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"No buts, Daisy. Just promise me you won't go looking for any more trouble, okay?"
Daisy must've sensed Dawn's uneasiness because she didn't argue. "Okay. I promise."
She leaned down and kissed Daisy's cheek, the familiar touch helping to calm her a little more. "I'll find you soon."
Daisy glanced from her to Bram, to Bram's mate, and back again. "Okay. I hope it doesn't take too long."
Dawn swore she heard the clan leader murmur, "That depends." However, Freddie pulled Daisy away before she could utter another word.
Taking a deep breath, Dawn met the Stonefire leader's gaze again. "Now what?"
Evie looped her arm through Dawn's. "Let's go to a private room and we'll explain it all, okay?"
She could do nothing but nod and let Evie guide her away, Bram following right on their heels.
It was time to figure out what a bloody mate-claim frenzy entailed and see how her life and Daisy's might change going forward. Because what had happened was probably her fault, and Dawn needed to make it right.
Chapter Four
When Dawn finally sat down at a table, across from Bram and Evie, she did her best not to slump in the chair. She doubted they cared about proper posture, but sitting upright helped Dawn keep it together, too.
And she needed to keep it together because this conversation was probably going to change her life in more ways than one.
Bram shared a look with Evie, and his mate nodded back. The short exchange told Dawn volumes about their relationship. The pair were equals, it seemed, despite the fact Bram could dominate any human if he wanted to.
It was Evie who spoke up first. "What you may not know about me, Dawn, is that I used to work for the DDA before I became Bram's mate."
The DDA—the Department of Dragon Affairs—was a section of the British government that both oversaw dragon-shifters and ran the human sacrifice program. Dawn didn't know much more than basics of what they did, though.
Evie continued, "I only tell you this because you might need my help once Bram explains everything."
Tired of how they kept beating around the bush, Dawn said, "Then tell me what's going on that may require your help, please. I'm fairly patient, but it's starting to wear thin."
Bram snorted, which made Dawn blink. The dragonman said, "Well, you're not afraid to tell us what's what, which is a good sign." Dawn unexpectedly growled, and he put up a hand. "Right, then, let's get to the details.
"I don't know the full story behind the kiss, but when your lips touched Blake's, it set off a mate-claim frenzy. What that means is Blake's dragon wants to claim you, their true mate, and have sex with you until you're pregnant."
She blinked. "I—pardon?"
Evie piped up. "Think of it as a nonstop sex marathon with the human form of Blake until you're pregnant. And don't worry, his dragon will be able to tell when you've finally conceived because his scent will end up mixed with yours. I'm sure a scientist could explain that a lot better than me, but trust me, the dragon half will know. The frenzy won't go on forever."
It won't go on forever. But couldn't it if someone couldn't have a baby? Conceiving Daisy had taken Dawn almost four years.
Realizing her jaw had dropped, Dawn promptly closed it. She had so many questions. But since she had no idea how long this meeting would last, she asked the first that came to mind. "Putting aside the sex marathon, as you call it, I don't know what being a true mate means. Is that something Blake would've known?"
Bram nodded and grunted. "Aye, he should've. So let me be blunt—did he kiss you without telling you?"
Something about Bram's tone of voice compelled her to answer. "No, no, that's not what happened." She paused, not wanting to get the kids in trouble but decided she needed to be truthful. If Bram threatened Daisy, then Dawn would stand up to him again. "One of the kids must've tripped or pushed me into Blake. The kiss was accidental."
Bram muttered something she couldn't hear. Evie placed a hand on his arm, and he sighed before saying, "Regardless of how it happened, it's done. There are really only three options in this situation, Dawn. And as much as I hate to rush you, you'll have to pick one fairly soon."
Ignoring the churning in her stomach, she tapped the table. "Then tell me what they are."
"Well, you go through with the frenzy—the sex marathon—and it'll soothe Blake's dragon. Once the baby is born, you can either stay permanently on Stonefire or leave the baby here and flee. The third option is to leave tonight and stay far away from my clan for the next couple of years, until Blake's dragon is calm enough not to chase after you. And yes, that will mean Daisy will have to keep her distance, too. Blake would never hurt her, but she's a part of you, and it would torture his inner beast to know you were still so close but out of reach."
Dawn tried to process everything Bram had just told her.
To take Daisy away from Stonefire, and Freddie, would devastate her daughter. On top of that, being involved with the dragon-shifters was the first long-term interest Daisy had ever held. While that might not be important for some parents, having a dedicated interest had helped her daughter focus beyond anything Dawn or the schools had been able to accomplish. It was almost as if Daisy tried her best to finish things so she could spend more time learning about the dragons or writing letters to Freddie.
