Roman froze when Pierre appeared in the doorway. “Oh! I didn’t realize the omega was still here. I heard you were baking and thought you might need some assistance.”
I frowned at him. Surely he had known. Had he thought I would send Roman away in favor of him? Hopefully one of my other dragon friends would be interested in taking him on. He’d become far too attached to me. “As you can see, we are finished baking now, but I will be taking Roman upstairs soon. Could you box up these cookies and see that the staff all get some?”
Pierre started to scowl but schooled his face quickly. “Yes, sir. Of course. Any way I can help.”
I gave him a few seconds, but he made no move to leave. “I will send for you when we are finished here.”
Without another word, he spun around and stalked off.
“I turned back to my mate. I’m sorry about that. If you need space, you can have a room of your own here. You can have whatever you need as long as you let me protect you and our baby.”
When Roman looked up, there was joy on his face again, and I knew I didn’t just want him there because he was my mate. I loved him and the way he accepted me and all my quirks.
“I want you to care for me, and I know we’ll both do everything possible to protect our child. I just need to know I’m not completely trapped.”
I laid my hand against his abdomen again, letting the warmth of my magic touch the child growing inside. “You’re my mate, not my prisoner. I truly do not wish you to be here against your will.”
“I’m not. I want to be your mate and the father of your child.”
With those words, I surely became the happiest dragon in existence. I’d pleased my mate, and we were going to have a whelp of our own. If my mate needed to leave our nest to work in the village, surely I could learn to live with that.
9
Roman
Work was insane for the next few weeks. My shifts were long, and the store was packed as people scurried to finish their holiday shopping. I was so tired. I came home each evening barely able to drag myself into the giant house that I was slowly starting to think of as home.
At first, I continued to protest Laszlo posting a bodyguard outside the shop, but I’d become very thankful for his driver being there to pick me up. If I’d had to drive home, I would surely have fallen asleep at the wheel. I’d already dozed off a few times on my lunch break and once while standing behind the counter.
I’d heard people say pregnancy was exhausting, but I’d had no idea how utterly drained I’d feel. I needed a day off, but after taking so many for my heat, I was scheduled every day through Christmas Eve. Laszlo reminded me daily that I didn’t have to go to work, that he would be happy for me to stay home and nest as dragon mates traditionally did, but I couldn’t let myself do that. I’d sworn I wouldn’t allow myself to be dependent on anyone. When I’d believed I couldn’t make it without my family’s backing, I’d gone to the college they’d chosen, majored in pre-med like I’d been expected to, and hated every minute of it. I’d finally decided I’d rather have nothing and be on my own than be forced into a box by someone else.
Unlike my family, Laszlo let me decide what was right for me. I knew he didn’t want me to go to work, but he never tried to stop me, not even when I was obviously falling asleep over my dinner.
If I could just make it until Christmas, I would have three days off. Three glorious days to do nothing but snuggle with Laszlo and let him spoil me. I might finally get enough sleep that I had the energy for more of the wildly delicious sex like we’d had during my heat. Every morning when I woke with him wrapped around me, my body reacted, telling me I wanted him, but I was so tired I hadn’t felt like following through. He’d been understanding, and he’d told me that later in pregnancy dragon mates tended to feel almost as needy as they did during heat. Right then, I would have gladly welcomed the mindless lust of heat to replace the exhausted, vaguely sick feeling that plagued me nearly every moment of the day.
When I came home from work on Christmas Eve, Laszlo had his cook, Martha, prepare an enormous feast. My appetite wasn’t what I wished it was, but I tried my best to seem appreciative. Within minutes of finishing dinner, I was fighting to keep my eyes open. Laszlo scooped me up from my seat at the table and carried me to bed. “I want you to get lots of rest, pet. I have so many fun things planned for us tomorrow. Did you see there’s a chance of snow in the forecast?”
“Mmmhmm.” I just wanted to sleep. I could think about snow tomorrow.
“I’ve arranged for us to have a sleigh ride if the snow comes or a carriage ride if not. The last time I counted there were at least fifty gifts for you under the tree and more for the baby. I can’t wait for you to open them all. And then…” He kept talking, but I didn’t hear the rest of what he said. I was too sleepy to do more than follow the cadence of his voice.
I thought that if I slept long enough, I could enjoy Christmas. It was Laszlo’s favorite day of the year, and I could tell how excited he was to be spending it with his mate for the first time. But when I woke the next morning, I knew instantly that the day was not going to go as planned. I barely made it to the bathroom before I was violently ill. Laszlo must have heard me, because he came running. As I kept heaving, he brushed my hair back from my face and laid a cold cloth against my neck.
When my stomach gave up the fight, I slumped back into Laszlo’s arms. “I was really hoping this wouldn’t happen.”
“Maybe it won’t last long,” he said as he stroked my head, trying to soothe me.
I wasn’t convinced since my stomach was already threatening to revolt again. All I wanted to do was lie on the cold bathroom floor and not move.
Tears gathered in my eyes. “I didn’t want to ruin Christmas.”
Laszlo tightened his arms around me. “I’m spending Christmas with my mate whose body is working hard to grow our baby. There is nothing that could ruin that.”
I wanted to respond, but my stomach clenched. I took a few slow breaths, and the feeling passed. “You planned so many things for us.”
“We can do those things another time. If all you can do is lie on the couch while I shower you with gifts, that is enough. You’re here with me.”
I wasn’t sure what I’d done to deserve such an amazing man. My nausea returned periodically throughout the day, but I never felt as bad as I had when I’d first woken. I was able to enjoy opening the lavish mound of presents Laszlo had insisted on getting me, everything from jewelry to luxury designer clothes and a new laptop. That night when it was time for bed, Laszlo pulled me to him for a gentle kiss. “I told you we would have a wonderful day.”
And we had. Not even Pierre coming in under the pretense of asking if we’d like an evening cocktail when he knew I couldn’t drink, then proceeding to say that if I was tired, he’d be happy to keep Laszlo company for the rest of the evening, could ruin it. But I had been looking forward to my first time in a sleigh or carriage. “I still wish I’d at least felt up to going on a ride with you.”
Laszlo gestured toward the window. “It didn’t even snow. We’ll be able to ride in a sleigh once it does. You’re getting the rest you need to take care of our baby. That is far more important.” He laid his hand against my abdomen, and I felt the soothing warmth of his magic. I knew the baby was still incredibly small, but I wondered if he or she could feel it. If somehow they knew their other father was there.
Laszlo began to send his magic deeper inside me, and I sighed. “I love the way your magic feels.”
“I have an idea.” His eyes flashed with wicked heat. “Let me take you to bed.”
I smiled at him. “I would like that very much.”
He laid me on my side of the bed, snuggled up behind me, and placed his hands on my shoulders. I felt the warmth of his magic as he massaged me gently, letting the magic warm me. I basked in the soothing warmth as he ran his hands down my back. As his hands slid lower, his touch transformed to a more tingly kind of pleasure that made my
cock take notice. I pushed back into him, silently asking for more.
“Are you sure you’re not too tired,” he asked, lips brushing my ear.
“Not tonight. I want this. Please.”
His hands continued down my thighs. He shifted position so he could reach my calves and my feet, then worked his way up the front of my body, skimming past my cock which was now fully hard. When his hands brushed over my nipples, I gasped.
He gave a low chuckle. “I should have tried this before.”
If I’d have known dragon magic could do this, I would’ve begged for it. “Why didn’t you?”
“Everything happened so fast between us. I was trying not to overwhelm you with all the ways that I’m not human.”
“I don’t feel overwhelmed at all, just… amazing.”
He wrapped his hand around my cock and let his magic move into me. I bucked against him, trying to thrust into his hand. “Please. I need you, Laszlo.”
He kissed my neck and nibbled his way along my shoulder. Then he lifted my leg, positioning me so he’d be able to take me from behind. “Don’t move.”
I had no intention of going anywhere.
He grabbed the lube from the nightstand and slicked himself up before teasing me mercilessly with the tip of his cock, rubbing it over my hole as he stroked my shaft. By the time he finally pushed inside, I was begging him to fuck me. He filled me slowly inch by inch, giving me time to adjust. He was so big, so thick, and he made me impossibly full. Once he was all the way in, he began to thrust, but he still didn’t take me as hard as I wanted. I struggled for breath as I reached back, clutching at his ass, trying to get him to go faster. He sent magic into me, as he held me against him, and it made me need him even more. I was already close to coming, and we’d barely begun.
He lifted my leg higher and shifted the angle of my hips, so every stroke hit my sweet spot.
“Yes, please. Oh fuck. Please don’t stop.”
“I have no intention of stopping, pet. I want to watch you come. I want to feel ecstasy race through your body as your ass squeezes my cock.”
“Yes, please!” I cried out as cum shot from my cock. My orgasm was so intense I was wild with it, driving myself into his hand over and over again. Then he gave a dragon’s roar and thrust deep, his knot swelling as his seed flooded my ass.
I’d missed this so much. I tried to tell him that as I came down from the high of climax. I wanted him to know how good he made me feel, but my eyes fluttered closed, and I couldn’t make myself speak or move. I just drifted off to sleep with Laszlo still buried inside me.
10
Roman
Morning sickness became a constant for me. There were rare days when I felt well enough to appreciate the dream my life had become, but most days I was consumed by a fog of desperate tiredness and nausea. I had almost no appetite, and if it hadn’t been for Laszlo hovering over me and insisting I eat for the sake of myself and the baby, I’m sure there would’ve been days when I ate nothing at all.
I couldn’t escape the all-consuming tiredness, because even though I struggled to keep my eyes open from the moment I got up, it took me hours to fall asleep each night. The nausea made sleep difficult, but my body also seemed to be running hotter than usual. I couldn’t stand to have covers on me, even though I’d always loved being buried under a mound of blankets. And as much as I wanted Laszlo snuggled against me, I couldn’t tolerate the warmth of his body.
One night, I woke in a sweat with Laszlo wrapped so tightly around me, I had to wake him to get myself free. Without complaint, he got me a glass of ice water and fanned me as I sipped it. “Would you be more comfortable in another room?”
His question surprised me. He’d been so possessive of me, so insistent we spend as much time together as possible, even though I felt like I was keeping him from having any fun. “Am I bothering you too much? I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“No.” He brushed my hair back from my head. “It’s not about me at all. I want you comfortable, and I know how much you need extra rest. I’m keeping you from sleeping because I make you overheat in the night. I’ve tried to stay on my side of the bed, but my body seeks you in sleep no matter what I do.”
That was all true, and I was desperate for sleep, but I hated the idea of sleeping alone. The thought was ridiculous since I’d been sleeping alone my whole life until Laszlo had brought me here. “I guess that might be best.”
“All right. I’ll have a room made up for you.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself not to cry. “Okay, but come back to bed for now.”
“But you—”
“Please.”
He did, but he curled up away from me, and even though that was what I needed, I ended up sobbing silently into my pillow.
For the next few weeks, I spent my mornings sick and miserable and worked at Tolliver’s in the afternoons. I’d reduced my hours, but every day I wondered if I should give in to Laszlo’s insistence that the only job I needed to do was nest and take care of our growing baby. By the time I got home, I was so exhausted, I could barely stay awake to eat, but then once I went to bed, I lay awake longing for Laszlo and wishing I could return to those days before Christmas when I could still enjoy not only sharing his bed, but falling asleep most nights with him inside me.
As I lay there alone in the dark, it was hard not to feel sorry for myself and to wonder if Laszlo was getting tired of having a mate who was no fun. I replayed our recent interactions and overanalyzed them until I’d convinced myself he was distancing himself from me. I’d seen Pierre coming out of Laszlo’s room a few times. He was part of the household staff, so there were plenty of innocent reasons for him to be there, and Laszlo still did everything possible to see that my every need was met, but no matter how hard I tried to convince myself that everything was fine, worry fueled my insomnia. Could I really expect this dream world I’d landed in to last?
Finally, after weeks of sleeping in my own room, I woke up one morning and felt almost normal again. I lay on my back, watching the ceiling fan spin around and around, waiting for the nausea to return. When it didn’t, I chanced getting out of bed. I walked to the bathroom, relieved myself, and even brushed my teeth without gagging, something I’d struggled with for weeks. When I imagined eating breakfast, I still felt fine. Then I realized I wasn’t only hungry for food. I was hungry for Laszlo.
The sun wasn’t up yet, so Laszlo was likely still in bed. I opened my door, intending to slip down the hall and slide into bed with him, but Pierre stood in the hall, arm raised as if ready to knock.
“Did you need something?” I asked.
“Laszlo sent me. He wanted me to see if you needed anything brought to you.”
Why would Laszlo send Pierre when he knew how he felt about me? Laszlo always came to wake me himself.
“I’m feeling better this morning, and I—” Laszlo’s scent hit me. It was as strong as if he were standing there, but it was coming from Pierre. “Why do you smell like my mate?”
“Oh, well… I…”
“Were you just with him?”
He huffed. “I told you he sent me.”
“No,” I snarled. “Were you just in bed with him?”
“Oh.” Pierre gave an obnoxious little laugh. “You know how dragons are. Voracious needs and all that.”
No. Laszlo wouldn’t do that, would he?
How long has it been since you’ve felt up to sex? Do you think a powerful dragon is just going to wait around for you? It was the same voice that made me doubt myself every night, and I tried to push it away. “He’s my mate.”
“I’m sorry if there’s been a misunderstanding.” He didn’t look sorry at all. He looked thoroughly pleased with himself.
“Get out of my sight. Now!” I roared the word as loud as any dragon could and slammed the door in his face.
Pain and anger warred within me. I’d wanted to slap Pierre across his smug face, but he was just a little brat who took adva
ntage of this situation whereas Laszlo had promised me he wouldn’t be with anyone else. I’d thought that he… that he loved me and that he was being understanding by not expecting more from me when I was so sick, but no wonder he wasn’t growing impatient to fuck me again if he was indulging himself with Pierre.
I needed to get out of there. All my clothes had been moved to this room, but I wasn’t sure where the suitcases I’d packed them in were stored. In my desperation, I yanked the sheet off my bed and began dumping things in the center. Once I had everything that really mattered, I tied the sheet into a bundle and picked it up, intending to flee, then realized I wasn’t sure where my car keys were. I hadn’t driven myself anywhere since I’d arrived here, and one of Laszlo’s servants had fetched my car for me when I’d agreed to move in.
It took me three tries to find Holden’s name in my contacts. My hands were shaking so badly, I could hardly hold the phone. It rang and rang, and I didn’t think he would answer, but finally he did. “What’s up, Roman?”
“I need you to come get me. I need to stay with you for a little while until I can find a place of my own.”
“What do you mean, babe? What happened?”
“You know the omega Kymar came for?”
Holden made a noise like a growl. “Kymar is mine now.”
The last time Holden and I had talked seriously, he was still debating whether he wanted to see Kymar again. Obviously, he’d decided to go for it. I hated that I’d neglected our friendship so much I didn’t even know that. “He and Laszlo had been lovers and now they are again or maybe they were all along. Laszlo told me I was it for him, that I was his mate, but he lied and I… I can’t stay here.”
“Are you sure? Kymar is always talking about how crazy Laszlo is for you and how sappy he’s gotten since he found you.”
“According to Pierre, dragons don’t believe in monogamy.”
“That’s not true. Kymar—”
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