Page 7 of Dragon My Crazy

I refused to believe my baby had no human form. From my research, it was most likely because she didn’t feel safe enough to shift. It made sense; the human form was weak and had no innate weaponry or armor.

After Gillisandra, Melly’s mother, had lost her bet to Desmon, she’d abandoned her egg at the base of a cliff. She’d probably expected it to be eaten by wild animals or destroyed by the elements. Instead, it had ended up being passed from hand to hand in the underground magical artifact trade.

I hadn’t known about the egg at the time, since the conniving wench had tricked me, stealing my seed so she wouldn’t need to contract me for a baby. As a result, I hadn’t been able to protect her. Had the trauma locked her dragon form in place?

I’d been so hopeful when Meera and Graham visited. Meera had cared for Melantha’s egg after stealing it from her ex-fiancé. She’d kept it safe and alive as she and Graham made their way from New York to Darlington. The two had been surprised to see Melantha as a dragon and not a baby, but had accepted her nonetheless.

Melantha had reacted well to them too, to Meera especially, clinging to her like a lifeline, her chest rumbling in the way little dragons did when they were content. But even with Meera’s gentle coaxing, she didn’t shift.

But every day that passed without a shift felt like a countdown. And I was running out of time.

The door opened, and Luella stepped inside, her posture straight, her expression carefully neutral. “It’s time for Melantha’s bath.”

Luella was my personal wizard’s daughter. In her early twenties, she had been spending more time here ever since she finished her schooling. It had been her father, Leroy, who first suggested she help care for Melantha. I’d preferred Elana, but when the other witch failed to contact me after the gala, I’d relented.

Luella had been eager at first, but that enthusiasm had dimmed quickly. She’d expected a human-shaped child at least some of the time, not a full-time dragon with claws and fire. As it was, she had to be protected by a fire and heat-proof magical shield at all times.

Still, she did the work.

I nodded, passing over my daughter. “Thank you.”

Luella paused before leaving, her fingers brushing my shoulder. She stood just a little too close, and the cloying scent of her perfume permeated the space between us. She reached for me, her hand on my arm. I stiffened before shrugging her off, not liking being touched without warning.

“You’re so tense, my lord.” Her voice dropped lower. “Maybe I can draw you a bath first. A soak and some oil for your wings will help.”

I frowned internally at the suggestion. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she was trying to come on to me. But the girl was young and always trying to please, so I was probably just reading into it.

“No need. Nothing a flight can’t fix.”

When the door clicked shut behind them, I exhaled and rubbed my temples. The silence was a relief, but it didn’t last.

My thoughts turned to Elana. Nowtherewas a woman I wouldn’t mind spending some alone time with. Her, and a bottle of my favorite wing oil. I shook my head. Now where had that idea come from?

Four months ago, at the gala, I hadn’t started to worry about Mellie’s human side yet. If I’d known she’d still be a dragon now, I’d have tried a lot harder to get the experienced female to be her governess. Rumor was that Seth had set the house on fire plenty of times as a child when he was still learning how to control his magic. Plus, Elana had lived at Desmon’s estate for a long time. She was used to dealing with dragons.

I should’ve spent that night at the gala making her an offer she couldn’t refuse: irresistible terms, outstanding pay, anything to secure her. Instead, I’d wasted our time alone on that balcony dancing with her, letting the moment distract me from what mattered.

I shook my head. No. I refused to call that dance a waste. I’d enjoyed every moment with her thoroughly.

But I’d squandered my chance. And now? Now I was running out of time.

And there wasn’t anyone for me to speak to about this. My sire had passed long ago, and I’d never known my mother. The demoness my sire had tasked to help raise me was gone too, bored with playing maid. I didn’t trust any of the other dragons; dragons rarely helped each other unless there was something in it for themselves. All I had were old records and hearsay.

And one brother. One brother who had plenty of opportunity to wipe me from existence should he truly wish. A brother who had a mate who would care.

Perhaps it was time to pay the only other kin I had another visit.

Chapter 5

Elana

Isatpoolsideatthe rooftop patio of the Redrock penthouse, the afternoon sun beating down on the oversized umbrellas overhead. The warm breeze carried the faint scent of gardenias from the other side of the infinity pool, and the music playing from the speaker by the tiki hut drowned out the hum of the city below.

The penthouse belonged to the gargoyle Redrock brothers and Eamon, the demon, whom they considered an honorarygargoyle. Eamon was Tansy’s mate and husband, and he was the best son-in-law a woman could ask for. The way he treated Tansy made my heart swell with happiness. He was currently playing pool boy/bartender, making sure all our drinks were topped up.

He also had Eadie, my granddaughter, strapped to his front. Eadie had tired herself out for once, a rare occurrence, and was zonked out cold.

Around me, my friends relaxed around the tiki bar, drinks in hand, their laughter and chatter filling the air. I sat on one side of the counter with Carly, Meera, and Shelby, who was Grayson the gargoyle’s mate. Tansy was helping each of us navigate the unique complexities of our magical abilities. Hence the drinks. Spell casting while tipsy often helped by relaxing the caster and letting the magic flow unhindered. Too bad my problem wasn’t magic flow at all—I had that in spades—but control.