Blood Dragon

by Charlene Hartnady

  He snarled like he was jealous at the thought. His eyes were definitely lighter, glowing a little under the deep shade of the forest. He walked a few steps in the opposite direction before turning back. Bay pulled in a deep breath. “We’ll figure it out. I won’t be separated from my child. I’m going to assume you won’t be fucking around while with child. I can promise the same. I need to keep an eye on you, to make sure nothing happens and that you are both safe. We can talk again once our child is born.”

  Ceri was happy he cared so much about the baby. It hurt that it seemed like that’s all he cared about. “Don’t hold yourself back on my account.”

  He made a noise of frustration. “It wouldn’t be on your account.”

  “On the baby’s and my account then.” Shit! This wasn’t going as planned. That was an awful thing to say. “Please forget I said that. I didn’t mean it. Let’s give this some thought.”

  “I don’t need to think about it. I’m taking a leave of absence. I’ll move in with you.”

  Her heart raced. She loved the idea of this. Loved it way too much. It scared her as well. He was doing this for their child. Only for the baby. They may never have seen each other again if it hadn’t been for this pregnancy. “I don’t have a spare bedroom.”

  “You have a couch and I’m taking it. We’ll move to my lair when we are closer to the birth.”

  “Don’t I have a say in any of this?” She knew she was being difficult. This was such a mess.

  He took her hand in his. It was big and warm and comforting. “Of course you do. I want you happy and comfortable. Being in your own space will afford you that. Then I want you safe. Both of you.” He glanced down at her belly. “You are carrying a dragon whelp. We should be here for the birth. We have human doctors and dragon healers. Again, it is something we can discuss.”

  For a few moments, she felt like she was struggling to breathe. Not so long ago she thought that she could never have a baby. Now she was a couple of months away from giving birth. There were no guarantees on how any of this would turn out. Could she live with a male she had feelings for? The father of her baby. Could she live with Bay knowing he more than likely would never return her feelings? While, at the same time, there was a good chance her feelings would deepen.

  “You are not alone. We will do this together.” He squeezed her hand. Why then did she feel loneliness so acute it hurt? She swallowed back tears and nodded. “Does that mean you agree?” His beautiful eyes lit up.

  “Yes.” The word sounded choked. “It’s the hormones.” She shook her head. At least she still had Drago.

  Chapter 20

  His fist slammed against the desk, rattling the wood. Papers scattered. “I asked you not to fuck it up and you did,” Torrent raged. “You fucked it up royally,” he snarled. “You rutted a vampire. What the fuck were you thinking? How was it even possible? We all thought you…you were…”

  “Blood,” Bay muttered. “That’s how.”

  “What?” Torrent frowned.

  “I won’t get into the details, but—”

  Torrent seemed to realize what he was referring to and put up a hand. “Don’t tell me. You were with a vampire. I can guess. I don’t want to know the details.”

  Not that he planned on divulging any. It was between him and Ceri. “I’m happy about this.” Bay couldn’t help but smile. “Thrilled at the prospect of being a father.”

  “Once she cured you, you could have moved on and had a nice human. Like my Candy.”

  The thought left him cold. “I don’t want a human. I want to try to make things work with the vampire.” It was a long shot, but one he was going to take.

  “It doesn’t sound like she wants the same. Brant said she was very apprehensive about you living with her.”

  “I want to be there for the child. I need to ensure this pregnancy runs smoothly.” If nothing else, this was his top priority. “I will insist on being there for the birth.”

  Torrent made a face. “You can’t be serious.”

  “I have done some research and it is not frowned upon for vampire males to attend the births of their young.”

  “You are a dragon!” Torrent boomed.

  “This is a high-risk pregnancy. Many things can go wrong. I will be there! I will insist!”

  “Let’s see what the vampire has to say about it. I know our healers will be against it.”

  “Does this mean that you will let me go and live with her?” Bay had already decided he was leaving whether Torrent granted him permission or not. His place was at Ceri’s side. He only hoped he could convince her to mate him before the baby arrived. He wanted a family. He wanted Ceri.

  “For the record, I think you are making a mistake. You do not have to live with her. You can still be a good father,” Torrent echoed what Ceri had said.

  Thing was, Bay didn’t care what Torrent thought. This was his decision and his decision alone. He had already made up his mind. Bay couldn’t say any of that, so he let his silence speak.

  “I can see that you have made up your mind?”

  Bay nodded. “Yes, I have.”

  “Do I have a choice but to let you go?” Torrent’s eyes blazed.

  Bay looked down at the floor for a moment before meeting his king’s gaze. “My place is with my unborn child.”

  Torrent nodded. “As your king, I am angered by this. As a male who is a father, I understand. I am giving you permission to leave. I am putting Beck in your place…temporarily. Flood will take second.”

  “They are bound to clash.” Shit! It was never going to work. Unfortunately, it couldn’t be his problem, not right then. Not with so much at stake.

  “They need to sort out their shit. You must know though, that if you leave, you will forfeit your leadership role. I will not reinstate you.” Torrent shook his head. “I am not punishing you, because I didn’t technically forbid you from rutting. I didn’t think I had to,” he muttered the last.

  In the end, it was almost a relief to hear. Bay was not a male to back down from a challenge. Nor was he a quitter, but he did not enjoy his role as leader. Beck or Flood were far better suited. It was the main reason the two of them butted heads as much as they did. They were very different in some ways but exactly the same in others. “I understand.”

  “You are leaving anyway.”

  “I must.” Bay nodded.

  Five days later…

  There was a knock on the door and she almost jumped out of her skin. This was it. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing her heart to stop going nuts.

  “Coming.” She walked to the door and opened it.

  Bay smiled as soon as their eyes met. Why did he have to be so darned gorgeous? Tall, dark and delicious. His scent enveloped her. Even though she didn’t drink much blood anymore, her fangs sharpened anyway. She was thirsty again for the first time in weeks. Not like before, but still—

  She realized she was gaping. Who could blame her? He wore a pair of those cotton pants. They were white. Holy cow! White! His skin was golden against the fabric, his abs were…well, they were perfect. He’d been working out even more since she had last had sex with him, that much was clear. Why was she thinking about sex? It had to stop immediately.

  His smiled turned to a grin. “Can I come in?” He glanced over her shoulder and into her apartment for a few seconds.

  She blinked. “Sorry! This is a bit weird.”

  “I guess it is. Look, we’ll get to know each other and then it won’t be so…” He let the sentence die.

  Stilted. Awkward. Ceri knew he didn’t say those things out loud, but it was what he was thinking. There was also an underlying tension between them. Ceri was still attracted to him. She wondered if he felt the same.

  She held his gaze a moment longer and then nodded once, reminding herself why Bay was really there. For a moment, just a few seconds, she’d felt possibilities. Not very intelligent of her. Just the other day Bay had attended the Stag Run. He had almost rutted another fem
ale. She wasn’t sure why he had changed his mind. Make no mistake, it was he who had rejected the human and not the other way around. Sure, Ceri had felt relief when she hadn’t been able to scent the other female on him, but she couldn’t shake the fact that he had been there in the first place. It was a weekend designed for mindless rutting. One he had felt the need to attend.

  More importantly, he was there for the baby. That was all! He had made it clear that he was going to try to win her. It would be for all the wrong reasons though and she had to keep reminding herself of that. “Is this my bed?” He pointed at the couch.

  She’d put a pillow, a sheet and blanket in a neat pile on the armrest.

  Ceri nodded. “Brant is organizing us bigger accommodation. I would prefer two units next to one another—”

  His jaw tightened. “No, we need to get properly acquainted. It would be better if we were under the same roof.”

  “Okay, well then, this is it for now, I’m afraid. You can use that dresser,” she pointed at the piece of furniture in the far corner, “for your things. Can I show you around?”

  “Sure.” He shrugged, pulling a bag from his shoulder and placing it on the floor next to the sofa.

  “Through here,” she opened the door, “is the kitchen. I’m afraid it’s probably smaller than you are used to. I saw the apartments in your lair and—”

  “I don’t mind.”

  “It’s comfortable but certainly not as lavish as what you’re accustomed to.”

  “Such things are really not important to me.” Bay shook his head.

  “I place a weekly order for groceries. Let me know what you like and I’ll order it for you. We have two restaurants on the property as well. One in the castle. The other one – you already know – it’s in the hotel.”

  “Perfect. Sounds good.” He smiled, following her back into the lounge area. There was a small four-seater dining room table to the one side.

  “This is the guest bathroom.” She opened the door. “It’s literally just a toilet and a sink. We’ll have to share my en-suite bathroom, which has both a bath and a shower." They walked into her bedroom. She pointed at the closed door on the far side.

  “We’ll manage.” Bay shrugged like it was no big deal.

  She felt the now familiar thump, thump inside her tummy. Her son or daughter making themselves known. Ceri felt her heart squeeze. She put a hand on her belly.

  “What is it?” Bay frowned. “Is everything okay.”

  “The baby is kicking.” She smiled.

  His eyes lit up, reminding her of a small child. “Please can I…” He was looking at her belly.

  She was shocked at how much it had grown in such a short time. There was a definite curve. So much so, that she was beginning to look pregnant. Ceri nodded. “Here.” She took his hand and placed it on the spot where the little one had just kicked.

  Thump.

  “There,” she said. “Did you feel it?”

  Bay frowned. “I don’t think so.”

  “They’re still very soft.”

  Thump. Thump. A bit harder that time. “Did you…?” She could see he was frowning even deeper than before. “Wait.” She sat down on the bed and lifted her top, pulling down her tights a little. Then she took his hand and placed it directly on her skin. His eyes were narrowed in deep concentration.

  Thump.

  Bay’s eyes widened.

  Thump.

  He sucked in a breath. “I can feel him. I feel the kicks!” he choked out. His eyes stayed wide, she could see he was barely breathing.

  Thump. Thump.

  Bay choked out a laugh. “That’s amazing! He’s kicking.”

  “Or she.” Ceri found that she was smiling too.

  “Or she, although dragon females are rare, one is hardly ever born. Never from a human female.”

  “I am a vampire,” Ceri said. Then she realized that his hand was still firmly on her stomach with her hand pressing over his. His thigh was also up against hers. It suddenly felt close and intimate. Her mouth felt a bit dry. Other parts of her felt other things. Things they shouldn’t be feeling. Her nipples tightened. There was an achy feeling between her legs.

  It was those blasted hormones. She was extra horny since becoming pregnant. Ceri jumped up, fixing her clothing.

  Bay stood up as well. “I’ll just get unpacked then.”

  Chapter 21

  Two days later…

  Something woke her. She felt instantly wide awake. Her curtains were a grey shade, telling her that the sun had started rising but that it was still early. There it was again, that sound she’d heard earlier. She lifted her head.

  “Shit, I’m sorry.” Bay held up a hand, looking sheepish. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  Ceri decided right then that she hated him. Bay had insisted on living with her so that he could drive her batshit crazy. His hair was wet. Droplets ran down his chest. The towel was fluffy and white. It was fastened around his hips. Low on his hips. Low enough that she could see every single one of his abs in all of their wet glory.

  “Um,” she cleared her throat, “that’s okay.”

  “I’m meeting Brant,” Bay mumbled. “Thought it best if I showered before meeting with one of the kings. I tried to be quiet, I swear I did. You go back to sleep.” He took another step.

  “That’s okay. It’s almost time for me to get up anyways. Why the meeting?” she asked, sitting up.

  His gaze dropped to her boobs, lingering there before returning to her eyes. Ceri wore a light purple sleeping shirt. The garment had become tight around her breasts and snug around her belly. “Ah…” He lifted his gaze, looking like he couldn’t remember what it was he wanted to say. Two small frown lines appeared between his eyes.

  “The meeting.” She smiled, raising her brows. It was good to know that it wasn’t just her who was still affected by this attraction. Bay looked like he was still feeling it, even though her body was changing. They had never struggled in the chemistry department.

  “Oh, yeah, um, I’m hoping he’ll allow me to work while I’m here. I want to be close to you, but I can’t sit around all day doing nothing.”

  “You can come and help me at the clinic,” she blurted. “I could use an extra pair of hands.”

  Bay laughed. “I’m not so sure about that. I think there might be an opening on the Elite team. I’m probably better suited as a warrior than a healer.”

  “You won’t get a spot on the Elite team. No offense ‒ those types of positions are hard-won.”

  He flexed his muscles. “Good thing I’m up for the challenge.”

  “Good luck then!”

  “What do you have planned today?” He ran a hand through his still dripping hair, trying to finger-comb it.

  “Oh, I need to get to work. I have a ton of appointments today, but first, breakfast.” She rolled her eyes. “I don’t know how you do it. Vampires drink every couple of days. We do eat solid food, but we certainly don’t need three square meals, and then don’t forget the snacks in-between. It’s so time-consuming.”

  “Oh, that’s interesting.” He folded his arms and took a step towards her bed. “So you don’t drink blood anymore?”

  “I do but very little and not very often. I think my requirements have changed because I’m pregnant with a dragon shifter baby. Human females crave blood when they are pregnant by vampires.”

  Bay made a sound of agreement and took another step, putting him right at the foot of her bed. His eyes were so blue. His shoulders broad. His— Enough, Ceri!

  “It is similar when human females are pregnant with dragon whelps.” He thankfully hadn’t noticed her…discomfort. “They crave more meat and prefer it to be more on the rare side. They go off milk…dairy products in general.”

  “That explains my cravings for steak. I can’t get enough of it. That and ham sandwiches, with plenty of ham.”

  He gave her a half-smile. “How are you feeling otherwise?”

  “I’m go
od.”

  He scrutinized her. “Do you mean that?”

  “No, I do. I’m great. My energy levels are back up. I had a few days of nausea a while back, but I put that to…” Missing you. Your blood. You. She couldn’t say any of that. “I wasn’t sure what was going on, but it was over before I thought anything of it.”

  “What about how you’re feeling, on the inside?”

  “My feelings?” Was he still talking about the baby? She assumed he was. “I’m still scared…for the little one,” she put a hand on her belly, “and for myself as well. I know how badly things can go. I’ve seen the worst-case scenario firsthand.”

  “I know, and I wish that wasn’t the case. You won’t be pregnant nearly as long as a vampire female normally would be. It’s going to work out. We have to believe that.”

  “We don’t know anything, at this stage, but I think you are right. Stressing about it isn’t going to solve anything.” Her mouth felt dry just thinking about it. Her stomach felt like a rock had lodged itself inside her.

  “Okay, well, I’d better get dressed.” He looked down at himself. “I’m leaving in ten minutes. Have a good day.”

  “Thank you.” She smiled. “Good luck with your meeting. I must warn you, Brant comes across like an asshole if you don’t know him. He was very upset about this pregnancy. He shouted and broke a table, but then he got over himself. Now he’s really worried about me.”

  “My kings weren’t too thrilled either.”

  “He will probably act like a complete jerk initially. Don’t take it personally. Don’t let that get to you, he’s actually quite a nice male deep down. He just doesn’t often show that side of himself.”

  “Yep, my king is the same. They feel they need to come across as being in charge and in control. They act like they don’t have emotions.”