Page 129 of His Greatest Treasure

“Not like last time. It was killing you.”

“But I like doing it. I enjoy working at the farm.”

Glenwise considered. “You need proper boundaries and clear expectations. I’m not having you work yourself to exhaustion again.”

With that last part, he looked at me, glaring. I blinked at him. Did he thinkIwanted to work Rhod into exhaustion?

“Oh, um, that’s fine you know. If Rhod doesn’t want to do it, we can find somebody else. Maybe. Okay, nobody else would be any good at it but maybe we could hire someone? I don’t want Rhod to be miserable. He’s my clan.”

Glenwise’s glare softened and he stroked a hand softly up and down Rhod’s back. I stared at it. I’d never seen him show that kind of affection before. Somehow, Rhod had managed to make the stoical Glenwise actuallyaffectionate!

My dragon gave a rumble inside me, and it filled me and I was anxious that it meant something bad… until I realised that it was satisfaction. That was okay. It wasn’t going to burst out of me again or anything.

“Um, what about you, Glenwise? Are you going to be our medic again?”

I hadn’t meant for that to come out as a question. Father had never asked questions. He always just snapped out orders.

I would have loved to have kept that thought internal, but I was me and my mouth was a run-away disaster, so I blurted out, “Am I allowed to ask questions like that instead of just telling you? Father always gave orders but I’m not used to doing that. Besides, it doesn’t seem fair to tell you to do something if you don’t want to do it, unless it’s an emergency or something. But as elder I need to be respected, right? I’mmeantto order you around.”

Everyone in the room stared at me. I felt a wave of panic as I realised I’d just lost everyone’s respect, and then… then Rhod smiled.

I stared at him, and realised that I’d never actually seen him smile before. That couldn’t be right, could it? Surely I must have seen him smile. I’d known him my whole life.

And yet I came up blank. This was the first smile Rhod had ever given me.

Glenwise didn’t smile because apparently he hadn’t changedallthat much. He did look less angry and stern, though.

“As our elder, you have our respect, Lord Somerville. You do not need to behave in a particular way to demand it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Somehow, when Glenwise said it, sounding all stern and knowledgeable, I didn’t have any trouble actually believing it. I got the impression that Glenwise never lied. He just wouldn’t bother.

Rhod gave a contented sigh and leaned further into Glenwise. There was no way he’d be able to don the same mask he always used to wear. Not now he was mated to Glenwise. That made me fiercely glad.

Blaze crept nearer to them and asked, “What farm are you working at?”

Rhod glanced at Glenwise before replying.

“It’s our new clan.”

I huffed. They weremyclan.

Blaze, however, didn’t have a possessive dragon bitching inside him because he grinned and said, “Oh, that sounds wonderful! Will you tell me all about them? Arethey nice?”

“Yes, they’re very kind. We- we don’t want to leave them. We were doing a lot of good there. Glenwise was—”

He cut himself off again and glanced at his mate.

Glenwise finished for him. “I was working as a doctor.”

Blaze kept smiling at Rhod and it was fascinating to watch because Rhod began to smile back. Blaze just looked so sweet and innocent and interested. Who could resist that?

“Perhaps we can loan you out to them? Would you make an alliance with Rhod’s new clan, my darling?”

It took me a second to realise that Blaze was talking to me.

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