Page 87 of Cruel Daddy Dragon

“I’d go with you,” I reply quietly, “I don’t want to, but I love you, so I’d go.”

He gives a breathless laugh of relief. Suddenly, his hands sweep down to the backs of my thighs, and he lifts me off my feet.

“Rufus!”I shriek in delight.

He swings me around in a circle, and I start laughing. His own laugh rumbles through his chest. He then slows and places me back down on the floor. When he does, he leans back and looks me in the eye:

“You know,” he murmurs, “I really worried for a second there… but I shouldn’t have. I love you, Sarah.”

My stomach still does a little flip when I hear those words. The fluttering escapes me in a light giggle.

“I love you too.”

His lips touch mine, and I sink my hands into his lovely long hair.

It feels so good to just… be in love with someone.

Chapter 28 - Rufus

“Do you think he’s decided anything yet?” Milo asks me in a low voice.

“I don’t know,” I answer.

We’re all clustered in the back: Milo, Orion, Evander, Kaius, and me. Julie and Sarah walk ahead of us, chatting with each other. Leading the procession is Cyrus and Lena.

“I’m sure the engravings will help convince him,” Milo says, but he doesn’t sound that sure.

“Or Lena,” Kaius adds, “She’s very persuasive.”

I chuckle weakly.

“Look, if Cyrus says we need to leave, then it’s not because he wants to spite all of us,” Evander says, “It’s because we’re all going to be killed if we stay here.”

We all sink after Evander speaks. He’s telling the truth, but…

We all plod forward in sullen silence for a second until Orion, of all of us, is the one to speak:

“I don’t want to go,” he grunts, “I like this place so much better than our old base.”

All heads turn to face him.

“If you guys won’t say it, I will,” Orion says, “Greyson Ridge is way better than where we’d set up before.”

“Wow,” Kaius chuckles, “Didn’t expect that from you, O. I thought our cool, stoic tracker would be fine anywhere.”

Orion shrugs.

“The location’s better, the humans around are great, and the beer is good,” he grunts, “What can I say?”

“Yeah,” Milo adds on, “Plus, I like my job at the school. I’ve never had a job like it, and it’d suck to lose that.”

Everyone murmurs in acknowledgment. Evander looks between Kaius and me.

“And I thought you fated mate lover boys would be the ones to throw the biggest fits over this,” he chuckles weakly.

“I’m fine wherever Julie is,” Kaius answers firmly.

I think for a second before I answer:

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