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“How about you tell me about Iain?” she said. “After you’ve had a hot shower and dressed. I’ll wait. Then we’ll talk about Dad.”
I nodded and ran into my adjoining bathroom. She was giving me room to breathe and think. Something Mom rarely did because she knew that I’d somehow try to get out of the conversation.
But there was no getting out of this one. Iain’s dragon was ready to grab me the first time he next saw me, and I wasn’t sure I could stop my own dragon from wanting the same thing. I was still throbbing in areas that were vastly embarrassing to admit to.
My bathroom was bigger than I remembered. There had been nothing like it in any of the places I’d visited in the human realm. The huge claw-footed bathtub called to me, but I didn’t have hours to run the thing and soak. I had to get back to Mom, and everyone else.
I wanted to see my father.
I took off the cloak, put on the hot water and stepped into the huge shower. The pressure was fantastic and I stood there for too long, letting the heat soak into my bones. I washed my hair with the homemade soap and when I was finally ready to step out, I dried myself with the thick, luxurious towels my mom loved.
My wardrobe was inside my bedroom, so I wrapped towels around my hair and body and made my way back to my room. Mom was sitting on the small love seat near the fireplace, her eyes closed as if in sleep. She looked utterly exhausted.
I crept over to my wardrobe and pulled out a long winter dress and some tights. By the time I was finally dressed, she was awake and smiling at me. “Hey. Feeling better?”
I nodded. “Definitely. I’d forgotten how cold it is here.”
Her smile was sad this time. “Yeah. You haven’t been home in over a year.”
I glanced away. “Yeah, I know. I meant to come for Christmas, but the family I was nannying for needed me, and, well...”
I should have come home when they’d asked me to over the holidays. But between Anthony’s visions of Iain and my newfound freedom, I’d been partly afraid to come home, if I was being honest.
“It’s okay.”
“How’s Dad?” I asked, sitting down beside her.
Mom sighed, deep and heavy. “He’s still unconscious, but Marienne will be here soon. His body is still strong, and he’s healing, but... we’re all worried.”
I nodded, a lump in my throat. I didn’t know what to say to make my mom feel better.
But then her eyes lit up and she patted my hand. “Tell me about what’s going on with you and Iain.”
I opened my mouth to tell her the long story, then snapped it shut again. I’d been taught to be polite, but my own nature was rough and straight to the point.
So, I wasn’t going to lie or string my mother along. I opened my mouth and told the truth. “Iain is my fated mate.”
Chapter 5.
IAIN.
By the time Dad got back to the lounge room I’d managed to get to my feet and was limping around in my efforts to pace. My leg was killing me, but it was still attached to my body, so I was grateful.
“When were you going to tell me?” Dad roared, striding into the room, ablaze with annoyance just as I expected.
“Never!” I yelled back. “I thought she was my cousin! And she was a fucking child! My plan was to make her hate me, and marry someone else before she reached maturity.”
My dad growled at me, two feet away now. “Well, that didn’t fucking happen, did it?”
We were both huffing and panting when the healer and Anselm entered the room.
“My lord.”
Dad turned to the healer and gestured to him to come further into the room. “Please. Come and see to my son.”
The healer was a man older than my father, carrying a black bag. But he was a steady man with intelligent eyes. “Lie down on the sofa, son. Let me look at you.”
I did what the healer said, mostly to avoid arguing any more with my dad.
