And then the rest of the clan rushed them, hugging her.
“Welcome to the clan,” Eli’s father said.
She felt an overpowering rush of emotion. This was her new home. Her family. Her clan.
They were on cloud nine when they got back to their home and started packing for the honeymoon. They were going to take a brief trip to Venice, and then get back and start on a few new projects the hospital had requested.
Ava had never been happier, and she thought Eli felt the same way.
She went into the bathroom to get her shampoo. She was struck by a sudden wave of dizziness. She gripped the countertop as the room spun again. Then, she bent over and vomited.
She heard Eli before she saw him, and she managed to get the toilet flushed in time.
He came running up the stairs and grabbed her shoulders. “Ava, are you sick? What’s wrong?” He didn’t try to hide the frantic tone of his voice.
She rinsed her mouth and grabbed her toothbrush, squeezing some toothpaste onto the end. They hadn’t been married long enough for her to throw up in front of him. She brushed while he watched.
Her stomach rebelled again, and she covered her mouth.
He smoothed her hair back. “Ava, let’s get you to the doctor.”
She smiled despite the nausea. “I’m fine, I promise. It’s just a bug or something I ate.” She patted her stomach. “I already feel better.”
“Sweetheart, I’ve never seen you sick.”
The nickname made her blush, but she liked hearing it from him. She thought back. It was true that she hadn’t been sick since they’d been together, but they also hadn’t been together all that long. And it was also true that when she did get sick, she was more prone to fevers than vomiting.
And now, she felt great. Which wasn’t compatible with food poisoning or a stomach virus.
She began to count the days. With all the excitement of the graduation ceremony and the wedding, she’d lost count of her cycle. She couldn’t stop the gasp that flew out of her mouth.
His eyes widened. “What is it? What’s happened?” He put his arm around her and guided her to one of the empty bedrooms. He kept tugging on her until she sat down on the bed and he sat next to her, holding her hand. “I think…”
“What? Tell me.”
“I think I could be pregnant.”
“Pregnant. A baby,” he said to himself. “That’s wonderful!”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. I could be wrong.”
“We need a test,” he said. “I’ll go get one.”
“I know for a fact that Helena has some. She told me.”
He stood up. “I’ll go now. Someone will be home. And if they’re not, then I’ll get it anyway.”
She’d already learned that the dragons’ sense of boundaries was much more fluid than human boundaries. They had very little privacy, and that was how they liked it. All of them breezed in and out of each other’s homes with abandon, and it bothered no one. However, when she’d remarked on it, Eli had promised that he’d make sure she had her own space. After all, he had his own separate lab in the yard. But so far, she’d relished having so many close family members.
“Stay here,” he said. And then he was gone.
Five minutes later, he was back with the test. “I’ve never done this before,” she said.
He growled, and she laughed. She loved how possessive he was.
He kissed the top of her head. “I think my PhD mate can figure it out.”
Ten minutes later, she was holding the test in her hand, waiting.
When the ‘positive’ plus sign showed up, it wasn’t faint or hard to read. It was big and bright. “We’re going to have a baby.”
He pressed his forehead to hers. “My mate. I love you so much. I will always be grateful that you gave me another chance.”
Epilogue
In late September, Ava held up the invitation to show her husband and mate. “It’s here. The annual Dragon Festival is going to start on October 29th.”
“We are going to have a great time,” Eli said. He put his hand on Ava’s stomach, right on her baby bump. She was five months along, and he really enjoyed tracking the baby’s growth and progress. “And so are you, little baby.”
She put her hand over his, smiling when the baby kicked. “I can’t wait. I’m excited to meet everyone and, most of all, to see Nora and Niall again.”
They both loved his clan, but they were looking forward to spending time with other groups of shifters. And Ava wanted to show off her baby bump in person. “I talked to Nora,” she said. “She’s invited Owen, and he’s agreed to come, too.”
“That’s great. I knew she’d be able to get through to him.”
In the months since the alien attack, Eli had reached out to Owen several times. Owen had been taciturn, to say the least. He had rejected all offers to come visit them, or for them to come visit him. He wouldn’t even tell them where he lived or where he was most of the time. Ava had begun to suspect he had no home but lived out of hotels.
“I think it will do him some good to be with other clans. Maybe he’ll be able to find a home with them,” Eli said.
Ava agreed. She understood that a big, happy clan like Eli’s might be hard to settle into, but the other shifters they knew had formed their own small clans and they were very adept at picking up strays.
“I hope so,” she said, putting the invitation up on the refrigerator.
The next month passed quickly. Ava was busy getting ready for the baby and working hard at the lab. The clan was beside themselves with excitement over the new baby.
All the moments Ava had spent worrying about the clan accepting her had been wasted time. Because even after the wedding, the clan had continued to welcome her with open arms and then some. Because Ava was the only human that lived on the clan’s land, they all wanted to spoil her. That had intensified about a thousand times over once she’d announced that she was pregnant.
Each and every one of them was thrilled for her and Eli.
After a long plane ride, which was much more comfortable thanks to a shifter named Kellan sending them a private jet, they were in Ireland at a castle that the Irish shifters had rented.
As they pulled up, Niall and Nora were waiting for them. Ava hadn’t told them that she was pregnant, wanting to surprise them in person.
Nora jumped up and down and rushed toward her. “This is the best news!” She hugged Ava while the guys shook hands.
“I think we’re going to have to expand soon,” Niall said, looking out over the lake that stretched beyond the castle and the field beside it, where they’d set up large tents for the older kids to sleep in. “Every year, we get a little bigger.” He clapped Eli on the back. “Which is exactly the way we want it.”
Another woman came forward with a bright smile. “Hi, I’m Clara. I’m one of the humans, so if you need anything at all, let me know.”
Ava immediately felt just as at home with this group as she did with her own clan in Oregon.
Ava and Eli spent the next thirty minutes meeting all the couples and all of their many children. Clara gave them a tour of the old castle and showed them around the grounds.
In the back, multiple picnic tables were set up with twinkling fairy lights hanging over them, and large pumpkins sat in the middle of every table.
Once they were done exploring, Clara stood up on a picnic table and clapped her hands. “Time to eat!” She hopped down. “That will get them every time,” she said to Ava. Sure enough, they all came running.
Halfway through the traditional Irish meal, Ava nudged Eli. “Is Owen here?”
“No, I haven’t heard from him.”
At that moment, a figure stepped out of the shadows by the lake. “I’m here,” he said.
“Owen!” Ava got up and went straight to him. After she’d heard his story from Eli, she’d formed a soft spot for the loner dragon. She wasn’t the most nurturing of the clan, but as somewha
t of an outsider herself, it was clear to her how much the bonds of a clan meant to a dragon. And Owen had none.
She and Eli were both more determined than ever to get him to join a clan. Any clan. It didn’t matter to them. Owen was a good guy; he just didn’t know it himself.
Eli came to stand beside her. He rarely let her out of his sight now that she was pregnant. “Owen, it’s good to see you,” he said.
Owen dropped his backpack on the ground. “I figured I’d check it out.” He pointed to Ava’s stomach. “Congratulations.”
Ava rubbed her belly. “Thank you.” She reached out and patted his arm. “We’re glad you came.”
Owen shrugged. “I thought I’d be alone forever. But after meeting you guys…well, now I’m not so sure.”
Ava squeezed her eyes shut. She wasn’t going to cry. She’d never been a crier, but since she’d become pregnant, she sobbed at the drop of a hat.
Eli turned and started walking, pulling her with him. “Come on,” he said to Owen. “Let’s go eat.”
Owen grabbed his bag and lifted his shoulders, walking in front of them toward the crowd of people with determination.
Ava shuddered. She’d been so close to giving up on the life she now had. If Eli hadn’t pushed forward, asking her out and then proposing, she’d be alone now, too, off in a faraway city without friends or family. She leaned up to whisper in her mate’s ear. “I love you. I’m so lucky to have you.”
Eli responded as he always did. “I love you, too, sweetheart. You’ve made me the happiest shifter on this planet.” He winked. “And all the other ones, too.”
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Firefighter Dragon’s Demi-God Daughter (SNEAK PEEK)
Irish Dragon Shifter Brothers Series
Blurb
A dragon shifter and the daughter of a demi-God must work together to save the world from a monstrous threat.
The Demi-God’s Daughter
I carry the blood of the Gods.
I have never known a life without duty.
At an early age, I learned that even the Gods could be killed.
My father was a soldier, and a demi-God.
He was the son of Ares, the God of War. But that did not keep him safe.
My grandfather raised me, and I learned about demons, and how to fight them.
And as an adult, I became an agent with the FBI.
At my job, I protect humans. In my free time, I protect my own kind.
I don’t date, and I don’t have friends. I am neither God, nor human.
Then I meet Jackson.
I mistake my handsome firefighter for a demon, and I try to kill him.
Despite our rough beginning, I find myself drawn to him, and he gives me another chance.
This sexy dragon shifter is exactly the kind of mate I need.
But I have always been on the outside. Can I let this gorgeous shifter in?
The Firefighter Shifter
As a bachelor, my life is exactly how I want it.
I spend my days putting out fires and rescuing humans.
I have a great clan on the coast of Oregon, and a close-knit crew at the fire station.
I don’t need a female to be happy.
Until I meet Helena.
She comes blazing into my life.
While I’m working, she runs at me, with her dagger outstretched.
We fight, and then I learn the truth.
Her dagger is made for killing one thing -- demons.
These monsters are close by, and they pose a threat to us all.
But can I trust Helena near my clan?
She is not human, nor is she a shifter. She will not reveal her heritage.
But we grow closer, and from her I learn to fight this new enemy.
My dragon insists she is my mate.
But my beautiful Helena is still a mystery to me, and her secrets threaten to tear us apart.
Before it’s too late, can I convince my gorgeous mate to share the truth with me?
Will Helena, daughter of a demi-God, allow her dragon shifter mate to show her what it means to be part of a loving clan?
***
1
Jackson
“Please help me!” the woman cried out.
As usual, Jackson Hudson was first on the scene of the accident. He could hear her clearly, even through the glass. And as a dragon shifter, he could hear her heartbeat. It was racing, but steady. He was no doctor, but as a firefighter and first responder, unfortunately, he’d learned the sounds of humans in pain.
The good news was that he could usually help them.
Compared to a human firefighter, he was faster, he was stronger, and most importantly, he was fireproof. That part came in very handy when your job was dealing with a blaze.
He had to be discreet. He couldn’t allow humans to see what he could do. As he got closer, he could hear the woman’s panicked breathing. She was trapped in the car. The metal of the frame had bent in the accident, and no matter how hard she shoved at the door, she couldn’t escape.
Her screams had faded to whimpers. “Please,” she said.
Jackson pressed his hand against the glass. Somehow it had not broken. “Ma’am. I’ll get you out. Just close your eyes and take deep breaths, okay?”
She nodded but didn’t close her eyes.
“I need you to close your eyes, okay? I have some tools out here and I don’t want glass in your eyes, just in case.” He dropped a crowbar on the ground for appearances sake, although it wouldn’t have done a regular man any good. A human would have needed the Jaws of Life machine for this door.
Another shaky nod and she did as he said. Jackson listened carefully. He couldn’t hear the sound of any humans close by. There were no cars and no drones. But even so, he unzipped his large jacket and let it hang loose. He could not risk getting caught on camera using his bare hands to bend metal.
He pressed his body close to the car and put his hands on the spot where the metal was pinning the woman in.
Then he pulled. The metal creaked and bent, but it worked. He got the car door off and flung it to the ground.
The woman collapsed forward, resting her head on her airbag. With her hands still over her eyes, she sobbed.
In the distance, sirens wailed. “The ambulance is almost here,” he said, trying to reassure her.
He checked her pulse and her blood pressure, and then her pupils. “Did you hit your head?” he asked.
She shook her head.“No. Not at all.” She winced. “My leg hurts.”
He glanced down. None of the bones were visible, but her leg was at a funny angle. She could have dislocated her hip as well. “Just stay still, and we’ll get you something for the pain as soon as possible.”
Then he smelled smoke. A smoldering smell. Shit. He was trained as an EMT, but he preferred to leave fragile humans to the medics and not move them unless he had to. But this couldn’t wait. “I’m going to lift you up. It’s not safe to be in your car right now.”
The car did not burst into flames, but it was going to have to be dealt with. And he was the best one to do it.
Thankfully the ambulance came roaring in. Jackson relayed all of his info to the paramedics, and they started to talk to her. Before he left, the woman grabbed his arm. “Thank you,” she said.
“Happy to help,” he said, and he meant it. He loved his job.
Jackson hadn’t traveled much, not like his cousin Garrett who lived down in Las Vegas. Garrett had been all over the freaking world. But even so, Jackson couldn’t imagine a better place than the coast of the Pacific Northwest. The rocky coast that stretched along Oregon was exactly what a dragon shifter nee
ded at the end of a long day.
His clan’s home was in Cape Meares, right at the edge of the cliffs. But the fire chief, also a shifter, had established an all-dragon shifter firehouse in Tillamook, and that’s where Jackson stayed most nights. Working with an all-shifter crew was a nice break because they didn’t have to hide. In regular firehouses, any shifter had to spend a lot of time and effort keeping up appearances when humans were around.
So often with a commercial or residential fire, a crowd gathered to watch. That meant he and his crew couldn't be caught doing anything that a human couldn't. But when they got inside a structure, then they could really let go and do what was necessary.
They could ditch the gear and use their senses, which made it possible for them to save lives. Their hearing was enhanced, so they could hear a human that might be wedged into a hiding spot, coughing from smoke inhalation. Or once everyone was safe, they could go in and use their enhanced sense of smell to find the cause of the fire. More than once they’d found an accelerant that a human might have missed.
However, they couldn’t be too good at their jobs, or the town would get suspicious. So they always saved every life they could, even the pets, but often they let the structure burn, even if they could have stopped it. It sucked, but they couldn’t give themselves away.
When he’d first started, it had been shocking to see how fragile humans were. They coughed and sneezed, their bones broke, their skin tore. The dragon shifters’ bodies were so indestructible that it was sometimes hard to watch the humans suffer and die. But thankfully the lady in the car today would be fine.
Jackson drove back to the station. He cleaned his gear and put it all away. Then he flung himself on his bed. But he didn’t stay down long. He was full of restless energy.
Scientist Dragon's Assistant (Irish Dragon Shifter Brothers Book 9) Page 13