Page 26 of The Dragon's Flamebound Mate

“Yeah. It started small, I didn’t even realize I was doing it until my brother and I were traveling together and we visited a market and he teased me for buying cutlery. Then in the 1880’s when I was living in London and traveling a lot, the whole souvenir spoons became popular.” Other than my family, I’d never told anyone about this. “That was a great time. People would buy them on their travels. I collected so many of them. Most of my hoard is from that time. Then those became fewer and far between, less popular. Refrigerator magnets became the thing.”

I closed up the box and pulled out another and another, placing them on the bed and opening them up.

“They’re all dated.” Ash’s fingers brushed over the labels that were carefully placed underneath each spoon.

I nodded. “I have an entry book. I have them all stored in order of the time that I acquired them and when they were made. Some of them, I have some history on. I have a few in the safe downstairs. They are my most valuable pieces. Until today.”

He looked at me. “What happened today?”

I reached up to the top drawer and pulled out an empty case. It was a shadow-box style where I could nestle a spoon inside and have it on display. I pulled the plastic white one from my pocket and placed it inside.

“This… this spoon is my most treasured piece of my hoard now.”

“Zayne, you can’t be serious. It’s plastic.”

“I’m dead serious.” I met his eyes. “It is my most valuable. I have spoons made entirely of gold. I have one that’s completely encrusted with diamonds. But this… this is priceless.”

“Scottie ate with that today. You didn’t even wash it.” His words said one thing, but Ash’s eyes conveyed what this moment meant to him. He was blinking back tears.

I laughed. “I’ll wipe it down, then, if you insist. But there’s no reasoning with my dragon on this one, love. This is the pinnacle of my collection. I don’t know that there will be anything that will ever match it… unless, of course, we save our children’s first spoons.”

Which, let’s be honest, we would.

“I suppose those will be important.” Ash grinned and pulled me in for a kiss. “I’m honored to be a part of this collection. And now that I know what you hoard, I will be on the lookout. Is there anything particular that you and your dragon like?”

“Shiny ones,” I said.

“Then shiny is what I will find for you, my mate—anything worthy of you.” He pulled me into a hug and sank against my body.

“Thank you. I know it’s not glamorous. A friend of mine hoards diamond earrings. Another has a collection of ruby rings.”

Both of which sounded boring to me. Good thing dragons didn’t all like the same thing; it made building your hoard easier.

“Yes, and there are others that collect ties or board games. Your collection is yours. It’s unique to you, and I love it. Thank you for sharing it with me, Zayne.”

“Thank you, mate.”

“You know what?”

I looked at him and shook my head.

“I think that today calls for more than a school dinner. Why don’t we shower and head into town? We can grab dinner.” He snuggled in closer, inhaling deeply.

“You mean go on a date like humans do?”

He looked up at me. “Exactly. They get some things right.”

“Oh yeah, and what would those some things be?” I asked, the tiredness from the day suddenly gone.

“I’ll show you.”

He popped in the shower as I put my hoard away, and I joined him as he was finishing. He stayed with me, washing my hair and back and everywhere, paying extra close attention to the places I was extra dirty—or had extra dirty thoughts, at least.

“Dinner first.” He drove and went straight to a chain restaurant that was supposed to be like a “local neighborhood bar.”

“Really doing up this human date thing, aren’t you?” I teased.

“You have no idea.”

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