Page 1 of The Dragon’s Surprise (Tahoe Dragon Mates #7)
Chapter One
A lexis “Lexi” Sakamoto parked her car in front of a two-story building on a mountain in the Greater Lake Tahoe area, shut off the ignition, and took a deep breath. Remember, don’t yell at the dragonman as soon as you see him. That won’t help anyone, but especially not the boy.
“Lexi?”
She turned around until she could look at the child in the backseat. His big, green eyes were uncertain, and almost afraid.
Not that she could blame him. Ethan Jones had been abandoned by his mother two weeks ago, left at the dragon orphanage as soon as she’d given up any parental rights.
Apparently, she’d believed the child to be her husband’s and not the one-night stand she’d had during a short breakup seven years ago.
The one she’d had with a dragon-shifter.
As the young boy’s pupils flashed between round and slitted, he closed his eyes and held his head. “He’s so loud, Lexi. Tell him to stop.”
Her heart clenched at his confusion and pain. His inner dragon speaking to him for the first time—a kind of second personality inside his head—right before his mother had abandoned him probably only reminded Ethan of why he was visiting a dragon-shifter clan today.
Lexi had no idea how his mother had been able to give him up since Ethan was an amazing little boy.
However, cursing his mother would do nothing, so Lexi reached back to pat his leg and said, “I know he’s loud, Ethan.
But the people here understand you and can help you learn how to talk with your dragon.
And just wait. I bet you and your inner dragon will be best friends before you know it. ”
He let go of his head, his pupils staying round, and frowned. “But Mommy said I need to ignore him and make him go away. Or, at least...”
He trailed off and stared out the window as he fidgeted with his seat belt. Lexi’s heart ached, knowing firsthand what it was like to be abandoned by a mother at a young age and to constantly wonder what you’d done wrong.
No. The boy had done nothing wrong. He was half dragon-shifter, and since the gene was always dominant, he’d had no choice in the matter.
And while the father had never known of his existence, she’d never heard back from any of the emails or messages she’d left. And usually if the Dragon Orphan Care System—or DOCS—left a message, most dragon-shifters would return the call or email.
However, not Dr. Kyle Baker.
Focusing on Ethan, she asked, “Are you finally ready to meet a dragon-shifter?”
He looked down, swinging his feet. “I guess.”
By all accounts, when Ethan had first been left at the orphanage, he’d thought his mother would be right back. He’d been friendly, cheerful, and interested in painting or coloring or anything artistic.
But as it sunk in that his mother wasn’t coming back, Lexi had tried her best to keep his spirits up. She wished she could take him home, give him some love, and help him adjust.
However, the inner dragon half started talking to their human halves around ages five or six. And without guidance, it could spell disaster later on with a rogue dragon, one that didn’t listen and could end up getting the dragon-shifter killed.
So she’d had no choice but to come here, to Clan MirrorPeak, and hope Ethan’s biological father would help him. Or if not him specifically, at least the clan as a whole, since all the long-term DOCS facilities were full.
Okay, time to finally meet with Ethan’s father and see why he’s been ignoring me.
Lexi grabbed her purse, exited the car, and went around to take Ethan out of his booster seat.
As soon as she shut the door, he took her hand.
Lexi squeezed his fingers and smiled down at him.
“Come on. Like I said, I’ll be here for at least a few weeks.
I’m going to make sure you’re happy and settled before I leave. Okay?”
He bobbed his head even as his eyes were wary.
She wanted to hug the little boy, and yet, part of her job was to avoid getting overly attached.
Reminding herself that she couldn’t give every dragon-shifter orphan a home and that her job helped so many, she gently tugged Ethan’s hand and entered Clan MirrorPeak’s main security building.
Dr. Kyle Baker finished the last of his paperwork for the day and stretched his arms above his head.
His inner dragon spoke up. Does this mean we can go flying for a bit? It’s been days.
Sorry, dragon. After this morning, I’m too tired.
Eli is doing well, though.
He’ll live, yes. But the rest is going to take time…
His beast huffed. That’s in the future, though. A small break away from the clan, in the air, will do us good.
Our job isn’t to abandon patients for personal time.
It’s not just personal, it’s essential. You barely act like a dragon-shifter most days.
Before he could argue back, there was a knock on his office door and the face of his boyhood friend, Daniel Torres, appeared. He entered, shut the door, crossed his arms over his chest, and studied him with his dark brown eyes. Something was up.
Kyle raised an eyebrow. “What now?”
“Did you receive anything from DOCS?”
“The dragon orphan system? No, why should I? No one’s adopted recently, have they?”
Daniel nodded toward his computer. “Check. Now.”
Kyle may have been friends with Daniel when they were younger, but the male was now a Protector and part of clan security.
And while Kyle wanted to ask what the hell he was talking about, he opened his email and did a search.
Four emails came up from a female named Lexi Sakamoto, the titles getting more over-the-top as they went:
Please respond immediately
This is urgent and needs your attention
Ignoring me again will result in consequences
Last warning before I show up at your doorstep unannounced
He clicked the last email and scanned the contents:
Dr. Baker,
As discussed previously, a young boy was tested, and the DNA proves he’s your son.
Since you’ve ignored all of my emails, as well as messages I left at your clinic’s front desk, I will show up on Clan MirrorPeak at the time and date below.
I’ll stay for two or three weeks, and we’ll discuss more when we get there.
Evade me again and the American Department of Dragon Affairs will get involved.
He blinked, ignoring the rest. “Son?”
Daniel snorted. “Caught that part, did you?”
His gaze shot to Daniel’s. “What the fuck is she talking about?”
“You’re the one who has one-night stands with human females every six months or so. And given how you love percentages, you should know no form of birth control is 100 percent effective, apart from abstinence.”
He stood and growled. “It’s been over a year since my last encounter. And I’m always careful.”
“That may be, but I’ve seen the boy, and there’s no doubt he’s yours, Kyle.” His voice softened. “His mother abandoned him as soon as his inner dragon started talking to him.”
“But that means…”
“Yes, he’s six years old.”
He tried to remember back seven years, but all he recalled was a hazy female with blonde hair.
She would’ve told him she was pregnant and kept the child. Wouldn’t she have?
His inner beast spoke up. DNA doesn’t lie. Let’s at least meet him.
Ignoring his dragon, he looked back at Daniel. “Surely someone else can look after him. I’ll provide anything he needs when it comes to clothes or food or the like. But I don’t have time to look after a child.”
“Rio already said you were coming to meet him.”
Rio Alvaro was their clan leader, and the only person who outranked Kyle inside MirrorPeak, which meant he had no choice.
His inner dragon spoke up. Stop dragging your feet. If this boy is with DOCS, it means his mother gave him up. He’s probably scared.
I don’t doubt that. But I don’t have time to raise him. It’d be unfair to the boy, as well as to our patients.
When will you stop letting what happened in our first year as a doctor rule your life?
Not wanting to talk about how his foolishness had nearly killed someone, Kyle discarded his white lab coat and replied to Daniel, “Fine, I’ll go and speak with Miss Sakamoto about his care. I’m sure we can find a solution.”
Daniel, who had mated a human and was expecting his first child soon, narrowed his eyes. “He’s a little boy, lost and alone, not a book you can hand off to someone else.”
“I’m the only doctor here, Daniel. I can’t afford to be distracted or take time off to settle him in since I have to look after the entire clan. And after what I had to do this morning to save Eli, I’d think you’d understand my priorities.”
Before the dragonman could utter a reply, Kyle walked past Daniel, toward the clinic’s exit.
He’d make sure the boy had everything he needed and then find a solution that worked for everyone.
That was the only way he could protect his clan while also working toward redemption for the mistake he’d made when he’d been young and selfish.