And it never would’ve been possible without Poppy.
As I smiled at Hope, she smiled back—and every time, it struck me how much she resembled her daddy. She was a little copy of him except for her gleaming violet eyes. Those were mine.
“She has plenty of toys to chew on,” Poppy pointed out. He sat on the floor next to me. He preferred to stay close since Hope was young, energetic, and loved getting into mischief—a trait that, apparently, all canine shifters shared.
He reached over and grabbed a plush toy, one of many from my hoard. This one was a red fox. When Poppy offered it to Hope, she sniffed it before totally ignoring it.
“I told you she hates plushies,” I said with a snort. It was terribly ironic that my own daughter turned her nose up at the object of her dad’s hoard.
“She doesn’thatethem, she’s just indifferent,” Poppy said, congenial as ever. He picked up a lion instead. “Let’s try a different one.”
Hope didn’t look twice at the lion plush. She was far more interested in my t-shirt.
I snorted and gently redirected her. “No way, kiddo. You lost your chance at exploring my clothes when you chewed a hole in my leather jacket.”
Hope licked her lips. There wasn’t a scrap of remorse on her angelic face. No doubt it tasted like stale beef jerky, and I knew she’d take another bite if given the chance.
Poppy chuckled. “It’s a good thing Taylor’s around. He patched it up before you could throw a full-blown fit.”
“I was not gonna have a fit...” Upon Poppy’s amused stare, I muttered, “Okay, maybe a small one.”
“Maybe she’ll grow up to hoard clothes with holes in them,” Poppy joked.
I cackled, imagining the reaction of a certain brother of mine. “Oh, I’m sure Uncle Crimson wouldlovethat. But what makes you think she’ll have a hoard?”
“Even if she’s wolf-shaped, sheishalf dragon,” Poppy pointed out, scratching her chin. “Who knows how she’ll change when she grows up?”
“Fair enough. We’re responsible for producing a lot of half dragons in this family, huh?” I ruffled Hope’s fur, making her squirm and paw playfully at my fingers. “Wonder what they’ll all be like when they grow up.”
Their faces floated in my mind: Crimson, Heather, Lazuli, Kiara, Desiree, Mint, Jaki, Andri... and now, Hope.
Nine children. Nine of the sweetest little kids in the world. And I loved nothing more than watching them run around and play.
Well, not as much as I loved Poppy, obviously.
“By the way,” I said, glancing at my mate. “If all the couples were there when Hope was born, then who was watching the kids?”
“Taylor said Gaius volunteered,” Poppy replied.
“Gaius?” I blurted, shocked. “He watchedninekids? And nobody died? And the house didn’t catch on fire? And nothing of any consequence occurred?”
Poppy laughed. “He’s notthatirresponsible. Give him a little credit. He raised all of you, didn’t he?”
I blinked slowly as Poppy’s comment sank in. “Wait. What did you just say?”
Poppy’s eyes widened and he blushed from cheeks to ears, as if guilty. “Uh oh... I don’t think I was supposed to mention that,” he said under his breath.
“Huh?”
“Never mind!”
I furrowed my brow in confusion, unsure of what Poppy meant or why he was suddenly acting cagey about it. I was about to question him when a yellow dragonet and a polar bear cub ran into the room, screeching with laughter, then barreled into me. I lifted Hope out of the way just in time before her cousins ran her over in their exuberance.
“Oof. Hey, Andri, Jaki, what’re you boys doing here?” I asked. They carried the distinct scent of baked goods on their fur. “Mm... Is something yummy happening in the kitchen?”
The boys nodded vigorously.
Rorik poked his head into the living room, nodding at Poppy and I. “Hey, you two. We’re trying out the official Mrs. Sara blueberry muffin recipe today. Want to join?”
