Page 89 of Accidentally a Dragon Daddy

I’m sorry, sister.

Then I breathed fire down her open jaw.

Jaklin convulsed and tried to yank her head back, but it was too late. The fire melted everything, including her ability to breathe. She flopped to the ground, twitching and writhing as her body tried to inhale, but the melted lungs didn’t work.

“You brought this upon yourself,” I said, looming over her. “All because you couldn’t learn to forgive. For that, I’m sorry. I should have taught you better.”

Her eyes glared balefully at me, without any sign of remorse. They continued that way, until my fire bathed her head in flame. Removing all trace of the dragon. I continued until there was nothing but ash. No scales or blood remained.

Then I sagged back against the building and let the wave of darkness come over me.

“Damon!”

Then Elanya was there, rushing out from the building, out of breath from running down all the stairs.

She was at my side.

“I’ll be okay,” I wheezed in response to her horrified look. “Hurts, but I’ll live.”

Closing my eyes, I forced the shift on me. I didn’t want to be a dragon. Not right then. I wanted to be with Elanya. With my mate.

She was there, one arm under my shoulder as I staggered away from the building.

“Come on, sit down,” she said, guiding me down. “Survivable or not, that’s a pretty bad set of wounds.”

My shirt was shredded where Jaklin’s claws had ripped my dragon’s chest. Blood had matted the clothing to my skin, though it was mostly clotted now.

“Thanks,” I said, sitting down heavily.

“You saved me,” she said. “It was the least I could do for you.”

“Had to,” I grunted.

“No, you didn’t,” she insisted. “You made a choice, Damon. A choice I’m grateful for but will never understand entirely.”

“Not a choice,” I said. “She wanted you and the baby dead. My baby.”

“Yes, she did,” Elanya murmured, stroking my forehead gently.

“I will never let that happen,” I snarled, snatching her wrist and holding it firm. “Do you hear me? Never. I can’t. I would do anything for you both.”

“You would?” she asked, a little smile curling up the corners of her mouth.

“Yes.” I said, staring into her beautiful eyes, the brown orbs still rife with concern for my well-being. “Of course, I would, Elanya. I love you. I love you and our child. I will do whatever it takes to protect you both. I will shoulder any burden. I will fight any foe. What price must be paid to ensure the safety of you and our child, I will pay it. To protect you and keep you both safe. This is my promise to you.”

“Oh, Damon,” she whispered, moving in close to nuzzle my cheek. “My big, strong, dragon-man. I will always love you. Even that dark part of you that you fear. Because it’s that side of you that keeps me safe and will ensure our child grows up to live free. I will never run from you, and I will always be there to pull you back from the darkness. That is my promise to you.”

Chapter Forty-One

Elanya

“Are you okay?”

Damon looked up, water sluicing down over his head from the giant showerhead. “What do you mean? I told you these weren’t that bad. They’re healing already.”

I shook my head. “Not those,” I said, eyeing the ugly red welts on his chest where the dragon claws had torn through his scales. “I’m talking about your sister, Damon. You should talk about it.”

He stiffened, glancing away uncomfortably, but there was nowhere for him to go. We were in the shower at his house, getting clean. I had him neatly trapped, and he knew it.

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