Page 153 of Scales ’N’ Spells: Volume One

If his clan was wrong about the Jaeggi and dragons, it stood that they could have been wrong about a lot of damn things in his life. Like that he wasn’t some abomination for being gay. And maybe he wasn’t so bad at magic, either. He’d be happy if one of those things proved to be true.

Warin shoved away from the railing where he’d been standing and settled his hands on his narrow hips. The dragon had tied back his shoulder-length hair into a messy ponytail to keep the wind from whipping it around his face. “I want to check out the restaurant. I haven’t been to Finland in centuries, and I didn’t remember the food being so tasty and hearty. Do you want me to bring anything back?”

“I’m good,” Tori automatically said, even as his empty stomach twisted in complaint. He’d grabbed something small at breakfast, and Baldewin had not been happy about it.

In fact, the dragon was giving him much the same glare as he’d received this morning. Tori ignored him and directed his eyes back toward the ocean.

“Find something like a sandwich and sides for Tori. Something warm. The wind is brisk, and he will need something filling to warm him up. Also, a Karelian pie. He is very partial to Karelian pie.”

Tori’s mouth dropped open and hung there as he stared at Baldewin, who was returning an “I dare you to argue with me” look. Indignation that Baldewin thought he knew better than Tori warred with a much warmer, squishier feeling Tori did not want to admit was there. He barely even noticed Warin hurrying away, making a strange coughing noise that could have been laughter he was attempting to cover up.

“Are you always this bossy with people?” Tori snapped. It was easier to be outraged than face the fact that he was flattered by Baldewin’s obvious awareness of his preferences and needs.

“I’ve spent most of my life caring for a very stubborn man. If I can manage our king, I think I have a decent shot at keeping you properly fed, warm, and safe.”

The dragon was dressed in a deep red, button-down shirt that left Tori briefly wondering if his dragon scales were the same shade. It was a good color on the man and the cut accentuated his broad shoulders. But Tori wasn’t looking at his shoulders. Or his wide chest. Or the smirk lifting one corner of his full lips.

Okay, so maybe it took him a moment to actually tear his eyes away from Baldewin at that pronouncement. There was just too much to unpack from it. “You…you watch over the king? I thought that was his mate’s job.”

“A mage mate is more than a caretaker, the same way a dragon mate is more than a battery of power for his mage. Mates are lovers, friends, companions. They are the people you can trust and depend on above all else. The person you can share everything with and know that you will be loved completely, flaws and all. A mate completes you as no one else will ever be able to.”

“I know that,” Tori said defensively. He totally didn’t know that, and Baldewin’s answering smile made it clear he was completely aware of Tori’s ignorance. People were married in his clan, but he would never use the term ‘mates.’ Definitely not how Baldewin used it.

“As for Alric and Cameron,” Baldewin continued, his smug smile disappearing, “they have only been bonded for a month. Our king and I have known each other since we were little children. I was lucky to grow up with him as my best friend. I’m proud to protect him in times of trouble and to watch over him in ways Cameron cannot. His focus is always on what is best for our clan. It often means he is very bad at taking care of himself.” Baldewin paused and gave a little smirk. “The entire clan is quite protective of our king and enjoys helping him.”

“And his mate?”

“Cameron? He’s very good at taking care of Alric, making sure that he is happy, but Cameron is also responsible for our clan. He’s dedicated to everyone, which means that we also get to watch over him a bit as well.”

Tori fell silent, watching the waves form and break around the ferry. Two men—a dragon and a mage—together, and their clan accepted it. No, they embraced it, if what Baldewin was telling him was correct. It sounded like a dream. A fairytale.

“Can I see the picture again? The one you showed me the other day.”

Baldewin shifted in his seat and pulled his mobile phone from his back pocket. From the corner of his eye, Tori could see him getting through the security and opening his photo gallery. He thumbed through a lot of pictures before he finally settled on the one of Alric and Cameron standing together. Baldewin silently handed the phone over, and Tori stared at the picture. Their arms were around each other. Alric was a bit formal and maybe a little stiff, but there was such a look of love and devotion in his eyes as he stared up at his mate. Cameron, on the other hand, had a wide grin on his lips and was looking at Alric with unabashed love and happiness.

This wasn’t a fake. He’d seen a few pictures from other places around the world of same-sex couples on their wedding day, looking at each other with the same expression.

“Your clan really has no problem with your king finding a mate in a male mage?”

“Not at all. We were all overjoyed when it became clear that Alric was falling for Cameron. You need only to see them together in the same room for a minute to realize they are perfect for each other. Alric was trained from birth to be a king. He’s good at being diplomatic, but Cameron…” Baldewin paused and lightly chuckled. “Cameron doesn’t always have a filter. I feel like Alric appreciates it, because Cameron likely says the very thing he’s thinking but doesn’t feel free to express. Would you like to see the pictures from their bonding ceremony?”

“Yes, please,” Tori said, handing the phone to Baldewin.

The dragon accepted it and stood a little so he could drag his chair closer to Tori’s. He resettled and leaned closer. Their shoulders bumped, and Tori froze. There was something so big about his presence, but it was more than just the size of his body. It was his personality. As crazy as it sounded, Baldewin was like a walking hug. When Tori was around Baldewin, he was sure he could crawl straight into the man’s massive arms and be cradled there. His hind brain kept screaming that Baldewin was safe. It was the logical part of his brain that kept throwing its hands up in the air in confusion.

Wind blew in across the deck, and for a moment, Tori was hit with the most intoxicating scent of sun-baked sand and bread fresh from the oven. Would it be wrong to turn his face into Baldewin’s neck and nuzzle him a little bit?

Yes.

That was wrong.

He wasn’t even sure he liked the guy. No nuzzling the dragons. Any dragons. Especially Baldewin.

“Let’s see,” Baldewin said softly, as if he was mostly talking to himself. He was scrolling through the pictures on his phone, and there were hundreds of them. The vast majority were of people. Lots and lots of different people, but there were several faces that appeared over and over again.

“Who’s that? He always seems to be smiling,” Tori said, pointing toward a slimmer man with a swarthy complexion and laughing brown eyes, who looked significantly shorter than Baldewin.

“Ravi. Another retainer and one of Alric’s personal guards.”