Page 33

SO TWIG KNEW WHAT TAYLOR wanted now. He should probably have told Taylor what he wanted too, and he’d meant to, but something had stopped him.

He knew exactly what that something was. How his mother actually felt about all of this wouldn’t change his decision, but he wanted her to give Taylor a real chance. She didn’t hate him, but she was still wary of all humans, and Twig didn’t think that was warranted anymore. He hoped that seeing Palmer help him and restore him to health had softened her some, but he and his mother had carefully avoided the subject other than that one conversation.

Twig had been too afraid. Taylor wanted him. He didn’t deserve to be a hidden secret. Killian had already accepted their relationship, and while some people at the palace wouldn’t be happy about it, Twig didn’t care about them. His mother, he did care about, and he couldn’t help but wonder if she’d truly accepted it or if she was just trying to make Twig feel good about his decision.

He’d already made it. He just hadn’t told anyone yet, including Taylor. His mother wanted him to be happy, but she was also cautious, no matter what she said about giving him her blessing, and she’d taught him to be, too.

Twig disagreed in this case. He truly believed he and Taylor could make it work. He wasn’t saying it would be easy, but it probably wouldn’t be as complicated as he’d expected, either. Yes, some dragons would be against their relationship, but they weren’t people Twig cared about, and if they had anything to say about it, well—they could take it up with Killian, who was also in a relationship with a human. Twig would pay good money to listen in on that conversation, actually. He’d love to see Killian put a few people in their place.

But for now, that wasn’t necessary. Still, Twig wanted to talk to his mother again, which was why he was nervous as he headed home. She’d probably be there already, with dinner almost ready. She liked to eat early on work days, since she was always starving by then, and she never wanted to eat in the dining hall without Twig. They’d made a tradition of eating at home when he was younger, and Twig still loved it, but right now it felt daunting. He had his mother’s full attention most evenings, and he was about to tell her in no uncertain terms that he’d gone and fallen for one of the humans she didn’t fully trust. There were a lot of ways this could go wrong.

There were also ways it could go right, and in the end, that was what mattered. He was pretty sure that no matter what his mother thought of the situation, she’d come around once she saw how happy he was. That was all she’d ever wanted.

For him to be happy.

He could smell dinner before he even opened the door. His mother was at the small stove, and she smiled as she turned around. Twig forced himself to smile back, but apparently, he wasn’t doing a great job, because she frowned.

“Something happened?” she asked, putting down the wooden spoon she’d been using.

“No.”

“Don’t lie to your mother.”

“I promise I’m fine.”

“I didn’t say you weren’t. I can see that you are, physically, at least.”

He sighed. “Nothing happened, I promise.” He hesitated. He might as well do this now, right? The evening would go however it went, anyway. “There’s something I’d like to talk to you about.”

She turned down the heat under the food and faced him. He had her attention, and it was making him nervous. There was no way around it, though. Twig refused to keep Taylor a secret, which meant he had to talk to his mother. The only thing worse than keeping Taylor a secret would be his mother finding out they were together through gossip, or by catching them by accident.

That would be bad.

Twig cleared his throat. “It’s about Taylor.”

His mother didn’t look surprised. Twig didn’t think she’d be surprised by much of anything he told her. She knew him. Sometimes she knew him better than he knew himself. It was a little scary, but it was something Twig had learned to live with. The two of them had always been close, and he didn’t want that to change, which was one of the reasons he was so nervous now.

“Just spit it out,” his mother said. “No matter how bad you think it’ll be, I promise you’re wrong.”

Twig snorted. “You were the one who told me to stay away from humans.”

“And you didn’t listen. You went and fell for one.” Her tone wasn’t harsh or angry. It was matter-of-fact, and she wasn’t wrong. He had gone and fallen for one of the humans she’d warned him against.

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry?”

“You have nothing to be sorry about.”

“I know you’re not happy about it.”

She sighed. “I wouldn’t say that. Like I already told you, if Taylor is the one you want, then I’m happy to welcome him into my life. Is he who I’d have wished for you? No. I still think things would be easier for you with a dragon partner, but I know that wouldn’t change anything now. You’ve set your heart on him, made your decision, and you’re going to stick to it. I can see it.”

“He’s a good person. So is his brother.”

“I know. I realize now that my wariness around humans mostly came from not knowing them. I don’t think Killian made the wrong choice, letting them into our clan, but it’s hard to open up to things that scare you, especially in a case like this. Taylor could hurt you badly, and I almost lost you once already.”

“Anyone could hurt me badly—dragon or human. I’m pretty sure I’m going to end up hurt at some point no matter what happens, if I’m in a relationship at all. There’s no way around that. Or maybe I’m wrong.” Twig didn’t have a lot of experience with relationships, but then, neither did his mother. She’d been alone all of Twig’s life, which was understandable.

Sometimes Twig wished she’d find someone. She deserved someone who loved her and would take care of her the way she’d taken care of him all these years. It was her decision to be alone, though, and Twig supported that.