18. Corin

18

Corin

Was he deliberately courting disaster, Corin wondered.

His mother. His mother . The woman who’d hunted down her own mate with a wedding license already partially completed so she could get down to the business of creating a Blackburn heir. And she had succeeded. Corin’s nearest cousins were years younger than him. He sometimes wondered if his aunts and uncles had looked at Igraine after she married into their family and been so intimidated by her generational planning that they’d been completely incapable of reproducing for another half decade.

And he had organized a meeting between her and Maya.

His mother, who had no idea he had found his mate … and his mate.

Even his dragon was wary.

But there was nobody better he could think of to give Maya the information she needed and convey it with the utmost ruthless parental efficiency. If she put her mind to it, Igraine Blackburn could have written a thesis on dragon child-rearing. She had only born one heir—him—but she had stopped at nothing to learn as much about her kind as possible. She was terrifying, and impressive.

If she found out that the infant dragon she was being called upon to provide advice about was the child of his unclaimed mate…

His chest twisted.

The one saving grace was that she would not be physically present. A phone call only. He ensured everything was prepared at his house: light refreshments, a comfortable place to sit in a private room, and tasks for him to complete so he didn’t end up pacing behind the door, eavesdropping on his mother telling stories from his childhood.

Yes. Disaster, most assuredly.

The bell rang, and he let Maya in. Something was different about her.

“Tomás is still asleep. I’ve left Fee with him to play magic sparkles when he wakes up.”

“I wish I could be of more help.”

She shot him a strange look. “You’ve been all the help. You knew what he was doing, and you figured out what he needed. Even if you can’t use your own power to distract him…” Her expression softened. “You’ve already helped so much.”

But it still wasn’t enough. He bit back the words. Hopefully this meeting would go some way to rectify that.

“And now I’m going to talk to your mom about dragon babies.” She quirked a smile. “I’m terrified. Should I be terrified? Oh no. What is it? Tell me.”

“What is what?”

“You have that look on your face like something’s wrong.”

“Nothing’s wrong. You look … different.”

She frowned, plucking at her outfit. “This is the sort of thing I wore every day at your office. Do you know how long it took me to find my box of even semi-nice clothes in the attic?” She squeezed her eyes shut. “Sorry. I don’t mean to be ungrateful about you organizing this meeting. It’s just…”

“Stressful beyond belief?” he asked dryly. “Agreed. And don’t worry. You look perfect.”

And that was what had seemed so strange. The Maya in front of him was the old Maya. Prim and tidy and professional. It was as though the walls she’d kept around herself as his assistant were back in place.

Then she grimaced at him, and the illusion was broken. The old Maya would never emote so obviously. “Does she know—you know?”

“That you are my mate?” He braced himself. “No.”

“Oh, good. Not that it needs to be a secret, but…” She winced. “One big thing at a time?”

“Telling my mother there is a baby dragon in the world who needs her expertise is a big enough thing for one conversation,” he agreed.

“You’re not going to reassure me that it’s going to be fine?”

“You’ll be talking to my mother.”

“And it’ll be fine?” she prompted him again.

“It will be a gauntlet. But she loves being the most knowledgeable person in the room even more than she does prying into other people’s lives, so you’ll be fine.”

Famous last words.

Corin got Maya settled in the library and started the video call. His mother was lounging on some sort of sun-soaked recliner, but he didn’t let that fool him and hoped Maya wouldn’t, either. He made the introductions, and left them to it.

His own phone started buzzing before he’d even closed the door.

Mother: Maya Flores = YOUR Miss Flores? 1 u never let us meet?

He scowled and tapped out an answer.

Corin: It’s rude to send messages while you’re on a call with someone else.

Mother: IT IS

Mother: TELL ME

Mother: I knew u were hiding sumthing from us!!!!!

He stilled. Maya’s voice filtered through the walls, quiet and anxious. There was an ominous pause in the constant buzzing of his messaging app.

Oh, no. She wasn’t going to think—

Mother: A BABY???

Mother: CORIN LANCELOT BLACKBURN

Mother: ANSWER YOUR MOTHER

Mother: BABY?????

He dropped his phone into his pocket, swearing. Maya’s voice rose. He got the sense of her shepherding the conversation back on track and—oh, god, no, she wouldn’t have.

She is my mother. Of course she would have.

He wheeled around, ready to storm back into the front room and save Maya from a horrifyingly awkward ordeal he should have seen coming a mile off.

As his hand hit the doorknob, Maya said, “It’s not Corin’s! The father—”

He froze.

Tomás’s father. The man who’d got Maya pregnant and abandoned her to give birth and raise a child alone—without even knowing what sort of child he’d given her. His hand tightened on the doorknob.

“—he isn’t involved. He—doesn’t have any interest.”

“But you do know who the father is ?” His mother’s voice was equal parts dismay and speculation.

“I—”

The world stood still.

Maya had already been pregnant when they met. She had never said anything outright, but she had given hints that she was hiding a long-term boyfriend somewhere offstage. Her colleagues had been surprised at the idea she had a partner but not that surprised, given how private she was.

Corin had believed her.

But there had been no adult male dragon at her shoulder to protect her, the night he’d destroyed everything, and he still had no idea of the truth.

Maya’s voice was firm. “That isn’t relevant. He isn’t a part of Tomás’s life.”

Corin stared blindly at the door. Whatever his mother said next, her words didn’t penetrate the haze filling his mind.

He knew that tone. It was a tone of voice he should have recognized for what it was years ago. Maya wasn’t just being brusque and professional.

She knew the father might be behind the stolen treasure. But she didn’t know who he was.

He’d meant to use the time while Maya was speaking with his mother to further his investigation into the stolen treasure, but that was a dead end. His grandfather had promised to look in to the hoard vault’s security, but had fallen silent. Every lead vanished into smoke the minute he looked in its direction.

As though the leads were deliberate misdirection. His fingers curled as though he could reach through the phone and wave his claws in people’s faces until they gave him the answers he needed.

Or just loom at them, shadowy wings forming at his shoulders, until the threat of duskfire got him what he wanted.

He closed his eyes briefly. That’s why I can’t be the one to teach Tomás about his flame. Other dragonfires could be used non-destructively. Apollo’s power seemed deliberately designed to protect the people in his town-hoard, and even regular flame could be used to heat houses, not burn them down.

The duskfire could only destroy.

The sun was dipping towards the horizon by the time Maya emerged from the library. She looked remarkably unscathed, but he didn’t let that fool him.

“How did it go?” he asked, pretending he hadn’t been lurking down the hallway, waiting for the click of the doorknob.

“Surprisingly well.” Her lips quirked into a smile.

He wasn’t going to let that fool him, either. “I apologize. In retrospect, I should have prepared you more.”

“I can handle myself, Corin.”

“I’m glad she was helpful, even with the interrogation.”

“Well, I was interrogating her pretty hard in return, so it’s only fair.” She looked at him hard, her eyes narrowed. “How much did you hear?”

He hesitated, and she sighed.

“That much?”

“More than I am comfortable with.”

The corner of her mouth twitched down, and she looked away.

Shit.

“Maya, I—”

“It was useful. Talking to your mom. I’m still terrified, but it’s—it’s like being terrified of a driving test you’ve spent months studying and practicing for. I know what might be coming. I just have to get through it. For the next, oh, twenty years or so.”

She took a deep breath.

“But there’s one thing we haven’t talked about. And we really need to. Don’t we?” She hesitated. “You need to tell me yes, here, before I lose my nerve.”

He obeyed at once. “Yes.”

His gorgeous mate stared up at him, bracing herself as though she was about to throw herself into battle.

“I don’t know who Tomás’s father is,” she said baldly.

“I know.”

“You know? ” She wrapped her arms around herself. “Of course. You overheard.”

“I should have figured it out long ago.”

Maya didn’t reply. Her thumb, tapping on her forefinger, did all the talking for her.

“You were afraid to tell me,” he said in an undertone. “I wish I had been the sort of man you didn’t feel the need to keep that secret from.”

“Really?” She shot him a doubting look. “That’s all you have to say? I—you were upset with me when you saw me clamber out a window without proper safety equipment, but this you can understand?”

“Maya, I—”

“I have worked for your family for years . I solved your problems before you even knew they were problems. I am organized. Reliable. Responsible. If I was going to be a single mom, it would be because I had done so much research I could do my PhD on it, and have plans for every possible outcome and sperm donors rankable via pivot table—”

“I don’t know what that means,” he said, feeling like he was trying to head off an avalanche before it destroyed an entire town.

“—and instead I—I…” Her voice shook. “I don’t know who he is. I couldn’t find out. I tried. All my, my useful workaholic organized-ness, and I couldn’t even find that out. And I wouldn’t give Tomás up to change any of it; he’s the best thing I’ll ever do with my life, but I still…”

“I know.”

Her eyes found his, wary and hopeful.

“I love you, Maya. And everything you have made of your life, whether you meant to or not.”

“But what if—” She bit her lip and stopped herself. “If he’s the one who stole your treasures—”

“The hell with my treasure.” He pulled her close, into a hug he hoped communicated everything his words felt not enough for. “With your permission, I will hunt down Tomás’s father. But not for my own vengeance. So we can discover the nature of his dragonfire, so you are prepared for whatever magic is in your son’s future. And I will make it extremely clear to him that whatever his claim on Tomás, his behavior towards you has been unacceptable. He made you afraid, Maya. I will not forgive him for that. And once we have dealt with him…”

Maya wasn’t breathing. He needed to finish this, fast.

“I want you, Maya Flores. I want to go to sleep with you at night and wake up beside you in the mornings. I want to watch Tomás grow into his powers, and guide him as best I can. I want you, and I do not want to waste a single moment more of my life not being yours.”

She gasped in a breath. “But you don’t want me.” Her voice seemed to echo, hollow with shock. “It’s only physical—”

“You already know that isn’t true.”

“Your magic—”

He swallowed back a wave of bitterness. This was not what she deserved, but it was all he could offer. “You are enough for me,” he said, his voice rough. “And all I can offer you in return is a bad bargain.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can only offer you myself.”

“That’s—” Her eyes widened in understanding. “You think that’s not enough?”

It wouldn’t be, for another dragon. But this wasn’t a dragon. This was Maya, the missing piece of his heart. “My magic will not harm you so long as I never claim you. But I do not need to claim you for you to know that I am yours. You are my world, and nothing will change that.”