Page 22 of Claimed By the Dragon

Her tone was different from its usual lyrical rhythm, so he glanced at her. Grace’s narrowed eyes and clenched fists meant she was angry. Probably.

Why, he couldn’t fathom. However, he replied, “I don’t know. Once he left Snowridge, I never saw him again.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, maybe I’ll ask Jane or Ivy to ask their mates to look into it. Did no one think to intervene back in Wales?”

He looked back at the boys, who were trying to lift their heads but not getting far, due to their weak neck muscles. “There was a different clan leader back then, before Rhydian. All he cared about was keeping Snowridge isolated and free of humans. He believed parents should treat their children how they like, as long as they didn’t kill or permanently maim them.”

“That’s horrible.”

Grace immediately picked up the son closest to her, Eli, and held him close. She murmured, “Mummy loves you, both of you. No matter what happens, never doubt that.”

Eddie made a noise of frustration. Not that Trahern blamed him, considering it was hard work to lift a head at his age.

So he lifted the boy and cradled him in his arms. Eddie blinked at him and fisted Trahern’s shirt. “His grip is stronger than average. That’s good.”

“Trahern.”

“Yes?”

“You would never lock the boys in a room like that, would you?”

Something that was almost like pain pierced his heart, which didn’t make sense. Nothing was inserted there.

Frowning, he ignored the feeling and replied, “No. I would never lock them in a room and ignore them. I may sometimes get hyper-focused on a task and need to be called several times to get my attention. But it’s not deliberate. I have trouble stopping something partway.”

Grace laid a hand on his arm again, and some of the pain faded. She whispered, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you that.”

“Of course you should have. You actually care for your children and want them to be safe. And as you pointed out previously, I ran and hid for weeks.”

She squeezed his arm before drawing her hand away.

Part of him wanted to grab it and bring it back.

However, before he could think why, Grace stood. “Do you have to work at the clinic today?”

He also stood. “No. Sid gave me a few days off to ensure you recovered. Do you need another nap?”

After glancing at her, Grace shook her head. “No. But I think we all need a little break from the house and could use a good walk.”

“To where?”

She searched his gaze. “That depends. Are you okay with being around a lot of people?”

“I don’t seek out large groups. However, I previously stopped by the clan restaurant every day. Short periods of time are fine.”

“Well, in that case, there are two shops I want to go to today. If that’s okay?”

“Anything you need, Grace. You’re mine to take care of.”

He nearly blinked. That didn’t sound like him.

His dragon spoke up.Sheisours to care for, along with the twins.

Grace’s voice was so soft that if he didn’t have supersensitive hearing, he would’ve missed it as she murmured, “And mine to take care of, too. Today I start.”

However, before he could ask for clarifications, Grace directed him to a whirlwind of activities. In sixty-seven minutes, they were all dressed, and the boys were tucked into their double-pram. As soon as Trahern locked the front door, he turned around and blinked at Grace’s smile. With the sun glinting off her black hair and caressing the dark brown planes of her face, she seemed unreal. If he believed in mythical creatures, he might say she looked like an angel.

He almost frowned at that. What was wrong with him? He wasn’t fanciful.