Chapter 38
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
“That was stupid, Isaac,” Alistair murmured, leaning against his shoulder as they walked away. “Where the hell did you learn to do that, anyway?”
“Saw it in a cartoon once,” Isaac said blandly. At Alistair’s incredulous look, Isaac smirked and shrugged. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it without Maverick’s magic to help me, but it was either that or let you hit my mate with lightning. If you did that, I’d have to kill you, and I kind of like you.”
Alistair’s face darkened, and Isaac realized his blunder a moment too late. “Al, wait. I didn’t mean it like that. I was just teasing.”
He sighed heavily, rubbing his neck. “I know that. I do. I just… Don’t make those jokes around me. I can’t always tell if people are joking.”
Squeezing his side, Isaac promised, “No more jokes. I promise. And if you ever need an escape from the world, call me. I’ll always be there for you.”
Alistair hugged him back before disengaging and walking away. It broke Isaac’s heart seeing him so sad and broken. He was the strongest once, the one with the most potential. But then he was kidnapped by dark elves and tortured, and by the time he was rescued, he wasn’t the same person anymore. And until he was ready to face what happened, he’d stay that way.
Strong, warm arms wrapped around him from behind. He leaned into Maverick, cupping the back of his head as Maverick buried his face against his neck. “You scared me,” Maverick murmured. “Are you always so reckless?”
“No. I’m usually pretty level-headed. But when it comes to you,” he shifted a little to look up at Maverick. “I’d do anything to protect you. Just like I know you’d do the same for me. Thank you for helping me. Without your magic, I’m not sure the results would have been the same.”
“Always, my heart.” Maverick kissed him softly, and they stayed cuddled together for a little while, letting their heart rates settle to a normal rhythm. Once they’d both calmed down, Isaac stepped back with a sigh.
“We might as well get this over with. I’m ready for this vacation to be over.”
Maverick hummed his agreement. He offered Isaac his hand, smiling when Isaac laced their fingers together, and followed when Isaac pulled him towards the ritual circle.
“So, are you going to tell me what’s going on with your hair?”
Isaac groaned, dropping his head back. He’d forgotten about that. “My mother went on a tirade about it and said she didn't want me to have bright pink hair in our pictures. She threatened to pester me incessantly about having kids unless I put it back to its original color for the ritual and pictures.”
He knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was serious. She would let go of the recruitment thing because he was mated now and his mate had his back, but if he didn’t give in, she’d switch gears and be relentless about it. He wanted to keep his sanity intact, thanks. A day without hair dye was worth the years without hearing it from her. And his original hair color wasn’t horrible. It was just… odd. How many people his age had silver hair?
Maverick’s chuckle still made him smile every time. And his next comment warmed him to his core.
“I don’t think we should discuss children until after you’ve established your career. I want to focus on you for now.”
Ugh. So cute. How can such a grump be so damn cute?
They stopped in the middle of the circle, and his family soon joined them. While they were waiting, Isaac couldn’t help but ask, “You see us having kids?”
Maverick nodded slowly. “Eventually, if you’re interested. If you’d prefer it to be just us, I’m fine with that too. As long as I have you, my heart, I’m happy.”
“I love you,” Isaac blurted. He couldn’t help it. Maverick was saying all the right things and the cute factor destroyed his mental faculties. He blamed the mating spell. It made his insides all warm ever since they mated.
Maverick smiled softly, cupping Isaac’s cheeks in his massive hands. “And I love you, my heart. Always.”
The ritual went without a hitch, which seemed too good to be true. After everything they’d struggled with, all the turbulence along the way, Maverick had been prepared for something catastrophic to happen. His dragon was a little restless with all the magic being used around his mate, but Isaac had explained it all to him and it went exactly how he’d described it. That helped. As did the awed expressions when his magic and Isaac’s entered the fold and joined the group. When they were through, Maverick felt another tether form, this one between him and his new family. It wasn’t strong enough to send emotions or share magic. It was just a connection, adding him to the family as Isaac’s mate and giving him a sense of belonging among them. It wasn’t that bad.
After the ritual was through, Maverick gave his dragon some time. He was still restless with all the magic around, and it made him feel better to be shifted. He could better protect his mate in this form. Isaac looked proud of him for making that choice and stuck close, leaning against his side while talking to his family. Just having Isaac touching him in some way settled him, so he had no complaints.
They considered heading back to the cabin for one more night, but Isaac argued against it. They needed to be at work in the morning. It would be an easier commute for both of them if they went home now. They didn’t need any reasons for Maverick to be irritated when arriving at work. Though Maverick didn’t see that as a problem anymore. The feeling of being out of control was gone since he mated with Isaac. He was still possessive, still grumpy, but he felt like he could face the world again without spitting fire. He even felt like he could face the incompetence in the office without losing his patience. Maybe. As long as his mate was beside him, anyway.
He went along with Isaac’s plan, mostly because he wanted to fly with his mate and looked for any excuse to do so. Isaac still loved it, laying on his belly in Maverick’s claw with his arms outstretched, like he was flying right alongside him. It made Maverick smile inside every time he did that, and by the time they arrived at his home outside the city, he was practically purring. Which Isaac so helpfully decided to point out.
“Dragons don’t purr,” Maverick insisted.
“Are you sure? Because it sounds like purring,” Isaac teased, stripping out of his robes before bed. Maverick had given him a quick tour, but it was late by the time they got home and they had an important meeting in the morning. He’d let Isaac explore once they got back.
Maverick wrapped his arms around his mate, nuzzling his neck. That happy growl picked back up and Isaac barked out a laugh because of it. Maverick nipped his neck, fighting off a smirk.
“It’s not a purr. It’s a growl.”
“A happy growl. So… a purr.”
Dipping down, he scooped Isaac up and tossed him onto the bed, covering him with his body with his hands pinned over his head.
“You’re asking for trouble, my heart. We need to get up early, but I have no issue with keeping you up late tonight.”
Isaac’s grin was wicked, and he was the one who purred when he said, “Don’t threaten me with a good time, honey. We all know who’s the stronger mate. I’ll take whatever you throw at me.”
Maverick was never one to back down from a challenge. He just hoped his mate was prepared for the consequences.