Finn chuckled. "We'll have to work on that roar of yours some more, lassie. Now, finish your breakfast."
Without missing a beat, Freya went back to eating.
It seemed Freya really was a daddy's girl.
Too bad Finn's next words destroyed the almost peaceful morning Kiyana had managed. He stated, "Alistair will be here shortly."
"Why?" she asked quickly.
Finn's gaze never left hers. "He and I had a wee chat last night, and it seems the reasons he was so against a mate-claim frenzy aren't as big as he thought they were. He wants to come and talk with you, Kiyana. What happens after that is up to you."
Her heart rate kicked up. Did they just let mate-claim frenzy-mad dragons run amuck? "I-I don't know. He was barely coherent last night. How are we supposed to talk at all?"
Arabella sighed. "Sometimes, Finn, I think you make things overly dramatic on purpose." The dragonwoman's gaze moved to hers. "A mate-claim frenzy can be contained by silencing the dragon with drugs. Not forever, mind you, if administered carefully. But long enough to allow the human half to function for a bit."
Kiyana looked between the couple. "I still don't understand. He said he didn't want me, and I'm not about to beg him for it."
Finn grunted. "And rightly so. If he has at least two brain cells inside his head, he'll plead a bit." She opened her mouth to ask another question, but Finn continued, "I can't tell you his reasons, but just listen to him, aye? If after that you still want to send him away, I'll do everything in my power to keep him away from you for your stay here. I vow that on my mate and children's lives."
To an everyday human, the vow might seem worthless. But mates and children were valued highly in dragon-shifter society, making it a solemn one indeed.
Kiyana couldn't believe she was even considering it. She'd packed away everything the night before, and then some more this morning. She'd almost returned to normalcy with Arabella and little Freya.
Talking with Alistair would bring everything back and possibly weaken her rational resolve to stay clear.
Arabella sat next to her and touched her shoulder. "If nothing else, think of it as an interesting bit of research. You'll see what a dragon-shifter is like without their dragon."
Given what she knew
, it wouldn't be a happy time for Alistair. "I'm usually not thinking clearly when Alistair is around. So I'm not sure that's a good argument."
Finn shrugged. "Not being able to think when someone is around can be a good thing, lass. Trust me, it sometimes helps when reason goes to the wayside and you have to rely on feelings and instinct. To be honest, that's how our dragons work all the time."
Kiyana decided to be blunt. "Why are you so determined for me to give Alistair a chance?"
Finn raised his brows. "Honestly? Alistair and I were once close friends. I know the kind of male he is, and even with the changes that happened three years ago, he's a good one most of the time—we all have our off days. Besides, you are his fated mate, meaning you're supposed to be his best chance at happiness. I want my friend and clan member to have the chance to be happy, and if we're all fortunate, you could be, too."
Looking at Finn, Arabella, and then little Freya, Kiyana briefly imagined her living a similar sort of life. One with her and Alistair downstairs at breakfast, their son or daughter playing on the floor. Maybe even Alistair's nosey mother paying an early visit to spoil her grandchild.
To some it may seem mundane. But to her, it would be perfect.
Could she risk her heart again, though? If only she understood inner dragons better, such as how much effort it took to fight one off during a frenzy. For all she knew, Alistair could've been fighting with everything he had the night before just so he wouldn't touch her.
Which made him a little nobler than she'd originally thought.
If nothing else, she could sate her curiosity. It wasn't as if talking with the man meant she'd sign over her life forever.
Taking a deep breath, she replied, "One meeting, that's it. If he pushes me away again, hurts me, or anything else negative, I won't give him another chance. I know some women can keep overlooking a man who pains them, but I'm not one of them."
Finn bobbed his head. "As it should be. I'll let you have your tea and biscuits first whilst I wrestle this wee one back upstairs. After that, I'll send Alistair a text message to come over."
As Finn scooped up his daughter and disappeared from sight, she could hear the strong clan leader singing a silly song to his daughter. Such a contrast to the strong, well-controlled leader she'd seen in TV interviews.
Every day dragon-shifters kept surprising her.
Maybe Alistair would, too. Although she wouldn't know for sure until he came. So Kiyana ate some chocolate and waited for him to arrive.
~~~