Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 41518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 208(@200wpm)___ 166(@250wpm)___ 138(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 41518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 208(@200wpm)___ 166(@250wpm)___ 138(@300wpm)
“My grandmother was the keeper of information for my family. She had not talked to me yet. I was clueless. I met Drake as he was going into the cemetery for his former mate’s burial,” Aurora shared.
“His mate had just died?” Ciel asked, horrified.
“Yes. How long ago did Argenis’s mate pass? I’d heard she was sick.”
“I—I don’t know how long. I know he loved her. That’s hard to know that the person you love has felt so strongly for other women.” Ciel looked at the woman she knew understood. “Does that bother you?”
“It did in the beginning. Then I realized I didn’t want Drake alone for centuries.”
“I didn’t think about it like that. That helps. Thank you,” Ciel expressed her genuine gratitude.
“I’m glad to meet another person who just mated with a dragon. How does he treat you?” Aurora asked.
Ciel could tell there was a purpose for her question. She was asking for information. “It’s great, unless I get spanked.,” she blurted, hoping that she wasn’t making a major blunder.
“Oh, thank goodness. I wondered if it was just Drake and me.” She paused and smiled at Ciel. “It’s like all my fantasies have come to life.”
“Do you think they’re all Daddies? I mean… Is Drake a Daddy Dom?” Ciel dared to ask.
“The Daddiest. He takes very good care of me.”
Noting the slight blush on her new friend’s face, Ciel said, “Could they be any hunkier? Are there any wimpy dragons?”
“I doubt that. I think it’s part of their dragon shifter DNA. They’re powerful in both forms. It fascinates me to watch Drake shift. It’s like magic.”
“I know. How can it possibly work? Where do their clothes go? And all the scales?” Ciel asked, laughing.
Aurora snickered. When their gazes met, peals of laughter bubbled from their lips. Instantly, they were the best of friends. All of Ciel’s hesitations to reveal her new lifestyle evaporated.
“I’m glad you came,” Ciel told her.
“Me, too. Drake didn’t give me a choice,” Aurora admitted.
“Want to come see my playroom?” Ciel asked.
“I’d love to.”
“Come on. It’s off our bedroom.”
Ciel led the way into the house. They passed Drake and Argenis in his study, cut crystal glasses of an amber liquid in their hands. When they were safely passed, she whispered, “I thought they were looking at a map.”
“We had to locate where the scotch came from, Little Sky,” Argenis called after them. “Have fun!”
“Thanks, Daddy,” Ciel automatically answered, a bit shocked that he had heard her. The moment the second word left her lips, she whirled to look at Aurora in shock. “I mean…”
Aurora interrupted her. “We’re going to Ciel’s playroom, Daddy.”
“Be good, Little girl,” Drake’s low voice reverberated down the hallway.
Taking her friend’s hand, Ciel dragged her into the playroom, where she hoped the men couldn’t hear her. “Thank goodness you call Drake, Daddy, too. I thought you’d laugh at me.”
“Of course not. A—you’re my friend. B—Daddy Dom, what else are we going to call them? C—Drake insists.”
“Argenis, does too. I like it,” Ciel confessed.
“Me, too. He takes really good care of me,” Aurora said, waggling her eyebrows meaningfully.
“You are so bad,” Ciel accused with a giggle.
A few minutes later, they’d chosen a board game and were happily rolling dice and moving pieces around. It was the perfect fun to have as they compared their lives and found so many similarities.
“I don’t suppose we can play,” Argenis asked from the doorway.
“Of course, Daddy. Come join us. You can have the gray marker and Drake can have the orange one. We’ll pretend they’re silver and gold,” Ciel promised.
“Deal. Prepare to go down,” Argenis challenged Drake.
“Bring it on.”
The women looked back and forth between the two before dissolving into laughter. Their peaceful game had just taken on a totally new tone. Aurora looked at Ciel and winked. Immediately, Ciel understood. They were going to work together to make sure one of them won.
Ciel picked up the dice and rolled. “Oh, sorry, Daddy. You get to go back two spaces.”
“I haven’t moved yet,” he pointed out.
“According to the rules, that means you miss your next turn,” Aurora volunteered.
“Indeed? Well, I’ll just occupy myself while I wait to play.” Argenis plucked Ciel off the carpet and plopped her gently on his lap. He rubbed her back with his fingertips, massaging her.
Ciel couldn’t keep her eyes from lowering to half-mast. “Maybe we should ignore that rule.”
Even through lowered eyelids, Ciel saw Drake looking at his mate speculatively. Aurora must have noticed, too.
“Who likes that silly rule? Go ahead and take your turn,” Aurora suggested.
“Thank you,” Argenis said graciously. He kissed Ciel’s hair and sat her back in her original spot before picking up the dice and rolling.
The women just looked at each other. Who could win against cunning dragons?
Chapter 10
While Argenis occupied himself with protection duty, Ciel pored over the thick tome that her grandmother had safeguarded during her lifetime. She wished she’d had a clue about the dragons. Who knew they lived in the mountains surrounding Wyvern? It definitely wasn’t anything she remembered people talking about. The large stone sculpture in the square should have made her think, but she’d just loved climbing on it as a child.