He could've deflected like he usually did when people asked him about his self-imposed solitude. However, unlike with others, Dawn asking him didn't turn Blake defensive or make him want to ignore the whole matter. No, if she was willing to endure his dragon during the frenzy, then she deserved an answer. "White dragons are rare, but a white dragon with any other sort of special marking is almost unheard of. They're called unicorn dragons, and stories say that if you ever can find one, that you should ask to see their unique marking, touch it, and make a wish. It'll bring good luck and maybe even your greatest desire to life."
Blake did his best not to remember a lifetime of people trying to corner him somewhere so they could convince him to shift, touch his spot, and make a wish.
She whispered, "You're a unicorn dragon, aren't you?"
He nodded. "As a child, the ot
her kids made fun of me constantly after my first shift in class. Children are so curious about what their dragon will be like, look like, and act like that it makes them a little insecure. Anything out of the ordinary is pounced upon to make themselves feel better.
"I didn't understand that as a child, of course, and just tried to hide away from everyone when I could. And to be honest, it became much worse as I grew up. Adults won't try to accost a child, but you'd be amazed at what someone will do to an adult unicorn dragon to get a chance at making a wish."
Dawn moved even closer while remaining about a foot away. There was a mixture of anger and sadness in her gaze. "What exactly did they do to you?"
He shrugged. "Nothing criminal, mind you. But pretty much my whole adult life dragon-shifters have tried a variety of ways to get me to shift. To say I gave up on dating or finding a mate was an understatement. No one could get past my dragon form, so I isolated myself and devoted myself to my work."
"That's horrible."
He searched her gaze. "Yes. Although you had no idea about anything related to my dragon form and you still found ways to make me smile the night of the play. And I somehow don't think the strangely colored food activity was a ploy to get me to shift, either."
She laughed. "No, that would've required some better-tasting food, for sure." Dawn moved the table away but didn't quite close the distance between them. She added, "I do want to see your dragon some day, but that's just because he's part of you. You could be bright pink and I wouldn't care, although I'm sure Daisy would love that."
His lips twitched. "I've never heard of a pink dragon, and to be honest, I'm not sure I'd want to be one. But a pink dragon wouldn't be a unicorn. It'd be more like another mythical creature. Say, a Pegasus."
"I hope another dragon color, like rainbow, doesn't show up because there aren't any more horse-like mythical creatures I can think of off the top of my head."
He full-on grinned. "Don't mention that to the Scottish dragon clan. The kelpie is quite famous up there, even if they are malevolent."
The kelpie was a mythical Scottish creature that often appeared in the form of a horse near streams and rivers. The outcome was usually in the kelpie's favor and bad for the humans who fell under their spell.
She chuckled. "I forgot about them. And I've even seen those two giant horse head sculptures called The Kelpies on the drive between Edinburgh and Stirling once. Maybe I need to see just how many different kind of horse-like mythical creatures there are. You know, to keep a list handy in case we need some more names."
He snorted—Blake couldn't remember the last time he'd done it so often in a conversation—and wondered what strange names the human would bestow on any dragon with even one tiny speck of another color in their hides.
And just like that, Dawn had relaxed him and made him smile despite sharing how strange his life had been as a white dragon with a black spot.
He'd been skeptical of true mates for a long time, but Blake was starting to think fate had been right in his case.
Sobering, Blake decided they needed to get back on topic. "That's a fun project you could do with Daisy. However, let's circle back to the part where you said you wanted to go through the frenzy with me. Are you absolutely certain?"
Dawn bobbed her head. "Yes. I went through all the reasons in my head earlier about what it would mean for Daisy, for me, and our lives in general. Daisy wants to live on Stonefire, and I'm far more open to it now. And spending more time with you hasn't scared me away or made me want to flee but rather quite the opposite. So what needs to be done to get the frenzy started?"
Maybe some would laugh at Dawn's naïveté regarding her question, but not Blake. It showed him that she made goals and saw them through. What male wouldn't respect that?
He motioned toward the mobile phone on the small stand next to his bed. "I'll need to call Bram and have a cottage set up for us. Mine is too remote, and we need to be closer to everyone for your sake."
She searched his gaze. "What do you mean for my sake?"
He shrugged. "Some humans scare easily when the dragon half comes out. And if you want to leave, others will need to ensure you can. Whilst my human half will fight to let you go, my dragon may not be so easily tamed."
"Oh."
He laid his hand an inch from Dawn's on the bed, loving how he could feel the heat of her skin even if they weren't touching. "I hope you won't run, though. I like you, Dawn. And it'd be nice to date you some more."
She smiled, vanquishing any anxiety that had been lingering on her face. "Maybe some would think it strange, but I did it all the right way before—dating, engagement, wedding, child—and it didn't work out. Perhaps I need to do it out of order. It'll certainly make things interesting."
Blake barely resisted closing the distance between them and kissing her.
He needed to call Bram ASAP and get everything in motion so he could do that, and more, to his beautiful human. "Then quickly eat a little of what you brought before getting something warm at the clan's restaurant. I'll call Bram and take care of everything."