by Lilly Wilder
“Perhaps you should ask Myles. I wouldn’t want to overstep my boundaries.” She pointed across the fire at the biggest tepee. “That is where he lives.”
Numbly, I nodded. My feet carried me there. Inside, I found a small room. In the middle was a wooden door. I pulled it open to find a set of stairs. I climbed down and found what looked like fireflies illuminating the way. Despite this being my first time inside a dragon’s lair, I knew exactly where to go.
I found Myles sitting on a log, whittling away at some wood. I had no idea what he was making but that hardly mattered. “Am I pregnant?” I demanded.
“Yes.” He answered without skipping a beat. “We dragons have a 100% fertility rate to ensure that the species lives on. By sleeping with us, you are now carrying our child.”
My eyes grew so big I thought they would pop right out of my head. “I can’t believe it…”
“Do you regret it?” Myles asked with a frown. Just the look on his face was enough to break my heart. When I didn't answer him, he got up and wrapped his arms around my body. “I’m sorry, I thought that Foster had explained this to you and that’s why you were so willing.”
“I…” Unable to speak, I hid my face in his chest.
“Shh.” He whispered in a soft, soothing voice. “Please, I did not mean to hurt you like this.” He leaned down to kiss the top of my head. “If you are this distraught then we might be able to find a solution. Let us wait for Foster to return and we will discuss the matter.”
My mind was so fuzzy that I could barely understand what he was saying. I blinked, thinking maybe all this was some sort of dream but of course, it wasn’t.
I was pregnant – with a dragon…
Chapter 10: Myles
I must have dozed off because when I next came to, both Rosie and Foster were nowhere to be found. I asked around the village but no one had seen them come or go.
“Where are you?” I shot Foster a text but he did not answer.
The pit of my stomach churned. This was no good. I could feel it. So, I sniffed the air and caught their scent. Foster was still in town – doing what, I didn't know. Rosie, on the other hand, was on our hunting land. What was she doing?
Quickly, I transformed into my dragon state and soared into the clouds. Once I was high enough, I caught a gust of wind underneath my wings and allowed it to carry me toward my destination. I circled around, my nostrils flaring but still, I couldn't pinpoint exactly where she was. There were too many scents in the air from animal pheromones to fresh blood. I prayed the blood didn't belong to my mate.
Thinking maybe she would respond to my calls, I landed near the lake and returned to my human form. “Rosie!” I shouted, my voice echoing against the trees.
Silence answered me.
This wasn't a good sign. What if something had happened to her? It not only put her life in jeopardy but the baby as well.
“Rosie!” I called out once more as I searched the air. I willed my nose to work a little better but it could not track what I wanted to find. “Rosie! Please!”
And then, I heard something. A sniffle. I whipped around and narrowed my eyes. It was hard to see when the forest all looked the same.
But luckily, Rosie moved, shifting her position, and it was enough for me to spot her. I rushed forward and took her by the shoulders. “Rosie? What’s wrong? Did something happen to you?”
She continued to sniffle, hiding her face against her knees.
“It’s dangerous out here. Do you know what could have happened to you if I hadn’t found you?” I said through gritted teeth. “You could have gotten yourself killed.”
She looked up at me with tears in her eyes. “I just feel so… used.”
“Used?” I repeated, confused by her response. “Why do you feel used?”
“Because all you wanted was a baby so you could preserve your species and all that… it had nothing to do with me.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” I took her face between my hands and pulled her close enough where she was forced to look me in the eyes. “Dragons mate for life, Rosie. And the reason why we picked you is that we felt that connection you were talking about. Yes, it may have manifested itself with sex but our relationship is much more than that. We cherish you as our mate and will do so for the rest of our lives. So long as you’re alive, we could never be with another woman.” Gently, I leaned forward and kissed her lips. “So, trust me when I say that I love you and so does Foster.”
Her cheeks burned underneath my palms. “Do you really mean that?”
“I do. I love you, Rosie.” I kissed the tip of her nose. “And I want you to know that, this child you’re carrying, it brings me great joy because it means I have finally found the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. Nothing would make me happier than spending every waking moment with you, Rosie.” I slid my thumb across her skin and smiled down at her. “Now, what do you say about getting off this cold ground and back to the village?”
She nodded. “I would like that.”
Since we were rather close, I took her on my back and carried her piggyback style. “Now, I want you to stay here while I look for Foster.”
“What do you mean? Where’s Foster?”
“That’s what I’m worried about. He didn’t come home last night and he isn’t answering any of his texts, which is unusual because he’s usually attached to that phone of his.” I frowned. “So, I’m going into town to look for him. I don’t know what I will encounter on the way so I want you to stay here and wait for me.”
“Not going to happen.” She held onto my neck a little bit tighter. “If you think you can just leave me behind you’ve got another think coming.”
“It might be dangerous. I don’t want to put you or the baby at risk.”
“Well, then I guess you’re just going to have to do a damn good job at protecting us.”
I sighed. “You aren’t going to take no for an answer, are you?”
“Nope.”
I sighed again. “I had a feeling you’d be a stubborn one. But I suppose that is why I like you so much. You remind me of myself. Now, come on, I fear that Foster needs our help.”
Chapter 11: Rosie
We started our search in the most obvious of places: the café.
Luckily, I had convinced Myles to put on a shirt. The last thing I needed was for everyone to ogle him as we made our way down the street. Even so, there were a few girls who stopped to stare. It filled me with a fit of jealousy I had never felt before.
As if sensing my discomfort, Myles took my hand and squeezed it. “You have nothing to worry about. Those other women have nothing on you.” He swooped down and kissed my cheek.
I still couldn’t believe what was happening. I had fallen in love with a couple of dragons but not only that, I was now carrying their child. Thankfully, they were both perfect gentlemen who treated me like a princess every chance they got. They were a world apart from the asshole I called an ex. He had never treated me with such love and care, and we had dated for nearly five years. The dragons had accomplished more in a few days.
Ding!
Overhead, a silver bell danced, singing its song.
At the counter, I spotted a familiar face. She was the barista that usually worked the place whenever Foster wasn’t. She was nice enough but she didn’t have much of a personality. “Hey, Christy, do you happen to know where I can find Foster?”
Her eyes widened. “What? You didn’t hear? He got arrested.” She lowered her voice. “I wasn’t here but I heard it was a bloodbath.”
The color drained from my face. “A bloodbath? What happened?”
“Well, you see, your ex, Jake, walked in here wanting to talk to him. Next thing, they’re throwing punches at one another so Foster gets taken in for assaulting an officer.” She shook her head. “Which really screws me over because now I have to work all these extra shifts while they try to find a replacement.”
“Come on.” Myles took my hand and pulled me out of the café with this mean look on his face.
“Wait. I know what you’re thinking and you can’t just burn down the police station. That isn’t going to work.”
Myles growled, “That wasn’t my intention but now that you mention it, that’s not a bad idea. I think I might try it.”
“Myles.” I squeezed his arm in an attempt to calm him down. “You’re letting your temper get the best of you. I know that Jake is a douchebag but you can’t let him get under your skin like this. We need to keep our heads about us or this is going to end badly.”
It looked like he wasn’t really listening to me.
“This can go one of two ways. Either, you listen to what I have to say or you end up getting arrested and I’m forced to raise this baby as a single mother.”
He eased his shoulders letting them sag back to their normal position. “Fine. What do you suggest?”
“We go to the police station and talk to Jake. I’m sure I can knock some sense into him.”
“Despite what he did to you, you still think he would listen?” Myles countered.
He had a point. I had no idea how he would react but it was worth a shot, for Foster’s sake at least. “We have to try.” I insisted. “Or we’ll be forced to involve lawyers and from that point, it’ll be insanely messy. Plus, his chances will be slim. Everyone sides with a cop.”
“I don’t like this…” Myles huffed but nonetheless, he followed me to the station.
The building was drab and colorless. It gave me the shivers as soon as I walked inside. Instinctively, my hand fell to my stomach as if I intended to protect my baby from the negative atmosphere that surrounded us.
Behind the counter sat a heavy-set officer with a balding head. “Can I help you?”
“I need to talk to Officer Borges.”
“Give me a second.” He pressed the button on his receiver. “Jake, there’s a girl out here that wants to talk to you.”
***
It took a while but we were finally escorted to a room. It was small, outfitted with nothing more than a steel table and a chair. That chair was currently occupied by Foster who had his hands in cuffs.
I ran forward to try and hug him but Jake stopped me. “Rosie! You’re okay!” He tried to act concerned but I knew it was all just an act.
“Of course, I’m okay, why wouldn’t I be?”
“I’ve been trying to contact you for well over a month with no response. Your house looks deserted. I thought something had happened to you.”
“Wait… a month? But I’ve only been gone for a couple of days.”
“No, Rosie… it’s been a month.” He took a step back and examined me for any injuries. “Are you okay? On any medication?”
“No. I’m not on any medication. What are you talking about? This doesn’t make any sense. I’ve only been gone for a few days.”
Jake shook his head and handed over a stack of unread mail. “Does this look like a few days’ mail to you?”
My eyes widened. “But…”
Suddenly, Jake pulled me behind his body. “I get it now. You two are some of those vermin, aren’t you? I encountered a lot of your kind when I was a youngster. My father wiped it out – every last one.”
Myles snarled in response. “So, you had a hand in that massacre, did you?”
“Perhaps it never would have happened if you hadn’t made it a habit to kidnap our women. You took my goddamn mother.”
I gasped. “But you told me that she died in a car crash.”
“Because that’s much more believable then telling you that she was abducted by dragons.” He shouted, spittle flying from his lips. “These two men are dangerous. They manipulate women with their sweet words and charming looks but it’s all just an act to get them into bed so they can keep producing more dragons. Trust me, I’ve studied them all my life trying to get revenge and I guess today’s my lucky day.” He reached for his gun but I stopped him.
“No.”
“But Rosie, these men kidnapped you. They forced you into a relationship.”
“They didn’t force me to do anything. I went with them because I wanted to. Simple as that.” I looked away. “So, let them go.”
“I can’t do that, this bugger assaulted me.”
“I said, let them go or I tell the whole world that you’ve been fucking around with the entire female staff. Now, you choose, either keep this man in custody and lose your job, or let him go and no one is wiser for it.”
“Rosie… you’re making a huge mistake trying to protect these guys. They wouldn’t do the same for you.”
“I don’t want to hear another word.” I snapped. “Now, get out of my face, both of you. I thought you were being honest with me but I guess that’s what I get for thinking I can trust anyone in this world.”
Foster tried to protest but Myles held him back. The air around them became heavy as they left the room and, hopefully, my life.
“Do you want me to take you home?” Jake asked.
“Don’t think this means I forgive you.” I hissed. “Stay away from me.”
Chapter 12: Foster
“Are we really going to let her go like this?” I asked, pacing around our living room. I hadn’t been able to sit still since returning to the village. “What if something happens to her? And what about the baby?”
“She has made herself clear. She no longer wants to see us.” Myles was busy playing a game of solitaire. He did so whenever something was bothering him. “I will not force her into a union if she is not willing.”
“I am not saying we should force her into it. All I am saying is that we need to talk to her. Clearly, she doesn’t know the whole story. She’s just taking his side of things…! And it isn’t right!” I slammed my fist against the wall.
“Foster.”
“What?” I snapped. “I’m sorry but I can’t just sit here and play solitaire while my mate thinks I’m some sort of monster. I’ve waited all my life to find that special someone and now that asshole wants to take it all away.” Usually, I’m the calm one of the two of us, but this situation was just driving me insane. How could Rosie just throw us away like that? Did she not understand how much she means to us?
“Look. I’m not saying we sit here and do nothing. We will win her back one way or another but I think it best if we give her some time to think things over. I am sure she will come to her senses if she has the time to reflect upon such things.”
“And if she decides that we are hell-spawn and that she wants nothing to do with us?” I shot back. “I’m not letting her go, Myles, I refuse.”
“And neither am I. I’d be damned if I allowed anything to happen to her or our unborn child but we cannot force her. She must come willingly.” He said while clearing the table and gathering the cards into a deck. He shuffled them slowly. “We will convince her but we have to be smart about it…”
“Because if we’re not then we might piss off the law enforcement and force the past to repeat itself.” I finished for him. “I know, I know. But you have to agree, this is agonizing.”
“It is.” He agreed. “But better to suffer this pain now than to lose everything we love.”
***
“How much longer do we have to wait? It’s been a few months by human time. She must think we have abandoned her.” I followed Myles into the hunting grounds. I had a bow in my hand while he carried a dagger.
Myles preferred to hunt as a dragon but from time to time he would accompany me on a foot trail.
My wings flapped in agitation when Myles refused to answer me. I had half a mind to go after Rosie myself. If I could only talk to her for five minutes, I was sure I could convince her that we aren’t the monsters she thinks we are.
A deer poked his head through the thicket, looking around for a fresh patch of grass. When he found it, he munched leisurely while I lined up my shot. My
hand trembled as I thought about Rosie. Every minute apart felt like a knife slicing right through my heart. I couldn’t take this heartache much longer. I needed her in my arms again.
I dropped my bow. “Myles. I can’t.”
He stopped and considered me for a moment. “We must wait for the right time. I will tell you when it comes but until it does, we will remain in the village. The longer we stay silent…”
“No!” I shouted. “I can stay silent no longer. It is killing me. I do not have the patience of an Alpha.” I started to lose myself, knees buckling until I hit the ground. “This is torture and I do not understand how you can bear it so willingly. She is just a flight away. That’s it. And yet we wait here like cowards.”
“Trust me,” Myles said while looking into my eyes. “When the time is right, we will speak with her and return things to the way they should be.” Just then, he straightened his posture and looked to the west where Rosie’s house lay. He sniffed the air and a knowing smile crossed his face.
“What?” I asked, noting that something was happening. “Myles, answer me. What’s going on?”
“It is time.” He said. “Finally.”
Chapter 13: Rosie
A few months later.
I sighed and returned to the couch with a carton of ice cream in my hand. Despite the time that had gone by, I still thought about the dragons who had placed the baby into my belly. I ran my hand over the bump. It was getting bigger and bigger with each passing day.
What was I supposed to do when it finally came time to give birth? I couldn’t exactly go to a regular hospital when I was carrying a dragon. I’d probably turn into some sort of science experiment for the United States government. But sooner rather than later I would need to come up with a game plan. Maybe I could ask Misty for some help but that would mean encountering the two men I was trying to avoid.
It was all much too complicated.
My best option was just to keep my distance and take it one step at a time.
