Page 138 of Hoarded By the Dragon

He stands near the window, holding our daughter Evangeline in his arms. I sigh and fall back against the pillows in relief.

“I thought we were having a wonderful time and letting you sleep, butsomeoneseems to have become impatient.” Kalos arches a brow at our adorable baby girl who shrieks and stretches her hands toward me, flinging the raw piece of meat she was gnawing onto the bedspread.

Kalos rolls his eyes and wipes her cheeks and scaly hands clean before handing over our daughter. Her dragon features automatically recede when she’s back in my arms. It’s always a marvel to watch her instinctively shift to protect my skin.

“I’m sure she loves hanging out with you in the morning,” I say. I know I enjoy being able to get more sleep. Evangeline blinks her green eyes up at me when she starts nursing. With her dragon nature, it’s been all guesswork to figure out what she needs. Sometimes she loves to chew on raw meat and other times she wants milk.

And as soon as we figure something out, it changes.

She appears closer to a five-month-old than her real age of seven weeks. Parenting blogs say that it’s unbelievable how quickly babies change, but a dragonling puts that all to shame. I’m not prepared for how much quicker she’s developing than a human child, and it feels like whenever I blink, she becomes someone new.

“We have an agreement of sorts,” Kalos says, sliding into bed beside me and combing his talons through her downy dark hair. “I spoil her, and she doesn’t try to wake you through your bond.”

I sigh and rest my head against his shoulder. “It seems like your agreement needs to be renegotiated.”

“Perhaps.” Kalos hums and kisses my cheek.

His contentment thrums through our bond. It had taken a couple of months to develop the bond to a place where he can feel me, and even more time for me to complete it enough to be able to feel him, but this intimacy is like nothing I’ve ever experienced.

For so long I was alone in the world, and now the ethereal bonds of my little family ensures I never am. The hatchling bond has been helpful for trying to guess what Evangeline needs. Every day I wonder if it will ever stop feeling like my heart resides outside of my body. Perhaps it will change at the end of the first year. That’s when Kalos says the bond fades into a more inactive form.

Eventually Eva finishes nursing, and Kalos whisks her away again. She doesn’t complain and gurgles happily at him.

“Get in the bath. I’ll handle things,” he says and heads out of the room before I attempt to protest, even though I’m aching for a good scrub and soak. Taking care of a baby is a lot of things, miraculous, amazing, and gross.

I down a granola bar and a ton of water as I wait for the water to fill the tub. By the time I rinse in the connected shower, the water is just at the right height and I lower in with a blush-inducing moan of pleasure, closing my eyes and relaxing in the luxurious water.

There are benefits to not being pregnant anymore. The ability to have a hot bath without the water going cold instantly is a big one.

Hot hands caress my skin, and my lashes flutter open, my mate’s eyes glow gold in satisfaction.

“Where’s—” I start but he interrupts.

“Maggie is watching her.” Kalos slips into the water behind me, my bare body resting against his.

I hum in gratitude even as I bite my lip.

Kalos’s chuckle vibrates against my back. “I can feel your guilt, my queen. She won’t miss us for the length of a bath.”

He’s right. He usually is. And I appreciate this time alone with him too much to complain about it.

With the help of magic, I’m completely healed from birth even if I’m still taking it easy physically. Luckily, we have so many people who are helping, but that’s a guilt in itself. Eva is developing so fast that it’s inevitable that I’ll miss milestones if I want to spend a day in my studio.

Kalos must feel the same because his inner circle has been running his business practically without him since the birth.

“When do you think she’ll slow down?” I ask.

“Another month maybe,” Kalos muses. “Her growth will start to match the pace of human development when she can move around by herself. The more independent she becomes, the less her magic will try to speed up her progress for her safety.”

I rest my head back, enjoying the light touches of my mate’s hands under the water. “That makes sense. Maybe it will be easier for me not to hover by then.”

Kalos brushes his lips against my shoulder. “Perhaps. And perhaps this is only a new skill to learn.”

The skill of mitigating my guilt. I suppose all new mothers have to deal with that.

His fangs brush over one of my mating marks, and a shiver runs down my spine. I hum and press harder against his body, needing the contact. Adapting to this new life will take time and skill, but I’m not alone, and my mate is excellent at providing healthy distractions.

“Does my queen need to be worshipped?” he asks.

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