Page 2 of The Accidental Dragon Baby

“Oh.” Ivo’s heart sank. What was he supposed to say to that?

“There are several alphas who would volunteer, though,” Uriel said quietly. “The ones who rescued you last week—they’re all good people.”

Yeah, Ivo knew that. One dragon, in particular, had been very keen on offering Ivo his help.

Ace had been so handsome, all eager smiles and strong jaw, his golden eyes landing so brightly on Ivo. In his human shape, Ace had been almost three times Ivo’s size, and he’d flown Ivo all the way to the hospital without running out of breath.

It was just... Ivo had felt so ugly next to him, with the long, silver scars mottling his face, several healed wrong and bumpy on his body.

Hell, Ivo wasblind in one eye.

He woke up screaming from his nightmares sometimes, and his scars hurt with phantom pain.

He couldn’t imagine a universe where Ace would look at him, andnotsee a man who had been too weak to escape his captors.

Despite those thoughts, heat slid through Ivo’s limbs, burning up his insides and making him wet. He needed to be bent over. He needed someone to fill him, claim him, and make him scream.

He dug his nails into his palms. “I—I need someone with a knot. But they can’t—I don’t want anyone to look at me when we—I don’t want anyone to tell me I’m ugly.”

Ivo gestured helplessly at his face.

Uriel grimaced. “Tell you what. I know a place where youdon’thave to see your fuckbuddy. I’ll go there with you; you can satisfy your heat, and we’ll come back here after.”

Ivo nodded eagerly. “Yeah. Yeah, that would work.”

“I’ll have to leave my baby with you,” Uriel said to Nat, Killian, and Walren, who were watching them.

“Of course. You too, Ivo,” Walren said. “Uriel warded this place. The babies will be safe here.”

Ivo felt a little better. He couldn’t stand the thought of Mary being in danger again. Especially when he rememberedtheothertime he’d been captured, the one that gave him nightmares.

He went back to Mary, gathering her into his arms for a quick hug and kiss. “I’ll be back,” he whispered. “Be good, okay?”

She grinned sunnily and drooled everywhere.

Ivo didnothave enough money to raise a second child.

But if he could have another...

He scrubbed his hand over his remaining eye, breathing through the ache in his bones. When Uriel turned to him, Ivo nodded, and stepped out of the apartment with the mage.

They didn’t talk muchon the way. As though his body knew what was coming, Ivo’s heat intensified with every step. His legs trembled, his nipples tingled, and his hole made so much slick, he ached inside.

Ivo stumbled a little because his depth perception still wasn’t great, but Uriel was there to steady him every time.

They slipped into a dimly lit bar with music playing comfortably in the background, people clustered around the tables and lights roving over the crowd.

“Restrooms in the back,” Uriel murmured as they walked up to an empty table. He handed Ivo two things. “Yell or squeeze this if you need me.”

The first item was a small, smooth pebble with a rune carved into it.

The second item was a foil packet.

Ivo blushed hotly. He hadn’t even thought about contraception. Or how he was going to hand it over to the anonymous alpha. “You’ll be okay...?”

Uriel rolled his eyes and nudged Ivo. “Go.”

Ivo stumbled through the bar, trying not to broadcast to everyone that he needed to be bent over. He couldn’t deal with that many alphas.

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