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Dawn didn't know how long she worked on packing up her things when Blake entered the room and immediately pulled her back against his front. He kissed her neck and murmured, "You should take a break."
Leaning into his solid chest, she smiled. "You worry too much. As I've told you before, the pregnancy and carrying to term itself was never the problem for me, just the conceiving."
He nuzzled her cheek. "Still, I don't want to risk it."
She turned in his arms until she could loop hers around his neck. "I can't sit on a pillow for nine months, Blake. If Dr. Sid tells me to, then I'll listen. But you dragonmen have a reputation for being overprotective, and according to Evie, it's my job as your mate to keep you grounded."
He grunted. "Ask Evie how well that's worked for her with Bram."
She raised an eyebrow. "Well, this is a new side to you."
He cupped her cheek, and she barely resisted leaning into his touch. "You, Daisy, and the baby already mean so much to me, Dawn. I will always want to protect you."
As she stared into Blake's hazel eyes, it did something to her heart. He was such a contrast to her first husband's reluctance to help her out, so much so she still had trouble believing she'd snagged such a loving, kind man.
While deep down she already loved him, she was afraid to say so and jinx everything. Even if it seemed unfair since she knew Blake already loved her, Dawn just needed a little longer to convince herself it wasn't all a dream that would be snatched away at the first opportunity.
She kissed him gently and said, "How about we protect each other and our family together? That sounds like a much better idea, don't you think?"
His pupils flashed—an endearing sight to her now—before he replied, "I guess. My dragon doesn't like it, but he's willing to try."
She bit her lip to keep from laughing at the image of Blake's dragon sulking. The dragons of myth were always so majestic, selfish, and arrogant. But in reality, they weren't all that different from humans. A bit more instinctual and protective, yes. But multi-faceted as well. "Good. Then I promise to be honest about my health as long as you don't treat me like a fragile piece of porcelain. Deal?"
He grunted. "Mostly. Just remember I can hear when your stomach rumbles, even a little, so I'm going to pester you about eating. Carrying a dragon-shifter child isn't quite the same as a human one."
A fact Dawn was learning all too quickly. "Given how I eat three times as much, I'm surprised I haven't gained a stone by now."
"You could gain ten and I wouldn't care. You'd still be my mate, and only mine."
She was about to kiss him for that when Daisy's voice filled the air. "I thought we didn't have time to play? Because if we do, then Blake is supposed to teach me that dragon-shifter card game. The one about battling dragon-shifters."
Since Dawn was facing away from Daisy, she grinned and raised her brows, telling Blake to handle that one.
He cleared his throat. "It's true, we don't have time to play right now. I was just making sure your mother wasn't too tired."
"How? I didn't think hugs or kisses would help you figure that out. Is there a secret trick no one has taught me? Because I might need it one day."
Dawn bit her lip harder. Blake's pupils flashed a few times before he answered, "A hug can often make someone feel good, which helps even if you're tired. There's no trick to it."
"Then let me help her, too!"
Daisy raced up to them and weaseled her way to their side. Both Blake and Dawn wrapped Daisy into their three-person hug. Daisy closed her eyes and squeezed both of them.
Dawn met Blake's gaze, and they smiled at one another. In that moment, her gut said they would make a good family, one that Daisy had deserved for so long.
As soon as she could manage it—after enduring one of the longest group hugs of her life—Dawn got everyone back to work. The sooner they packed up their old life, the sooner they could truly begin their new one.
Chapter Fifteen
A week later, Blake stood at the cooker, absently stirring his sauce while Daisy did her homework at the table.
Dawn was working a little late at her new job as an assistant office manager for the Protectors, but Blake didn't mind watching Daisy. She'd received a lot of extra homework in the last few days since the teachers were trying to catch her up to the other dragon students. And Blake had secretly learned to love teaching his new daughter all about his kind.
While Daisy was far ahead of everyone else in human studies, she still had a lot to do before she could match dragon-shifter history, inner dragon studies, and dragon traditions such as dancing and ceremonies.
His dragon spoke up. I still don't understand why she's learning about inner dragons. I wish she could have her own, but she can't.
She may not have her own, but she needs to understand how inner dragons work or she'll never truly fit in here.
