The more she interacted with the clan members of Stonefire, the more she liked them. Maybe one day she could truly fit in. Dawn didn't worry about Daisy—her daughter would force her way into everyone's hearts within a few months—but Dawn hoped she could do it, too. After so many years of being a single mum, she'd almost forgotten what it was like to do more than work and take care of Daisy.
But all of that didn't matter this evening. So she pushed aside her doubts and chatted with the man at reception before being led into the back area, where Blake was staying.
It was time to make the most of her second—and final—date with the man she would soon be having a child with.
Blake had talked to more people in the last few hours than he usually did in a month.
It seemed everyone had advice or warnings to give him.
Although Bram's visit was the one that lingered. He'd told Blake that Dawn needed to give her definitive answer tonight about the frenzy. Even though technically his dragon should stay silent for nearly two more days, none of the doctors or Bram wanted to risk it. If Blake's dragon woke up early, he might go after Dawn before she was ready.
And then any chance they might've had would probably vanish.
Although how he was supposed to win her over, as Bram put it, Blake had no bloody idea. It was one thing to tease and play a game, but quite another to ask, "Are you ready to start a sex marathon with me?"
His dragon would probably have some suggestions, but the deafening silence inside his mind only reinforced how that wasn't an option.
A knock was immediately followed by Dawn entering his room. The mere sight of the human female drove away his worries, which he didn't fully understand. Just because someone was your true mate didn't mean they had magic over you.
But for all he knew, that's how it worked. Blake had never had a lasting relationship with any female. Every attempt had ended in disaster because of their obsession with his damn spot in dragon form, which meant it was all new to him.
Regardless, Dawn seemed to have better fitting clothes now—maybe hers had arrived—and she carried a large, bulky tote bag in one hand. Not wanting an awkward silence, he decided to start the conversation for a change. "What mayhem do you have planned for this evening?"
She grinned. "Mayhem is a word you don't hear enough. I like it. Although now it sets me up for something much grander than what I have planned."
After shutting the door, Dawn pulled a chair toward him but stopped several feet away still. He asked, "Will we start before dinner?"
"Ah, but you see my game is part dinner, part entertainment."
His curiosity piqued, he adjusted his position on the bed and leaned forward a little. "Are you going to tell me or do I have to guess?"
"I don't think you'd be able to guess, if I'm honest. So it's best to just get started, right?"
Dawn reached out for the little side table on wheels that could be moved over his bed and maneuvered it in front of her. He watched as she took out several containers—all opaque, meaning he couldn't bloody see the contents—and then tossed the tote bag to the side.
Since he couldn't even smell the contents, a dragon-shifter must've helped her prepare it with all the special containers they used. Otherwise, all of the scents from the human-made ones would drive a dragon-shifter mad rather quickly.
Dawn tapped each of the lids as she talked. "I have a bunch of different dishes here, but everything's been colored with food dye. I want to see if you can guess what they are. And once you're done tasting, we can even come up with some new names for the oddly colored food."
He raised an eyebrow. "Couldn't I just guess by looking at them?"
"Ah, but here's the thing—you won't be able to see them for the first part. Maybe smell them—I can't help it, although I have some things to try to hide the scents—but Sasha did give me a blindfold to use." She tossed it at him and Blake caught it. "So, are you ready?"
He blinked as he stared at the blindfold. The activity was almost…childish.
Although he was more concerned with what the food would taste like, given what Dawn had told him earlier about her cooking skills. He didn't want to spit out something awful and hurt her feelings. So he blurted, "Did you cook everything?"
She tilted her head. "Clever man, remembering that I don't always cook well. Sasha helped me, so everything's edible. I'm going to eat some after the fact, too. It'll be our dinner."
Just the thought of Dawn working hard to make a variety of dishes to entertain him did something to Blake's heart. Maybe it was a childish game, but he didn't care. It was almost as if he wanted to be a little less serious when Dawn was around.
He waved the blindfold in the air. "What about you? This seems like a rather one-sided game, if you ask me."
She shrugged. "Oh, watching you try to feed yourself with a blindfold will be quite entertaining for me."
He raised his brows. "Maybe you should try it after me. That way it's fair—we both do something embarrassing."
She shook her head. "I know what all the dishes are, so it's not much of a guess."
He smirked. "I have some hospital snacks you can try."
Which were bland and almost tasteless.
She waved a hand in dismissal. "Fine, fine, I'll try something later, if you want. But you get to go first." She slapped her hands together and rubbed them. "Shall we get started?"
It was strange watching someone get so excited over something so minor. Blake was hard on himself and rarely celebrated his discoveries. However, there was something fascinating about how open Dawn was about everything. He could definitely get used to it.
Maybe even more than that—he could see himself becoming addicted to Dawn and all her quirks.
But that was still the future and he needed to focus on the present. It was time to try some of Dawn's food.
Blake lifted the blindfold almost to his face. "Promise me that you're not going to take any pictures or video of me doing this."
She snapped her fingers. "There went my plan to blackmail you."
The tone of her voice told him she was joking.
And Blake wasn't entirely sure how to tease back. Although he sensed that he would have to learn how to do that easier in the future since he could already tell that his true mate loved teasing and being playful.
For her, he would try not to hold back so much.
Blake twirled the blindfold—loving the sound of Dawn's laughter—and then placed it across his eyes. He could just imagine his dragon snorting while also encouraging the behavior. Out of the pair of them, Blake's dragon was the more easygoing half.
Once the material was tied in place, he cleared his throat. "I'm ready."
The first smelled to hit him was a strong scent of lavender, which was far too overpowering to be added to any dish. Which meant Dawn had probably brought along some lavender oil to mask the scent of the food.
She hadn't been kidding when she'd said she would try to disguise the smells. He didn't know if she'd just been thorough or if she'd received a lot of suggestions from Sasha Atherton.
Blake could hear her opening containers and finally wheeling the tray table toward him, the lavender smell growing even stronger. She said, "I know I'm not supposed to touch you, but I need to hand you the spoon. Can you handle that?"
The craving to feel even the slightest brush of her skin against his surged through his body. Even if his dragon woke up and he had to bloody fight off his beast, Blake didn't care. "Yes."
"Okay, here goes."
A spoon was pressed against his hand, and he waited for it…yes…the slightest brush of her fingers. It wasn't more than a whisper of heat and softness, but it was one of the most erotic caresses he'd ever experienced, thanks to the blindfold.
Maybe he needed to keep the scrap of material and use it on Dawn later, after the frenzy was over.
Yes, he was starting to think of much more than just the frenzy now.
All too soon, the touch vanished
, and he did his best not to pout at the loss. He was a grown male, for crying out loud.
Dawn's voice filled the room. "Feel the edge of the little table thing and move slowly toward the first container."
As he followed her directions, he willed the food to not be terrible. Maybe with time, it would be easier to disappoint Dawn. However, in the here and now, he didn't want to upset her.
His usual penchant for honesty was being tested.
Regardless, he found the first container, clumsily tried to scoop some food and moved it toward his mouth.
Dawn knew the food-tasting and food coloring was immature. And yet, it was the perfect way to have some fun and not worry too much about awkward silences since Blake would focus on the food, and then they could talk about it afterward.
It also gave her a chance to study Blake for a bit.
With his eyes covered by the dark material, his face looked a little more rugged. And not just because of the stubble on his cheeks.
It took her a second to figure out what it was, and then it hit her—his eyes were almost always wary, as if someone was going to ask him something uncomfortable.
Probably something to do with his dragon.
Gah, Dawn wanted to see him shift so badly, knowing full well it might scare her a little at first. And yet she knew that couldn't happen until after the frenzy since Sasha had explained that a dragon-shifter needed to embrace their inner beast to change forms. And that was impossible with a dragon roaring to claim their true mate.
As Blake lifted the first spoonful of a dark purple concoction to his mouth, she pushed all other thoughts away and focused on the piece of cutlery at his lips.
Lips that were firm and yet soft, she remembered. Their accidental kiss seemed a million years ago already.
He finally swallowed the food and thankfully didn't blanch. Sasha had helped her make everything, but there was still always the chance she'd put in too much salt or cooked it too long. "Well?"
He tilted his head, the light highlighting his short hair. Not too short—she could still run her fingers through it—but not overly long, either.
She was a bit of a fool, really, studying a blasted man's hair. That must be what happened to a woman who hadn't gone on more than a few dates in over a decade.
Blake finally spoke. "I want to say tomato soup, but a sort of spicy variety."
She smiled. "Ding-ding, you're correct! I've never made it from scratch before, and it's a little lumpy, but you're still right. I can't wait for you to see what color I made it."
He raised his eyebrows. "Can I take this blindfold off now?"
"Try at least one more, and then we'll see. It's kind of fun watching you fumble about."
He muttered, "So much for my bloody PhD."
And for a second, Dawn wondered if she'd planned this all wrong. She'd never gone to university because she'd married young and had spent so many years trying to conceive a child. Did someone like Blake need higher-minded activities?
However, before doubt could set in, he smiled and added, "Just know that turnabout is fair play. Your turn with the blindfold will come one day, Dawn. So wait for it."
Her doubts faded at Blake's smile. She was definitely worrying too much. "Noted. Now, stop stalling. The food is getting cold, and if any of it is only so-so now, it'll be even worse cold."
Snorting, he felt around to the next container. "Even us dragon-shifters have these fancy things called microwaves."
Even though he couldn't see it, she stuck her tongue out. "Just hurry up and eat, dragonman. I want some, too."
He scooped a black-colored sauce—Dawn's experiment to get blue had failed—and watch him eat again. When he nodded afterward, her heart sung a little.
Blake said, "This one is great, some kind of pasta sauce. Although adding pasta itself to the mix would make it better."
She eyed the last container, which contained green spaghetti noodles. "I did bring some pasta, too. Take off your blindfold, and let's eat because I think the noodles might be congealing."
He chuckled, the sound echoing in the small room. Blake tore off the blindfold and zeroed in on the dishes in front of him. He prodded said noodles with his spoon. "These might be inedible."
Her stomach rumbled. "At this point, I don't care."
Blake met her gaze, and she forgot all about her hunger. Or, at least the kind related to her stomach.
The dragonman was too handsome for his own good.
The usual wariness in his eyes was gone, replaced with concern. He stated, "Then come and eat. No female of mine should ever be hungry."
While she wasn't technically his yet, Dawn didn't feel the need to correct him.
No, after her silly second-date antics and Blake putting up with them in good fun, she knew more than ever she wanted a chance with him.
Maybe if she were more methodical, Dawn would've pondered that thought some more, let it sit, and merely enjoy the rest of the evening without any heaviness or complications.
Or, she would’ve talked to Blake about what so many people had told her, that frenzies always worked between true mates regardless of fertility issues with others.
However, much like her daughter, Dawn's mouth and brain didn't always work together. So she blurted, "I want the frenzy, Blake. Do you?"
Chapter Eight
Blake wanted to shout yes, he wanted the frenzy before pulling Dawn close and kissing her. However, he couldn't do that just yet. A few things had to be set up quickly before any of that happened. So he simply stated, "Of course I do."
"You say 'of course' as if it couldn't be any other way."
He reached out a hand but then pulled back and clenched his fingers into a fist. "You are beautiful, kind, amusing, and so many other things. What male wouldn't want a chance with a female like that?"
Her cheeks turned pink, and he itched to caress her blush to see if her skin was warmer to the touch.
The whole "not being able to touch her" deal was annoying.
Dawn cleared her throat. "Maybe if said female were single without any strings attached. However, I have Daisy, and not every bloke would be up for that challenge."
He frowned. "Maybe she's energetic and chatty, but so are you. If they like you, why wouldn't they like your daughter?"
Dawn tilted her head. "Liking her and wanting to raise her are two very different things."
Even now, he could tell her idiotic ex was hovering over her. He'd left because Daisy had been too much for him to handle, true. But the male must've hurt her deeper than she let most people see.
It was a good thing the bastard lived in Australia or Blake would risk venturing into a city to find him and tell him a few things. "She is a huge part of your life, a huge part of you. Maybe I would've resisted a little without knowing you, but now? I would accept five Daisies for a chance with you, Dawn. You make the world brighter, which is something I never thought I'd say to another person."
She moved a few inches closer, although it was still too bloody far away. Her voice was soft when she replied, "You're so much more than what people say about you, Blake. Why do you hide away from everyone else?"
He could've deflected like he usually did when people asked him about his self-imposed solitude. However, unlike with others, Dawn asking him didn't turn Blake defensive or make him want to ignore the whole matter. No, if she was willing to endure his dragon during the frenzy, then she deserved an answer. "White dragons are rare, but a white dragon with any other sort of special marking is almost unheard of. They're called unicorn dragons, and stories say that if you ever can find one, that you should ask to see their unique marking, touch it, and make a wish. It'll bring good luck and maybe even your greatest desire to life."
Blake did his best not to remember a lifetime of people trying to corner him somewhere so they could convince him to shift, touch his spot, and make a wish.
She whispered, "You're a unicorn dragon, aren't you?"
He nodded. "As a child, the ot
her kids made fun of me constantly after my first shift in class. Children are so curious about what their dragon will be like, look like, and act like that it makes them a little insecure. Anything out of the ordinary is pounced upon to make themselves feel better.
"I didn't understand that as a child, of course, and just tried to hide away from everyone when I could. And to be honest, it became much worse as I grew up. Adults won't try to accost a child, but you'd be amazed at what someone will do to an adult unicorn dragon to get a chance at making a wish."
Dawn moved even closer while remaining about a foot away. There was a mixture of anger and sadness in her gaze. "What exactly did they do to you?"
He shrugged. "Nothing criminal, mind you. But pretty much my whole adult life dragon-shifters have tried a variety of ways to get me to shift. To say I gave up on dating or finding a mate was an understatement. No one could get past my dragon form, so I isolated myself and devoted myself to my work."
"That's horrible."
He searched her gaze. "Yes. Although you had no idea about anything related to my dragon form and you still found ways to make me smile the night of the play. And I somehow don't think the strangely colored food activity was a ploy to get me to shift, either."
She laughed. "No, that would've required some better-tasting food, for sure." Dawn moved the table away but didn't quite close the distance between them. She added, "I do want to see your dragon some day, but that's just because he's part of you. You could be bright pink and I wouldn't care, although I'm sure Daisy would love that."
His lips twitched. "I've never heard of a pink dragon, and to be honest, I'm not sure I'd want to be one. But a pink dragon wouldn't be a unicorn. It'd be more like another mythical creature. Say, a Pegasus."
"I hope another dragon color, like rainbow, doesn't show up because there aren't any more horse-like mythical creatures I can think of off the top of my head."
He full-on grinned. "Don't mention that to the Scottish dragon clan. The kelpie is quite famous up there, even if they are malevolent."
Treasured by the Dragon (Stonefire British Dragons Book 13) Page 6
