Daisy hadn’t slept long—maybe an hour at the most. Sleeping off the initial exhaustion, she couldn’t stay asleep with her mind racing. Her blue-gray eyes stared blankly at a painting he had on one of the walls. It was a plain white canvas with paints of gray, gold, and burgundy splashed onto it with aggressive brush strokes and careless splatters. She couldn’t shake Evryn’s words, thinking back over every little detail he had said about her father. Although it seemed like the only explanation to her being Nyle’s mate, and the burn she got from the blade, it just didn’t feel real.

It was possible that her mother, Cassandra, could give her a better idea about her father’s identity. It had been such a sore subject for her mom that Daisy had seldom asked about him growing up.

She lay wide awake in bed for a couple of hours staring at the painting and listening to Nyle’s calm breathing as she remained trapped in her thoughts. When the clock read three o’clock, she couldn’t take it anymore. Daisy cautiously rose from the bed, being careful with her weight distribution so that she didn’t stir Nyle. Making her way over to the shopping bags from the prior afternoon, she plucked an outfit from the bag. The shopping trip felt like it had happened weeks ago. She pulled out a pair of gray skinny jeans. She slid them on along with a thin lavender blouse, and a black and white peacoat. Daisy pulled her hair up into a bun and found her handbag before heading to the door. As she opened the door, Daisy paused and looked back to Nyle.

With the moonlight coming through the windows, his pale skin looked like marble, truly making him look like a god walking among them. He slept soundly, his chest rising and falling with each deep breath; his snow-white hair tousled from his restful sleep. For a moment, she was tempted to stay, to crawl back into bed with him and simply enjoy being in his presence for a while longer, but Daisy knew she wouldn’t be able to relax, even if she wanted to. What if he woke up while she was gone? Thinking quickly, she reached into her bag and pulled out one of her company cards and a pen.

Couldn’t sleep, so I’m going to my mom’s for a little bit. I’ll be back in a couple of hours. xoxo, Daisy

Tiptoeing to her side of the bed, she laid the card on her pillow so that he would see it if he woke up. Taking one last look at him, Daisy left the room. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she realized she wouldn’t be able to get back into the apartment without his keys. Daisy didn’t want to take them without permission, but she would be back in just a little while. And he was sleeping, so it wasn’t like he had to go anywhere. She reluctantly grabbed them from the counter before heading to the door.

Daisy walked onto her mother’s porch and hesitated briefly before ringing the doorbell. She knew her mother would be annoyed that she was coming by so early in the morning, but she needed to talk to her. The rather high-pitched bell rang through the house twice before she could hear someone shuffling around from inside. The light on the porch turned on, and the curtains on the door parted before the door opened. Her mother stood in her robe, her wild red hair pulled back in a ponytail, and heavy bags drooped under her eyes.

“Daisy? Sweetheart, what are you doing out in the middle of the night? Is everything okay?” Cassandra croaked to her daughter, motioning for her to come into the house.

“I couldn’t sleep,” she said, walking in and beelining for the living room. Her mother’s home was spacious, but cluttered because it was filled with collections and trinkets. Cassie never seemed to collect any one thing in particular, having a wide range of different niche items. Bird houses, metal art made from car parts, vintage teapots—the home was a museum that should be named Things That Caught Cassie’s Eye. Almost every wall was adorned with a picture from Daisy’s youth. The house always made her feel at home.

“So, you walked here in the middle of the night?” her mother asked, criticism hinting in her tone.

“No, I took a taxi. I needed to ask you about something,” Daisy explained as she plopped down on her mother’s couch.

“Hold on, let me put on some coffee,” Cassie grumbled, shuffling into the kitchen.

Daisy rubbed her own tired eyes, realizing then just how little she had slept the past couple nights. After a few minutes, her mother moved back to the living room with two cups of creamy, sugar-laden coffee. Cassie sat next to her daughter and handed her a cup.

They each took a few revitalizing sips before Cassie finally spoke, “All right, so what is it you need to ask me?”

Daisy stared down into her mug, trying to work up the nerve to ask about her father. Her mother had always been short and dismissive when the topic came up.

She let out a full exhale before getting the courage to look at her mother. “I… I want to know more about my dad. Is there anything else you know about him that you haven’t told me?”

Cassandra’s face immediately fell flat as he pinched the bridge of her nose. “You came here in the middle of the night to ask about your father?”

“I know, I know. I’m sorry, but it’s important. I need to know if there’s anything else you know about him that you never told me.”

“Daisy Ophelia!” her mother exclaimed in a frustrated tone, calling her by her middle name. “I’ve told you every time you’ve asked; I didn’t know much about him either. I was young and dumb and was just having fun with him because I thought he was hot. He hung around for the checkups and then left the night you were born. I haven’t seen him in twenty-two years.”

“Mom,” Daisy groaned. “I’m not asking you to get on your nerves, and I’m not saying you’re hiding anything from me. Please just let me know if you can recall anything about him other than gray eyes and curly black hair.”

Cassandra placed her forehead in her hand, groaning as she tried to keep her cool. “I don’t know, sweetheart… He liked psychedelic rock like I did and always talked about climate change. Forrest was very quiet and calm for the most part, though. I always suspected he lied to me about his name. He loved nature and being outdoors, and his name reflected that. I’m pretty sure his love for nature is why he insisted on naming you Daisy.”

Daisy felt a little defeated, having known all that information before.

“Oh,” her mother said suddenly, looking off into the distance deep in thought, “And he had these dreadful blue tribal tattoos everywhere. Really, I don’t know how I got past that. Tribal tattoos were big in the early nineties, though. It seemed like every guy had at least some tribal ink. Your father was on another level, though. Apparently very dedicated to the style. And he got so mad the couple of times I tried to tease him about them.”

Her blue-gray eyes were near perfect circles as they were wide with shock. Nyle’s words about Elementals having tribal markings rung through her head. She felt like she could faint again. So, it was even more realistic that her father was an Elemental Dragon?

“You never mentioned the tattoos before,” Daisy muttered weakly.

“Probably because I tried to cleanse them from my memory,” her mother tried to joke before she glanced up to her daughter, her face falling. “Daisy, are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Daisy lied. “Yes, I’m okay. You know, I just remembered I have to be at the office at six. I have to get going so I can get ready.”

It was Saturday, and she didn’t have to work. She stood quickly, putting her coffee down on the table. “I’m sorry I woke you up for nothing.”

“Hey, hey, settle down. Hang out while you wait for a ride. And don’t worry about waking me up. It’s nice to see my daughter every once in a while, even at four in the morning,” her mother tried to soothe with a chuckle, pulling her daughter in for a big hug.

Daisy gave into her mother’s embrace. She’d forgotten how comfortable she felt in her mother’s arms. When she pulled back from the hug, Daisy sat back down and sighed deeply, trying to pull herself together. She called a taxi.

“Where did you get this outfit, by the way? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in it. It’s so cute on you,” her mother gushed.

It relieved Daisy to hear such a normal question; the last couple of days had really tested her sanity. Then Daisy realized she hadn’t told her mother about Nyle.

“A guy I’ve been seeing bought it for me,” she said meekly.

“A guy you’ve been seeing?” Cassie gasped. “You woke me up in the middle of the night. The least you could have done was tell me that there’s a new man in your life!” she teased her daughter. “Now, you know I have to hear all the details before you leave.”

Daisy went on to tell her mother everything she could about Nyle. About the way she felt when she first met him, how well he treated her, and how gentle he was, and how attentive he acted towards her. The entire time she spoke, she was a blushing mess. She must have sounded like a schoolgirl or something, as there was no logical explanation for having such strong feelings for someone so quickly. However, when Daisy finished talking, her mother was smiling ear to ear.

“You know, the old me would have criticized you for being so involved with this man right away, but I haven’t seen you smile this big in a long time. He’s clearly making you happy. So, I’m not going to question it. Though of course, you’ll have to bring him by one day so I can do my interrogation,” her mother laughed.

“Of course,” Daisy smiled. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, drawing it out to see that her car had arrived. Twenty minutes had gone by already?

The two women stood and embraced yet again, giving one another cheek kisses and promising to visit each other soon. Daisy walked out of the house, her mind settled a bit after such a warm conversation with her mother—though the thought of her biological father being an Elemental Dragon hadn’t left her mind entirely. She made her way to the taxi and climbed in the back. She gave a heavy sigh and relaxed into her seat. Luckily it was only a twenty-five-minute ride to Nyle’s, and then she could get back into bed with him and sleep.

Daisy didn’t make it more than a block down the road before her head leaned against the window with her eyes fluttering closed. She felt the car slow down as it came to a stop sign to get out of her mother’s suburban neighborhood. As the driver pulled out onto the next road, she heard the sound of an engine speeding nearby.

Her eyes looked up to see a black SUV closing in on them, going full speed. “Oh my—!” she began to screech.

SLAM.

She was deafened by the sound of crushing metal and squealing tires as the taxi was pushed into a nearby tree. The SUV had collided with the opposite side of Daisy, but the car hit the tree between the driver’s side doors, the frame of the car crushed inward. Metal from the door and the floorboard left Daisy trapped in place, but luckily nothing felt broken. The left side of her forehead and her arm were cut and scratched by the glass from her broken window. Her vision was blurred and doubled, from tears and hitting her head against the window when the two cars collided.

Daisy was thankful to be alive and conscious, though, knowing that if the car had hit her side, she’d probably be dead. Her first thoughts were on the driver, looking over to him. He looked unconscious; his head lay against his headrest with a large gash in it. Daisy managed to unfasten her seatbelt, the thing nearly cutting into her it was so tight. She sat up and tapped his shoulder.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

Then, she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. Looking out the shattered windows, Daisy watched as two tall, dark-haired men get out of the black SUV and slowly stalked toward the car. Her blood ran cold. Could they be Elementals? No; she was just letting her mind run wild.

Another car pulled up to the scene, an antique car in pristine condition, waxed and polished. The men stopped in their tracks. She watched as a woman with short ash-blonde hair emerged from the driver seat of the car, a cigarette between her lips. Mylora. It had to be her. Daisy’s eyes widened, desperately trying to reach her purse that had fallen to the other side of the backseat. With her leg pinned in place, though, she couldn’t quite reach it. Damn it!

Her attention went back to the driver, tapping him rapidly on the shoulder, “Mister? Can you hear me? Are you awake?” she asked him frantically, continuing to shake his shoulder.

The man grunted, indicating he was alive, but he didn’t answer. Daisy’s eyes went back out the window. Mylora walked directly toward the car.

“Please, please, please wake up,” she begged the man.

“Good morning, honey,” Mylora cooed to Daisy when she poked her head through the busted window. “Sorry about all this. It must make me seem like a colossal bitch, huh?”

The woman gave a cackle of a laugh, withdrawing herself from the window. Daisy watched as Mylora grabbed the door handle and pulled. The door was caved in, and it looked like it needed the jaws of life to open it. But in just one strong tug, Mylora managed to get the door open. The metal screeched as it scraped against the other bent metal to get free.

How was she so strong? Were all dragons that strong?

“Ah, right here. I don’t even have to dig for it,” Mylora grinned, grabbing Daisy’s purse, along with the items that had fallen from the bag. “Don’t worry, these fellas will get you out and keep you real safe.”

Daisy’s eyes went back to the men as Mylora walked away. The men pried Daisy’s door off with minimal effort. To her, their silver eyes were ominous, reminding her of a snake. The two men didn’t say a word to her. Instead, they moved to effortlessly bend the metal that was trapping her leg. As soon as the metal trapping her was removed, she pulled her leg from it and kicked the man closest to her in the face before quickly trying to climb to the other side of the car. A ferocious growl sounded from him, and the man quickly seized her leg before she could get too far. In a single pull, Daisy was dragged from the car, tiny pieces of glass scraping and digging into her skin as she was raked across the seat. The man threw her onto the grass on the side of the road, pinning his knee into the center of her back. Daisy tried to scream for help, but as she lifted her head to scream, the other man slid a black bag over her face that was soaked with chloroform. The smell was sweet and pungent, and Daisy gagged as she inhaled it with every breath. She struggled against their hold, but she could feel her consciousness beginning to slip. Her efforts were futile.