Chapter 35
Were men cute?
Tori pondered the question seriously in his half-awake, under-caffeinated state. He’d never thought of men as ‘cute,’ instead thinking of them as sexy, or yummy, or something along those lines.
But lying here in bed with Baldewin, watching the man sleep in the morning rays of sun, he looked cute. Cuddly. Like an oversized teddy bear waiting for Tori to snuggle him.
He didn’t, not just yet. Mostly because if he moved, he’d wake Baldewin, and he didn’t want to disturb the man’s sleep.
Tori stayed on his side, head propped up on one hand, studying this man he’d given his heart to.
It was such a sweet moment for him, a moment he never realistically thought he’d have.
Loving someone, knowing he was loved just as fiercely in return, it was an unexpected miracle.
And he mostly had Baldewin’s amazing well of patience to thank for it, as he’d never have thought to pursue a dragon as a romantic partner.
Another, less happy thought intruded.
With all that had happened, Tori hadn’t found the right time to speak to his parents.
He wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to. It was more a feeling of obligation to tell the people who’d raised him how his life had changed.
That he was engaged, soon to be married and mated.
That he’d changed clans and had no intention of ever coming back, though some of that information had likely filtered back to them already.
But this might be the only chance he had of doing it.
After he and Baldewin exchanged vows and bonds, his lifespan would change.
Time would slowly become different, so that years passed in the blink of an eye.
His parents were already quite old. If he didn’t say something now, odds were he never would get the chance to again.
On the other hand, disturbing the happiness he’d found with Baldewin by dragging him along to talk with them sat ill.
His mind kept shying away from the idea, like a dog nervous of a bath.
Tori knew what he should do. But needing to do something and wanting to do it were two very, very different beasts.
Tori sighed, glancing at the clock. Nearly eight, now. If he was going to do this, he’d prefer to do it sooner rather than later. He leaned forward, pressing a kiss to Baldewin’s bare shoulder, then turned to roll out of the bed.
A strong arm wrapped around his waist, hauling him back in, and he went without much choice in the matter. Tori half-laughed as he landed, feeling naked skin pressed against his back and thighs without apology. “Hyv?? huomenta, rakas.”
“Good morning,” Baldewin murmured into Tori’s shoulder. “Where are you sneaking off to?”
“Oh, nefarious places,” Tori responded dryly. “Like the shower.”
“Very nefarious,” Baldewin deadpanned back. “And then? Supposedly breakfast?”
“And there.” Tori hesitated, debating. Did he want Baldewin to witness the fallout of him talking to his family? It was sure to be ugly.
Baldewin sensed something was held back, as he encouraged, “And after breakfast? Something weighs on you, I think.”
“I—” Shit, fine. He might as well tell him. Baldewin could decide if he wanted to come or not. “I think I should talk to my parents before we leave. I might not get another chance, as I have no intention of coming back here.”
“Hmm. I wondered about this the past few days. Not once did you mention your parents to me, about meeting them.”
“I really don’t want you to meet them. They’re…not nice people. I just feel obligated to say something to them, as they did raise me.” Tori grudgingly admitted, “And I’d like the closure of shutting the book on that chapter of my life.”
“Then we’ll go and speak to your parents.”
Relief filled Tori. He hadn’t realized just how much he wanted Baldewin with him until that support was offered. Truly, speaking alone to his parents hadn’t appealed. But he could get through it if Baldewin were with him.
He lifted Baldewin’s hand to his mouth, placing a kiss to the palm before rolling free again. “Let’s get this over with.”
The small, grey house near the river looked the same.
Tori’s father had built it right before he married, including an extra half story with bedrooms for children, and the couple had always been disappointed that they had only one child.
Tori’s further disappointment to them was never in question.
He’d never been allowed to play in or even enter the other bedroom upstairs.
The one left empty, as if still waiting for a child that would never come.
He’d texted them before coming, as he didn’t want to enter the house if he could help it. There was nothing in it left for him to claim, and walking into the house would feel stifling in the worst way. There was a porch facing the river, and it was there that he found both parents waiting for him.
Yoshua and Jona Taavi stared at their only child with stiff faces, their expressions masked to hide what they truly felt. It was how they normally looked at Tori. He didn’t see anything strange about it as he walked up the two steps onto the porch.
“I came to tell you myself,” he said without preamble. “I’ve permanently left the Taavi Clan.”
“We heard.” Yoshua didn’t stand from his rocking chair, looking him and Baldewin over. His face fell into disapproving lines, which was easy to do for him. The deep furrow between his brows and the lines around his mouth leant to that expression naturally. “Heard you took on a dragon’s name, too.”
“I’m a Burkhard, yes.” Tori turned and forced himself to do brief introductions. “Baldewin, this is Yoshua and Jona, my parents. This is Baldewin Burkhard, head of security for the Burkhard Clan. Also, my fiancé.”
Jona’s brows shot up into her thinning blonde hair. She sat up straighter, eyes darting between the two of them. “Dragons don’t take men as mates!”
“On the contrary, we do,” Baldewin corrected her. The smile on his face was an open challenge. “We don’t care about gender. That seems to be an issue only with the Taavi.”
She went back to frowning at her child. “Is this why you left? Without a word to us? Because you wanted a man more than you wanted your family?”
“Since when has my family ever wanted me?” Tori shot back, out of patience with this conversation already.
“Yes, I wanted a husband. A man who loved me. I wasn’t going to find it here.
And let’s be clear, I’m only here as a final goodbye.
I’m not returning to the Taavi, and I have no intention of ever visiting.
You were proven wrong in almost every single thing you’ve taught me.
Can’t you at least unbend enough to wish me well? To apologize for poisoning my mind?”
Stony silence from both of them. His mother looked away entirely, facing the river.
Tori shook his head, already resigned. What had he expected from them, really? “Fine. I’ve told you. That’s all I wanted to do. Goodbye.”
He turned on his heel and left, heading back around the house and toward the SUV. Baldewin was quick to join him, asking in a low tone as they moved, “Are you sure about leaving?”
“When they stop talking, they don’t break their silence around me for days,” Tori explained wearily. “We went a week once without speaking a word to each other, or even in front of each other. Trust me, there’s no point in saying anything further.”
Baldewin caught him and hauled him into a tight embrace.
Tori went without hesitation, burying his head into the man’s shoulder and hanging on.
How had Baldewin known that he’d needed a hug just then?
A reminder that warmth, joy, and happiness awaited him?
That the coldness of this house wouldn’t follow him to Germany?
“I love you,” Baldewin whispered to him.
Ah, really. What was he to do with this man who made him so happy? Tori smiled as he repeated the words. “I love you. Take me home, rakas.”
“Gladly.” He untangled enough to draw Tori toward the SUV, and they both slid in, Baldewin taking the driver’s seat.
Tori felt little but relief as the SUV turned in the narrow driveway and headed away from that small, grey house that held no pleasant memories for him.
The farther away they drove, the lighter his heart became.
He’d never need to return there. That alone was cause for celebration.
He glanced at Baldewin, smile growing. Going home with a sexy man soon to be his husband was another reason to celebrate.
“The next time you tell me something is a bad idea, I think I’ll listen.” Baldewin shook his head expansively. “This whole trip up here was a disaster.”
“I did warn you.”
“You did. I’ll take it more to heart next time. Do you still want me to put you to sleep for the flight home?”
Tori shuddered at the idea of being that high up and conscious for it. “I love you, but I’m not going into the air with you while awake. No.”
Baldewin snorted amusement. “Alright. Let’s organize everyone for the flight home when we get back, then. I think they’re half-ready as it is.”
Tori’s phone rang, and he dug it out of a pocket, not sure who could be calling him at this point. He frowned a little when he saw the name on the screen.
“Friend or foe?”
“Friend. Well, more an acquaintance. She and I were in the same grade growing up, and we’ve never been on bad terms with each other. Just never really friends. I’m not sure why she’s calling.” He answered with a quick swipe. “Hei, Sofi?”
“Tori. I heard you’re still here?”
“Yeah, why?”
“I have a few questions for you. The dragons, they made noises about wanting mages to go with them. But I’m not sure that’s still true after all that’s happened.”
“I’ve not heard of anyone leaving right now. Everyone seems to be hesitant. Or assholes.”
She groaned. “I know. Trust me, I know. But I’m tired of being stuck out here in the middle of nowhere with no options except marrying Oliver and having kids.”