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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.
His crash course in fatherhood was going better than he'd ever thought possible. Maybe by the time his baby was born, he'd be ready for it.
His dragon snorted. Babies are different. Even I know that.
Ignoring his dragon, Blake focused on the positive and helped Daisy with whatever she needed.
Dawn watched Blake and Daisy from the doorway for a few minutes, loving how Blake was patient with all of Daisy's stories.
In her experience, most adults tried to find excuses to get away from her daughter. But Blake was making an effort, and that meant the world to her.
However, once Daisy spotted her and asked if her room was already done, Dawn went into her old bedroom and sat on the bed a second to look around her now old life.
It was mostly drawings from Daisy, pictures of them together, and a few paintings she'd done years ago.
Even though it had been only her and Daisy for so long, she could easily see more pictures of Blake with the three of them. And as she placed her hand over her lower abdomen, she smiled. It'd be four of them soon enough.
With the whirlwind of activities from the frenzy to the DDA paperwork to her mating ceremony, Dawn had rarely had a moment to think about her life changing. And yet, she didn't mind. Despite having lived in a city her entire life, she already missed Stonefire and the surrounding lakes and hills.
Which reminded her that she needed to start packing or who knew when they'd be able to go back to their new home.
