"The difference is that your mum and dad didn't want your aunt to get into trouble. I've explained before how a human mating a dragon-shifter in Ireland is against the law. And so to keep your Aunt Delaney safe, they didn't tell you about her."
Rian glanced at her. "Why? I wouldn't hurt her."
Rhydian grunted, garnering the boy's attention once more. "Maybe not on purpose, but sometimes, especially when we're young, we tell secrets we shouldn't."
Rian looked at Delaney again, studying her face.
He looked so much like her sister, Rosaleen, that it hurt—the same nose, the same auburn hair, the same dark brown eyes.
While her sister would live on through Rian, it still pained Delaney to look at the lad. Hearing about her sister's death and meeting face-to-face with her son, knowing neither of them would ever see Rosaleen again, made it all so real.
The tears she’d been holding back were going to fall. Delaney had been hiding her hurt and betrayal at her sister's actions for so long. Why it had to come rushing forth now, she didn't know. However, one thing was for certain—she was on the verge of breaking down and didn’t want to do it in front of Rian.
Which meant she needed to escape somewhere private, to save Rian the confusion.
Delaney was just together enough to ask Rhydian, "The toilet?"
He gestured to a door and she rushed for it. As soon as she shut the door, Delaney slid to the ground and did her best to muffle the sobs that came rushing forth.
~~~
Rhydian stared at the toilet door, just able to hear Delaney crying.
His dragon spoke up. We should check on her.
He wanted to, but he couldn't leave Rian alone. Especially after introducing him to a woman who apparently looked a lot like his mother.
Rian tugged his top. "What's wrong? I hear her crying."
A human wouldn't have been able to hear Delaney's muffled sobs, but then again, Rian was half dragon-shifter. "She just misses her sister, lad. A lot like how you miss your mum."
He shuffled his feet. "Well, when I'm sad, you always take me out and show me your dragon form. Maybe you should try that with her, too. I'm sure Auntie Laney would forget about everything else when you spread your wings."
He smiled at the boy's shortening of Delaney's name. "I don't know if that would work, but if you want to ask her if she wants to see my dragon form, then you can do so."
Rian nodded. "Okay. Wait right here."
As the boy rushed toward the toilet door, Rhydian's beast chimed in. I didn't think you'd show her our dragon form this soon, if at all.
She already knows I'm a dragon-shifter, so it's not a big surprise.
You've never been this casual about shifting.
She's in pain. Not even I am going to be a bastard and try to push her away or make her hurt even more when she's crying.
Good, good. That gives me more time to convince you we should kiss her.
Shut it, dragon. She's crying over her dead sister. Now is not the time to think of kissing her.
His beast huffed. I won't stop thinking about it until you do it. I want her. She'll make the cold, dark winters so much brighter. And warmer. Why wouldn't you want the female by our side?
Rian rushed over, and Rhydian focused on the boy as he said, "I convinced her. Let's go see your dragon, Rhydian! Oh, wait! I want to get Mr. Cottontail first. He wants to see your dragon, too."
The boy rushed from the room. A second later, Delaney opened the door. While she wasn't crying, her eyes were still slightly red and puffy.
His dragon growled. She should never cry.
While he agreed, he didn't want to encourage his beast. So he walked over to Delaney. "We don't have to do this if you don't want to. It's just that Rian always cheers up when he sees my dragon."