In any case, this wasn’t going well.
Alric tried to get them back on track. “We came out here to meet you. There is much that we need to discuss. Can’t we find a place to sit and at least relay information to each other for the safety of all mages?”
As he spoke with Mathilda—who frankly didn’t look as if she was really listening—Tori returned to Baldewin. He placed a hand on his chest, drawing him down. Baldewin slid an arm around his waist, holding him close as he obligingly gave Tori access to him.
“The only place for them to talk is the little hotel on this street,” Tori murmured in his ear. “But I don’t know if we can get them there. Mathilda’s just trying to get rid of us.”
“She doesn’t look like she’s listening.” Baldewin could read past the mask on her face well enough. She wanted them gone and was trying to give them a cold shoulder so they would leave on their own terms instead of it coming down to a show of force.
Verner’s voice cut through their conversation, closer than it had been before, as he’d stepped near the group. “What’s this? You fucking him?”
Baldewin lifted his head slowly, eyes locked on the man’s face. What had he said?
“Oh, right, dragons like mages as mates,” Verner sneered at Tori, lip curling. “Must be desperate if he’s willing to take you.”
He saw red. Tori was still close enough that he could feel the mage flinch at Verner’s words as if the man had physically struck him. Someone was attacking his mate, hurting him.
Baldewin’s control snapped like a dry twig. Pushing Tori behind him, Baldewin stepped toward Verner, and he welcomed the familiar burn in his muscles as the shift came over him. His human brain sank to the background while his dragon took control of this new, much larger body.
His point of view rose high into the air, and wings sprang from his body. Tilting his head toward the sky, he roared loud enough to shake the earth and shot forth a thick geyser of fire. People scrambled backward, shouting in terror and surprise.
Though he swore he heard Alric mutter a weary “Scheiße,” Baldewin ignored it.
The man…the Verner…who’d attacked and wounded his mate, had not moved. He stood trembling exactly where he’d been when he said those ugly words to Tori. When he hurt Tori.
Mage or not, he’d attacked a mage. Such actions were not to be tolerated. Kaiser Jaeggi had attacked dragons and mages. If Baldewin had had the chance to kill him, the war might never have been started.
So it only followed that Baldewin should devour on this ugly little creature now to save his mate.
And maybe while he was at it, he would crunch on a few of these other evil people. Crunch on Mathilda. Crunch on the ones who sneered and mocked Tori. His precious mage. His sweet, treasured mate.
Baldewin tucked his massive wings against his body and lowered his head to the humans’ level. He grinned, showing off enormous fangs. He had no desire to eat people, but he wanted to stop the pain they caused. Needed to make them feel the hurt they brought down on Tori.
To his shock, Tori darted in front of Verner, his face pale. He pointed one finger at Baldewin. “Stop! I’m serious, Baldewin. You need to stop right now.”
Baldewin and his dragon narrowed their eyes on the mage, confusion rattling through the dragon body. Why would Tori wish him to stop? He was protecting the mage. He couldn’t think Baldewin was in danger, not from this tiny morsel.
“You can’t hurt him, Baldewin!”
Lifting his head to the sky, Baldewin roared in fury. No! He would not be denied his vengeance. He couldn’t be there through all the years Tori had suffered, but he could act against this new attack. He could protect him now.
“I am so touched that you care for me so much. You mean everything to me. I know his words hurt you as much as they hurt me, but this isn’t right. You can’t fight my battles for me as a man or as a dragon. You have to trust me to fight them.”
Baldewin drew his head back as if Tori had smacked him on the nose. Was that what he was doing? Was he trying to fight Tori’s demons for him? He only wanted to protect his mate.
But Tori was the strongest man he’d ever known. He didn’t need Baldewin to protect him or fight his battles for him. He roared again, but it was a sad, plaintive cry.
Tori’s shoulders slumped a little, and a half smile formed on his lips. “My crazy dragon. I know. You only want me to be safe and happy.”
Behind Tori, Verner seemed to figure out he wasn’t in danger of getting eaten and snickered softly. Tori spun around and planted his fist square in the man’s nose. Verner stumbled backward and landed on his ass on the cracked asphalt.
“And that’s for every mean, sick comment you’ve ever uttered to me!” Tori snarled, standing over the man. “My name is Tori Burkhard, and I am a mage of the Burkhard Clan. You will give me the respect that title holds. They are my clan and my family.” He pointed over his shoulder at Baldewin, his hands trembling slightly. “This is my dragon. He’s not stuck with me. He chose me because of who I am. And I chose him because he’s fucking amazing. You got that?”
Baldewin didn’t think about shifting. His only thought was he needed to hold Tori now. The next thing he knew, he was in his human form again, pulling his angry, beautiful mage into his arms.
“What the hell is going on here? How dare you threaten my clan!” Mathilda shouted.
“Your clan member just insulted not only one of my clan—we took Tori in as a Burkhard several days ago—but he also insulted Baldewin’s gefreogen,” Alric snapped in arctic tones. The king was clearly done with their shit. “You think this is shocking, do you not? But this is precisely why we need to sit and speak. You’ve made too many assumptions, Clan Leader. And those assumptions are costing you.”
Mathilda gasped and sputtered for a moment, her eyes darting around at the gathering of her clan, who were looking more confused by the second. The entire meeting was deteriorating, but before Alric or Rodrigo could calm things, Mathilda shook her head, her expression stubborn and mutinous.
“Get out of here. You’re not welcome in our village.” She turned and pointed at Tori. “You’re not welcome here either. Get out.”
Tori snorted as he rubbed his cheek against Baldewin’s chest. “I haven’t been welcome here since the day I was born.”
“Enough!” Alric snapped. “Ravi, give your keys to Baldewin.”
The wind dragon’s eyes widened in surprise, but he tossed the SUV keys to Baldewin without a word.
“Take your mage and go cool off for a while. The rest of us are leaving now.”
Baldewin gave a brief nod before bundling Tori off toward the SUV Ravi had driven. This was probably for the best. They all needed time to cool off, and Baldewin needed to apologize to Tori for losing his temper.
Baldewin revved the engine up before tearing out of the parking lot, going far faster than the speed limit dictated. Of all the things to say—no, he should have probably expected some homophobic remark. Tori had warned him often enough. But to even suggest that Baldewin would choose someone out of desperation was insulting. And to suggest that Tori was subpar was even more insulting.
Kilometers sped by. He wasn’t even sure where he was going, just following the single road as far as it would take him, or at least until he figured out what to say to Tori. He shot a look at Tori’s profile, but his mage was silent and still. Far too silent and still. It worried him. “That man is an asshole.”