Treasured by the Dragon (Stonefire Dragons #10) - Jessie Donovan Page 0,40

to get a ground floor one so Daisy didn't have to worry about walking softly."

Humans really did like to live in close quarters. Putting four dragon-shifters, let alone families, in such close quarters would soon drive everyone mad.

His beast said, Remember, humans don't hear or smell as well as we do. So it wouldn't bother them.

I suppose. I guess I'm just used to more space since dragon clans are all designed that way.

Not to mention Blake had lived apart from even most of his own clan for years.

Dawn's voice halted his conversation with his dragon. "It looks like Jane and Rafe made it, too, with the van."

The human sibling pair had volunteered to help with the move. After all, having humans go into the city was a lot less paperwork.

Daisy asked, "Can I get out now, Mum? I want to show Blake our old place and tell him all the really good stories."

Dawn smiled at him. "It's up to Blake."

"Oh, Blake, can we go in now? Please?"

He turned halfway in his seat and smiled. One day soon, he'd need to learn to say no to Daisy, but today wasn't that day. He was still trying to get on her good side. "All right, but no running or shouting, okay?"

"Okay. Let's go!"

She exited the car and opened his door before he could blink. Dawn quickly handed him a set of keys, kissed his cheek, and murmured, "Have fun."

Daisy took his hand. "Come on, Blake. Hurry up. I want to show you everything before it all gets packed up."

Not wanting to draw attention from the neighbors, even if it was in the middle of the day during the week, Blake undid his seat belt and followed Daisy to the door. Her voice was almost at a normal level as she explained, "There are two doors. The front one and the inside one. I can do it for you, Blake. Give me the keys."

He did and watched as she quickly opened the door. The inside smelled of dust and humans.

But Daisy quickly went to a door on the right side and opened it with another key. She waved for him to follow. "In here, Blake. Come on."

The floor above him creaked, meaning someone was home. Not wanting to find out if they tolerated dragon-shifters or not, he went inside the same door Daisy had entered. As soon as he stepped inside, he was wrapped in a mixture of Dawn’s and Daisy's scent, along with something faintly floral.

Daisy took his hand and tugged. "Let's start in the kitchen. You'll see how much smaller it is, although the table was the perfect size for me and Mum."

As Daisy pointed out every little thing in the kitchen, Blake took in the dishes placed on a drying rack, the towel hanging on the stove, and the other little details that truly showed him that Dawn had been yanked out of her life without warning.

Maybe if he'd seen it all the first night, right after the kiss, he might've felt guilty. But now Dawn and Daisy belonged with him. He'd always ensure that Daisy had enough room to dance where she wanted, or that Dawn could have her own desk to draw when she could snag a chance.

His dragon grunted. Of course. They are our family now to protect and take care of.

Daisy had just finished a story about a mug her mother had bought her from a little shop in Inverness, Scotland when Dawn, Rafe, and Jane entered the flat, too. He jumped in the first second he could and told Daisy, "All right, before we continue the tour, let's see what needs to be done, okay? Your mother can't do all the work."

She stood a little taller and nodded. "I know. I'm old enough to help now. So let's go see what she wants done."

Daisy raced back to the living room. Blake followed suit, instantly going to Dawn's side.

However, it was Jane Hartley—a human mated to the dragon-shifter named Kai—that spoke up. "So tell us what you need, Dawn. I'll make sure my brother doesn't slack off."

Rafe Hartley frowned. "You're the one who always found ways to avoid chores growing up, not me."

Jane raised her brows. "I helped Mum and Dad other ways."

Rolling his eyes, Rafe asked, "What, with charm and the ability to distract them whilst I did all the work?"

Jane shrugged. "Hey, it's not my fault you didn't think of it first."

He knew the siblings could bicker for a while, so Blake jumped in.