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Chapter One
Dawn Chadwick did her best to drive and sing along to the music playing on the car stereo without thinking about her destination for the evening—a dragon-shifter's clan lands.
A quick glance over at her eleven-year-old daughter, singing and bobbing her head to the music, making strange hand motions in the process, reminded her of why Dawn was driving to Clan Stonefire in the Lake District. Daisy was to be the star of a play featuring both human and dragon-shifter children.
It wasn't the first time her daughter had been to Stonefire. No, earlier in the year, her class had taken a field trip and then later participated in a summer camp of sorts. The first time signing the permission form had been the hardest for Dawn. But in the end, she'd decided it was better to expose her daughter firsthand to the dragon-shifters instead of relying on hearsay like Dawn had done her whole life.
And ever since Daisy had returned from her first field trip to Stonefire, she'd talked nonstop about the dragon-shifters and a new friend she'd made. True, Daisy had gotten up to a bit of mischief during her visit—sneaking off with her new friend to see a Stonefire teenager in his dragon form—but her daughter tended to find trouble on occasion. And Daisy really did try to do better, although her hyper energy levels made it difficult sometimes for her to think about the full consequences of her actions.
Daisy required patience in abundance, and lots of love. Some parents couldn't handle children like her daughter, such as her ex-husband and Daisy's father, who'd left them rather than deal with the challenge.
The bastard.
No. Tonight is about Daisy. Nothing else matters.
The song ended and Daisy bounced in her seat. "Since I can't ask are we there yet again or else you'll turn around and drive back to Manchester, how many more times can we play that song before we get there?"
Dawn couldn't help but smile. Daisy was nothing if not inventive when it came to finding loopholes. "Not even one more time. Look up ahead. Do you see those tiny lights in the distance? According to the sat-nav, that should be where Stonefire's front gates are."
Daisy leaned forward. "It's so different in the dark. Not even during the camp did we drive around at night. I wonder if they put up some sort of torches, or special color-changing lights, or something to greet us. That would be way better than regular old lights."
Dawn laughed. "Probably not. After all, we have to save the special stuff for the play, right?"
D
aisy leaned back in her seat and tapped her legs with her hands. "That's right. And you're going to help Mr. Whitby with the special effects. He's a little shy, so maybe don't be too stern. Or serious. You can always make me giggle, so maybe you should make Mr. Whitby giggle."
Dawn bit her lip a second before replying, "I don't think dragonmen giggle."
"Oh, I'm sure they do. Freddie’s done it before, even if he denies it. They really are just like us, Mum. So don't be afraid. No one will eat you or anything. They're nice."
Through Daisy's enthusiasm, Dawn had learned to give them a chance. Still, seeing a person with flashing dragon eyes would be a little strange to someone like her, who'd never been around a dragon-shifter before. "I'm going to try, Daisy, like I said. Just remember you've spent more time around the dragons than me. I need a bit of time, too, to get to know them."
Daisy bounced a little. "So many of them will be there tonight. You'll get to meet everyone. Mr. MacLeod, Bram, and even Kai, who is the security-type guy who pretends to never smile. But I made him do it once before. So he does smile, but only if you're really special."
"Then I'll try to be really special." She rounded a curve in the road and gasped at the site of the giant metal gate, which was lit by a giant flame torch on either side. The word "Stonefire" was on the top of it, spelled out in metal.
Daisy clapped her hands. "See? They do like torches. Maybe someone heard me asking about them and put them up. I can make more suggestions. If I didn't have to remember all my lines, then I'd try to think of some things to tell Bram. But the lines will be hard enough."
Dawn pulled to a stop in front of the gate. "Don't worry, Daisy-love. You've been trying so hard and practicing constantly. I know you'll do fine."
Before her daughter could reply, the gate opened, and a voice from some speaker said, "Drive inside and take the first left. Park in front of the large building there."
Daisy clapped her hands. "That's the Protector building. It's their fancy word for security. Maybe you'll meet Kai, that serious dragonman. He's really tall, and handsome, but he has a mate. So don't fall in love with him, Mum. His mate won't like it."
She cleared her throat and glanced over at her daughter. "I'll try not to."
Her daughter completely missed Dawn's sarcasm. "Good. Oooh, there he is! Standing right in front of the building. Look at his muscles, Mum. He doesn't need to be in his dragon form to snap someone in half!"
"Daisy Mae, people simply don't snap someone in half."
She parked the car, turned off the ignition, and gently took Daisy's wrist to keep her from bolting from the car. "Now, remember that tonight is special. Everyone is looking forward to the play that you've all worked so hard on. You need to be on your best behavior, like you promised, so that it goes off without a hitch. Okay?"
"I know, Mum. I won't go wandering, I promise."
Even though her daughter tried to follow directions, it didn't always happen.
Still, Dawn smiled, released Daisy's wrist, and said, "Good, because I need you to introduce me to everyone until you have to go get ready for the play. I'll be lost if you disappear."
Daisy's eyes widened. "I can do that, introduce everyone. I've memorized so many people's names. I haven't met them all yet, so maybe I can surprise them. Yes, that will be a fantastic game to play. Keep track for me, okay, Mum? See how many I get right."
She snorted. "I'll do my best. Now, let's not keep the eagle-eyed dragonman waiting."
Daisy undid her seat belt and was out of the car before Dawn could do more than blink. Quickly, she followed suit and caught up to Daisy, who stood in front of the one she'd called Kai.
