Blake wanted to lay his hand on Daisy's to maybe keep her from talking but didn't know if she would be comfortable with that yet. So instead, he merely said, "Yes, my dragon talks a lot. So asking all the time might be a little time-consuming." She opened her mouth, but he didn't let her get a word in. "As for leaving—you, your mum, and any other children she has will always be a part of my life. Stonefire is my home and I won't leave it."
Not exactly a declaration of staying together forever, but Blake and Dawn hadn't even said they loved each other yet. Blake loved his human, but he wouldn't assume anything about her feelings.
But he would always be in their lives, even if it were solely for the sake of their child. That was the truth.
Daisy stared a second before nodding. "I believe you. Which is good because if you leave, then I'll also be stuck with all the babysitting."
He chuckled. "There are plenty of people here to help your mother any way she needs it. I know it's been just you and her for a long time, but it doesn't have to be that way anymore."
Unusual for her, Daisy remained quiet a few beats, merely staring at him. She finally nodded. "I believe you, Blake."
His dragon spoke up. She will be a good older sister to our child. Everyone dismisses her as flighty and hyperactive, but she can be serious and pensive at times, too.
I agree. I think even I misjudged her a little.
Daisy stared at him as she wiggled in her seat, no doubt itching to ask him about his dragon. She really did want to know everything.
Then Blake noticed the time and decided their serious conversation would need to be put on hold. He stood. "We'll have to talk some more later. Right now, we both need to change clothes and head toward the great hall."
He half expected Daisy to resist, but she was out of her chair and running up the stairs in the blink of an eye. "Hurry, Blake! I want to see everyone dressed up. Because of the outfits, I can stare—er, look at—all the tattoos!"
Shaking his head, he smiled as Daisy's bedroom door slammed shut.
He hurried up the stairs to his room, wanting to ensure he was ready before Daisy.
And as he changed clothes for his mating ceremony, he thought maybe, just maybe, he would get the hang of being a father to an older child. While there was a lot of ground to still cover, he'd survived his first test.
But within minutes, Daisy banged on the door, asking for him to hurry up, and he pushed aside all the serious thoughts to finish getting ready for his own mating ceremony.
Which was something he never thought he'd have, and he'd never take for granted.
Dawn stood in a room off the main floor of the great hall, Sasha plucking at a few bits of Dawn's hair. Her friend finally stepped back and nodded. "There you go. Now Blake will want to do the frenzy all over again."
Damn her cheeks, they heated. "Since Daisy is staying with us now, we can't be that, er, loud."
Sasha laughed. "Oh, I'm sure you'll get creative. Just because I had kids didn't mean I gave up my kinky bed play."
As her friend winked, Dawn lightly hit her arm. "Stop it, Sasha. What if Daisy walked in right now?"
She motioned toward the door with her head. "She's out in the hall with Freddie, Alfie, and Evie. If anyone can distract Daisy and keep her in the great hall, Evie can."
Dawn raised her brows. "Just because she's the clan leader's mate doesn't guarantee that."
"All she has to do is promise a tour of the Protector's building, and I'm sure Daisy will do anything."
She sighed. "Everyone making deals is going to backfire on me someday, I'm sure of it."
"It won't last forever. For now, it's just a way to try and help Daisy feel welcome. And besides, she arrived dressed and ready, which means Blake passed the first parent test. I wonder if he made a deal, too, or tried something else?"
Since Dawn could barely contain Daisy's wild, curly hair, she hadn't frowned at the slightly wilder look Daisy had arrived with. "Yes, he got her here on time and ready. Although I hate to think of it as a series of tests. Because that makes it seem as if Daisy isn't so much a person as an obstacle. And that isn't the way to start a family."
Sasha took a step closer. "Don't worry, Dawn. It's clear Blake adores you. He won't give up on Daisy. He's far more honorable than your ex."
She searched her friend's gaze. "I know that, but it's still hard for me to believe sometimes. I hope this uncertain feeling wears off eventually."
Sasha patted her arm. "It will, I just know it. You deserve some happiness, Dawn. Stop trying to find excuses as to why you don't."
As she stared in the brown eyes of her friend—her best friend, really—she didn't hold back. "I know. Although once her paternal aunt finds out about what's happened, my happy ending may be not quite perfect. I'm almost positive she'll voice her distrust of dragons much louder than normal, maybe even to Daisy herself. However, since she's the only family Daisy knows on her father's side, I don't want to just cut her out of Daisy's life. I'm not sure what to do."
Sasha waved a hand in dismissal. "If she's afraid of dragon-shifters, that's her problem. Besides, if Daisy can't convince her aunt to change her mind, no one could. It'll be the aunt's loss, not Daisy's." She motioned toward the door. "But enough about a distant relative in a city somewhere. I hear Bram telling everyone to get into place, which is our cue. Are you ready to go?"
With a deep breath, she nodded, and they walked out of the room toward the side entrance of the great hall. It was time to make her second chance at a family official.
Blake stood inside the doorway off the left side of the dais in the great hall, waiting for his signal to go on stage.
His gaze kept checking to make sure Daisy was still in the room, but she hadn't left Freddie's side since they'd arrived.
His dragon spoke up. She wouldn't miss this. It's her first dragon mating ceremony.
I want to believe that, but she has a reputation for sneaking out when no one is watching.
Well, she now has us and Dawn—not to mention most of the clan—watching her. Before she was merely a visitor, but no longer. Stonefire won't let anything happen to her.
He was about to say that might not be enough when Dawn emerged from the opposite side of the dais, and any thoughts unrelated to his human fled his mind.
She wore the dark red color of Stonefire, her dress fastened over one shoulder and flowing down her body. Even though it wasn't form-fitting, both man and beast mentally growled at how revealing it could be, showing off the curves of her body.
Then Dawn caught his gaze, smiled, and his feet moved of their own accord toward her. They met in the middle of the dais, right in front of a tall table with a box holding their mating bands, and he took her hand. He murmured, "You look beautiful."
While not as deep a blush as she'd had many times during the frenzy, they tinged pink. "You aren't too bad yourself."
He resisted adjusting the sash across his bare chest. His dragon whispered, Remember, humans don't walk around mostly bare-chested that often this far north.
Ignoring his dragon, he kissed the back of Dawn's hand right before Bram's voice boomed inside the large hall. Everyone quieted down as he said, "Today is truly a special event. After all, it's been such a long time since Stonefire welcomed a mother and daughter pair to the clan. I hope that everyone will help Dawn and Daisy adjust and remember that from today, they will be part of our clan, too."
There were a few claps and a whistle from somewhere. Regardless, Blake never looked away from Dawn's eyes.
Usually, mating ceremonies were only done between two people, but everyone had thought it a good idea to have Bram help in this case. That way, the clan would understand that Daisy may be a human child, but she was now part of Stonefire, with the complete backing of the clan leader.
Bram gestured toward Blake and Dawn. "And now we'll have our ceremony. Given how many we've had in recent years, I hope you can enjoy yet another one without getting too bored."
There
were a few chuckles from the crowd because it was true. Blake had lost count of how many mating ceremonies he'd been forced to attend in the last two or three years.
His dragon huffed. That doesn't matter right now. Start the ceremony. I want Dawn as our mate. Now.
Since Blake was just as eager, he waited for Bram to descend the steps before he spoke up first. "Dawn Chadwick, our beginning was accidental and a surprise. However, you agreeing to be my mate is the best thing to ever happen to me. I always thought isolating myself would make me happy. Little did I know it only took the right female to make me realize I'd been hiding away from everything. But no longer. With you at my side, I can face anything. And whilst being a parent will be all new to me, I hope I can help with Daisy, too, and tell her all she wants to know about dragon-shifters. I love you, Dawn. Will you accept my mate claim?"
Blake had gone back and forth about saying I love you, but he meant it and didn't want to leave it out of such an important occasion.
Dawn replied, "I do."
He nearly exhaled in relief at her answer. Picking up the silver arm cuff engraved with his name in the old language, he slid it around her upper bicep.
She smiled at him and said, "Blake Whitby, you're right—our beginning was a little bit of a surprise. However, I'm glad it happened. You're smart, kind, and a very loving man. While I know our future is just starting, I truly believe it will be a good one. I care so much for you already and can't wait to write the rest of our story in the coming years. Will you accept my mate claim?"
He hid his disappointment at her lack of a love declaration, yet he respected her for being true to herself. It only made him more determined to win her heart completely.
"I do," he stated and offered the bicep without his dragon-shifter tattoo. As she slid the cool metal around his arm, he couldn't tear his gaze away from Dawn's. Once the band was in place, he pulled her close, cupped her cheek, and whispered for her ears only, "You're mine now, human," and kissed her.
He barely heard the cheers as he explored Dawn's mouth and reveled in the feel of her body against his.
She finally pulled back and murmured, "I'm sure Daisy will have some questions about that now."
He grinned. "Good."
And as he led his mate down the stairs toward the floor, where clan members were already lining up to congratulate them, he didn't think twice about the crowd of people. With his mate at his side and his new daughter racing toward them, Blake felt as if he could take on anything.
Funny how finding his true mate had changed his world so completely.
Chapter Fourteen
Two days later, Blake stared out the car window as Dawn turned off the motorway into a section of Manchester.
Ever since they'd left Stonefire, he'd watched as villages, towns, and cities grew larger the closer they got to the big metropolitan area.
But as his mate easily drove down the street through an area crowded cheek and jowl with buildings, he wondered how people could live this way.
His dragon spoke up. Humans don't need areas to shift or fly. They can pack a lot of people in here. Besides, it's better than what it once was.
Blake was no history teacher, but even he knew that the industrial revolution had dramatically transformed Manchester and the surrounding areas with factories and all sorts of new buildings. Not to mention the living conditions of the poor back then had been beyond his comprehension, and bad wasn't a strong enough word to describe the squalor. Well, I'm just glad I don't have to live here. I can already hear a half-dozen conversations through the car window. Not to mention smells I don't even want to think about.
His dragon snorted. I'm sure once the tens of thousands of university students go home in the summer, it'll smell a lot better.
Before he could debate that point, Daisy must've woken up from her nap because she shouted, "Look! There's my old school! We're nearly at our old flat, Blake."
The school building wasn't anything special, although truth be told, Blake didn't really pay attention to things such as architecture. He was more interested in the materials used to construct it.
Dawn soon parked on the street in front of a two-story house just as Daisy shouted, "We're here!"
It looked like a house, not a flat. "It's bigger than I thought it would be."
Dawn smiled and explained, "It's divided into four flats. Thankfully I was able to get a ground floor one so Daisy didn't have to worry about walking softly."
Humans really did like to live in close quarters. Putting four dragon-shifters, let alone families, in such close quarters would soon drive everyone mad.
His beast said, Remember, humans don't hear or smell as well as we do. So it wouldn't bother them.
I suppose. I guess I'm just used to more space since dragon clans are all designed that way.
Not to mention Blake had lived apart from even most of his own clan for years.
Dawn's voice halted his conversation with his dragon. "It looks like Jane and Rafe made it, too, with the van."
The human sibling pair had volunteered to help with the move. After all, having humans go into the city was a lot less paperwork.
Daisy asked, "Can I get out now, Mum? I want to show Blake our old place and tell him all the really good stories."
Dawn smiled at him. "It's up to Blake."
"Oh, Blake, can we go in now? Please?"
He turned halfway in his seat and smiled. One day soon, he'd need to learn to say no to Daisy, but today wasn't that day. He was still trying to get on her good side. "All right, but no running or shouting, okay?"
"Okay. Let's go!"
She exited the car and opened his door before he could blink. Dawn quickly handed him a set of keys, kissed his cheek, and murmured, "Have fun."
Daisy took his hand. "Come on, Blake. Hurry up. I want to show you everything before it all gets packed up."
Not wanting to draw attention from the neighbors, even if it was in the middle of the day during the week, Blake undid his seat belt and followed Daisy to the door. Her voice was almost at a normal level as she explained, "There are two doors. The front one and the inside one. I can do it for you, Blake. Give me the keys."
He did and watched as she quickly opened the door. The inside smelled of dust and humans.
But Daisy quickly went to a door on the right side and opened it with another key. She waved for him to follow. "In here, Blake. Come on."
The floor above him creaked, meaning someone was home. Not wanting to find out if they tolerated dragon-shifters or not, he went inside the same door Daisy had entered. As soon as he stepped inside, he was wrapped in a mixture of Dawn’s and Daisy's scent, along with something faintly floral.
Daisy took his hand and tugged. "Let's start in the kitchen. You'll see how much smaller it is, although the table was the perfect size for me and Mum."
As Daisy pointed out every little thing in the kitchen, Blake took in the dishes placed on a drying rack, the towel hanging on the stove, and the other little details that truly showed him that Dawn had been yanked out of her life without warning.
Maybe if he'd seen it all the first night, right after the kiss, he might've felt guilty. But now Dawn and Daisy belonged with him. He'd always ensure that Daisy had enough room to dance where she wanted, or that Dawn could have her own desk to draw when she could snag a chance.
His dragon grunted. Of course. They are our family now to protect and take care of.
Daisy had just finished a story about a mug her mother had bought her from a little shop in Inverness, Scotland when Dawn, Rafe, and Jane entered the flat, too. He jumped in the first second he could and told Daisy, "All right, before we continue the tour, let's see what needs to be done, okay? Your mother can't do all the work."
She stood a little taller and nodded. "I know. I'm old enough to help now. So let's go see what she wants done."
Daisy raced back to the living room. Blake followed suit, instantly going to Dawn's side.
Howeve
r, it was Jane Hartley—a human mated to the dragon-shifter named Kai—that spoke up. "So tell us what you need, Dawn. I'll make sure my brother doesn't slack off."
Rafe Hartley frowned. "You're the one who always found ways to avoid chores growing up, not me."
Jane raised her brows. "I helped Mum and Dad other ways."
Rolling his eyes, Rafe asked, "What, with charm and the ability to distract them whilst I did all the work?"
Jane shrugged. "Hey, it's not my fault you didn't think of it first."
He knew the siblings could bicker for a while, so Blake jumped in. "All that matters is that we all help today. Otherwise, we won't get back to Stonefire until maybe tomorrow."
Dawn spoke up. "Don't worry, there's not a lot to pack. The furniture will almost all stay here. A former colleague from my old job is going to pick it up and take it for her niece. So here's how we'll divide up the packing."
As Dawn gave the orders, Blake was amazed at how Rafe and Jane merely nodded and went to their respective tasks. He whispered for her ears only, "That pair are as stubborn and strong-willed as dragon-shifters, so I don't think you're going to have any problems with actual dragons, Dawn. It's almost like you know how to put dominance into your voice."
She smiled. "I'm just a mum, nothing more."
He wanted to kiss his mate and tell her she was so much more than that, but Daisy tugged at his shirt and asked, "Don't you want to help me with my room, Blake? I never finished my tour, and I want to show you some things before we pack them up. I have some really brilliant pictures of dragons, and a few books you guys didn't buy me. Not to mention some of my own little dragon creations. I mean, wouldn't it be brilliant to have four wings instead of two? Or imagine if you could breathe fire?"
He suspected no packing would get done for a while if Daisy had her way.
Dawn murmured, "Go. She just wants to share her life with you."
After nodding, he kissed her quickly before following Daisy into her bedroom.
And for the next thirty minutes, as he'd predicted, no actual packing took place. However, he learned more about Daisy and grew a little more confident that he could be her stepfather without too many missteps along the way. Especially once he gently nudged her to start packing, and she actually listened to him.
Treasured by the Dragon (Stonefire British Dragons Book 13) Page 10