Page 30 of Immortal Bonds

Creighton sighed at the reassurance. He needed it. Families were hard. His own, damn near impossible. "Okay," he whispered.

They walked through the open doors and into the dining room. Immediately all eyes turned to them. Creighton would have frozen, but he saw Eden waving at him excitedly. The other man's joy, along with the warmth still radiating from Thalric, gave him the confidence to move forward.

The family was seated at a large, ornate table. He could tell it was meant to host many, and even though it was grand, it still held warmth.

"Hello," Mira Saint greeted him, standing and coming over. "And who are you?"

"That's my friend!" Eden shouted to the group before Thalric could speak.

Thalric shook his head and chuckled. "This is indeed Eden's friend, Creighton. He's also a very talented artist. The stuffies that Eden has in his playroom were made by Creighton's hands."

The praise was different than any he'd heard before. Creighton often brushed off compliments because they were intense on his emotions, but this time he soaked them up. He embraced the way it felt to be praised by someone. Surprisingly, he found himself liking it more and more with every minute.

What was it about Thalric that intrigued him so much, and did the other man feel even an inkling of the same curiosity?

Nothing could happen between them, of course. It wasn't like that. He would never get his hopes up in that way. But he couldn't deny that he really liked the idea of there possibly being more between him and the other man.

It was a dream. Something that would probably never happen. But it still thrilled him.

"Welcome, friend of Eden and talented artist, Creighton," Mira said, looping her arm through his and trying to pull him away. Instead of being able to move, though, Mira found herself caught in a stare-off with her brother. "You have to release him," she said to Thalric, amusement laced in her voice.

"I don't," he replied.

She raised her brow. "I see. Well then, why don't you lead him to a spot at the table? Maybe the one beside you?" She shook her head at his caveman tendencies.

Thalric didn't respond to the verbal jab. He simply did as she suggested. Creighton was led over to one of the few empty spaces at the table and made to sit. The moment he dropped into place, Thalric quickly pulled out the chair beside him and positioned himself as close as possible.

The people around the room stared at them with curious expressions. He didn't know what to make of it. This all seemed so different and not at all what he had pictured. He turned his head, hoping to maybe get some answers from Thalric, but an array of servers walked in.

Creighton bristled because the way people treated those who helped them spoke of how they truly were. He believed it with his whole heart, and he worried for a moment that the Saint family would disappoint him.

The opposite was true. He was overjoyed because the entire family greeted the people helping them warmly and by name. They patted their hands and rubbed their cheeks. That was mostly Mira, of course. She was a doting mother to all.

Creighton felt a sort of longing. His own mother was not that way. He'd never experienced it, but maybe if he played his cards right and spent more time with the Saint family, Mira would begin to mother him too. He would not turn down the affection.

After all, he had mentioned not wanting to be alone, and suddenly he found himself promised time with a man he was a bit besotted with. "What are you thinking about?" The words were whispered to him, though Creighton could tell from the knowing grins on everyone's faces that they had heard just fine.

He shook his head, not wanting to voice it.

Thalric smiled gently and reached out to rub his thumb across Creighton's cheek. It felt different from what Mira had done. This wasn't an endearing touch; it was full of heat, and he couldn't attribute it to Thalric's warm body temperature this time.

"I'm sure I can convince you to tell me later," he said, his voice a rumbly growl that did things to Creighton.

Oh boy, he thought. This was complicated.

CHAPTER 11

THALRIC

Thalric was on the edge of his control. His dragon was beating at the walls of his mind, pleading to come out and claim what was theirs, to make it known to everyone in this space that they didn't even need to look Creighton's way lest they face his dragon's wrath.

Everyone was to be kind, though not too kind.

He knew he was being overzealous. There was no guarantee that his mate would accept him. No promise to ensure that the two of them would be anything more than two people in the same space.

Yet his heart, his body, knew. It understood that this was his forever, that this was his person, the other half of his soul. All he needed to do was be patient.

But patience wasn't his strength.