Chapter 39
thirty-nine
BABY DRAGON
Is it confirmation that the Mir-witch has left her hotel?
Is it that surprising hug from Master Ten?
Is it knowing that there are bad men out there who hunt and hurt submissives?
Is it the reminder of Daddy Sutter’s threat to tear down Blunts?
Is it having my flight around me?
I’m not sure what it is but I am a fierce, white, baby dragon today.
After Mac takes Livvy off to daycare and Laurel arrives with her Dom, I drag Laurel upstairs.
Together, we assemble a white dragon outfit.
White thigh-highs, of course, because all outfits should start with thigh-highs.
A white, patent leather mini-skirt that I honestly never thought I’d wear outside of Blunts.
My sheer black shirt with thumb holes, because thumb holes.
“It’s my obsidian skin,” I explain to Laurel as I tug my shirt on. “Slings and arrows slide off it.”
Laurel nods. “Very important for a white dragon.”
I thought so, too.
We debate what to put over the shirt but eventually agree on a corset that I usually wear with my steam-punkier outfits like the ones I’ve been wearing to the Blunts Marketplace.
It’s white with black velvet stripes over the boning and black satin ribbons.
Laurel helps me lace up. Cat ears on top, of course, because even though I’m a baby dragon today, baby dragons need cat ears. Well, this baby dragon needs cat ears.
I check my armor in the mirror. No holes in my breast like Smaug. My collar gleams at my throat. My engagement ring glitters on my finger.
“Ready for battle,” I declare.
“Good. Let’s destroy this wolfpack. Wolves don’t stand a chance against dragons.”
I agree but that’s not who my battle is with today.
I’ve never been happier. Livvy was the addition to our family I didn’t know we needed to make it feel complete.
I can’t imagine loving any man more than I love Daddy.
And for the very first time in my life, I’m completely certain that the man I love, loves me the same way.
We fell fast for each other but our love isn’t fragile or fickle.
It’s weathered some serious storms; it’s forever.
After Ash, I didn’t think I could believe in forever-love again but Daddy convinced me.
He keeps convincing me every day. No matter what life throws our way, he won’t stop loving me.
And I won’t ever stop loving my Daddy.
But there’s been a niggle in my happiness. I’ve tried to ignore it because I want to be the bigger person. But having her show up in my safe space last night when I didn’t invite her and having her lean on Daddy for emotional support crossed a boundary.
I’m okay with him topping her with his app and their once-a-week scenes. I’ve watched enough of them to know that, for Daddy, it’s purely service topping. He’s helping Lucy explore her masochism safely.
Listening to the subbies tell their stories to True, telling her my own, I realized that I’ve been jealous not just of Lucy herself but also that she’s getting something I wish I’d had.
My first tops were good tops. They taught me a lot.
But they weren’t as wholly unselfish and caring as Daddy.
It’s an impossible standard, I know. There’s a reason Daddy’s Master of Training at one of the most prestigious lifestyle clubs in the country.
It's a jealousy I’m happy to set aside. Lucy deserves what so few of us get: a truly loving sadist. I’m happy for Daddy to continue giving her that.
I’m not happy for her to seek anything else from him, though.
They don’t have a relationship outside of the service topping.
She’s not allowed to look to him for emotional support.
She has her own friends and family for that.
Daddy might have been her friend before he withdrew from the club, and she could have been mine but when she asked him to top her outside of Blunts, she made herself not our friend.
She moved our relationship onto a different plane.
Maybe we can be friends in the future but I’m not okay with her now.
It's time she knows where the line is.
Once, this kind of situation would have sent me into a spiral.
I’d have withdrawn into a book or one of my hobbies.
I’d have let my insecurities convince me it wasn’t worth the fight.
Or I’d have let the niggle build until I exploded and provoked a confrontation.
I always come out of confrontations humiliated, diminished, and indignant.
I don’t like them but I didn’t understand how to manage myself to avoid them.
Not until Daddy.
As much as Daddy’s made a safe space for me to live my best little life in, he’s also made a safe space for me to express myself. He’s taught me how to ask for what I want without shame, without confrontation. All I have to do is tell my Daddy what I need and he’ll help me make it happen.
I don’t stomp downstairs, because even fierce, white, baby dragons are respectful of their Daddy’s staircases.
Also, I think I heard Mr. De Leon come up for a nap in my little room while I was dressing, so I don’t want to wake him.
I go arm-in-arm with Laurel. She mentions wanting to find a dragonish present from the flight for Fleur and I agree.
At the bottom of the stairs, I kiss Laurel on the cheek and tell her I’ll meet her in the kitchen.
I turn into Daddy’s office.
He’s sitting at his desk, typing something on his computer. I kneel next to his desk and wait.
After a minute, he stops typing and I hear the whoosh of a sent email. I don’t think Daddy knows how to turn off notification noises. My poor Luddite Daddy.
He turns in his chair and puts his bare feet on either side of my knees.
“That’s a spectacular outfit, baby doll. I feel like it needs a jeweled pink butt plug, though.”
Daddy and his thing for pink.
“May I be excused to get the plug, Daddy?” I ask.
“In a minute. Did you come to check on me or is there something you’d like to say?”
“Something I’d like to say.”
“You have my full attention, little girl.”
I fold my hands together in my lap and look up at him. “I’d like Lucy to leave. And I’d like to make it clear to her that I have no objection to your topping arrangement but I’d prefer that she doesn’t come over outside of your scheduled scenes. The house is my safe space. I don’t want her in it.”
Daddy rubs his chin. “Okay, sweetheart. I hear you. This is absolutely your safe space and if there’s anyone you don’t want in it, I’m happy to exclude them. In fact, I’m happy to move my remaining scenes with Lucy to the club. Can I ask what brought this on?”
“I don’t like that she came here seeking emotional support.
I know what’s going on with Fleur is upsetting for everyone.
But she shouldn’t be leaning on you for emotional support.
That’s not the relationship she asked for, nor the one you agreed to.
I feel like this is pushing the boundaries in exactly the way I told you I was afraid of at the start.
I’ve been understanding of her asking you to top her.
I’ve been the bigger person even when I’ve felt the green-eyed monster nipping at me.
I’ve obeyed your rules about being respectful to guests.
But I’m not okay with her crossing this line. ”
Daddy smiles and holds out his arms. “Come here, little girl.”
I climb up into his lap. He gives me a deep, sweet kiss, sinking his hand into my hair and holding me in that daddy way that tells me I’m safe and loved and appreciated.
“I am so proud of you, Emmy,” he breathes against my forehead when he lets me up for air.
“Because I’m a fierce, white, baby dragon wearing cat ears?”
His chuckle buzzes against my skin. “Yes, that’s exactly why. But also because I know how much courage it took for you to tell me this. You’re my wonderful, brave little girl and I am so proud of you.”
“You’re not a little mad that I’m excluding Lucy from your house?” I ask.
“Not the tiniest bit. First of all, it’s our house.
You have just as much right as I do to say who can and can’t be in our house.
Second, I’m just so proud of you for recognizing that this crossed a boundary for you and telling me that I don’t have any space in my heart to be mad.
I ask a huge amount of you, Emmy. It’s very important that you be able to say, ‘this is enough, Daddy.’ You say it so rarely, and I’m so pleased you have. ”
I squeeze his firm middle.
“Would you like me to go tell her?” Daddy asks.
“If I do it respectfully, can I?”
“Of course, sweetheart. Do you want backup?”
I consider it for a moment. “If I do it in the hallway with the office door open so you can hear me and make sure I’m saying the right things, would that be okay?”
He kisses my forehead. “It would but whatever you say will be the right thing, baby doll. This is your house, your safe space. There’s nothing wrong about asking someone who is making you uncomfortable to leave it.”
As resolute as only a baby dragon can be, I nod and climb off his lap. “With or without the butt plug?”
“Whatever will make you feel more comfortable, my sweetheart,” Daddy says, sliding his hand up my skirt to pat my bottom. “But please put it in afterwards if you decide to speak with Lucy without it.”