Page 62 of Accidentally a Dragon Daddy

“Mom?” I cried as a familiar silver-gray haired figure with broad-rimmed glasses shuffled her way through the crowd with a tall man in a button-up shirt and slacks at her side, both grinning stupidly. “Dad?”

“Hello, dear,” my mother said, beckoning me forward.

I let them envelop me, while others continued to come up to me. My brothers, Marc and Jacob, were there, with their wives, Tatiana and Summer, and their gaggle of children, all of whom came forward in a screaming wave, nearly tackling me to the ground.

“Aunt Lena!” the youngest of the bunch screamed. I held out my arms as Marc and Tatiana’s little girl Maria jumped into my arms.

“Hi, pumpkin!” I said, proceeding to tickle her until she shrieked and wormed her way out of my arms, only to be swallowed up as her brothers and cousins came in for their turns. I gave hugs all around until my cheeks hurt from smiling.

“Hey, sis.”

“Petra,” I exclaimed, squeezing my younger sister tight. “It’s so good to see you.”

Her husband, Allan, also came in for a tight hug. They had no children yet to swamp me, but—

My sister’s condition finally registered on me. She’d always been a tiny slip of a thing. But now, her stomach was bulging.

I pointed accusingly. “What is this?”

She laughed. “What is that?” she replied, pointing at my stomach.

My jaw dropped, and I whipped around to find Damon. He stood taller than anyone else in the room, so it wasn’t difficult.

He shrugged. “Enjoy it.”

I bit my lip, turning back to my sister. “It’s early,” I told her. “Things could … things could still happen.”

“I know. Which is why I didn’t tell Mom and Dad,” she said, glancing at my parents, who were currently being overwhelmed by the onslaught of all five grandchildren.

“Nobody else knows?”

Petra shook her head. “No. The government told us about you volunteering to go to the dragons, and then when Damon contacted us to arrange this, he mentioned your … situation with him.”

“Did he now?” I replied, wondering just what he’d told her.

“I’m happy for you,” Petra said, giving me another hug. “I know it may not be how you envisioned it, but still. Although, I have to ask. A dragon?”

I sighed. “I didn’t know he was one at the time. He was just—”

“Stupidly hot?” Petra filled in.

“Hey!” Allan protested.

Petra rolled her eyes at me, then looked back and up at her husband. “I’m literally carrying your child, you big idiot. Don’t get offended. As if you never check out other women.”

“You point them out to me. How am I not supposed to when you say things like ‘Look at the tits on that babe’, or ‘Damn, what a dump truck, good for you, girl!’, hmm?” Allan countered.

I snorted with laughter. That summed up my sister in a heartbeat.

“I’m partially serious, though,” Petra said, searching my face for the answer she needed. “Are you okay? What happened to you? Last we heard, you were running supplies across the border. Then there was that crazy rumor about you going to jail.”

“I did go to jail,” I said. “Then the dragons. I didn’t do anything wrong, though. It’s … a long story.”

One I didn’t have an answer to. I’d mostly forgotten about it in the whirlwind of being offered up to the dragons and then finding out I was pregnant.

“Well, I’m sure you’ll tell it in your own time,” Petra said, embracing me again. “Either way, it’s good to see you.”

“You, too,” I replied, still working to process everything and everyone.

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