Chapter Eleven #2
“I’m asking because of the baby and because I want you with me.
Both of you. It’s fine if you’re not comfortable with that or if you’d rather stay here to have your mothers help when the baby hatches, but I want us to be a family, Curran.
I want to come home to you at night. I want to help you and be there for you every moment I’m not protecting Killian.
We can do that with you here, of course, but I’m hoping that eventually, you’ll want to move in with me. ”
Curran had been thinking about moving out.
He was a bit scared of what would happen if he didn’t have his mothers with him when the egg hatched, but he was about to be a father.
It was time for him to grow up and leave the apartment where he’d been born.
It wasn’t like his mothers would be far, anyway.
Part of him had wanted Marlin to ask, but he hadn’t actually expected him to. Everything Marlin was saying made sense, though. More than that, it sounded like Marlin wanted Curran there, and how could Curran say no to that?
“Are you sure? Because I can be a bit messy, and I doubt it’s going to get better with the baby.”
Marlin snorted. “Have you forgotten that I know you? I know exactly how messy you are. I know everything about you, Curran.”
It was true that Marlin knew Curran better than anyone except maybe Deryn. He’d always been in Curran’s life. He knew what he was in for when he asked Curran to move in with him, and that didn’t scare him. In fact, he looked excited at the thought of Curran saying yes.
There was no other answer Curran wanted to give. “As long as you’re sure, I’d love to move in with you.”
Marlin’s smile was bright and happy as he pulled Curran into his arms. “Good. I want us to be a family.”
Curran hugged him back. “We already are.”
* * * *
MARLIN WAS RELIEVED. He hadn’t expected Curran to say no, but he’d thought Curran would be more hesitant. He wouldn’t have pushed if that had been the case. Whatever Curran needed, Marlin would provide, be it an apartment, time, or space. He just wanted to make Curran happy.
“My mothers are going to freak out,” Curran said with a smile as they separated.
“You don’t think they’ll want you to live with me?”
“Oh, they do. They understand that we’re a family and everything. They just didn’t expect me to get pregnant so young or for me to leave this apartment. I guess they’re going to be emotional, but they’ll be happy for us. They already are.”
“Good.” Marlin wanted people to be happy for them. He wanted to be able to shout from the landing pad that he was with Curran and that Curran loved him. He was proud of that.
Unfortunately, they still had to be covert about their relationship, which meant that the move might have to wait. They couldn’t afford for Pearl to find out about them.
Marlin really needed her to hurry up with whatever nefarious plan she was concocting.
“I hate that we’ll have to wait until Pearl’s done with her stupid plan,” Curran complained, echoing Marlin’s thoughts.
“It’s the safest way to do it.”
“But it’s not the way that will make me the happiest. I don’t want to wait.”
He sounded very young when he talked like that, but then, he’d always been a little spoiled.
He was the baby of the family, and there was a big age difference between him and Birch.
Their mothers had always protected and loved Curran, and they weren’t the only ones.
Marlin and Birch had been right there with them, which meant that Curran had been shielded from a lot of the bad stuff that had happened around the palace.
It was thanks to Birch and Marlin that he hadn’t been forced to have a child, even when that had been the rule.
When Marlin thought about it, he still couldn’t believe that they’d managed that.
The old king was gone, but unfortunately, his daughter was still wreaking havoc on the clan.
“Well, this will give me time to set up the apartment,” he said, hoping to distract Curran. “We’re going to need some things for the baby.”
“We should make a list.”
Curran sounded excited, which was good. The less he thought about Pearl, the better it would be. He might be involved in this, but it didn’t mean that Pearl should be the center of his world. Killian, Marlin, and Birch did enough worrying about her that Curran didn’t have to do the same.
Curran should be able to focus on his pregnancy and on the baby without having to worry about anything else.
He shouldn’t have to wonder if Pearl was going to want to see him.
He shouldn’t have to fear that she’d ask him to hurt his king.
He shouldn’t have to be afraid of what she’d do if he said no.
They really needed her gone.
Marlin didn’t have a lot of time right now, but he and Curran made plans to see each other after work.
It would have to be on a video call because the less time they spent together, the better it would be for their plan, but it was better than nothing.
Marlin hated it, and he was sure that Curran did, too, but he didn’t mention it.
Curran knew why they were doing it. He understood.
Marlin had never loved him more.
Curran’s phone vibrated in the pouch around his neck, so he took it out and looked down at the text on his screen. When he frowned, Marlin knew something was up. He didn’t ask because he didn’t know if it was personal, but he was sure that Curran would tell him if it wasn’t.
“I don’t know this number,” Curran said, handing the phone to Marlin.
Marlin didn’t recognize it, either, but then, he didn’t remember a lot of phone numbers. He didn’t have to know the number to be sure about who this was, though. “Pearl wants to meet you again.”
“We don’t know if it’s her.”
Marlin looked at Curran. “Who else could it be?”
“I agree that it’s her, and I’m sure she’s using a new number because she doesn’t want it to be traced to her, but it could be anyone.”
“We know she’s smart, but we’re smarter.”
Curran grinned. “I love how confident you are.”
“I have to be.” Because he couldn’t imagine a life in which they didn’t stop Pearl. They had no other choice. It was either Pearl or Killian, and they needed Killian to win beyond the friendship they shared.
“What do we do?”
“We prepare.” They’d prepare so much that there would be no possibility of Curran getting hurt.
Marlin could feel that Pearl was finally doing what they’d been waiting for her to do since she’d first approached Curran.
She was going to try to use him against Killian.
They didn’t know how yet, but they would soon, and once they did, they could step in and finally stop her.
Once she was in one of the palace’s cells, Marlin and Curran could focus on their future.
It was about time they did.