Dragon Baby: Paranormal BBW Shapeshifter Dragon Romance (Night and Day Ink Book 5)
Page 10
The look on Lily’s face told him she realized the predicament, too.
His brother’s laughter rang in his head. “At a loss for what to do, dear brother? Don’t want to kill your mate, do you?” The taunt sent fury through him.
“Put her down, Ramoth, and we will settle this like dragons,” Thane said. He was becoming winded by the effort needed to stay aloft. He wouldn’t last much longer.
“I’m not stupid, Thane. I’m not a dragonling like you’ve always treated me. You’ve never seen me as an equal,” Ramoth complained. “Now I’ll show you who the stronger dragon is.”
Thane snorted. “You’re pathetic, Ramoth. No wonder Father kept your birth quiet. He could see what type of dragon you were from the moment you were born.”
Fury rolled through his brother’s eyes. Then the bastard grinned. With a twist of his wings, he flipped in the air. Fear shot through Thane’s body. Lily screamed as her feet dangled in the air. Thank god her clutch was tight. Ramoth rolled back over.
“Need I remind you what the consequences of pissing me off are?” Ramoth sneered. Thane felt himself slipping away from consciousness.
“Thane,” Lily said on their private channel, “I know how to end this.” Fear and excitement battled in her expression.
“How?” he asked.
“Do you trust me, my love?” she replied.
“Always.”
She grinned. “I love you, Thane. You will forever be my love.”
Thane did not like the sound of that. It seemed too much like a goodbye. But he trusted her. He thought of his love for the two lives in peril and a burst of energy powered him. He was ready for whatever Lily had in mind. He gave her a nod.
Next thing Thane knew, blood shot out of Ramoth’s neck in large red spurts. Lily’s tigress’s claws ripped through the delicate skin under his brother’s scales. Another fountain spewed from the other side of the dragon. A tremendous roar shook the air. Dark liquid rained on the earth below.
Ramoth twisted, slinging blood everywhere. Lily slipped off his back, no longer having a hold. Her scream cut through the haziness slowly overtaking Thane. He dove for her falling body, his heart in his throat. As carefully as he could, he wrapped her in a claw. She was safe with him. But how safe was he?
Their speeding descent was too much for Thane to pull out of. He was too weak. In the end, he had failed his mate anyway. The trees of forest below became clearer the closer they got.
His turn to say goodbye. “You are my only, Lily. Over a thousand years and only you ever touched my heart.” Thane banked his body to the side, making sure his claw with the precious cargo remained secure. Trees scraped his body as his forward glide brushed the tops. He tucked his wings in and his body tore through the woods, leaving a trail of destruction behind.
“Thane!” Lily cried. “No!”
He closed his eyes and his world turned dark.
27
Lily paced the bedroom floor between the nursery and Thane’s bed.
“How long before the cure works,” she asked Saxon.
“If it works,” he replied, “I don’t know. I don’t even know if it is a cure. Ramoth had so much shit at his lair, it was hard to know what anything was.”
“Really?” Lily stopped and stared at Thane’s loving sibling. “What else did you find there?”
“He had the entire setup to make the poisoned bullets. I found thousands of rounds ready to be loaded. I think Ramoth was planning a war,” he said.
“Against who?”
“I’m not sure, but I found several emails on his computer to a Louis Danitelli talking about Thane’s collection of jewels,” Saxon informed her.
Things clicked into place for Lily. Her ex and Ramoth had been working together to find Thane’s lair and all the priceless treasure in it. The two men had planned to use her for ransom, but Louis’s grandfather, head of the crime syndication, put an end to that the night they destroyed Vinnie’s home. After that, Ramoth must have been waiting, anticipating that Thane would take her to his lair now that they were officially mated.
A groan came from the large bed. “Thane!” Lily stumbled over herself to get to him. Sweat covered his face and had soaked into his pillow. The cool cloth on his forehead did little. “Thane, baby. Wake up.”
Her love rolled his head and his eyes fluttered open. “Lily, you’re alive.” She squeezed his hand.
“And so are you,” she said, tears filling her eyes. Saxon came up behind her and looked down on her mate.
“You can thank me by getting your dragon to purge Ramoth’s crap from your blood so I can go out and find my mate, now that you finally have.” He rolled his eyes. “You have always taken forever to do things, Thane. Dad said you were methodical. I call it slow.”
Lily laughed, but she saw the love in Saxon’s eyes for his brother. Thane gazed at his brother like he’d never seen him before.
“Why are you here? What happened?” Thane drawled.
Saxon smiled at Lily. “Such appreciation. Older brothers.” He shook his head.
Lily refolded the cloth on her mate’s forehead. “Saxon brought us back to your cabin. He came here looking for you after he raided Ramoth’s lair and found some interesting stuff, including an arsenal of toxic ammunition.”
His brother picked up the story from there. “When I saw your clothes piled up on the living room floor—brother, you really should lock your front door when you take off on jaunts—I figured you two were out flying. After waiting forever, I decided to follow your scent to see where you were.”
“That’s when he found us,” Lily cut in. “We had just landed, or crashed, really.”
Thane asked, “What about Ramoth?”
Saxon sighed. “I took care of the body. Ashes to ashes for him now.” Thane nodded. “Rest, brother. Let your dragon use the anti-toxin to finish healing you.”
Thane closed his eyes. Lily laid his hand on the bed, but his grip suddenly tightened on hers. She looked at him. His one eye was open. “I love you, Lily.” She kissed his lips.
“I love you, too,” she said. She felt his body relax and fall into slumber.
28
It was the night of the Winter Ball. Thane slipped his tux jacket on and went looking for his wife. He could hear her in the nursery, talking to their daughter. She had her back to him and he got a great view of how the strapless gold dress fit over her abundant curves, flowing to the floor.
He was delighted when she decided to move into the cabin and sell her place in town. She had reworked her job schedule with Tina, allowing her to work from home when possible. He never wanted her out of his sight, but he knew that was a bit overreacting. She insisted on going to the bathroom by herself. God she made him laugh. He loved her. And tonight, he was showing her how much.
“Now, how are my girls?” he said, kissing the back of her neck. She’d picked up her hair into some strange do that left her curls dangling from a top knot.
“Well,” Lily said. “Kelianna is ready to go now that she’s been changed a second time,” she said, looking down at the smiling baby.
Their daughter’s blue eyes and blonde hair were so like Thane’s, it surprised him how little she looked like his mate. Except for the smile, then she was all her mom. Even at two months old, Kelianna managed to turn him to mush with a single look, much like her mother.
She handed him the baby dressed in a soft ivory dress with golden edges to match her mother. “You hold her so I can get my earrings on and we can go.”
Thane’s heart exploded with love every time he looked at his wife and daughter. They were his life. He didn’t know how he ever considered never mating or having children. Now he kicked himself for ever thinking that way.
He sat on the rocker and spoke softly to his child, telling her of the times when he’d been a young dragon, seeing the world change around him. She fell asleep in his arms, her head resting on his arm and her body snuggled up into his chest. He’d never take these moment
s for granted.
Lily returned to Kelianna’s room and stopped at the entrance, the sight before her filling her with so much emotion, her face hurt from the smile on it.
She’d been right. Thane was an amazing father. He’d given his all for their daughter and her. After he’d killed Ramoth, she’d worried he’d grow distant, but the opposite happened. He introduced her to Saxon and soon the brothers were visiting each other regularly.
That made a big difference in Thane. Once Kelianna was born, he gave himself fully to being a father. Lily had never seen a man more dedicated to his daughter. From getting up at all hours to change her, hold her, feed and talk to her, to making sure Lily herself got enough rest.
At first, she didn’t think it would last, but his dedication grew as time went on. And their love for each other and their child made it easy for her to decide on having more children.
“Maybe we should wait a little bit before we go,” she said and watched him put the baby in the crib. “There’s something I want to tell you.”
He turned to face her, his arms going straight around her waist to pull her close to him. Love filled every cell in her body. It didn’t matter how many days went by, he would always make her feel like they’d just mated for the first time.
“I love you, Lily,” he said.
Though they’d been mated for months, he hadn’t said the words to her. She’d been of the mind frame that he'd show her he loved her than tell her, and boy, had he shown her. Still, it was nice to finally get the words.
“I love you, too, Thane.” She brought her arms up to his neck and pulled his head down for a kiss. She loved the feel of his beard on her face. She couldn’t figure out why, but the damn facial hair made her instantly wet.
He pulled back. “I have something for you,” he said. He opened his hand. On his palm lay a ring bigger than any she’d ever seen. Her gaze shot up to his.
“This was the first payment for my first job. The blue diamond is very old and my mother got it in her head it would make a beautiful ring.” He lifted the halo, cushion-cut blue diamond ring to the light. It sparkled like nothing else. “Before she died, she made it her business to get it changed to a platinum band, saying it would go better than with yellow gold.”
Small white diamonds surrounded the giant rock and made the blue diamond stand out even more.
“It’s beautiful.” She gulped.
“I’ve held on to it. I never really thought it would one day go to someone special,” he said and got down on one knee. “But I’ve found someone who deserves to wear it.”
Her heartbeat thrummed hard in her ears. It wasn’t happening. Nope. No way. She closed her eyes, squeezed them tightly, and then opened them again. He was still on his knee. “Oh god, Thane.”
“Will you marry me, Lily?” he asked softly.
She gasped, unsure she’d heard the words. “What?”
“Marry me, love. I can’t live without you. We’re already mated. I want you to be mine in every way possible.”
Her knees started shaking. Excitement bloomed in her chest. He wanted to marry her. Her. The idea of marriage to him didn’t scare her. She didn’t think she’d want to marry anyone else again, but here she was, already visualizing herself as his wife.
“I don’t know what it is about you, but I can’t say no,” she sputtered, her eyes filling with tears. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
He slipped the beautiful ring on her finger and it fit. She took that as a sign this was exactly the way they should be: together.
He stood and pulled her into his arms.
“You won’t regret it, love. I’ll make sure of it,” he said with conviction.
They kissed and it was more than just heat and want. It was the feeling of coming home. He was her home, the home she never thought she’d find.
“Oh,” she said between kisses, “I have news for you.”
“What?” He peppered kisses down her neck.
“I’m pregnant.”
He stroked his tongue over her lips and pressed her ass forward to rub his erection on her belly. “I know, love.”
“I figured you did, but I still wanted to tell you. We’re having a boy this time,” she said between kisses.
He rocked into her and her pussy got slicker. “I know that, too.”
She moaned and pulled him out of the nursery and into the hallway, closing the door behind them. “I do know something you don’t.”
“What’s that?” he asked, nibbling on her jaw.
“The ball doesn’t officially start for another two hours and the helicopter is coming to pick us up in an hour and a half.”
He pulled back, his eyes glowing with his dragon. “When did you change the pick-up time?”
“When I realized seeing you in a tux would make me really horny and I wouldn’t want to wait until the end of the night to get you out of your pants,” she whispered and pulled him close.
He lifted her skirt, pushed her underwear to the side and slipped two fingers between her slick folds. A groan left his throat. “Have I told you how fucking smart and beautiful you are today?”
She giggled. “Yes, but you can tell me again, once you figure out how to fuck me in this dress without creasing it.”
He laughed. “Love, I can fuck you without messing up your hair.”
She slid her hands down to his pants and started lowering his zipper. “Then you better get to work, dragon. I want you in me in the next thirty seconds.”
He kissed her again, his lips bruising with how hungry their kiss was. “Your wish is my command, love. Anything and everything for you.”
The End
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author
Hi! I’m Milly Taiden. I love to write sexy stories featuring fun, sassy heroines with curves and growly alpha males with fur. My books are a great way to satisfy your craving for paranormal romance with action, humor, suspense and happily ever afters.
I live in Florida with my hubby, our boys, and our fur children “Needy Speedy” and “Stormy.” Yes, I am aware I’m bossy, and I am seriously addicted to iced caramel lattes.
I love to meet new readers, so come sign up for my newsletter and check out my Facebook page. We always have lots of fun stuff going on there.
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Also by Milly Taiden
If you liked this story, you might also enjoy the following by Milly Taiden:
Sassy Mates / Sassy Ever After Series
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Unexpectedly Mated Book Three
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The Mate Challenge Book Four
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Fighting for Her Mate Book Five
A Fang in the Sass Book 6
Also, check out the Sassy Ever After Kindle World on Amazon
Shifters Undercover
Bearly in Control Book One
Fur Fox’s Sake Book Two (Coming Soon)
Drachen Mates
Bound in Flames Book One
Bound in Darkness Book Two
Federal Paranormal Unit
Wolf Protector Federal Paranormal Unit Book One
Dangerous Protector Federal Paranormal Unit Book Two
Unwanted Protector Federal Paranormal Unit Book Three
Black Meadow Pack
Sharp Change Black Meadows Pack Book One
Caged Heat Black Meadows Pack Book Two
Paranormal Dating Agency
Twice the Growl Book One
Geek Bearing Gifts Book Two
The Purrfect Match B
ook Three
Curves ‘Em Right Book Four
Tall, Dark and Panther Book Five
The Alion King Book Six
There’s Snow Escape Book Seven
Scaling Her Dragon Book Eight
In the Roar Book Nine
Scrooge Me Hard Short One
Bearfoot and Pregnant Book Ten
All Kitten Aside Book Eleven
Oh My Roared Book Twelve
Raging Falls
Miss Taken Book One
Miss Matched Book Two
Miss Behaved Book Three
Miss Behaved Book Three
Miss Mated Book Four
Miss Conceived Book Five
FUR-ocious Lust - Bears
Fur-Bidden Book One
Fur-Gotten Book Two
Fur-Given Book Three
FUR-ocious Lust - Tigers
Stripe-Tease Book Four
Stripe-Search Book Five
Stripe-Club Book Six
Night and Day Ink
Bitten by Night Book One
Seduced by Days Book Two
Mated by Night Book Three
Taken by Night Book Four
Dragon Baby Book Five
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Sinfully Naughty Vol. 1
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Match Made in Hell