She’s surprised,his bear observed with a twinge of sadness.Who left her before?
Leo pushed the thought aside, unwilling to let anything dim the glow of this moment. “I was thinking about making breakfast,” he said instead. “For you and Adara.”
Surprise flickered across Estelle’s face. “You cook too?”
“I’m a Thornberg,” he replied with a smile. “We take food seriously.”
A small voice called from down the hall. “Mama? Is it time to get up?”
Estelle’s expression softened instantly, the way it always did at the sound of her daughter’s voice. “Yes. It’s morning time,” she called back. Then, to Leo, in a lower voice, “I should go to her.”
Leo nodded, reluctantly letting her slip from his arms. He watched as she pulled on a robe, tying it securely around her waist, suddenly shy in a way she hadn’t been last night. The contradiction charmed him—this fierce dragon shifter who would face down danger without flinching if it threatened her child, yet blushed in the pale morning light.
“I’ll start the coffee,” he offered, reaching for his jeans.
Estelle paused at the door, glancing back at him with an expression that made his chest tighten. “This is strange,” she admitted quietly.
“Good strange?” he asked, suddenly uncertain.
She nodded slowly. “Good strange. Just... new.”
Then she was gone, her footsteps light as she moved down the hall to Adara’s room. Leo heard the murmur of their voices, Adara’s excited chatter, and Estelle’s hushed responses. This was what it was like to be part of a family.
This could be every morning,his bear said wistfully.This could be our life.
Leo allowed himself to imagine it as he dressed. Waking up with Estelle, making breakfast for her and Adara, building routines and traditions together. Not just passion and mate-bond intensity, but the quiet, ordinary moments that made up a life. The thought filled him with a longing so sharp it almost hurt.
In the kitchen, he found coffee and started a pot, then began exploring the groceries he’d brought the day before. By the time Estelle appeared with Adara—the little girl still in pajamas, herhair adorably mussed from sleep—Leo had eggs whisked and bread ready for French toast.
“Leo!” Adara exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. “You’re still here!”
“I am,” he agreed, smiling at her enthusiasm. “I thought I’d make breakfast. Do you like French toast?”
Adara nodded vigorously, clutching Fizz to her chest. “With syrup? And berries?”
“Absolutely, with syrup and berries,” Leo confirmed, glancing at Estelle for permission.
She nodded, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “Coffee first,” she said, reaching for the mug he’d already poured for her.
The next hour passed in a bubble of domestic contentment that felt both new and oddly easy. Adara chattered about her dragon dreams—“Fizz and me were flying over mountains with lots of snow!”—while Leo cooked and Estelle set the table. They ate together, Adara’s legs swinging beneath her chair as she demolished her French toast with the single-minded focus of a hungry child.
See?his bear said smugly.Perfect. She already accepts us.
Leo couldn’t disagree. There was something remarkable about how easily Adara had folded him into her morning, as if she’d been expecting him all along. No wariness, no jealousy—just easy acceptance that warmed him to his core.
As he watched Estelle helping Adara wipe sticky syrup from her fingers, a realization hit him with sudden clarity: he wanted this. Not just the mate bond, not just Estelle in his bed, but this—a family, a home, the chance to protect and provide for both of them.
The thought was interrupted by the chime of his phone. Leo pulled it from his pocket, glancing at the screen with a frown.
“Everything okay?” Estelle asked, instantly alert.
“Just my brother,” Leo replied, scanning the message. “Reminding me about deliveries today. I’m supposed to be at the restaurant in...” He checked the time. “About an hour.”
The warm little world around them seemed to thin slightly. Reality—the world beyond this cottage, with its schedules and obligations and other people—was tapping him on the shoulder.
“You have to go,” Estelle said, not quite making it a question.
“Soon,” Leo admitted reluctantly. “But I’ll come back tonight, if that’s okay?”
