Page 80 of Accidentally a Dragon Daddy

“I wouldn’t have to if you didn’t need it.” Vicek shook his head. “You should have fought for her, Damon. Told her you’ll be better, that you’ll change.”

“It wouldn’t have made a difference.”

“Yes, it would have!” the other dragon shouted. “She wanted to hear you fight for her. To put yourself out there and show you cared.”

“Look at this!” I stormed over to the room, flinging the door open. “Look at it all. I did this, Vicek. I did. How does that not show I care?”

“You moron.” Vicek rubbed his face. “She wanted to hear it. To hear you open yourself up, to be vulnerable to her.”

“I did,” I said hoarsely, looking down at my hands. “I was more than open with her. I let her in to places I didn’t let anyone else. Ever.”

“Not in the right way,” Vicek said, glancing at my hands with a frown.

He couldn’t see the blood staining them. Only I could.

“This was her choice. She wanted to go.”

“No, she didn’t. She only thought she wanted to go. She was willing to stay. To make it work with you. She was falling for you, too. Even if I can see that from what you tell me. You need to get her back.”

“She’s across the border now,” I pointed out. “Going to get her could result in breaking the truce. Resuming the war.”

“How much do you love her?”

I rocked backward at his question. It wasn’t something I’d let myself consider. Not now that she was gone.

“Love,” I whispered, treating it like a forbidden fruit.

“Well?” Vicek challenged, walking over to the stairs to the roof and gesturing for me to follow. “How far would you go?”

I looked up at him, teeth bared. “To the ends of the Earth. I would do whatever it took. She’s my mate. She’s mine.”

I stormed up the stairs, yanking the door open.

“Then go get her,” the heir said. “Bring your mate home.”

“I will,” I vowed. “I will find her and claim her and—”

A shrill laugh from the roof interrupted me.

I stepped outside, looking at the lithe red dragon perched calmly on the far side of the roof, staring at me, contempt twisting its snout.

“Sister,” I said. “What are you doing here?”

“Just coming to tell you I took care of the problem for you,” she said with another laugh, although her eyes were staring daggers beyond me at Vicek, who had ascended the stairs as well.

I couldn’t forget the history those two shared, but it was not the time for that.

“What did you do?” I growled.

“Did you forget Leech is a good friend of mine?” she asked, giggling.

“Who is Leech?”

Vicek hissed. “He’s the one who filed the report.”

I was in my dragon form in a heartbeat, lunging for my sister, pinning her smaller, weaker body to the rooftop.

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?” I roared in her face.

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