She felt instantly better. Ceri tried to smile but another birth pain hit. This one more aggressive than the last. She ground her teeth together.
“Push, Ceri!” Meghan egged her on. “You need to give it everything.”
Bay clutched her hand. “I wish I could do this for you.”
Ceri nodded.
“I love you and our baby so much. Please, my love, I need you to be strong.” He leaned in and kissed her on the forehead.
Ceri nodded. She could do this! She had to do it. For their unborn child. For Bay. For herself. She pushed with everything she had. The pain seemed to last an age but she pushed and pushed and pushed, finally falling back on the pillow as it subsided. She made a noise of frustration.
“I saw the top of your baby’s head.” Meghan looked animated. “For just a second there.”
Ceri had barely caught her breath and the next pain hit. She wanted to crunch forward. To scream. To— Bay squeezed her hand.
“Push, Ceri,” he encouraged her.
“I can’t,” she sobbed.
“You must,” Bay urged.
Ceri pushed. It was with all of her might. Everything she had, which wasn’t much. She slumped back, trying to catch her breath. “Can’t,” she muttered. “Not working.” She could barely get the words out. Could hardly keep her eyes open. The reprieve wasn’t going to last.
“The baby keeps sucking back.” Her doctor looked frustrated. “You’re so close, Ceri. Just that little bit more. When the next one comes, you need to…”
Ceri shook her head, hot tears coursed down her cheeks. She had been strong for so long. She had reached a point where she just didn’t have much left. She wished she could take a break. A proper break. A twenty-minute power nap or a— The next pains began to slice through her. Like she was being torn in two. She clutched her belly and moaned.
“Here,” Bay held out his wrist to her, “drink. You need to—”
Ceri tried to lift her hand to clasp his wrist. It flopped uselessly at her side. “Here.” Bay held his wrist to her lips.
Ceri bit down and his blood filled her mouth. She only took a few sips. She knew that too much would make her ill.
She could actually feel the blood enter her stomach, could feel how its energy began to surge through her. This time when Meghan screamed for her to push, she did. She gave it everything and more. A growl forming from deep inside her. She grit her teeth and clasped her thighs.
Ceri yelled as their child was born. The infant yelled even louder in the very next second.
“It’s a boy!” Meghan shouted. “A healthy son.”
“A boy.” Bay beamed. Instead of looking at his son, his eyes were on her. “You did it, my love.” He kissed her. “I love you so much.”
“Love you too,” she managed between pants.
“Here he is.” Meghan held the little one.
“He’s completely bald.” Bay choked out a laugh, his eyes were glistening. “He has your eyes,” he said as he took the squirming baby from Meghan. Their baby. Her little boy. Ceri realized that she was crying.
“He’s perfect,” Bay said, his voice hitching.
Ceri took her son and cradled him in her arms. He quietened down, looking up at her. “I’m your mom,” she crooned. “It’s nice to meet you,” she managed between the tears.
She looked up at Doctor Meghan who was holding her own bump. The female was soon to be a mother herself. “Thank you,” Ceri said.
Meghan nodded once and smiled. “He is beautiful. I’m so glad it all worked out.”
“Me too,” Ceri responded.
“Me three.” Bay looked down at his son. His eyes filled with joy and wonder. “We’re a family,” he announced.
Ceri felt like her heart would burst.
Chapter 26
Alex crossed her legs, wanting to fill the silence. Her lips twitched with the need to do so. Instead, she bit down on the inside of her cheek to stop herself.
He who speaks first has lost.
Her father continued to stare her down. She felt like a little girl again. Wanting to squirm. Wanting to—
“And?” Angelo Bell folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. “Do you have the location of a lair? Have you captured one?”
Alex shook her head. “Not yet, I’m afraid. But—”
Her father sighed dramatically. “It might be time to bring in someone to help you. Harry Gunter would be the right candidate for the—”
“No!” she spat. Alex would rather die than work with that asshole.
“I know you two have a history but you will need to put your emotions aside. This is business, Alex. It’s been over a year and you have nothing to show for it. You captured one but lost it. You hired thugs to do your bidding. The mission was a total failure.” He touched his fingertips to the open file on his desk. “You are over budget and, if you ask me, in over your pretty, little head.”
She pulled in a breath, trying to calm down. Why did he have to refer to her looks all the time? What she looked like and the fact she didn’t have a penis didn’t make any difference. A fact she needed to prove over and over again, it would seem. It was growing tiresome.
“I will get the job done. I don’t need Harry or anyone else.” She was sure to keep her eyes on his. To keep her voice calm and even.
Do not show weakness.
“I have narrowed down the location of two of the lairs. The grid coordinates are noted in the file. We have spies in various regions in the US, with large rewards for any sightings. They are fully briefed on what to look for. I will follow up on a tip-off as soon we conclude this meeting. A couple meeting the criteria checked into a hotel in…” She hesitated. She didn’t want to divulge any details in case her father sent Harry in behind her back. She wouldn’t put it past him. Angelo Bell was ruthless. “All you need to know at this stage is that I have it fully under control and I will fly out straight after this meeting to follow up. You will be happy to note that it is a couple. The woman appears to be human, she is pregnant.”
Her father’s eye glinted and the one side of his mouth twitched. It wasn’t very often that her father showed any kind of emotion. Within a split second, he was back to being stern and disapproving. “Don’t disappoint me.”
“I won’t!”
“Good.” He closed the file and handed it to her. “This is it, your last chance.”
Her back stiffened as she rose to her feet. Then she nodded once and walked out the door. She immediately dialed the number she had been given. “Are they still there?” she barked into the phone.
“Yes,” the woman replied. “Do I get my reward now?”
“Keep your eyes on them. Don’t lose them. You get the reward when I get there.”
“What if they leave? Or, even worse, check out?” She sounded panicked.
“Then all bets are off. Give me the details,” Alex asked.
“I already—”
“I read the email, but I want to hear it from you,” Alex interrupted, striding down the long hallway.
“They checked in as Meghan and Tide Smith.”
Her heart beat faster. “Yes.” She nodded, pushing the elevator button. A fueled jet was waiting for her at the airport. “And the woman is definitely pregnant?”
“Without a doubt. The guy is huge, bigger than any man I’ve ever seen. He looks like a bodybuilder or something. He has ice-blue eyes…they’re freaky blue.”
Excitement raced through her. The elevator doors opened. “What else?” Alex snapped.
“I saw what looked like a golden tattoo on his chest when he leaned over to pick something up.”
“Don’t lose them,” Alex hissed.
“Okay, I won’t. I need the money,” the woman said.
“Then you know what to do. Not a word of this to anyone else.”
“O-okay.”
Alex ended the call as she got into the back of the waiting Mercedes. “Go!” she instructed her driver. “To the airport, as quick
as you can.” Her heart beat faster. If all went well, she would have a male dragon and his whelp for her father within the next twenty-four hours. Nothing was going to stand in her way.
Dragon Betrayal is on pre-order now
About the Author
Thanks for reading the book. I hope you enjoyed it.
Charlene Hartnady is a USA Today Bestselling author. She loves to write about all things paranormal, including vampires, elves and shifters of all kinds. She lives on a couple of acres in the country with her husband and three sons. They have an array of pets including a couple of horses and a leopard gecko called Pickle.
She is lucky enough to be able to write full time, so most days you can find her at her computer writing like mad. Charlene believes that it is the small things that truly matter, like that feeling you get when you start a new book, or when you look at a particularly beautiful sunset.
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Also by Charlene Hartnady
The Chosen Series:
1# Chosen by the Vampire Kings
2# Stolen by the Alpha Wolf
3# Unlikely Mates
4# Awakened by the Vampire Prince
5#Mated to the Vampire Kings (Short Novel)
6#Wolf Whisperer (Novella)
7# Wanted by the Elven King
The Program Series (Vampire Novels):
Book 1: A Mate for York
Book 2: A Mate for Gideon
Book 3: A Mate for Lazarus
Book 4: A Mate for Griffin
Book 5: A Mate for Lance
Book 6: A Mate for Kai
Book 7: A Mate for Titan
The Bride Hunt Series (Dragon Shifter Novels):
Book 1: Royal Dragon
Book 2: Water Dragon
Book 3: Dragon King
Book 4: Lightning Dragon
Book 5: Forbidden Dragon
Book 6: Dragon Prince
Water Dragons (Spin-off to The Bride Hunt):
Book 1: Dragon Hunt
Book 2: Captured Dragon
Book 3: Blood Dragon
The Shifter Night Series:
1# Untethered
2# Unbound
3# Unchained
The Feral Series:
Book 1: Hunger Awakened
Book 2: Power Awakened
Demon Chaser Series (No cliffhangers):
Book 1 Omega
Book 2 Alpha
Book 3 Hybrid
Book 4 Skin
Demon Chaser Boxed Set Book 1-3
Excerpt
Untethered
Chapter 1
Ana should never have agreed to coming to a place like this. The restaurant was a hive of activity. Every single table was taken. It was the best place to go to in town, so it wasn’t that big of a surprise that even the waiting area and the bar were full. Crystal glasses, linen serviettes, the whole nine yards. It wasn’t easy to get a table in here. The Red Mole was normally booked at least two weeks in advance. She’d only ever eaten here once for her best friend Edith’s thirtieth birthday a couple of months ago.
Ana’s heart beat faster. Her hands felt a little clammy and a knot formed in her stomach. Who was she kidding? The knot had been there the whole day. It had just grown and tightened since walking in. She stopped for a second to catch her breath. Then stayed there, hand resting on the wall, for another five just to be sure.
Was this normal nervousness or … something else?
Was she about to …?
She put a hand to her belly. Her breathing remained a little elevated, but nothing out of the ordinary. I have this. I do! Doctor Brenner had given her the go-ahead. It was just a stupid little date. Ana sucked in a deep breath and kept walking in the direction the hostess had pointed her. The table in the corner … to the left and …
There.
Right! Okay!
She could breathe a little easier since he looked just like his online picture. A suit, dark styled hair and a megawatt smile. Her date stood up … good god, he was tall too. In short, he was really good-looking in a neat, professional kind of way. His profile said he was an accountant, he looked like an accountant. It was a positive start. She willed her hands to stop shaking.
He stepped around the table and took a few steps towards her. “Hi, I’m Brett. You must be … Ana.”
She said her name simultaneously, a nervous giggle escaped. Brett put his hand out and she shook it. His hand was soft, as was his skin. Please don’t let my hand feel sweaty. Please don’t let me embarrass myself.
Brett let go almost immediately, a smile still on his face. “It’s so good to meet you. You look exactly like your picture.” He gave her the once over and she could tell he liked what he saw. She had decided to go with a plain black figure-hugging dress. It came to just above the knee. Ana had taken the time to do her hair and to put on a little make-up. In short, she’d gone to a lot of trouble.
“So do you.” Her voice was a little high-pitched.
“For a few minutes there, I thought you were going to stand me up.” He arched a brow.
Ana smiled and shook her head. “I might be ten minutes late, but I would never not show.” At least, not without telling him first. The thought of canceling had crossed her mind once or twice today.
“Here, allow me.” Brett pulled a chair out for her.
“Thank you.” She smiled at him as she sat down and he smiled back, taking his own seat opposite of her. So far so good. The knot in her stomach eased its hold just a smidgen and she could breathe a little easier.
The waitress came around to the table and took her order. A glass of white wine. Something light and easy, just like she hoped the evening would go.
Ana saw a tumbler of whiskey on the rocks already on the table. It was dripping with condensation. It looked like Brett had not only arrived on time but most likely, he’d arrived early. Another server came to the table with a basket of breads and a plate of different kinds of butter. “Truffle, herb and regular.” He pointed at each of the creamy mounds before walking away.
“So, do you do this kind of thing regularly?” Brett asked as soon as they were alone, he leaned forward slightly in his chair.
Talk about hitting her with a difficult question right off the bat. “Um … are you talking about dating, or …?”
Brett chuckled. “Of course not, a woman like you must get asked out all the time. I’m sure you go on plenty of dates?”
Yeah … no! She smiled, hoping he wasn’t expecting a reply. She couldn’t tell him that this was her first date in one and a half years. She certainly couldn’t tell him what a disaster her last date had been. She hadn’t even made it to the one before that. Not thinking about it!
“I’m talking about online dating,” Brett answered, not picking up on her discomfort. “Do you do this a lot?”
“This was the first time I tried online dating,” she answered simply.
The waitress arrived with her chardonnay. “Would you like some ice with that?”
Ana shook her head. “This is perfect, thanks.”
“Are you ready to order your appetizers?” She held her pen poised over a pad. “The oysters are …”
“Give us a couple of minutes, please. We haven’t even looked at the menus yet,” Brett said, pointing at the leather-bound menus in front of them.
The waitress gave a nod. “No problem, take your time.”
Ana picked up her menu. It w
ould give her something to do with her hands which ‒ thank god ‒ had stopped shaking.
Brett drew her attention before she could open it. “Yeah, this is my first date where I had to swipe right.” He smiled. “I must say, I’m glad it’s not something you do all the time. I was a little worried about the kind of women I might meet through this type of service.”
Ana wasn’t sure what to say to that so she picked up her wine and took a sip. She gave a small nod to show that she was listening.
“Didn’t you find it weird having to sift through all the profiles?”
“It was a little strange.”
Brett picked up his menu but didn’t open it. “I guess we live in a world where it’s becoming more and more difficult to meet people in the regular fashion. I work twelve-hour days so …”
“I can understand how that must make it difficult.”
“Yeah well, one must work hard to get ahead.” He opened his menu but didn’t look down. “I recently made partner at my firm.” He took a sip of his whiskey.
“Oh, that’s great. Congratulations!”
“Just last month and four years early.”
Ana frowned. “Four years?”
“Yup, I had planned to make partner by forty. I’m only thirty-six so that’s sooner than I’d anticipated.”
“It certainly is. That’s wonderful. You must be thrilled.”
“I am.” He looked serious for a moment, his brow creased and his lips pursed. “I have a four-bedroom home, with a pool and a big landscaped garden.”
“Oh!” If he thought to impress her with money, he was sadly mistaken. “That’s great!”
“Complete with a white picket fence.” He swirled his glass. “Granite tops in the kitchen and marble finishes in all the bathrooms. It’s quite lovely.”
She nodded, taking another sip of her wine. “That’s wonderful.”
Blood Dragon Page 17
