Page 14 of The Accidental Dragon Baby

And suddenly it seemed incredibly stupid for him to bring her out here.

Ivo squirmed. “Can we, um, go to your place so I can start building my nest?”

“Of course.” Ace stood easily, stepping out of his own nest. He stared at it for a moment, then kicked the twigs aside so it didn’t resemble a nest anymore. “You should do the same with yours.”

It hurt Ivo to destroy his nest. He hugged Mary to himself, wobbling as he tried to kick his grass circle apart.

Ace was next to him, suddenly. He grasped Ivo’s elbow with his large, warm fingers and steadied him. “I’ll do it.”

Ace crouched, a hulking figure next to Ivo. He scooped up the blades of grass and swept them into the bushes with his hands, treating Ivo’s broken nest with a lot more respect than his own.

Ivo gulped, his heart fluttering.

Ace stood. He looked into Ivo’s eye and asked gently, “Ready to go?”

“Y-yeah.”

Ace didn’t touch him again. He walked on Ivo’s right side where Ivo could see him, leading Ivo to a nearby parking lot. When they stopped next to a sleek navy SUV, Ace hesitated. “I don’t have a car seat because I wasn’t expecting to drive a baby around. You’ll have to sit in the back with her.”

“That’s fine,” Ivo said gratefully. “I appreciate you doing this.”

Ace cracked a smile and opened the door for them.

And Mary shifted, turning into a tiny baby mink in Ivo’s arms.

5

TOTALLY NOT A KIDNAPPING

Ivo panicked.He tugged the blanket more securely over Mary and tried to make sure none of her limbs were sticking out.

Ace stared, his forehead furrowed. “Did she...?”

“She, um, shifted,” Ivo squeaked. He threw himself into the backseat, trying to pretend that Mary’s animal form was larger than it actually was.

“What does she look like right now?”

Ivo’s heartthumped.“Um. Um, she’s... small. And black.”

Ace eyed the bundle in Ivo’s arms. After a moment, he smiled and closed the door on Ivo, sliding into the driver’s seat to start the car. “Sometime, you’ll have to let me see her shifted form.”

“Her other form is a—” Ivo glanced around to make sure there weren’t any eavesdroppers “—dragon.”

Ace’s eyes sharpened. “Oh? Where is her other... parent?”

Ivo shook his head. “Not around.”

Ace frowned. “I can’t imagine anyone who’d leave a—a child like that behind.”

“Or any child, really,” Ivo grumbled. “It was a one-night stand.”

“If you need any help with her...” Ace met his eye through the rearview mirror. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. You’re always welcome to come to me for help. No matter how difficult or inconsequential it sounds.”

Ivo gulped, looking down at Mary’s blanket. “Okay.”

He peered warily out of the window as Ace drove. Before this latest kidnapping, Ivo had never left Colorado. Now that he was in Cartfalls, Southern California, everything was new to him.

What hehadn’texpected, was for Ace to drive through some increasingly nice neighborhoods. Houses with large lawns transitioned into mansions surrounded by hedges. They drove down roads that were walled off on both sides by a mix of walls and hedges, giving the effect of moving through a maze.

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