Page 70 of Claimed By the Dragon

Eli sighed even deeper. “I know, Dad. You’re right. I’ll ask Lucy in a bit, but for now, I’m starving.”

Grace finally jumped in as she handed the boys a snack. “When aren’t you?”

Eli stuck out his tongue, and Grace laughed. Then she leaned over and kissed Eli’s forehead before he could run away.

“Mu-um!”

Grace shrugged. “Your parents love you, and we don’t hide it.”

She then kissed Eddie’s cheek, and he merely grunted.

Eli glanced at Trahern. “You’re not going to kiss me too, are you, Dad? Please don’t.”

Trahern had been learning about young dragon boy pride, although still struggled to understand why it was embarrassing to find ways to improve or show affection for those you cared about.

Still, he readjusted Ceri and held her out. “Kiss your sister and then we won’t kiss you anymore in public today.”

Dragging his feet, Eli moved until he could kiss his sister’s cheek. Eddie did the same without asking, and then the boys darted off to the other team, and the rest of the children followed. Dawn and Grace shared a look before Grace came over to him. She kissed him quickly, then their daughter, and Trahern moved Ceri to one arm and wrapped the other around his mate’s waist.

He murmured, “I love you, Grace. And you, Ceri.”

His mate met his gaze, her eyes full of love, and she replied, “I love you more, Trahern.”

The urge to argue the point receded as Grace leaned against him and placed a hand over his arm, hugging both him and Ceri. His dragon hummed, and Trahern held his mate and daughter close, watching as his sons played in the distance, and couldn’t believe he had a family of his own to love, and who loved him back.