Chapter Eleven
“I hate this,” Marlin declared, even though both Killian and Birch already knew how he felt about the situation.
Killian gave him a patient smile, but Birch nodded, agreeing with him. “There has to be something more we can do,” he said.
“We’ve already gone through this several times,” Killian pointed out. “We can’t afford for my sister to find out what’s going on, which means we can’t look into her and what she’s up to too deeply. Someone would talk, and we don’t want that to happen.”
Marlin already knew that. “There still has to be more. I can’t believe no one wants to talk. Can’t they see how dangerous she is?”
“It’s why they don’t talk. They don’t want to end up on her bad side. I have, and it’s not a comfortable place to be.”
Marlin agreed. Pearl might not hate him as much as she hated Killian, but he was one of Killian’s best friends, so she hated him by association.
She wanted him gone right along with Killian because she knew that both him and Birch would always stand up to her, even if she somehow managed to kill Killian.
She was willing to use Curran to obtain that.
Curran was scared, but he was also angry.
They all were. There was no reason for Pearl to be doing any of this beyond wanting the throne.
Killian was a good clan leader. He did his best to protect his people, to make sure they were safe and happy, and to lead them in the right direction.
Pearl would be none of those things if she ever became queen, but then, she wanted to be queen for the power, not because she cared about the clan.
She might claim that she did, but it was a means to an end.
“So we have nothing new,” Birch said, looking at Killian and Marlin.
Marlin shook his head. “Not that I know of.” It was infuriating.
They knew that Pearl was up to something, but they didn’t know what that something was.
They knew she was dangerous, but there was nothing they could do about it right now.
The only thing they could do was wait, and it was driving Marlin up the walls.
He was about to become a father. He should be dedicating his time to Curran and the baby, but instead, he was here, obsessing over what Pearl was up to and wondering if, by the time she was done, they would still all be standing.
“He’ll be fine,” Birch murmured. He was looking at Marlin, so Marlin knew who he was talking about.
The two of them hadn’t talked yet. Marlin couldn’t say he was looking forward to that conversation, which was one of the reasons he’d avoided Birch.
The other reason was they were both working overtime to protect both Killian and Curran.
Marlin couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so tired, and he couldn’t see that ending anytime soon.
There were other guards, but Birch and Marlin didn’t trust them as much as they trusted themselves and each other.
“I know he will be,” he confirmed. “It doesn’t mean this isn’t nerve-racking.”
“I know it is. I’m afraid for him, too, but he’ll be fine.”
Marlin glanced at Killian. He had no problems talking about that in front of him. The three of them were best friends—brothers—and that was never going to change. “You don’t have a problem with Curran and I being together?” he asked, turning back to Birch.
Birch arched a brow. “Are you? Because the last time I asked, Curran was pretty adamant that the two of you weren’t a couple.”
“It’s complicated, but we’re getting there. I want to be with him.”
Birch nodded. “I’ve known that he was in love with you for a while. He deserves to be happy, and apparently, he’s decided that you’re the only one who can give him that happiness.”
“How long?” Marlin asked.
Birch looked amused. “How long has he been in love with you?”
Marlin nodded. He knew how long he’d been in love with Curran, but he hadn’t realized that the other way around had been true, too. It made him feel like they’d wasted time.
“Since he was a teenager. I’m sure he’ll be happy to tell you more about it.”
Marlin snorted. “Are you kidding? This is your brother we’re talking about. He’s going to want to kill you as soon as he finds out that you told me.”
Birch cursed. “Dammit. You’re right.”
“You never said anything before.”
Birch shrugged.” I didn’t think it was my place. I wasn’t sure you had feelings for him, although I suspected that you did.”
“I do. This isn’t how I wanted things to happen between us, but then, I didn’t think anything would happen between us.”
“Yet it did.” Birch shook his head. “I still can’t believe my baby brother is going to be a dad.”
“And he’s going to be a good dad.”
“I know. It just made me realize that he’s not as little as I always think him to be.”
Marlin couldn’t stop thinking about Birch’s words, even after the conversation moved along.
He’d hoped that Curran had feelings for him, but with everything that had happened, he’d lost that hope for a bit.
Curran had insisted that the two of them weren’t together every time he told people that he was pregnant and that Marlin was the other father.
Marlin had believed that meant that Curran didn’t want him the way he wanted Curran, even though they’d grown closer.
He’d hoped that, in time, Curran would fall for him.
Apparently, he’d fallen a long time ago.
* * * *
CURRAN HAD NEVER HAD a lot of friends. He’d been fine with that, and he still was. The problem was that he was forced to avoid the few friends he did have, and that, he hated.
He’d thought he was done with that after he’d had to reveal that he was pregnant, but no.
Here he was, sitting alone at a table in the dining hall, wishing Deryn or any of the other people he was close to could sit with him.
Instead, he had to eat alone to show Pearl that he didn’t have a support system.
Hopefully, that way, she’d believe that he was looking at her to keep him safe.
If he didn’t have a support system, he’d reach out to her when he needed help.
All of that made him want to look for her and stab her with his fork.
Unfortunately, that wouldn’t help with their plan, so instead, he had to stay where he was, glaring at the plate in front of him and imagining that the mashed potatoes were Pearl’s head as he angrily smashed them against the plate.
He was relieved when he finally left the dining hall. He didn’t waste time, rushing back to the rooms he shared with his mothers. He could swear he could feel someone watching him, and he hated that, too. He wanted to go back to a normal life. Was that too much to ask? Apparently, it was.
He slammed the door shut once he was back home and leaned against it to breathe. The apartment was silent, so he didn’t think his mothers were home.
Marlin was.
Curran blinked at him. “What are you doing here?”
“Hello to you too,” Marlin said with a smile as he got up from the couch.
Curran found himself moving without thinking about it. Anytime Marlin was in the same room, Curran wanted to be close to him. It wasn’t a conscious thought, just something he needed. He was disgustingly in love with that dragon, dammit.
Marlin’s smile when he hugged Curran was everything. “I wanted to see you.”
“Shouldn’t you be at work?”
“I have to go back. I was sent to pick up some food and decided to take a break at the same time.”
“Do my brother and Killian know that?”
“Of course they do.”
It was weird to think about all of that.
Curran had hidden his feelings for many years.
Hell, in a way, he was still hiding them.
He hadn’t told Marlin how much he loved him or how long he’d been in love with him.
He wasn’t sure he ever would. It didn’t matter, anyway.
He was getting what he’d wanted all along—he and Marlin were growing closer, and soon, they’d be a family of three.
Marlin leaned down to kiss Curran. Every time he did that, it still stunned Curran. If anyone had told him a year ago—hell, even a month ago—that Marlin would be kissing him like they were together, he wouldn’t have believed them. He wouldn’t have dared hope.
Yet here they were.
Marlin slipped his tongue into Curran’s mouth. Curran hung on, his mind and body feeling like he was about to fly away. That was how Marlin made him feel.
He could have all of this for the rest of his life.
He knew they had to talk, and for the first time, he was eager to have that conversation.
He just wished he didn’t have to deal with the Pearl mess, too.
Maybe once she was dealt with, he and Marlin could finally sit down and decide what was next for them.
He wasn’t sure they’d have a lot of time.
The baby wasn’t going to wait until Pearl was done with whatever she was doing, after all.
“I’m glad I decided to come by,” Marlin murmured as he leaned back.
Curran swayed closer. He wanted more, but Marlin had to get back to work. “I’m glad you did, too. It was a nice surprise.”
He noticed Marlin hesitate and wondered what it was about. He didn’t ask because he was sure that Marlin would tell him if he wanted to.
Sure enough, it took a few moments, but eventually, Marlin nodded. “Actually, I’m here to ask you something.”
“I’m all ears.”
“I know you love living with your mothers. I also realize how much they’ll help once the baby hatches. Considering how much time I spend working, I don’t want you to lose their support, but I would love it if you’d consider moving in with me.”
That was not what Curran had expected. To be fair, he hadn’t really expected anything.
He’d heard the words, though. Marlin wanted him to move in with him.
“Are you asking because of the baby?” he asked.
He’d be fine if that was the only reason Marlin wanted him there, but he hoped that wasn’t the case.