Page 240 of Scales ’N’ Spells: Volume One

Baldewin grinned at him. “That will make the ice king happy.”

True. They’d known it would be an uphill battle with the Taavi Clan, but they were leaving with the feeling that some positive progress had been made. With time and patience, the dragons and the mages might slowly start to come together again.

Were men cute?

Tori pondered the question seriously in his half-awake, under-caffeinated state. He’d never thought of men as ‘cute,’ instead thinking of them as sexy, or yummy, or something along those lines.

But lying here in bed with Baldewin, watching the man sleep in the morning rays of sun, he looked cute. Cuddly. Like an oversized teddy bear waiting for Tori to snuggle him.

He didn’t, not just yet. Mostly because if he moved, he’d wake Baldewin, and he didn’t want to disturb the man’s sleep.

Tori stayed on his side, head propped up on one hand, studying this man he’d given his heart to. It was such a sweet moment for him, a moment he never realistically thought he’d have. Loving someone, knowing he was loved just as fiercely in return, it was an unexpected miracle. And he mostly had Baldewin’s amazing well of patience to thank for it, as he’d never have thought to pursue a dragon as a romantic partner.

Another, less happy thought intruded.

With all that had happened, Tori hadn’t found the right time to speak to his parents. He wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to. It was more a feeling of obligation to tell the people who’d raised him how his life had changed. That he was engaged, soon to be married and mated. That he’d changed clans and had no intention of ever coming back, though some of that information had likely filtered back to them already.

But this might be the only chance he had of doing it. After he and Baldewin exchanged vows and bonds, his lifespan would change. Time would slowly become different, so that years passed in the blink of an eye. His parents were already quite old. If he didn’t say something now, odds were he never would get the chance to again.

On the other hand, disturbing the happiness he’d found with Baldewin by dragging him along to talk with them sat ill. His mind kept shying away from the idea, like a dog nervous of a bath. Tori knew what he should do. But needing to do something and wanting to do it were two very, very different beasts.

Tori sighed, glancing at the clock. Nearly eight, now. If he was going to do this, he’d prefer to do it sooner rather than later. He leaned forward, pressing a kiss to Baldewin’s bare shoulder, then turned to roll out of the bed.

A strong arm wrapped around his waist, hauling him back in, and he went without much choice in the matter. Tori half-laughed as he landed, feeling naked skin pressed against his back and thighs without apology. “Hyvää huomenta, rakas.”

“Good morning,” Baldewin murmured into Tori’s shoulder. “Where are you sneaking off to?”

“Oh, nefarious places,” Tori responded dryly. “Like the shower.”

“Very nefarious,” Baldewin deadpanned back. “And then? Supposedly breakfast?”

“And there.” Tori hesitated, debating. Did he want Baldewin to witness the fallout of him talking to his family? It was sure to be ugly.

Baldewin sensed something was held back, as he encouraged, “And after breakfast? Something weighs on you, I think.”

“I—” Shit, fine. He might as well tell him. Baldewin could decide if he wanted to come or not. “I think I should talk to my parents before we leave. I might not get another chance, as I have no intention of coming back here.”

“Hmm. I wondered about this the past few days. Not once did you mention your parents to me, about meeting them.”

“I really don’t want you to meet them. They’re…not nice people. I just feel obligated to say something to them, as they did raise me.” Tori grudgingly admitted, “And I’d like the closure of shutting the book on that chapter of my life.”

“Then we’ll go and speak to your parents.”

Relief filled Tori. He hadn’t realized just how much he wanted Baldewin with him until that support was offered. Truly, speaking alone to his parents hadn’t appealed. But he could get through it if Baldewin were with him.

He lifted Baldewin’s hand to his mouth, placing a kiss to the palm before rolling free again. “Let’s get this over with.”

The small, grey house near the river looked the same. Tori’s father had built it right before he married, including an extra half story with bedrooms for children, and the couple had always been disappointed that they had only one child. Tori’s further disappointment to them was never in question. He’d never been allowed to play in or even enter the other bedroom upstairs. The one left empty, as if still waiting for a child that would never come.

He’d texted them before coming, as he didn’t want to enter the house if he could help it. There was nothing in it left for him to claim, and walking into the house would feel stifling in the worst way. There was a porch facing the river, and it was there that he found both parents waiting for him.

Yoshua and Jona Taavi stared at their only child with stiff faces, their expressions masked to hide what they truly felt. It was how they normally looked at Tori. He didn’t see anything strange about it as he walked up the two steps onto the porch.

“I came to tell you myself,” he said without preamble. “I’ve permanently left the Taavi Clan.”

“We heard.” Yoshua didn’t stand from his rocking chair, looking him and Baldewin over. His face fell into disapproving lines, which was easy to do for him. The deep furrow between his brows and the lines around his mouth leant to that expression naturally. “Heard you took on a dragon’s name, too.”

“I’m a Burkhard, yes.” Tori turned and forced himself to do brief introductions. “Baldewin, this is Yoshua and Jona, my parents. This is Baldewin Burkhard, head of security for the Burkhard Clan. Also, my fiancé.”