would ask him that.His brother, especially.“She’s a little freaked out by you.”Tucker would know about that as he’d freaked out his own mate when he’d found her.
“I know.That’s my fault.I shouldn’t have come on so strong to her.”Tank asked about the phone call.“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.It has really upset her.Something about another little boy.She has a son, too, I heard.”
They had finished eating and were getting ready to leave.He was glad that he’d driven himself to the little restaurant, so now he could wait for her to be finished so that he could talk to her.Excitement made him a little giddy, but he was trying his best to refrain from upsetting her anymore.After paying the bill, they all put money on the table in the form of a tip.She was going to do well today, as they all knew she was his mate.
He knew that he couldn’t wait at the table for her, so he went out to his car and waited for her to get off.He had no idea how long that was going to be, but he’d wait all night if necessary.At about a quarter after four, she was coming out of the place and headed towards her car.He stood back until she had her door open before he spoke to her.
“I’m so sorry that I upset you in the restaurant.”She held her keys in front of her with one key between her knuckles.“You’re right to be cautious.It’s good to know that you’re not taking any chances.But I’d rather die than to hurt you.”
“What do you want?I have to pick up my son, and I’m already late.”He asked if she had a few minutes they could talk.“I don’t know what there is to say.I don’t want to be your mate, and that’s final.I’ve had a husband before, and while he was a good man when we were married, he left me a widow, and I can’t forgive him for that.”
“I won’t leave you behind.”She said that everyone dies.“Not me.Not you either, now that I’ve found you.Nor will your son.He’ll be all right so long as he lives to be about twenty, then he won’t age anymore.Neither will—I’m doing this all wrong.I’m sorry.I’d like to talk to you when you can allow me to do that.”
“What do you mean he won’t die, and neither will I?Everyone dies at some point in their lives.”He said that they were all immortals.“I don’t want to be an immortal if that means I have to allow you to rule over me.”
“I don’t know why everyone thinks that we’re going to rule our mates.I have no intentions of doing anything like that.If you’d like to continue working like you are, then I will be supportive and there for you.But you don’t have to work another day in your life, and we’d be fine with money.”Again, he thought he was doing this wrong and took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly.“My name is Brenin Savage.I’m sure you’ve heard of the Savage men.”
“They have all the money in the world.”He said that was him; he was one of them.“Why should I believe you?For all I know, you think to rob me of my tips today.”
“I don’t need your money either.I have plenty.Not as much as is in the world, but I’m wealthybeyond anything we can spend in our lives together.”She didn’t lower the weapon of her keys, and he didn’t blame her.He was beginning to sound like a lunatic even to himself.“You said you have to go and get your son.Let’s do that, and we’ll talk.I can either ride with you or meet you at your house.Either one is fine with me.”
“I have to get Davy.”He said that he understood her and that he’d meet her at her house.“All right.I have no idea why I trust you not to hurt me, but I do.If you so much as talk to Davy badly, I will rip your throat out and kill you.”
“I would allow it.”After getting her address, he said he’d met her at her home.He waited until she was in her car and gone before he got into his own car and left.She was afraid of him, and that broke his heart.He’d never hurt her or her son, and he needed to have her know that soon.As soon as he pulled up in front of the house, he realized what a nice neighborhood she lived in.All the little houses were in neat rows with good lawns and nicely trimmed trees.He could see himself living here if it came to that.He’d live anywhere she wished so long as she trusted him.
It took her an hour to get home.He had a feeling that she’d been having second thoughts and wasn’t going to come home.But he stuck it out and stayed and was glad that he had to see little Davy.He looked just like his mom and thought that anyone could see it.As he made his way up to the house, when she got out and opened the door, he was careful where he tread so that she’d not be afraid of him again.
“This is my son, Davy Manchester.Davy, this is Mr.Savage.He’s going to be leaving soon.He wants to talk to me.”Davy asked if he had to do his homework, and she told him that he did.It was just going over his site words again, she told him, and she was proud of him when he got them all right.Lisa told him that her son would be in second grade next year, as he’d only just turned seven, and she knew that he was doing well in school.“Put your things away, please, before you do your homework.”
“Nice to meet you, young man.”Davy shook his hand and told him it was a pleasure to meet him.As soon as the introductions were made, he hung up his coat and got out his words.“I can help you with them while your mom makes you dinner if you want.Or I can talk to her while she does that.”
“We’re having spaghetti tonight.It’s my second favorite meal.”He asked what his first was, and he told him about the burger place on Maple.“I eat there when we have extra money for a treat.”
“Davy, he doesn’t care what we do for treats.”He didn’t say anything but was going to be happy for any kind of information he could get about either of them.“Do your words, and Mr.Savage and I will talk in the kitchen.How was school today?”
“Better than yesterday.”That was all he said, and he thought that whatever had happened at the school had traumatized the boy quite a bit.He shivered when his mom asked how his day had gone.“Toby wasn’t at school or after school today.I missed him.”
“We’ll talk about him later.”Davy seemed satisfied with that, and Brenin went to the kitchen with Lisa.She had sauce on the stove already simmering.He thought for sure it was homemade and would have loved to have been invited to eat if he hadn’t eaten so much at the diner.“What is it you wish to talk to me about?I won’t have you ruling me while I’m in my own home either.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.You seem to have a really nice place here.”She said that it was home.“I just bought a house that I’m working on.It needed the kitchen updated, but that’s about finished right now.It had to be taken to the studs so that the wiring could be redone.”He was babbling and didn’t understand why.“I’m going to tell you a little bit about myself.Then you can tell me whatever it is that you wish to tell me about yourself.”
“I won’t be your slave either.”He told her that he didn’t need slaves and had been around when they were very popular and wouldn’t do that to anyone.“You make it sound like you’re older than you look.I’m assuming that you’re hundreds of years old.”
“Thousands of years old.I’m the youngest of the two of us.I have a brother named Cassian who just found his mate.They’re happy together.”She didn’t say anything, and he continued telling her about himself.“I’ve been around for a long time, as I said, and I’ve been happier than I’ve been in the last few months.My parents are both dead, as is my sister.Other than Cassian, I have a lot to do withmy cousins.We all grew up together.”
“What are you?You told me that you were a shifter, so what is it that you can shift into?”He told her that he was a blue dragon.“I didn’t know there were any dragons that were real, much less colored ones.”
“My younger cousin, Tucker, is a red dragon.He burns hot all the time, while my brother and I are both running cold all the time.”She nodded once, and he continued.“As I said, we’ve been around for a long time and have amassed a fortune in money and investments.So when I said that you’d not have to work unless you wanted to, I was telling you the truth.By the way, I can’t lie to you.About anything.Nor will I ever hurt you intentionally.”
“I don’t believe you.I’m sorry if that’s harsh, but I have a hard time believing that you’re going to expect anything of me other than to rule me and make me your slave.I’m stronger than I look, so if you try anything, I’m going to kill you.It might be hard, but I will hurt you at least.”He said he’d have it no other way.“Why are you being so nice to me?I’ve just told you that I’m going to kill you if you try anything, and you said it was all right.”
“Because I’d rather die than to harm you, rule you, or to make you my slave.I have no intentions of doing any of those things so long as you give me a chance to try to prove to you that I’m just what I said I am.A man who happens to be able to shift into a dragon that will love you forever.”She asked him if he was saying that he loved her.“I am.I might not know you well enough right now to proclaim that I do indeed love you, but I’m falling in love with you more with each minute that we spend together.”
“That’s just not right.You have to know that.”He nodded and watched her as she put the noodles in the pot of boiling water.“I don’t know what to say about any of this.”
