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Her dragon spoke up. If we had my way, we would've flown and risked the DDA.
You're not being helpful.
Caitlin went back to plucking the material of her trousers and started humming a tune.
Her mother had offered to sit in, but she'd declined. After all, this was her decision and her life. She wasn't about to let anyone else speak for her.
The video conference app chimed, displaying Northcastle's name. For a second, she froze. Accepting the call possibly meant uprooting her life and moving to a clan full of strangers.
Then she remembered Killian's cry of pain and his unconsciousness, and it fortified her resolve. Her son had spent years protecting her. She needed to do this for him.
Clicking the Receive button, she instantly recognized the face that appeared as Lorcan Todd's.
She'd only seen him a few times in recent years, but his short, light gray hair and mismatched eyes—one brown and one blue—were the same. As was his strong jaw and broad shoulders.
In other words, he was as handsome as she'd remembered.
Her dragon spoke up. I still don't understand why you've spurned him for so many years.
Not now, dragon.
Lorcan raised his silver eyebrows. "I must say I was surprised to hear you wanted to talk to me, what with you ignoring my previous attempts to contact you."
Drawing on years of raising two strong-willed children, Caitlin sat tall and forced her voice to be strong. "I'm talking to you now."
"That you are. Care to tell me about what? If there's one thing I know about your family, a call from you lot never comes without a request."
She decided to get straight to the point before she lost her nerve. "You once offered a treaty between our clans, with a few conditions. I want to know if that offer still stands."
"So Teagan is having her mother speak for her now?"
"Don't disrespect my daughter. I'm sure you wouldn't stand it for yours."
He studied her a second and Caitlin wondered if she'd just lost her only chance to help her son. Unlike her mother and daughter, she had no experience with political negotiations. If that was what Lorcan was looking for, she might be in over her head.
Lorcan's deep voice filled her ears. "I always sensed there was steel behind the gentleness. I'm glad to see that I was right."
Before she could stop herself, she blurted, "Only when it comes to my children and family."
"And that, Caitlin, is not a negative. We should always look out for our children."
Her stomach churned. Maybe Lorcan wouldn't agree to her plan after all.
He continued, "If you were referring to my previous condition, about a treaty in exchange for a mating, I'm open to the idea. But I won't force it. I've learned my lesson on those grounds."
She frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Maybe someday I'll tell you, but not now. What is it you want, Caitlin? Just tell me straight."
Lorcan's eyes were gentle, as if coaxing her to tell him her secrets. She had a feeling the trait came in handy when leading his clan. "What I'm about to tell you must remain a secret. If I get wind that you've shared it, then everything I'm about to propose will be called off." He nodded and she continued. "Killian has lost his memory and his dragon. Your daughter may be the key to bringing him back."
He frowned. "What are you talking about?"
Taking a deep breath, she answered, "Killian was kidnapped for a day and drugged. He came back as I described, with no memory and no inner beast."
"I'm sorry for that, Caitlin, I am. But how does my daughter fit into it all?"
"Well, we know of one dragon-shifter who lost her dragon regained it by kissing her true mate. I don't know if Georgiana ever sensed it or not, but she and Killian are true mates. Or, at least they were. I'm not sure how things stand now, with my son changed."
