Her dragon huffed. Stop with the excuses. Tell Mum the truth. She deserves better than a lie because you’re scared.
And damn her beast, she was correct. Faye was afraid of jumping in with everything she had. Because if she did, she’d probably soon be in a frenzy with Grant, which would result in a child.
However, as she stared at Grant’s face, she knew he would never force her to be something she wasn’t ready for. Few males, especially of the Protector variety, would have given Faye any Protector-related assignments after her injury like Grant had, let alone suggested they protect the clan together while knowing she was his true mate.
Grant may be injured, but Faye knew him better than almost anyone. Their road may have been rocky, but she couldn’t imagine sharing a cottage and living her days with anyone else. Life would never be boring.
Lorna’s voice filled the room again and garnered Faye’s attention. “So? Are you going to fight for him?”
As Faye studied Grant’s cheekbones, square jaw, and close-cropped hair, she knew the answer. But just as she was going to tell her mum the truth, Grant groaned. Faye stood up. “Grant?”
His voice was weak as he said, “Answer your mum.”
~~~
Lorna MacKenzie’s voice was first to permeate Grant’s foggy mind. Once he realized she and Faye were talking about him, he followed their conversation, all while he tried to make his mouth work.
Then Lorna asked Faye if she wanted to fight for him. Grant gave up trying to move and waited to hear Faye’s answer.
However, when silence stretched, he decided enough was enough. Grant didn’t like waiting around, so he tried to move his head.
Pain shot through his entire body and he couldn’t hold back his groan.
“Grant?” Faye asked.
Aware of how easy it was for a moment to pass and never return, especially with the MacKenzies, Grant croaked, “Answer your mum.”
“Only if you open your eyes. I need to see how you’re doing,” Faye replied.
“Faye,” Grant growled.
Lorna joined in. “I’ll fetch the doctor. However, I’ll walk extra slow. You should have two or three minutes. Use them wisely.”
Grant slowly opened his eyes, but Lorna was already gone. He finally stared at Faye’s face, but said nothing. He wanted an answer.
For a split second, relief flood Faye’s gaze. But it was gone the next instant and she narrowed her eyes. “I would castigate you for eavesdropping, but I’ll settle for a truthful answer about how you’re doing.”
“If you want an answer from me, then you answer first.”
“Grant, now isn’t the—”
“Aye
, it is. You and I both had a brush with death over the last year or so. I think we owe it to ourselves and our dragons to be honest. No more beating around the bush.”
He half-expected Faye’s temper to flare and for her to change the subject. Instead, she placed her hand on his cheek and gently stroked her thumb against his skin.
His dragon spoke up. Her fingers are warm.
Everything is warm about Faye MacKenzie.
Faye finally answered, “Aye, I want you, Grant. And not just because you were nearly blown to pieces. You’re interesting and I need someone interesting.”
“You sure know how to woo a male, don’t you, Faye?”
“Hey, I’m just being myself. I could wax on poetically about soul mates and how if we fall in love, it could change the world forever, but I was trying to restrain myself.”
The corner of his mouth ticked up. “Just don’t try to restrain yourself all the time. I like when you lose control sometimes.”