Page 9 of Cruel Daddy Dragon

“It’s just for now,” Rufus says, “Cyrus can explain the mechanics behind it later. It’ll make more sense if he explains it. It always does.”

“Oh, right!” I snap, “It always does?!” Do you people marry unconscious women against their will a lot, then?!”

“No!” Rufus claps back, “It’s not normal that humans get involved in dragon business like this!”

He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and starts again.

“Look, you know how sometimes you have to arrest Merl and stick him in the drunk tank for his own good?” he asks.

I scoff. I come forward and jab a finger into his chest.

“I’m notMerl!I don’tneedto be stuck in the marriage equivalent of the drunk tank!” I snap.

As I stab my finger into his chest, I can’t help but notice that he’s barely clothed. He seems to have just scavenged clothing from somewhere—I assume the dragons have piles of clothing hidden away—but the clothes he’s found are smaller. They barely fit him. The buttons of this shirt stretch, barely containing his pecs. Only my fingertip rests on him, but it’s slipped into the buttonhole, directly on his skin. As I touch him, it feels like a static shock passes up my body. So much heat passes between him and me from just the tip of my finger…

I never noticed… how big he was… and well-shaped…

What? No, concentrate!

The chest rumbles under my finger as he speaks again:

“Well, apparently, you do! Not everyone just gets kidnapped like that!”

“You’re blamingmefor that?” I ask, “You’re blamingmefor my own kidnapping?”

“No!” Rufus sneers, “Obviously, that was some Eclipse bastard who shouldn’t havedaredlay a finger on you—but you’re not going to save yourself, and you know you’re not! You can’t stand there and argue when someone’s trying to save your life!”

I suck in a breath—but lose the words before I can argue back.

He was trying to save my life…In the overwhelming realization of waking up married, that part got a little lost in translation; that’s right. I could have died. Whatever the kidnapper wanted me for, it can’t have been good. I stop to think about it for a moment; the memories of the drug-addled terror come back—feeling numb and helpless as I’m taken away, unable to do anything to stop my fate as I’m dragged into the sky, falling in and out of consciousness.

If it hadn’t been for Rufus, I could have been killed.

As I fall to silence, he gives a triumphant chuckle, and another coil of irritation pulses through me.

“Well,thanks,” Isnap sarcastically, “But the Eclipse dragon snuck up on me, and I won’t be letting that happen again—”

“Right,” Rufus cuts across me, “And neither will I. The marriage is part of that.”

“God, you’re so annoying!” I growl under my breath, “Why didyouhave to be the one to step in?”

I barely think about the words before they slip out. Rufus gives a harsh laugh.

“What, you’d rather be married to someone else?” he sneers.

“You know what, I would,” I snipe back, “I’d rather be married toanyone else.”

He barks a few more laughs.

“Anyone else? Should I tell Merl that?” he cackles.

A bitter laugh escapes me, too.

“Maybe you should!” I clap back, “Maybe he’d respect my autonomy more! At least, as far as I know, Merl has never married someone without asking them!”

“Wedidask!” Rufus points out, “And youdidsay yes!”

“I was under the influence of… something!” I protest.

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