Page 63 of Claimed By the Dragon

Trahern tapped his forefinger and thumb against each other, and Grace gently touched his upper arm, bringing him back to the present as she asked, “Is it possible your father is still alive? Or do you think it’s an imposter?”

Hayley jumped in. “All dragon-shifters are registered with the DDA, so they confirmed the dragonman is in fact Trahern’s father. However, the DDA is still sifting through his statements, according to Evie’s DDA contacts. Regardless, a social worker is coming tomorrow to interview you both and ensure the boys are well.”

Grace narrowed her eyes. “How dare they! My boys are well-loved and cared for, and anyone on Stonefire can vouch for it!”

Hayley laid a hand on Grace’s arm. “I know, Grace. The good news is that I’ve dealt with DDA custody battles before. And because of the database I’ve built, which is nearly done and mostly functional, I have a lot of former custody disputes and battles to pour through and use as precedent.”

Hayley was a former solicitor and, together with her mate, Nathan Woodhouse, had been building a database of laws related to dragon-shifters in the UK. In the past, thedecentralization of such information had made battling the DDA difficult. He’d always admired her initiative.

Trahern said, “I can help as well. No, I’m not a lawyer, but I’m good at spotting details, and I remember almost everything I read. It could help speed things up.”

“Thank you,” Hayley said with a smile. “I could use your help. But first, I need you to reach out to Snowridge and see who can give character statements for you, as well as who can confirm your father’s past actions and behaviors. I don’t know everything, but just his official DDA record alone tells me he’s not a paragon of society.”

Grace took his hand and threaded her fingers through his. “I can help you with anything you need, Trahern. Together, we’ll win this. You’ll see.”

His clever, beautiful, strong mate.“My father has added yet another reason for me to dislike him.”

“Because he’s trying to rip apart your new family?”

“Yes, but also because it means I can’t fully claim my mate tonight like I want to.”

Grace kissed him, and Hayley looked away.

Once his mate pulled back, she whispered, “At least it gives us time to find someone to watch the boys for a night, right?”

He smiled. “Still looking for the bright side?”

“Someone has to.”

As much as he wanted to tease his mate some more, he focused and asked Hayley, “What do I need to do? Tell me the order of importance and exactly what you’re looking for from Snowridge, and I’ll get started right away.”

And as he, Grace, and Hayley formulated a plan, Trahern vowed to solve this as quickly as possible. His mate and sons deserved happiness, and he was determined to give it to them.

But first, he was going to put his past with his father behind him, once and for all.

Chapter Twenty-One

After ten days of nonstop activity and chaos, Grace sat in a large room next to Trahern, waiting for the arbiter to enter.

From what she’d learned from Hayley, the DDA ran the dragon-shifter custody hearings in lieu of judges. Which meant no wigs or robes or any of the traditional stuff she’d seen on TV shows.

Still, despite how her heart raced and palms sweated, Grace stole another glance at Trahern. He was always handsome, but seeing him in a suit made her want to drag him into a dark corner and have her way with him.

And yet, as he tugged at the top button again, she knew how the formal clothing didn’t “feel right against his skin.” However, Hayley had cautioned that to appear in his normal clothes would be disrespectful and might harm their case.

So Trahern had donned the clothes he described as scratchy, hot, and too tight.

He willingly made himself uncomfortable to help her and her boys.

Oh, how she loved her dragonman, for so many reasons.

Under the table they sat at, she took his hand and squeezed. His flashing eyes met hers, and she smiled.

Trahern stopped tugging at the button and squeezed her hand back.

Whispers from the back of the room garnered Grace’s attention, and she turned to see a woman in her early 50s with light tan skin, black hair, and dark eyes walk up the aisle and sit down at the table on the opposite side.

She never once looked in Grace’s direction.