Page 37 of The Manny's Fiery Dragon Bond

“Maybe for some dessert?”

“I thought you wanted a snack.” He smiled mischievously.

“I was hoping for both.”

He giggled and was on his way. I was glad that he left with a smile. His introduction had been pretty intense. He’d handled it like a true leader, but I hated that he had to handle it at all. We were in the 2000’s not the 1600’s. Species should no longer matter.

When I went back inside, the room went silent—telling me exactly what I already knew. They’d been talking about Ollie.

Vlad would fill me in on all the little details. I had no doubt that he was there protecting Ollie just as strongly as I would. But it was unacceptable that the discussion had even been happening.

I went to the head of the table and sat at my seat. “Just so you’re aware, this kind of behavior will not be tolerated. At all. Ever. Not for my mate. Not for any of your mates.”

Elias looked like he wanted to strangle me. Good. Because if he was mad, it meant he was listening, and he understood just how deadly serious I was.

“We are better than this.” At least, we always had been. “I want my kids to grow up in a clan that respects all species. One that understands that being part of a clan isn’t about what scales or fur or feathers you have. One that understands that clan life is about coming together as a family—a large family that takes care of each other.”

“Are you saying that your mate has a clutch growing inside of him? You’re planning to breed with that… omega?” Elliot had a death wish. I was sure of it.

“You’re dismissed.” I refused to take any more of his bullshit.

He shot daggers at me.

“Do not make me repeat myself. You are dismissed. And anyone else who wants to be like that can be on their way, too.”

He begrudgingly left, and everyone else sat where they were, watching me carefully.

“Now, before we begin the business at hand,” I wasn’t going to address Elias’s behavior any further. They already saw and understood my response. “Yes, Ollie and I are expecting our first clutch. The goddess has blessed me with another mate and our clutch. We both accept that blessing wholeheartedly.”

This time, everyone smiled and cheered, even those who I knew hadn’t been this thrilled before. Maybe it wasn’t them in the first place. Maybe they were just following Elias’s lead out of fear. Or maybe they’d learned their lesson. But in any case, it was a step forward.

“Now it’s time to do our favorite part of our agenda. Vlad, can you go over the report for this quarter?”

This time, the groans that came were accepting.

Chapter 20

Ollie

Mybodyhummedwithadrenaline. I managed to walk out of the boardroom with my head high, and my mate had stood by me the entire time. Not for a single second did I feel alone. But the minute I was out of his sight, I leaned against the wall and let out a long breath.

Holy shit. That had been intense on a level I’d never expected. Looking back, I was impressed by past-me. There had been a time when I’d have cowered in the corner or worse, shifted and run away. But not today. Today, I stood with my head held high and fought back, in the only way I stood a chance of winning.

I hadn’t intended to give any such speech today, not even when I first began speaking. But it was either a speech or a “Fuck you, Elias, you bigoted piece of shit,” and speech seemed like a much safer route to go given my mate’s position.

It shouldn’t have been necessary, but a couple of times I saw a glimmer of recognition and understanding from one of the men who had initially been unimpressed by my little mouse. Maybe I broke through to him. And between that and my chat in the nursery earlier, it was a lot to take in. I was still trying to process the idea that people were looking to me for answers on anything at all. But this was the world of being the clan leader’s mate, and I would fulfill that role.

I had no desire to leave my job as the children’s nanny. Plus, I had children of my own that would be arriving. But I understood that as mate to the clan leader, I had a responsibility to the clan to help. It wasn’t like a typical job. I couldn’t simply decide to quit or even not accept it. Not while my mate was the clan leader.

Could I ask him to step down? Sure. Would he do so? He already offered. But I refused to be the kind of mate that asked their partner to give up their dreams for no better reason than my comfort. I was going to give this role my best effort, and if there came a time when I realized it was impossible, then we would have a conversation. But until then, I was going to give this 100%.

Turned out, I knew exactly how I could do both—delegation.

Delegation was not something I was going to only embrace myself. I was going to support my mate in doing so, as well. It was good for us and would be good for the clan. Everyone had gifts to bring, so why not use them all to the benefit of everyone.

I stopped at the bathroom to clean up and make sure I didn’t look too I-Just-Gave-a-Blowjob. In hindsight, I probably should’ve done that before walking into the boardroom. Oh well, they were more distracted by the little mouse inside me and my words than anything else. At least I hoped so.

Initially, I’d meant to go back to get the kids, but I felt this need to return to Mal’s office. Easier said than done, especially since I was returning to the office a different way. I took a few wrong turns, and eventually I had to ask someone how to get there.

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