“Haven’t had time yet. I was seeing to another...problem first.”
Braeden shot a hard gaze from him to Caitlin and back. “And you thought relinquishing a portion of your own strength would help the situation?”
His dragon bristled at the insinuation of weakness, but Sean wasn’t going to argue this with his brother at this very tense moment. So he simply nodded.
Thankfully, Braeden didn’t press the issue. Instead, he said, “This explains your need for a jet. Mine will be ready within the hour. In the meantime, figure this—” he paused to wave a hand between the two of them then continued “—problem out. I’ll head back to Mirabilus and nose around Nathan’s stronghold. Either I, or Cam, will be in touch.” Braeden nodded toward the older woman. “For future reference, whatever you do, don’t let her, or her husband, get anywhere near my nephew.”
Sean opened his mouth to ask why, but before he could utter a single syllable, Braeden was gone.
Still refusing to meet his gaze, Caitlin’s mother stepped closer to the bed. Addressing her daughter, she said, “I will not have some beast telling me what I can or cannot do.”
Beast? She called the Dragon Lord a beast in his own home? Sean had reached the limit of his patience. “Get out.” When she didn’t move, he let his dragon give the order. “Get. Out.”
The raspy, deep command got her attention, although not in the manner he’d intended. She turned to look at him with all the concern of someone being pestered by a gnat. “I beg your pardon?”
Her shoulders sagging, Caitlin implored the older woman, “Mother, please, just go.”
“Not without you, I won’t. Your father has secured Baron Derek’s signature on the prenuptial agreement. It seems that after careful consideration, and a substantial increase in the dowry, the baron is willing to ignore your childish escapades this last year. Besides, the elders have located a suitable family for the bastard you bore, and they’ll be at the manor the day after tomorrow to collect him.”
She turned to address Sean directly. “Now, if you’ll just hand over the items we need for the ransom, we’ll be on our way.”
The woman couldn’t be serious. He glanced at Caitlin, but she kept her head lowered, refusing to meet his gaze. They were going to give the baby to strangers? Just like that? Without even consulting him first?
It wasn’t as if the two of them were too young or immature to care for a child. And it most certainly wasn’t as if either one of them couldn’t afford to care for the baby. There was no logical reason to give the child away to strangers. And to talk about it so callously, as if they were doing nothing more than giving away a lamp, was more than he could tolerate.
Rage burned in his chest. But he didn’t know who he was angrier with—Lady St. George for her unforgiveable rudeness, or Caitlin for acting as if this was all fine with her. He could deal with Caitlin later. Right now, however, he wanted her mother gone.
Sean didn’t bother trying to hold his temper. The woman didn’t deserve any type of restrained behavior from him. She could count herself lucky that he didn’t unleash the dragon spitting and snarling inside him.
He strode across the room until he stood between Caitlin and her mother. Staring down at her, he once again ordered, “Get out of my apartment. Get out of the Lair. Now!”
She sighed and then motioned Caitlin to join her. “Come, it is time to leave.”
“No!” Sean yelled at her while reaching back to hold on to Caitlin’s shoulder, keeping her pinned in place on the bed. “You, get out of here. She stays.”
Lady St. George’s eyes widened, and she grew more opaque with each passing second. Right before she completely disappeared, Sean said, “And don’t come back.”
“That wasn’t necessary.”
Sean spun around to look down at Caitlin. “I didn’t ask for your opinion, did I?”
When she rose from the bed, he asked, “Where do you think you’re going?”
“They aren’t going to let me stay. I need to go home.”
“Let you stay?” He didn’t even try to hide the sarcasm in his voice. “What are you, ten years old?” Sean pointed at the bed. “Sit down. You aren’t going anywhere.”
“But—”
“But nothing.” He interrupted her. “Oh, that’s right, Baron Derek is waiting for you.” The physical act of simply saying those words aloud sent the beast into a raging fit.
She shrugged her shoulders and said nothing.
“What makes you think I’m going to let the mother of my child marry another man?”
“What do you care? It’s not as if I was ever going to marry you.”
Sean laughed at her. “Oh, darlin’, I don’t remember asking you to marry me.”
“Then what the hell are you talking about?”
He hadn’t planned on giving her the news in this manner, but now was as good a time as any. “Didn’t your daddy tell you? Must have been an oversight on his part. Why do you think he’s so anxious to get you wed to someone else?”
She sighed and looked away. “Because he’s tired of hearing others talk about his daughter in such a degrading manner.”
“Yeah, right, Caitlin. You know better than that. Do you really think St. George cares what anyone else says or thinks?”
“When it comes to me, yes, he does. He hates the dishonor I’ve brought to his door.”
“You brought a baby to his door—my baby. Since when is there dishonor in creating life?”
“When that life is conceived out of wedlock and isn’t of royal blood, there is plenty of dishonor.”
And here he’d always thought Braeden had cornered the market on acting like a medieval lord. Apparently, he’d been wrong. Sean made a show of looking around the room. “In what century do you people live?”
She raised her hands, only to lower them back onto her lap. “You don’t understand.”
“Oh, hey, I get it. Wealth and power don’t replace titled nobility in your little world.” He moved closer to her. “Actually, it’s you who doesn’t understand. The reason your father is marrying you off as quickly as he can is because he knows that dragons mate for life.”
“Mate?” She jumped up from the bed and glanced toward the door. “You talk like an animal.”
“Of course I do.” If she thought she was going to make a break for it and get out of this room, she was sadly mistaken. He stepped close enough that he could feel her confusion. “Do you forget what I am?”
Before she could answer, the wispy form of his dragon rose up from him, surrounding him. He stood in the center of the smoky creature and stared at her as his beast leaned forward to capture her gaze.
Spellbound by the glittering stare holding her captive, Caitlin shivered at the display of control and power before her.
Sean crossed his arms against his chest and asked, “Are you afraid, Caitlin?”
The beast lowered its head, sniffing her, chuffing her scent, and then rose up, its mouth open, fangs bared, growling in obvious displeasure.
“You should be afraid. Far more afraid of me than you are of your parents.”
Caitlin respected her parents, didn’t want to disappoint them any more than she already had and yes, to a certain extent, she did fear their wrath. However, her fear of him had the added element of possible