Page 24 of Dragon's Golden Mate
“A growing dragon like you needs lots of food, eh?” Though he would’ve loved Corbin no matter what beast lived inside him, Kendrick was especially proud to know he was a dragon. The clan was in good hands with Beck, and someday Corbin would run it. All the work he’d done over the years was safe.
“You eat food, too?” Corbin poked Kendrick’s stomach.
“I did. Lots of good, healthy food.”
“Corbin?” Chelsea came around the corner in her pajamas, and she smiled at seeing the two ofthem together. “There you are! I turned my back for one second and you disappeared!”
“I had to see Unca Kennick,” Corbin told his mother matter-of-factly.
“Of course! I’m going to cook you and your daddy some breakfast, though. Do you want to come eat?”
The young boy twisted his mouth and looked from Kendrick to his mother and back again, trying to decide.
Kendrick laughed. “Go with your mother, child, and eat up! You need it! I’ll be back a little later, and we can play.”
“Can we play Legos?” Corbin whipped his head around, looking for the set of chunky building blocks that were usually kept in the living room.
“I’d love to,” Kendrick replied genuinely. Corbin had no clue just how much fun his great uncle had when they made huge structures out of those blocks. “Let’s not keep your mother from getting breakfast done.”
“Chelsea?” Beck came into the living room now, wearing a white t-shirt and athletic shorts. “You don’t have to make breakfast this morning. I was going to.”
She folded her arms and shook her head. “No, you’re not. You did it yesterday.”
“But you don’t have to?—”
“I want to,” she insisted as she reached out for Corbin. “You can’t do everything yourself, Beck. It’s my turn, and I’m going to take it.” Carrying her son in her arms, she headed for the kitchen.
Beck turned an amused glance toward his uncle. “And here I was thinking I was Alpha of this clan.”
Kendrick chuckled. “Still trying to make up for lost time?”
“I can’t help it,” Beck admitted. “I was gone for so long, and I missed so much. I guess I still feel like I owe them something.” Beck had been imprisoned by an evil wizard who’d wiped his mind clean. He’d forgotten everything, and he hadn’t even known that he was leaving behind a mate and a son. Now that they had reunited, they were inseparable.
“You’re giving them everything you can,” Kendrick soothed. “You don’t have to try so hard.”
“What about you?” Beck asked. “You look like you’re heading out.”
“Just to the cathedral.”
Beck’s shoulders stiffened slightly. “Maybe I should come with you in case those gargoyles attack again.”
“I won’t do anything foolish. I promise. I just know that I’m missing something. It doesn’t make sense that they’re guarding this church, and I have to wonder about the timing of this attack.”
“Did Maeve know anything?”
“Erm…” Kendrick hesitated. Maeve was Beck’s mother-in-law, and he didn’t want to say too much.
He hadn’t told anyone about that kiss, nor would he. Kendrick hadn’t planned it. He’d only meant to do a little research, visit the building, and discuss the possibilities. It was all supposed to be business.
But then it wasn’t. She was falling into his arms and felt so good against him. The dragon inside him knew what it wanted, but it didn’t understand just how difficult things would be if he tried to work it out with Maeve.
“She’s doing her own separate research,” he finally said.
Beck’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Did you piss her off? She’s a spitfire, and she doesn’t put up with bullshit from anyone.”
“No, nothing like that. She’s got her own things going on, and I don’t want to impose on her too much when this is a job I was hired to do.” There. That sounded better than anything else that’d been running through his head.
Beck nodded. “If it turns out you need assistance with anything, just let me know. I’m here for you.”
