Page 26 of The Manny's Fiery Dragon Bond

“Thank you, Malric. I don’t want to cause problems with your clan.”

“Our clan.” He lifted my hand and kissed the back of it. “This is our clan.”

“Right. Our clan.”

I fought to keep myself still, to hide the anxiety that was rolling through me. All I really wanted to do was shift and hide under the floorboards like a good little mouse would do. Instead, I was walking right into the dragon’s den, deeper than I had ever before.

It was whoa. A mouse mated to a dragon. Yet here we were.

As we pulled up, Malric called up to the driver. “Jenner, give us a moment, please.”

“Of course, sir,” Jenner said, and he stepped out.

Malric held my face in his hands. “I understand you’re nervous. I was too when I became clan leader, and it wasn’t even thrust upon me like it was you.”

“I’m not—”

He put a finger over my lips. “As my mate, you are an extension of me. If that’s not something we want, then we can talk about me stepping down as leader, but that takes time. It won’t happen overnight. I have so much faith in you, mate. You will be amazing. But what I’m asking of you tonight is to fake it. Walk in there like you own the place. You are my mate and therefore you are their leader.”

I swallowed the knot that had clogged my throat. It was a lot to ask, but also, he’d offered me a way out in the future. He wasn’t telling me to go in and take my spot as the clan leader’s mate forever. He was asking that I play the role tonight and give it a chance. I could do that. Or at least I was going to try my best. Anything for my mate. Anything.

“You are strong, important, and everyone there is incredibly lucky just to be in your orbit, just like I am.” His words held me like a blanket.

“I’ve got this.” Fake it till I make it and all that.

He grinned and kissed my lips. “Then, let’s do this.”

He knocked on the glass, indicating for Jenner to open the door. A moment later, both of us were stepping out of the car, lights flashing as people took their pictures.

Please let me really have this.

Chapter 15

Ollie

Walkingintotheeventhad been eye-opening. It was one thing to know your mate was powerful and rich and important to so many. It was another to have cameras all pointed at you while you walked by his side into an event that was so fancy you half expected you were dreaming. But that was exactly where I was, this mix of reality and fantasy, not knowing where one began and the other one ended.

Thankfully, there were people that I recognized. Malric was great, but he had more to do than be my comfort dragon. This wasn’t just an event for him, it was part of his job.

Kier was home with the children while Tavian was here mingling with the other dragons. I had originally been on the schedule to watch the kids, and at first, I felt guilty about that.

Kier insisted he was more than happy for the excuse not to dress up “like a penguin.” His words, not mine. And Tavian? He only planned to stay for a short while. He had no desire to “glad-hand with the stuffed shirts.” His words, not mine. It turned out, I’d done them a favor, which was good because I’d been feeling like I’d been letting them down more than helping lately.

Now that I was here, I could understand their desire not to be. There was nothing easy and comfortable about the environment. It was like being in a fishbowl with people watching you at every turn. Such an odd experience, but one I was going to need to get comfortable with.

Malric’s other son, Eryndor, grinned widely when he met me. He pulled me into a hug, his massive frame engulfing my smaller one. I didn’t know where Eryndor got his size from, but he towered over both his brother and father.

I’d been worried about meeting him. I’d already been liked by Tavian when Malric and I got together. He was predisposed to liking me by that alone. To Eryndor, that wasn’t the case. It could’ve gone either way.

“Oh, this is going to be so funny. I’m never gonna let the old man live this down. He’s robbing the cradle!” Eryndor gushed.

He meant it with humor, but there was some truth to it. My mate had been alive entire centuries before I was even born.

“Eryndor!” Malric admonished.

“Come on, Dad, it’s funny. You have to admit it’s funny.”

Mal scowled. “There’s nothing funny about me being mated. It is a celebration. I am blessed to have found Ollie.” He had his arm wrapped around me, his hand placed possessively on the small of my back.

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