Page 34 of The Accidental Dragon Baby

“You made Mary, didn’t you?” Ace glanced at the little dragon puffing smoke in his face.

“Yes...?”

“So you can make more dragonets.”

Ivo’s mouth fell open. He stared at Ace, only for Ace to calmly move Mary off his snout.

“Anyway,” Ace said, getting to his feet. “Get dressed.”

“Dressed?” Ivo asked dazedly. Mary was pawing at Ace’s leg, asking to be carried.

Ace shifted back into a human and pulled on his clothes. Then he scooped Mary into his arms, lifting her so high that she gave a tiny roar of delight. “We’re heading out,” Ace said.

Out? Where there were bad guys ready to leap at them from shadowy corners? Ivo tried to understand.

“I’m sorry that the clothes I gave you don’t fit exactly,” Ace said solemnly. “I only had a few fireproof ones on hand—”

“Why do you even have them?”

Ace’s cheeks turned pink. “I was... saving them in case someone showed up, someone who might need them. Maybe someone who might stick around.”

He wants a mate?Ivo’s thoughts crashed together. He pulled on his clothes in a daze, trying to figure out if now was a good time to mention the glory hole.

He was so distracted that he missed the growing warmth in his stomach. When he turned to grab the clothes that had fallen to the ground, it put pressure on his insides.

And he burped, smoke rushing out of his mouth.

10

WHAT IT MEANS

For a heartbeat,Ivo stared. The white smoke hung in the air, just a small, innocent puff to everyone else.

But Ace was a dragon.

And dragons knew whatthatkind of smoke meant.

From the sudden sharp breath to his right, he knew Ace had seen it, too.

Ivo wanted to suck the smoke back into his mouth anyway.

“Ivo?” Ace asked quietly.

“Um, I should be going,” Ivo said, panicking.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you’re pregnant.”

“You didn’t?” Ivo looked up. “Then again, I didn’t know until recently, either. I just—I just knew I needed a nest.”

Ace swallowed. His eyes were huge. “Who’s the—Who...?”

Ivosquirmed.“Can we talk about that another time?”

“Okay.”

Ivo clambered awkwardly out of his nest. His foot caught on something halfway to Ace; he stumbled and lurched toward the ground, bracing himself for pain.

Ace caught him with one strong hand on his shoulder, hauling him upright. “I’ve got you.”

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