He said to his beast, Remember, she's human. Don't break her.
She can handle it. Look how she moves with me. She wants it.
Dawn moaned, and Blake wished he could hold her close and capture the sound with his mouth.
Still, it gave him the chance to watch her lovely arse as she moved, longing for the day he could hold her against him, feel that softness against his dick, and fall asleep.
It would be like heaven.
He mentally blinked. He'd turned into a bloody romantic. Who would've guessed that could ever happen?
His dragon roared and, with each thrust, said a word. "You. Are. Mine. Always."
Then his beast stilled as pleasured exploded throughout their body, his dick spending inside Dawn's core and sending her into her own orgasm.
When she'd wrung every last drop from their dick, Blake said to his beast, My turn. She needs to rest a little.
She can take more. She doesn't carry our baby yet. She must, then she'll carry our scent and keep the other males away.
Just a little rest. She needs it. Unless you want to scare her away?
His dragon finally grunted. A short one. But then we claim her again.
Deal.
His dragon receded to the back of his mind, and Blake took control again.
He leaned down to kiss Dawn's shoulder and said, "Are you okay?"
She glanced over her shoulder to meet his gaze. "More than okay. And it's strange, but I can tell you and dragon apart fairly easily."
Wanting more than sex, he sat and turned her until Dawn sat in his lap, facing him. He traced her cheek, down her neck, and lightly played with her nipple. "He's usually a bit more normal sounding. But as the frenzy wears on, he'll get more and more frantic. I hope you're prepared."
She looped her arms around his neck, a wicked gleam in her eyes. "More than prepared—I'm looking forward to it."
He snorted. "So it just took good sex to win you over to the dragon-shifter side then?"
She grinned, the sight making his heart skip a beat. "It doesn't hurt."
She tilted her head, her hair brushing her shoulder. This time, he reached up to play with the blonde strands, loving how soft they were. "And humans say dragon-shifters are bad when it comes to sex."
She leaned over and whispered dramatically, "I think it's a distraction tactic, personally. To hide some secret sex dungeon in their shed or something."
He laughed, trying to imagine a human couple sneaking off to said shed. "No need for a shed. Once the frenzy has passed, I'd much rather go searching for a spot in the woods with you."
She traced his jaw. "You'll ruin your recluse reputation soon enough with me, won't you?"
He hugged her closer until her front pressed against his. "I'm more than willing to let it go for you."
As she searched his gaze, Blake felt the stirring of his dragon waking up from a power nap. Why are you talking? Breaks are for food, not chatting. Hurry up and ensure she still has energy. I want her again.
Blake resisted a sigh and said to Dawn, "My dragon is even more eager than you to keep this frenzy going. So if you need food or anything important, now's the time to do it."
She wiggled in his lap, his cock already hardening again. "Right now, I just want more of you, Blake. So kiss me again."
And without another word, he crushed his lips to hers and focused on learning all the best ways to please his human. At least when he was in control. His dragon had his own brand of magic that seemed to make Dawn happy, too.
Chapter Ten
As Dawn blinked her eyes against the bright light, she tried to remember what day it was. Had another passed? She'd long ago lost count. Not because she didn't enjoy the frenzy, but each day made her wonder if the dragons had been wrong about her being able to conceive again.
Then a familiar warm hand caressed her cheek, and she turned over to meet Blake's gaze. His sleep-husky voice rolled over her. "Good morning, love."
Noting how his pupils weren't flashing, she wondered how long Blake would be in charge this time. However, first things first—she needed food if she was to keep up with her dragonman. "Ready for breakfast?"
She moved to get up, but Blake pulled her down and turned her so he could put her back against his front. As he kissed her neck, she asked, "Again?"
He held her a few beats before his hand moved to her lower abdomen. Her heart beat faster, wondering if it were true. He finally whispered, "Not until you're fully rested, Dawn. You have to protect our child and be strong for him or her."
For a second, she lay there stunned. She'd wanted to believe Bram and the others that miracles could happen between true mates, but Dawn had always had a small bit of doubt, too. More than one doctor had claimed to have a surefire way to give her a child in the long road to having Daisy, and she'd learned to be a bit skeptical.
But Blake's hand was warm against her belly, and she tentatively placed her own over his. "Is it really true?"
Her voice cracked at the end, and Blake's concerned voice filled her ear. "Are you okay, Dawn? Should I fetch the doctor?"
Even though tears trailed down her cheeks, she shook her head. "No, no, I'm good. More than good, actually."
She turned until she could face him. Blake instantly frowned, and his gaze turned concerned. "You're crying, love. Why?"
She wiped a hand across her eyes before answering. "They're happy tears, I assure you. I just didn't know if it could happen. I know everyone said it can with true mates, but I guess I still doubted it."
He kissed her gently on the lips and then said, "If you need to hear it from Dr. Sid, I can take you to the surgery straightaway."
She kissed him a few beats before laying her forehead against his. "No, if your dragon says it's true, then I believe him."
He rolled onto his back and brought her against his chest. He stroked her back as he murmured against her hair, "It's true, Dawn. My scent is mixed with yours, which means you carry my babe. Of course, with my necessary part finished now, I'm going to need your help because I don't know the first thing about taking care of a baby."
She smiled and snuggled against his hard, warm chest, loving how his scent had already become familiar to her. "I'll show you the ropes. And I imagine Daisy will want to help, too."
At the mention of her daughter, a longing crashed over her. She missed Daisy, more than she'd realized.
As if reading her thoughts, Blake said, "Once we eat and shower, we'll go see Bram. That way he can get everything in motion to bring Daisy here as soon as possible."
Leaning back, she met his gaze again. "I'm happy right now, I truly am. So please don't take this the wrong way, but can I call Daisy soon, too? I need to hear her voice."
He stroked her cheek. "Of course you do. The frenzy took fifteen days, and I don't think you've ever been out of contact with her that long, have you?"
She shook her head. "No, never."
"Well, then let's get up and put things in motion so you can speak with her."
As Dawn stared into Blake's eyes, she didn't detect any hint of resentment. The problem was she didn't know if it was because he was good at hiding it or because he truly understood how much Dawn loved her daughter.
The frenzy had been a sort of bubble, one where it'd been just her and Blake. She only hoped that it wouldn't burst completely when Daisy entered because it would break her heart to have her daughter and the father of her second child at odds with one another.
No, Dawn. Stop it. She was so used to things going wrong with men that she was poisoning her own mind. Blake would have his chance, and she'd see for herself how it went.
Although was it too much to ask for a man she could probably fall in love with as well as a happy, blended family?
Kissing Blake one last time, she got out of bed and went about getting ready. Dawn wasn't a coward, so the only thing to do was put everything in motion so she could find out what her future held next.
Chapter Eleven
&nbs
p; Blake did his best to hide how nervous he was, which meant keeping his expression sort of friendly and not tapping his hand against his thigh.
He wasn't anxious because he would soon be moving in with an eleven-year-old girl who would be his stepdaughter, though. He knew that would be a challenge, and he accepted it in order for a chance with Dawn.
No, he was nervous because he was about to show Dawn his dragon form for the first time.
He could already see a few people at the edges of the lesser-used landing area situated toward the rear of Stonefire's land. Somehow word had already traveled about him wanting to shift, and spectators had flocked to the area.
His dragon grunted. It doesn't matter. This is for Dawn and only Dawn. Besides, this is our last chance to show her our dragon form before Daisy arrives tomorrow morning.
I know, but if someone rushes out to touch our black spot and starts to make a dramatic wish, I'm not sure I want to stay in our dragon form and let Dawn see the embarrassment.
Before his beast could argue further, Dawn walked into the landing area with Sasha at her side, and he forgot about everything but his soon-to-be mate.
Ever since he'd woken up and known she carried his child, she'd glowed. While he hoped it was partially because of him, he knew it was probably because she was so happy to have another child.
His beast sighed. Stop with the doubting. She went through the frenzy, embraced both of us, and has been nothing but open and teasing since.
It was true—the last day, ever since they'd finally emerged from their cottage, had been full of congratulations and stolen glances at one another.
He finally replied, I know. It's just shifting in public always shakes me up a bit. I don't think I'll ever get used to spectators.
Then Dawn walked up to him, touched his cheek, his nervousness faded significantly. She said, "You should've waited for me and then we could've walked here together."
He kept his voice low so that only Dawn could hear it. "I needed a little time to prepare. And I knew you were with Sasha anyway."
She searched his gaze and finally leaned over and kissed him gently. "Still, next time, talk to me about it, okay? If we're to make a family, we need to be open about everything."
Tracing her jaw, he nodded. "I'll try, I promise. Just remember I've been a bachelor for nearly forty years so it's going to take a little time to adjust."
The corner of her mouth ticked up. "Oh, just wait until Daisy gets here. Then you won't have a spare moment to worry about it."
The comment would've concerned him even three weeks ago. But now? It just reminded him that he no longer had to live alone and isolate himself any longer. After the mating ceremony the next day, he'd have a mate and a new daughter.
Two people who would get to know the real him and not merely the fact he was a unicorn dragon.
Blake kissed Dawn's cheek and motioned toward where Sasha stood, at the edge of the landing area, near the six-foot-high rock walls filled with cubbies for clothing and items. "Speaking of which, I want to make sure you can see and touch my dragon before we're dragged into more paperwork and planning for tomorrow. Between Daisy's arrival and the mating ceremony, we won't have a spare moment after this for a while. So you should go stand by Sasha so I can shift."
She touched his cheek one last time—he would never tire of her soft, warm touch—and then went to stand by her friend.
Once Dawn was in place, Blake focused solely on his female. None of the other dragon-shifters lingering about mattered.
His dragon grunted. Good. Then let's get started.
Blake quickly shed his clothes and tossed them to the side—he'd opted to not stand naked waiting for Dawn since the human was adjusting to the idea of casual nudity—and closed his eyes to concentrate.
He imagined wings sprouting from his back, his nose elongating into a snout, and his form growing and stretching until he finally stood in his large dragon form.
With a deep inhalation, he opened his eyes and found Dawn's gaze.
She stood in awe, and it took an elbow jab from Sasha to break the spell.
As she walked slowly toward him, Blake noticed from the corner of his eyes that a few people moved closer toward him.
His dragon spoke up. Ignore them. Dawn is all that matters.
And he did exactly that, watching the play of emotions over her face as she drew closer. The awe was soon replaced with wonder and then curiosity.
Since he couldn't talk in his dragon form, Blake lowered his head so that when Dawn was near enough, he could gently bump her shoulder.
She laughed at the contact and then raised a hand to touch his snout. Her voice chased away his annoyance at a few teenagers edging ever closer to his tail. She said, "I'm not sure how else to say it, but you're beautiful, Blake."
As she stroked his snout, his dragon hummed. The sound made Dawn smile even wider.
His beast said, See? Only Dawn matters. And she thinks I'm beautiful.
I know, and you're never going to forget to remind me of that, are you?
Of course not.
As his human stroked upward, toward his ear, Blake lowered his head more. Then she found the patch of skin without scales behind his ear and focused her attention there. As he leaned into her caress, he knew she must've received some hints from Sasha about what to do.
Then he felt someone touching his tail, where his spot was, and he froze.
Dawn must've noticed the tensing of his muscles because she leaned to the side and frowned. She shouted, "It's not polite to touch someone without permission. Would you want someone grabbing your tail in front of your friends or mate?"
The touch vanished, and a surly teenage voice filled his ears. "No."
"Right, then be off and leave him alone."
He glanced over his shoulder, and to Blake's surprise, the teenagers were grumbling but walking away.
Dawn patted his side. "I will never have your strength, speed, or super senses, but I can certainly try to get the children to leave you alone. It may not always work, but there's almost a 'mother tone' that seems to work on a lot of kids. So I'll try my best, and I'm sure Daisy will help me chase off the unwanted attention, too. She'll take the responsibility very seriously, I think."
If he could've smiled in his dragon form, he would have. The thought of Dawn and Daisy shooing away unwanted spectators was too amusing.
His dragon spoke up. See? She is perfect for us in so many ways, much more than the fact she's so open in bed and can even make you laugh when no one else can.
Sasha's voice broke through his conversation. "Dawn, I hate to break this up, but we have that meeting at the school soon. I'll give you and Blake a few minutes alone and wait just outside the wall here." The dark-haired dragonwoman shot a few glances at the lingering dragon-shifters. "We will all give them some privacy, won't we?"
With a few grumbles, the others left. Sasha winked and also disappeared beyond the wall surrounding the landing area.
His beast huffed. Why do we have to change back so soon? I want more ear scratches.
There's a lot to do before Daisy gets here tomorrow. Besides, wouldn't you like to have both Dawn and Daisy scratching behind your ears?
Maybe. His beast paused before adding, Fine, shift back. But don't make excuses when I want to shift again in front of Dawn. I want more time with her.
He gently bumped Dawn's shoulder and motioned with his head for her to move back. With one last pat to his snout, she moved to a safe enough distance away.
Blake imagined his limbs shrinking, his wings melding into his back, and his face returning to normal. As soon as he was once again in his human form, he strode right up to Dawn. Not caring who saw, he hauled her against his body and kissed her.
Her noise of surprise quickly morphed into the soft sounds she made as she kissed him back. He licked and devoured her mouth, tangling his tongue with hers when he could. He finally let her up for air and cupped her cheek. He murmured, "Thank you."
She tilted her head. "It's nothing, really. I remember when I was pregnant and everyone would just touch my belly without asking. It gets irritating rather quickly. I figured it's the same for your spot, right? You just need a little Dawn and Daisy to remind people it's not okay to break personal boundaries simply because someone believes a story."
He chuckled. "The Dawn and Daisy squad, huh? I don't think anyone will stand a chance."
She grinned. "Not if Daisy is involved. I'm sure she'll want T-shirts and will make posters or something, to post all around the landing areas with various kinds of warnings."
As he stared into Dawn's eyes, matching her smile, something shifted inside him.
His human had come to mean so much to him so quickly. He was more than halfway in love with her.
His dragon growled. She is ours. I hope you treasure her as she deserves.
Blake would always try. But first things first, he needed to ensure everything was ready for Daisy's arrival the next day.
So he kissed his beautiful mate quickly, dressed, and took her hand as he led her toward the school. Much like she'd had his back at the landing area, he'd have hers for all aspects of clan life that were new to her.
Maybe with his actions, he could prove how much he wanted her.
And so Blake helped in every way he could for the remainder of the day, not even disappointed when Dawn was so exhausted she merely fell asleep in his arms later that night. Simply holding his true mate was enough.
Chapter Twelve
Just before noon the next day, Dawn walked out of Bram's cottage with Blake at her side and was instantly accosted in a hug by her daughter.
After a second of confusion since she'd thought Daisy would wait for them inside the main Protector's building, she held Daisy tightly against her. "Daisy, you're here. I've missed you."
Daisy looked up at her and bobbed her head. "Yes, they said I had to wait outside until you were done. Something about you doing something important."
She brushed some of Daisy's wild hair from her face. "I had to sign some things to make sure we can live on Stonefire."
Treasured by the Dragon (Stonefire British Dragons Book 13) Page 8