The Dragon’s Aide (Charmed Away Temp Agency #2)

Chapter 35

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

The emotions Maverick was getting from his mate weren’t nerves, exactly. More apprehension and determination. Isaac was expecting the worst and preparing himself for it. His family hadn’t given Maverick the impression that they’d be an issue, but he didn’t know them. He trusted Isaac’s judgment and took a few calming breaths so his temper was under control before he met Isaac’s family again.

They were all waiting for them in the yard, a fire going in the pit and the smell of grilled food in the air. It didn't look like an interrogation. It looked like a backyard party. But Isaac’s spine still stiffened and his grip on Maverick’s hand tightened considerably as they crossed the yard to meet his parents and grandmother.

His mother rounded on him first, concerned and annoyed. “It’s about time! You were only supposed to be out there for three days! You’re supposed to let your family help you heal!”

“Celeste, hush. Let him speak,” the elder snapped. Her approach was a lot calmer, and she raised an expectant eyebrow at the two of them. “Well?”

Isaac’s chin went up stubbornly as he said, “I didn’t need family help. I had my mate and–”

“Your what?!” The cousin who Isaac didn’t seem to like screeched from where he’d been sitting on a few chairs on the wrap-around porch. He was off his feet in an instant and the rest of the family followed, surrounding them both.

Maverick knew this was Isaac’s family, and that he was safe, but he was still newly mated, and he didn’t like them surrounding his mate like that. With a rough growl in warning, he jerked Isaac into his arms, glaring at all of them. Plumes of smoke billowed with each exhale, and he felt the itch under his skin as his dragon pushed for a shift to better protect his mate.

Without leaving his arms, Isaac turned and drew him closer with a hand on the back of his neck. He let Maverick press his face against his neck, steadying himself with the scent and heartbeat of his mate.

“We’re mated,” Isaac said determinedly. “Dragons are possessive, and we took the week to allow him time to settle. My magic was fully healed after day two, thanks to our new connection. I didn’t need help.”

“But you can’t mate without family permission!” a younger voice argued.

The grandmother scoffed. “Enough, all of you. You act as though we’ve never had someone in the family mate outside of our people. And Zaria, dear, the ritual with new mates is to bring them into our family. Not even I could stop someone from mating. Your mother is lying because she doesn’t want you dating before you’re of age.”

“Mother!” a female voice shouted in protest.

Maverick finally lifted his head, taking in the smug look on the old woman’s face. She was enjoying this. The rest of the family’s reactions seemed to range from surprise to confusion. Only a few looked disgruntled. He glared at any who weren’t supportive, clutching Isaac closer. His mate rubbed a soothing circle on his chest, his body half twisted so he could participate in the conversation while still comforting Maverick.

“So, what? We can just mate willy nilly now? I thought mages like him were supposed to mate with other mages to continue the family line. Unless he’s not as powerful as he says?” the cousin taunted.

The grandmother shot him a dirty look. “You hush. Jealousy is a green-eyed monster and you are too influenced by it. Go sit down, all of you. I will discuss things with Isaac.”

They dispersed with a lot of grumbling. It was probably too much to hope that they’d be accepted right away. Mages were tight-knit groups and doing something without permission from your clan was frowned upon. At least that’s what Isaac told him last night in preparation for what was coming today.

The elder headed into the house, with Isaac’s parents close behind her. Isaac sighed heavily as he pulled free of Maverick’s hold, taking his hand instead.

“I can always fly us out of here, my heart. You don’t need to explain yourself to them,” Maverick offered. He was irritated with the reactions and he knew Isaac felt the same. He wanted him to know he had an out.

“Don’t tempt me,” Isaac smirked. “Come on. They’re annoying, but they’re still my family. They’ll get over it eventually.”

And if they didn’t, Maverick would take Isaac to his family instead. They didn’t care about pairings outside of their kind. All they would care about was that Maverick had finally settled down.

They headed into the house, Isaac leading the way through a narrow hall and into a room on the right with double doors, the windows made of stained glass designed in patterns of the moon’s phases. The office itself was cozy, with shelves stuffed with books taking up every inch of the walls and overstuffed chairs off to one side around a small table. The desk was a rich mahogany, intricately carved, and with papers stacked neatly in the middle. The floor had thick carpets, the windows to the outside were stained glass as well, letting colors drift through the room, and the chandelier above their heads looked like lit candles, though he’d bet good money it was magically lit instead. There were too many books in here to allow an open flame.

“You’re practically purring,” Isaac teased, bumping his hip. “Do you like my grandmother’s office?”

Maverick hummed, his gaze trailing along the spines of the books. He wanted to explore. It was only his obligations that kept him in check.

Isaac’s grandmother snickered from her chair. She’d forgone sitting behind the desk, instead sitting in one of the four chairs around the coffee table. Isaac’s father took one and his wife perched herself on the arm, giving Isaac and Maverick the option for the other two. But after the confrontation in the yard, Maverick wasn’t willing to let Isaac sit away from him. He snagged the mage around the waist and pulled him into his lap as they sat. Isaac chuckled but didn’t argue.

“How long has it actually been?” Isaac’s mother demanded. “I noticed the bond tether in the hospital, but neither of you spoke up then. And if what you said about dragons was true, he wouldn’t have allowed anyone around you if it was recent. So how long have you actually been mated?”

“A week,” Maverick said plainly.

Isaac’s mother opened her mouth to protest, but Isaac spoke before she could argue. “The bond you saw beforehand was the beginning of it, but neither of us had discussed it at that point or even admitted what we felt for one another. I honestly thought I’d latched onto him by accident when we crashed. I thought it’d fade.”

It wasn’t what she wanted to hear, but there was nothing left to be said about it. Matings were complicated. The amount of couples who came into their matings without a little turbulence was slim to none. And Maverick wouldn’t have trusted it if it had been that easy, anyway. He got to see firsthand how far Isaac would go to support him, and Isaac got to see the same from him. It wasn’t a painless bonding, but it was necessary for personalities like theirs.

“Tea?” the elder asked abruptly. The door opened just long enough for a teapot and cups to pass through on the wind before slamming shut again. Maverick would have thought that represented her mood on the matter if he hadn’t heard the group scatter in the hall. It was a warning to them that she knew they were there, not to Maverick and Isaac.

Isaac slipped off his lap, moving to pour the tea himself. His grandmother smiled kindly at him when he doctored the cup how she liked it, patting his cheek lovingly as he offered it to her. He did the same for his parents and then for Maverick before making one for himself. He was surprisingly calm with all this. The arguments against their matings put Maverick on edge, but Isaac faced it unwaveringly. It settled Maverick a little, knowing his mate couldn’t be easily swayed by his family.

“So, I think first we should begin with introductions. I’m afraid in my worry for my grandson, I forgot to introduce myself when you first arrived.” Isaac’s grandmother locked eyes with Maverick, giving a polite incline of her head as she introduced herself. “I am Agatha Silverbreeze. Head mage of the Silverbreeze clan and Isaac’s grandmother. You’ve met my daughter, Celeste, and her husband, Ulrich. I won’t go over the names of everyone in the clan, we would be here all night, but I’m sure Isaac will introduce you later.”

Maverick gave her a polite bow of his head in response. “Maverick Van Buren.”

She pursed her lips thoughtfully. “You wouldn’t happen to be related to Ferina Van Buren, would you?”

Maverick’s brows snapped together. “She’s my sister. Do you know her?”

“A bit,” Agatha chuckled. “She spent some time in our realm when I was introduced to society. She liked to make commentary on the members of the court. She was a troublemaker. I enjoyed spending time with her.”

Maverick rolled his eyes. “Yes, she is that. She likes to say all the stick in the mud tendencies got shoved onto me so that she could live freely. She still acts that way.”

Agatha chortled, amused. “I’d like to see her again. Perhaps after the ritual this weekend.”

Isaac choked on his tea, pounding on his chest with his fist to clear it.

“What?” he croaked.

Agatha raised an eyebrow smoothly. “You didn’t think because you snuck away that you’d avoid it, did you? You may be mated already, but your mate needs to be invited into the family. Unless you plan on keeping him as an outsider?”

“Of course I don’t!” Isaac snapped. “But we don’t really have time right now! Maverick needs to get back to work and I have school and–”

“And you are not leaving this realm until this ritual is through,” Agatha insisted. There was power to her words, the meaning clear. The clan leader made a demand, and there would be no arguing with her. Maverick rested a hand on Isaac’s back, sending his calming thoughts through their bond.

“Relax, my heart. Ozen has been begging me to take a vacation for decades. He won’t begrudge me a few more days to handle family matters. And a note from your clan leader on the extension of your absence will suffice for your school.”

Isaac groaned dramatically, his head flopping onto Maverick’s shoulders. “I mated a lawyer. He’s always going to have good arguments for everything!”

It broke the tension, and everyone in the room laughed at his theatrics. Maverick kissed his temple, a grin pulling at his lips.

“I’ve seen you in action, little mage. You will be a formidable lawyer yourself once you finish your schooling. I’m sure we’ll have plenty of heated debates to look forward to in the future.”

Celeste made an irritated noise, crossing her arms. “So you support him ignoring his birthright too? I’d hope whoever he mated would make him see reason to take the recruiter’s offer.”

Isaac jerked upright, seething in an instant. He could tell this was a long and well-rehearsed argument, and Isaac’s patience was wearing thin. He was basically screaming his points in his head loud enough for Maverick to hear them, though he stayed silent on the surface in the presence of his clan leader. Maverick had no such compunction. He wasn’t part of the clan yet.

“I believe it would be a waste to have Isaac join the military,” Maverick said blandly. “He might be powerful in magic, but his mind is even more formidable. He’ll be a veritable force of nature once his career gets off the ground. And I’ll be there to support him along the way.”