She could tell from the confusion on his face that he hadn't expected her to answer like that. Still, Cat wasn't quite done, and she pushed onward. "In the last few days, I've seen a side of you that I don't think you share with many people, a side that is also who you are. And he can sometimes be funny, and brave, and even gentle. That is the male I like enough to be the father of my bairn. And if he comes with some flaws? Aye, well, we all have them. I'm sure I'll lose my temper or close myself off for a bit to avoid a fight, but does that make you want to just give up because I'm not perfect?"
"Of course not, but—"
"No buts. I may not know every horrible memory from your childhood, or even what you did whilst you lost yourself in drink all those years ago, but I've listened to all you've told me, and I'm still here, Lachlan. So are you going to run and give up? Or will you include me in your struggles and try to fight for the best future you can for the sake of our child?"
Or, for us. But she didn't say that part. It was far too soon to mention it. Although the more he told her, the more she wanted to know him. Maybe even better than any other person alive, crazy as it was.
She didn't want him to be so heartbreakingly lonely anymore.
For a second, he merely stared down at her, as if trying to make a decision. Then he moved both of his hands to her face and cupped her cheeks as he laid his forehead against hers. "How are you this bloody wonderful?"
Wanting to make him smile, she whispered, "It comes naturally. Just wait until my dragon comes back, then I'll be doubly so."
His smile reached his eyes, and it did something to Cat's heart.
She didn't know when, but his happiness was starting to mean an awful bloody lot to her.
He replied, "I would say I don't deserve you, but I'm a wee bit selfish and want you too much, Cat. So, aye, I'm going to stick around. Not even if your sister Emma starts asking me about the inches of my dick will I run for the hills."
She laughed. "I bloody well hope she doesn't. If she does, then my dragon will have some words for her. You don't mess with someone's true mate and hope to remain unscathed."
He leaned back and tucked some hairs behind her ear. "Is that why you're doing this? Giving me a chance because of the true mate thing?"
She shook her head. "No. Whilst it can become painful to resist a frenzy, I still have free will. I'm doing this because I like you, Lachlan. And I'd like to get to know you even better."
He took her hand, and she threaded her fingers through his, the action the most natural thing in the world in that moment.
And as she asked him random questions about his likes and dislikes—steering away from anything dark since they'd had enough of that for one evening—she found herself laughing and smiling most of the time.
With time, Lachlan could easily win her heart. But Cat pushed that aside, not wanting to break the magic of one of the few dates she had with him before her dragon came out, and he'd have to endure a mate-claim frenzy.
Chapter Nine
The next morning, Lachlan woke up with a smile on his face, the first time he could remember doing that in years.
No, usually he ran through everything he needed to do for the day, creating a detailed schedule, before finally rolling out of bed.
However, when he slid off the mattress this morning, he barely gave his daily schedule a thought. Aye, he'd have to visit with the Seahaven dragonman and try to get things settled enough for the duration of the mate-claim frenzy.
But the rest of his thoughts were filled with Cat. Her laughter, her warm skin, and every memory of her fingers brushing against him.
Maybe she'd been right about how isolating himself had made him worry every second of every day about straying again.
Smiling like a fool, he went about eating and getting ready. He had just about finished up when there was a knock on his door. He opened it, revealing two of Cat's brothers—Ian and Connor.
He did his best to ignore their flashing dragon eyes and said, "Yes?"
Connor spoke up. "Come with us."
He raised an eyebrow. "Why, exactly?"
Connor shrugged. "Before you think of living here, you need to prove you can defend yourself."
He raised his other brow too. "Against what, or should I say whom? You two?"
Ian answered, "We won't beat you to a bloody pulp for Cat's sake, so aye, you'd best spar with us."
Leading up to his time on Lochguard, Lachlan had trained extensively. Dragon-shifters were always stronger than humans, no matter if it were a male or female. However, there were still certain maneuvers and tactics that could give him a chance to win.
And he rather wanted to win against at least one of Cat's brothers. The two lads might be younger, but they were Cat's family and were obviously protective of their sister. Besting at least one of them would go a long way toward their acceptance of him being with Cat.
Besides, it could be fun. Their surprise at him winning even once would be worth it.
He shrugged. "Aye, well, let's go then. I have a meeting in a few hours, so it'll have to be now."
Ian studied him a second, but it was Connor who motioned down the path. "Then come on. We have the perfect place to practice."
The slightly evil glint in Connor's eye told Lachlan how it wasn't going to be somewhere private, most likely.
Which suited him fine. The more people who saw he could handle himself, the easier it should be to gain their approval with at least their dragon halves.
As he followed the pair, he asked, "Cat doesn't know about this, does she?"
Connor shrugged yet again. "No, but this is between us. You want our sister, you have to earn her."
"I'm not sure she'd like to be 'earned' and bartered like some sort of chattel," Lachlan said dryly.
Ian muttered, "Great, Connor. Now Cat will yell at us even if we don't end up bruising him at all."
Connor replied, "We don't have a dad, so it's up to us. She knows our inner dragons want to protect her."
"I don't think that will make a difference," Ian stated.
Connor grunted. "Just shut it, Ian. We have a job to do."
Lachlan watched the younger men with amusement and wondered if their bravado was a result of their youth or something all dragonmen did.
He added it to his list of things to ask Cat later and followed them into a large open area he thought was the landing and takeoff space.
A makeshift stage had been set up, and a small crowd filled the edges of the area. It was mostly men, with a few women. He even spotted the ginger-haired MacKenzie twins.
Aye, well, this looked to be a test for him. And Lachlan wasn't about to fail.
So he removed his shoes, socks, and top like the other two lads did and waited to hear the rules.
When Cat heard from Jamie what her other two brothers had planned for the morning, she'd cursed and run out of the house.
Stupid Ian and Connor, out to pummel Lachlan in front of who knew how many clan members.
It wasn't that she thought Lachlan was weak, but he was human and her brothers were dragon-shifters. Maybe if it were in private, she would've brushed it off as some sort of male-bonding experience. However, Jamie had said it was to be held on a fucking stage inside the landing area.