Page 28 of Myths and Shifts

“I’m not silly. You’re strong.” I forgot Daddy was a dragon.

Hmm…maybe I was silly.

“Both of those things can be true at the same time.” Daddy shrugged. “So I’m still right.”

Daddy liked being right.

He liked carrying me.

He liked kissing my head.

“You’re still silly too, Daddy.” He was smart, though, because he put me down in the bathroom before I could snuggle and rest my head on his shoulder.

He shrugged. “Nothing I can do about that, so you’re just going to have to figure out a way to deal with it. That’s just what mates do.”

“Mates are mates.” My shrug made Daddy snicker. “Until mates get a hammer dropped on their head and then they get weird.”

Daddy’s eyes got wide as he reached for my shirt. “Who had a hammer drop on their head?”

“The man.” Hammers were hard and heads were messy. “He’s okay now but the bonk made him weird and then his mate wanted to hit him on the head too.”

Daddy looked like he wanted to laugh but he remembered his manners as he opened all the buttons. “You said he’s fine?”

“Yep. Human medicine and magic, and poof, his mate didn’t want to kill him again.” We couldn’t fix that.

“I can imagine.” Shaking his head, Daddy helped me out of my shirt and hung it up carefully because he was a good Daddy. “Well, I promise not to want to kill you if you get bonked.”

Daddy sighed and looked right at me. “But please do your best not to get bonked.”

Cocking his head, Daddy frowned. “Especially around here because I haven’t heard anyone else mention medicine aside from you.”

“Me?” Looking down, I gave a big Daddy frown. “Just me?”

“Yes.” Daddy crossed his arms and gave me his silly frown. “And you’re notjustanything. You’re my mate.”

Daddy was so funny.

Dragons were so funny.

“Yes, Daddy.” I was a dragon’s mate, so that made me special. “I’ll be careful. I won’t hurt your mate.”

He almost laughed and had to push his lips together. “Thank you. He’s very important to me and I’m going to keep him.”

“I’m your hoard.” Dragons were so funny. Daddy smiled big. “Special hoard.”

“The most special hoard.” My dragon kissed me and looked very dragon talking about his hoard. “I’d hide you away and keep you locked up if I could.”

’Cause he was a dragon…and that was just what they did.

“But you can’t.” I shrugged when Daddy sighed as he reached for my pants. “Can’t lock up your mate.”

Daddy pouted. “I know. I’ll remember.”

But he’d be sad.

Hmm.

Leaning close, I whispered. “We can play pretend.”

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