Page 22 of Seducing the Dragon
After nearly twohours of back and forth, Bram waited for Finn’s answer.
And not just any answer, but the answer that would determine the future of his clan.
The tall, blond Scot studied him with his amber-colored eyes. The teasing and flirting from earlier in the morning was gone, replaced with a dragonman with an unreadable expression on his face. The version of Finlay Stewart sitting across from him right now was the version who had won the right to be clan leader.
Finn’s voice finally filled the room. “I have one last condition.”
He resisted a growl. “I’ve stated my terms and what I’m willing to compromise on. There’s not much room for negotiation.”
“This falls within your parameters.”
Bram waved a hand. “Well, stop being melodramatic and spit it out already.”
“For my people to truly believe you want to work with us, I think we should foster like in the old days.”
He frowned. “That hasn’t been done for centuries.”
Finn shrugged. “I think each of us hosting a clan member or three from the other clan will A) help to show that we’re more alike than we give credit and B) allow us to each have a spy.” Bram opened his mouth, but Finn beat him to it. “You seem to like the truth, and spy is closer to the truth than a prolonged guest.”
“So much for trust.”
“Hey, trust will come in time. Nothing happens overnight.”
Despite his irritation at all the negotiating, Bram liked the Scottish leader more as time went on. Finn was far more open-minded and forward-looking than sixty-year-old Dougal Munro had been. “Say I agree to the fostering, then what about the details? How long? How many? What role should they play in the clan? I won’t send one of my clan members to sit and twiddle their thumbs for months on end, nor will I allow them to be shunned and mistreated.”
“I can respect that as I feel the same way. You don’t have to send someone today. Let’s say, in a month or two? That gives us each time to prepare our clans and hash out the finer points.” Finn leaned forward. “I can promise you no harm will come to your clan members as long as no harm comes to mine.”
Bram nodded. “I can promise that too, but with one caveat—if any of your fostered clan members try to undermine the well-being of Stonefire, they will be dealt with accordingly.”
Finn leaned back in his chair. “I could threaten back the same thing, but I think you’re clever enough to expect the same out of me.”
“Right, then that’s the last of the negotiations for today.” Bram stood up. “I’ll see you tonight for dinner at the great hall.”
The Scottish leader stood and amusement glinted in his eye. “Are we going to see your spirited, delectable female tonight too?”
“She will be sitting as far away from you as possible.”
Finn laughed. “No worries, Bram, I’m not about to fight you and throw away these past few hours of boring, tedious negotiations. Life’s too short to live through that twice.”
Bram wondered if Finn had two personalities. One minute he was stern and calculating, and the next he was jolly and teasing. Bram was definitely going to keep him far away from Evie. He could see the two of them flirting back and forth, which made his inner dragon growl.
Shushing his beast, he pushed on. “You can meet my technology security expert tonight at dinner and discuss your requirements then.”
“Why don’t I meet with this individual now?”
He wasn’t about to detail Arabella’s past to Finn and tell him how she still had trouble with one-on-one private meetings with strangers, especially with a stranger who could overpower her.The dragonman was barely an ally. “The dragonwoman is busy until tonight.”
“A female, eh? Well, then that makes everything better.”
Bram was about to warn the other leader to leave Arabella alone when there was a knock on the door. Since the cottage was soundproofed, he moved to the door and opened it. Nikki and Evie stood in front of him.
Before he could say anything, Evie blurted out, “Bram, I really need to talk to you.”
“It’s not quite lunch time, lass.”
The female glanced to Nikki and then back to Bram. “It’s important.”
Given her tone and expression, he believed her.
