Page 17 of Claimed By the Dragon

She searched his gaze. “Maybe. I still miss my mum, though.”

Before he could think better of it, he blurted, “I didn’t know mine. She died giving birth to me, which I was blamed for, as I’ve mentioned before.”

Frowning, she shook her head. “It’s unfair to blame a child for being born. Your mother chose to bring you into the world.”

“My father didn’t want children. However, I was the result of the mate-claim frenzy, and my mother convinced him to let her keep the child. He’d just found his mate, didn’t want to deny her, but then nine months later she was dead. Because of me.”

“And your father treated you horribly, didn’t he? Long before the incident you shared.”

He readjusted his glasses and studied his fingers, unable to maintain eye contact. Trahern rarely talked about his father with anyone. Only Emily knew a little, and the few people on Snowridge who’d witnessed his father’s outbursts.

His dragon spoke up.She is our mate. She deserves to know. Especially since she just told us about her mother, which had to be difficult.

He blurted, “He told me I was strange, odd, and a disappointment. That I wasn’t worth my mother’s death. And for many years, he kept me in our home, hidden, so I wouldn’t embarrass him further. I learned to keep to myself. It was easier that way.”

“Bastard.”

Looking up at her harsh tone, he asked, “Pardon?”

“Not you, but your father.”

Trahern shrugged. “He was correct on some fronts, though. I’m not like most other people, be it human or dragon-shifter. Iamodd. But I’m also clever, and decoding complex chemistry problems soothes me. I learned early on that science made sense to me, and found my escape there.”

“And that’s what you were doing all these past weeks, wasn’t it? Escaping into science because it makes sense to you.”

After readjusting his lab coat, he nodded. “Yes.”

She stood and moved closer. “Were you running from me?”

He met her dark brown eyes again, and the lingering redness and puffiness from crying caused a thread of shame to course through him. He’d done that, by not being there for his mate.

Without thinking, he blurted, “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For abandoning you. I feel more at ease around children, so it wasn’t your twins. However, you tilted my ordered world, and I didn’t know how to handle it. I still don’t.”

“Well, I’m a little out of place, too, learning about dragon-shifters and how to be a mother, all in one go. How about we just both promise to do our best and be honest? If something frustrates you, tell me. And if I need a short break, maybe you can help me.” She put out a hand to shake. “Deal?”

Unlike with most people, he didn’t hesitate to take it. He shook a few times, but didn’t release her. Instead, he stroked his thumb against the back of her hand and stared at where she continued to grasp him.

The longer her skin was against his, the more his anxiety faded.

“Trahern?”

He looked up. “Hmm? Yes?”

“Whatever you gave me is making me feel a little tired and dizzy. Is that normal?”

“Tiredness, yes. Dizziness might be because you haven’t eaten enough. When was the last time you did?”

She frowned. “Yesterday?”

Grace placed her other hand against his chest and closed her eyes. “I don’t faint. Ever. And I won’t start now.”

His dragon spoke up.Help her.

“I’ll take you home.”