Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 46156 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 231(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46156 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 231(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
“You’re hungry, Blueberry. Try this.” Oldrik lifted a bite of pasta salad to her lips.
She opened her mouth, accepting the offering. Her appetite came roaring back. She reached for the fork to feed herself more and frowned when Oldrik refused.
“Your Daddies will feed you. Can you tell us about your school, Skye? I’d love to hear how long you were there and what your favorite classes were,” Oldrik asked.
Her mind treasured the pleasure of this intimate care. Skye struggled to relax her need to cover her private desire to be tended to so carefully. Skye responded, appreciating that he shifted her focus to something else.
She chewed and swallowed carefully before answering in any form. Reverting to mental communication, she explained. My parents sent me there a few years ago. I came back a few times, but I often chose to stay there through breaks and holidays. My folks didn’t really know what to do with me, and while I missed them, it was easier to fill my time with drawing instead of struggling to communicate as they wished.
“Is that why you prefer talking mentally with us? You can sense that we treasure hearing from you in any mode: mentally, aloud, or through touch.” Ardon wagged his eyebrows at her suggestively, making her laugh and dismissing more of the fright that still lingered in her mind.
It’s always been hard for me. My parents struggle to understand. Perhaps they decided I just wasn’t trying hard enough. Mom most of all. She requires me to talk to her, but Dad will let me write a note or make a face. She’s not mean. It doesn’t make sense to her.
“How do you feel about them, Blueberry?” Oldrik probed. His expression was fierce.
Skye answered carefully. They took me to lots of doctors. Eventually, when they didn’t get a simple answer, they stopped dragging me around. I love them and they love me, even though I’m weird.
“You are not weird, and you will not describe yourself in negative terms.” Ardon corrected her quickly before offering her another bite.
She sent him a wave of positivity as she chewed. Skye loved that they didn’t think she was strange. She preferred the label of unique—something that was one of a kind. Skye accepted herself for all her quirks. They were just who she was.
The rest of the meal was fun and relaxing. Neither dragon reminded her of choking. They simply ensured it wouldn’t happen again. When she grew full, they’d simply devoured the rest of the spread.
Amazed at the amount of food they could eat, she’d asked, Do you have to feed the human and the dragon sides you have?
“Operating in dragon form consumes a lot of calories. We store energy reserves for that purpose. We eat as dragons as well. That’s one reason we’ve cultivated herds and hired staff. We preferred to ask your ancestors for something much more precious than food. Although you taste delicious,” Ardon told her with a wink.
“Ardon!” Skye blurted and laughed, not embarrassed by his reference to their lovemaking.
“Daddy,” he corrected.
You both want me to call you Daddy? Won’t that get confusing? What do I call you? Daddy A and Daddy O?
“If you’d like. Or Daddy will do, and we’ll respond,” Oldrik assured her.
Skye thought about that for a minute. She’d made a joke because calling someone Daddy seemed to be so intimate. More private than sex. It denoted a whole relationship in her brain. The kind of connection she’d dreamed of for a long time. She wrestled with the emotions whirling in her brain. Was she brave enough to live her dreams? Suddenly, pulling the comforter from under her legs was super important to her. As she took care of that, giving herself some extra time, Skye tried to figure out what to say.
“Little One, look at me,” Ardon commanded.
As much as she wanted to resist, Skye was too curious about what he wanted to tell her. She peeked up under long bangs.
“Thank you, Skye. Oldrik and I will be your Daddies for the rest of your life. Our mate bond will hold us together for all the days we have together. Do you want to waste time concealing what we already know you need?”
She shook her head, denying that thought without consciously deciding how to answer. Her desire to have this relationship with them was bone-deep in her. “No hiding,” she said out loud, needing to hear the words as much as the vow resonated inside her.
“Thank you, Blueberry.” Oldrik wrapped his arms around her in a giant bear hug and pulled her close to press a hard kiss to her lips.
Ardon joined the celebration, embracing the pair. Skye turned her face, tilting her mouth up for a kiss from the bronze dragon. He seemed pleased to cement that plan. Something inside her relaxed as Skye realized she was not only physically but emotionally safe as well.