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Ignoring the bastard, he smiled. “Don’t bother sitting down. You’ll need some shoes for what I have planned.”
She frowned. “Why?”
“Because today we’re taking a field trip.”
She searched his gaze. “You know how I don’t like surprises, Bronx.”
He shrugged. “We’re visiting a nearby lake, one where the young dragons have swimming lessons. And yes, they’ll be in their dragon forms.”
Her eyes widened. “I can go too? Bram will allow it?”
He stood and walked over to her but didn’t touch her.
No matter how much he wanted to. “Yes. He wants to give you true freedom; he really does. But until we sort out your dragon, we have to be a bit cautious.”
“Did you ask about a place at the edges of Stonefire for me to live?”
Bronx nodded. “Yes. He’s working on it.”
Surprise flared in her eyes. “I-I get to be part of the clan? Just for a short while, of course. But I can have my own place?”
For a second, irritation flashed through him at the fact she wanted to be rid of him. But Bronx quickly pushed it aside. Even if Percy had nearly kissed them, it didn’t mean anything. “That’s the goal. But it takes some time to put everything together, of course. Especially since Bram is dealing with the DDA about you staying here.”
She tilted her head. “Do I have to stay on Stonefire?”
His heart twisted at her wanting to leave. “Once the doctors clear you, then you can pick any dragon clan in the UK. Well, provided the clan leader approves it. But all of the leaders—the other clans are Lochguard, Snowridge, Skyhunter, and Northcastle—are brilliant people. I don’t see it being a problem.”
The corner of her mouth kicked up. “Trying to get rid of me?”
“Absolutely not. Violet would never forgive me if I did that.” He gestured toward her room. “The sooner you get your shoes, the sooner we can go. That way, you have more time to watch or even interact with the young dragons, if you wish.”
Her eyes lit up, and Bronx wished he could do that for her more often. “That would be brilliant. I never had the chance to shift into a young dragon form, so it’ll help me understand things a bit more to see them for myself. Just a second.”
She raced into her room, and he chuckled. He loved seeing some of her youth come out once in a while. Percy more than deserved some lighthearted moments.
Within minutes, she was ready, and they headed toward the big lake near Stonefire, the one that belonged to the clan but still sometimes had human visitors. And as they walked, he couldn’t stop staring at Percy’s smile as she pointed out some flower or an animal.
She looked so happy. But it also reminded him of how sheltered and deprived she’d been.
Never before had he felt so much older than her. And even if it rubbed him the wrong way to think it, he wished for her not to be his true mate. If she ever did find that person, he should be younger like her, someone able to run and jump into the air easily, a male who could give her all the things she’d missed out on.
His dragon growled.Stop it. We’re not decrepit. And a younger male would probably hurt her more easily.
I’m not so sure.
I am. She needs steadiness, someone more sure of who they are. A young buck won’t do that.
Using the phrase “young buck” only reinforces my point about being older. At any rate, it’s a good thing we’re trying today to bring her dragon out long enough for you to determine whether she’s our true mate or not.
His hope was that seeing all the young dragons and their antics might resonate with Percy’s inner beast. It wasn’t a guarantee, but most dragons loved children, and it was something he hadn’t yet tried with her.
And Bronx desperately hoped it would work. The sooner he knew Percy wasn’t his true mate, the easier he could build a wall between them. Then he could keep it professional and let her discover who she was before being forced into such a life-changing decision.
* * *
Percy knewshe was acting like a child, but everything was just sonew. Flowers she’d never seen, birds with pretty colors, and even the sight of the peaks and hills of the surrounding landscape—it was better than any views she’d had at the orphanage and far better than the handful of pictures inside her set of apartments inside the facility.
She was so absorbed in it all that she didn’t even realize she’d grabbed Bronx’s arm and wrapped hers around his. Every time she pointed and asked about something, he explained what it was and patiently suffered through her enthusiasm.
