Page 86 of Cruel Daddy Dragon

“Yeah. Anyway, it seems to show dragons and a certain coven of witches in Greyson Ridge many years ago,” Lena says, “So, it almost seems like dragons were always meant to be here in Greyson Ridge.”

Cyrus nods, looking down at her, then staring off into the middle distance. He spends a second in thought, and everyone waits with bated breath to see what he says next.

“Fine,” he concedes, “I will need to check these carvings myself. We’ll discuss whether or not we should leave later. For now, everyone’s dismissed. Rest up. We don’t know if Eclipse is going to try again when we go to the cave.”

All the dragons nod and start walking away from the table, dismissed. Cyrus walks away first, and Lena starts walking after him. She pauses for a second and looks over her shoulder at me:

“I’ll talk to him,” she says before following him.

After he goes, the others separate out into their own little groups. I can feel Rufus’s gaze on me. I turn to him with a smile.

“Yes?” I ask him.

“I love how you do that,” he murmurs.

“Do what?”

“Talk back,” he says, “We don’t talk back to Cyrus like that, but I suppose you’re not scared to talk back to anyone, are you?”

He has this smirk on his face. I feel myself grin back.

“Well, it’s just part of my job,” I chuckle, “I mean…I wouldn’t be a good sheriff if I couldn’t face down men bigger than me every once in a while.”

“Mm,” Rufus purrs, “You think you could take bigger men down?”

I walk closer to Rufus, pressing myself against his chest. His arms wind around my waist.

“Depends what you mean bytake them down,” Imurmur, “If you mean tie them to a radiator to subdue them, then yes.”

Rufus laughs, looking away. His face drops a little when he looks away from me. I follow his gaze, and catch the outline of Lena through the door. She has quite an identifiable silhouette nowadays, thanks to her pregnancy. She’s making some animated gestures with her hands, and I can only assume she’s talking to Cyrus.

“Do you think she’ll convince him?” I ask, “I know if he says go, all the dragons will go.”

Rufus looks back at me, a hard edge to his eye.

“Not sure,” he admits, “She definitely has a way of getting around to him. I’ve never seen anything like it. With Lena on the case, we might have a chance.”

He then looks back at me, that hard edge dissolving into pain.

“If we can’t convince Cyrus to stay in Greyson Ridge, then… would you come with me?” he asks.

“What?” I whisper.

His arms squeeze around my waist, pulling me even harder into him.

“If we have to leave, would you come with me?” he asks, “I know you worked so hard to become the sheriff here, and it means a lot to you, but if I’m forced to leave, would you even consider coming with me?”

My heart sinks. I pause for a moment, my mouth a little agape. I look down. The question weighs on me like a yoke dropped onto my shoulders.

He’s right. Ididwork so hard to get where I am… Moving away would undo all of that. I’d have to start again somewhere new, and obviously, I’d be at a man’s side. I wouldn’t be coming in an independent woman, but someone’s wife, which is what I didn’t want…

But on the other hand, I… I don’t want him to go. I don’t want tobewithout him. When I imagine life without him, even the life I was pretty happy with before I knew he existed, it feels hollow. I wouldn’t be able to go back to how I was living without feeling like something was missing…

Maybe it’s time I put that kind of pride aside; being independent in my job doesn’t mean I have to be lonely forever, does it? Being his wife hasn’t changed how anyone’s looked at me—not anyone important, anyway—and I’m still respected as the sheriff. Hell, Rufus wasjustsaying I was talking back to their Alpha in a way most of the dragons wouldn’t dare.

Maybe… I can have both.Beboth. The soft side, the wife, and the hardened police officer—they can coexist in me.

I look back up to Rufus. He’s been silently watching me the whole time, a sheen of anxiety tightening his jaw as he watches me weigh my options. I smile at him.

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