Page 63 of Accidentally a Dragon Daddy

There were so many people. My family. Even friends. People I hadn’t seen since before the war started. So many of us had been scattered across the country as the eastern seaboard slowly fell to the dragons, city by city.

“How did this happen?” I asked as my parents swept me up, taking me by either arm.

“Your young dragon fellow there got in touch with Petra,” my mom said, waving at Damon as I was the center of more hugs and hellos. “Then she started calling people.”

“Thank you, sis,” I said over a shoulder as Petra tagged along behind us with Allan at her side.

“You’re welcome. It seemed like a good excuse. And Damon said that because of the war and all, you’d be spending most of your time with them. At least for now.”

My mom sobered. “Are you sure this is what you want, dear? To go stay with, well, them?”

I smiled. “Yes. I am. For now, at least. But I have to ask something.”

“What’s that?”

“Why are you all taking this so well?” I asked. “Nobody is flipping out about me going to live with the dragons. None of you seem to be bothered by the idea.”

My mom sighed. “We certainly flipped out at first, dear. But if there’s one thing you’ve always been, it’s—”

“Headstrong?” Marc interrupted.

“Confident,” I shot back automatically.

“Stubborn?” Jacob mused.

“Determined.”

“Bossy?” Petra added.

“Assertive.” I crossed my arms as other mouths opened. “Okay, okay, I get it.”

My dad laughed. “We’re concerned for you, yes. It all came so soon, the peace, you volunteering, it was fast. But you’re an adult, Lena. You can make your own decisions.”

I nodded slowly. “If me volunteering to do this helps stop some of the suffering I’ve seen in the occupied territories, then that’s something I have to do.”

“We know,” my mom said, laying a hand on my arm. “That’s who you are.”

“If it helps put you all at ease, Damon is actually a good person,” I said, beckoning for him to come forward.

The crowd parted as he walked over to my side.

“Mr. and Mrs. Davis,” he said formally, extending his hand to my father. “It’s nice to meet you in person. And you as well, Petra. Thank you for pulling this together for her. Especially so fast.”

“Anything for my pigheaded sister,” Petra said with a teasing wink. “It’s been a long time since the family got together anyway. We don’t usually need an excuse, but we’ll take one!”

There were a few cheers from the gathered crowd. I smiled at everyone, losing myself in the general chitchat, happy to be among people I loved. My sister was right. We did love a good excuse to get together. I’d missed them, and I let myself enjoy every minute as the time passed, catching up with people I hadn’t seen in months or a year or more.

“Are you going to tell them?” Petra asked much later, sequestering me to the side.

“Who? Mom and Dad?”

She nodded, brown hair bobbing.

“I don’t think so,” I said. “Not only is it so early, but also—”

“It’s a dragon baby, and you don’t want to alarm them?” she asked.

“Yes.” There was no need to elaborate on those worries. “Although it’s happened before.”

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