by Sy Walker
Another child. What was she going to do with another child? Josh’s life insurance had paid off the house and left her a bit of savings. She had a good job, but would obviously have some down time after the birth of another child. There wasn’t even a consideration to ask Sebastian to support the child. She barely knew him. How could she ask him to take care of a child he had fathered with a one-night stand?
When the doorbell rang, she was reluctant to open it. She still felt and, no doubt, looked horrible and had what felt like the weight of the world on her shoulders. Pulling it open, she found Sebastian smiling down at her, two large brown sacks in his arms.
“Oh, babe. You look horrible.”
“Thanks. That is what every woman wants to hear.”
“I’m sorry. That did come out sounding a bit bad, didn’t it? You’re beautiful even when you are sweaty and pale. That should be a comfort.”
“Yeah, that is much better,” she said sarcastically.
“I brought you some different kinds of juices, some ice cream, some fresh soup from the deli and a variety of over the counter meds for stomach ailments. I didn’t want to get too personal and ask what your exact symptoms were, so I picked a little of everything up.”
“Thank you. You really didn’t have to do all that.”
“I wanted to help. Where is Katie? Do I need to take her to school?”
“No. I took her to my Mom’s house yesterday and she took her to school this morning.”
“Good. It doesn’t seem that you’re in any condition for it.”
As the day progressed, Sebastian didn’t show any sign of letting her stay by herself. He waited on her hand and foot, keeping a close eye on her throughout the day. Falling asleep for a while, she felt relieved to just get some rest. When she awoke, she found Sebastian pacing back and forth, looking very concerned. Glancing downward, she could see that her stomach was very distended.
“Have you been to the doctor?” Sebastian asked.
“Yes,” she said, deciding not to lie.
“What did he tell you?”
“He said that I’m pregnant.”
“That would be an accurate assessment. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I didn’t believe him. I wanted to wait until a regular obstetrician confirmed it next week.”
“You don’t need a regular obstetrician. I’m going to take you to my family doctor.”
“Sebastian, it’s okay. It’s probably just a false positive or something. No way could I give a positive pregnancy reading the very next day and I haven’t been with anyone else for a very long time. The crazy family practice doctor told me I was at least three weeks along.”
“You are thinking about this as if this baby is human. He’s not. He’s a dragon shifter.”
“What? What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that shifter babies develop at an alarming rate compared to human babies. He would appear, you would appear, to be much farther along based on human criteria.”
“So, what then. I’m three weeks along in one day, so that means that I’ll be full term in what? About thirteen or fourteen weeks?”
“No. Dragon babies develop faster, but they have about a six-month gestation period. So, you’ll appear fairly normal in the pregnancy itself. People will just think you have been pregnant for longer than you actually have.”
“I don’t know if I want to go through with this. I had no intention of having another child, especially not one with a relative stranger.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“Of course I do. This is a nightmare.”
“It’s not a nightmare, and I don’t think you really believe that. You are just scared. I won’t leave you, Laura. This is my baby too. Dragon shifters can only procreate once and then, only with the one they are meant to spend their lives with. Do you understand what I’m saying to you?”
“Yes. You are saying that you can’t have another child and that you will stay with me in order to make sure I have this one.”
“No, Laura. I’m saying we were destined for one another. Perhaps it will take you longer to believe that, but I felt it when I met you. I just didn’t want to accept it. I was frightened by it, but now this. I know now that it is all true. We belong together. Tell me that you at least feel enough for me to give us a chance, to give our child a chance.”
“I do feel something for you. I can’t explain it, but I’m drawn to you like I’ve not been drawn to anyone for a long time.”
“Then we are going to my family doctor to make sure you get the proper care for such a special child and we will handle this as it comes. Okay?”
“Okay.”
A part of her felt relief. Perhaps this was how things were meant to be, after all. She dressed and went to the doctor with Sebastian. It turned out to be a secluded cabin like office in the middle of nowhere, the doctor looking more like an old shaman of some sort than a certified doctor.
“Where did you go to school?” she asked as he examined her, eliciting a smile.
“Harvard, Received my diploma in 1917.”
“I’m sorry. I must have misunderstood. 1977?”
“No. 1917.”
Laura looked at Sebastian quizzically and he nodded his head with a slow smile. How old was this doctor she wondered.
“Dr. Bledsoe has been practicing medicine for a very long time. He probably even has a few instruments that aren’t rusty. He’s old as shit.”
“Listen here, boy. I brought you into this world. I won’t be bothered about taking you back out of it,” the doctor replied dryly.
“Don’t worry, Laura. I assure you that he is a very good doctor and the only one you will find that can provide for your special needs.”
“Here drink this,” the doctor told her, handing her some vile smelling chalky liquid. She did as he said and felt an immediate relief from the nausea and cramps. Perhaps he knew his stuff after all. She would have to trust him, whether she wanted to or not.
A few days later, life seemed almost normal again. The doctor had sent a bottle of the medicine he had given her home and told her to keep taking it as needed until the sickness and pain subsided. She had begun to wear loose clothing to cover up her growing bump, but would have to begin to tell people soon about the baby. Sebastian was by her side constantly except for when he had to work. Today he was on another twenty-four-hour shift, and she was taking Katie to the park. It was time to break the news to her that she was going to be a sister and, to her surprise, her daughter was incredibly excited about it. She felt pretty good about things.
Then, the next day, everything fell apart in a matter of moments. She was making dinner and watching the news. A report came on that there was a major fire in the downtown area. A high rise that had been condemned and was set ablaze by someone unknown had collapsed, trapping several local firefighters in the blaze. Her heart pounded, practically exiting her chest as her phone began to ring.
“Laura? Laura Stewart?”
“Yes. Is he okay?”
She didn’t have time for formalities, she felt exactly like she had on a similar day a few years prior. There was no doubt that this call concerned Sebastian and she needed to know the worst right now, no matter what it might be.
“This is Chief Isaacs. You are listed as a contact in case of emergency. We don’t know Sebastian’s condition at present, but we are notifying family members that we are doing everything we can to bring him and the others out safely. We’ll be in touch.”
“Thank you, Chief,” she replied, her voice shaky and almost inaudible.
Hours passed during which she had no updates except for the news that unfolded on the television as she watched with increasing horror. Could she really lose him so quickly? Why was this happening to her again? Was there some sort of curse that would cost her every man she ever loved? The thought startled her as she realized that she did, in fact love him. Already, he had become someone she didn’t want to live without. Tears fel
l down her face as she imagined the worse.
The news tore away from the collapsed, smoking building while a reporter spoke about the situation at hand and Laura just wanted to scream at the screen. She needed to see what was going on. Her nerves were completely on edge as her phone rang again, a raspy, rough voice on the other end.
“I’m okay, Laura. I’m okay.”
“Sebastian? Where are you? I can hardly hear you?”
“I’m under the building, but I’m fine.”
“Sebastian! Oh my God!”
“Just trust me. Remember what I am. Remember who I am. I’m safe. I’ll be safe until they can get to me. I have to go.”
Laura felt like she was talking to a ghost from beyond. Hours passed during which she continued to watch the news as they kept following unfolding events. A crane was brought in and large sections of the building began to be pulled carefully away, digging deep into the center of the building until a large section could be seen apparently heaving upward, something pushing it out from within. It took a moment, but she suddenly realized what it was.
“Sebastian,” she breathed into the living room around her, a sudden calm coming over her.
She watched as the large wings emerged, pushing the rubble away and shielding the men beneath the huge dragon wings. A smile crossed her face. Of course. During all this time, she had forgotten the most notable thing about the man she had fallen in love with. He was a dragon shifter. She watched as he stood, larger than life, above the men who now climbed from the debris that surrounded them and made their way toward the waiting ambulances sent to their aid.
The reporter chatted excitedly as the large beast waited for the last of them to clear it’s wing span and then rose up, pushing the last of the crushed building up and away from its huge frame. Then it rose into the air, taking flight rather than shifting back to human form. There was speculation as to whether the dragon had caused the fire, but then one of the fireman was lucid enough to speak to the reporter.
“No. He saved us. He saved us all. The beams were falling. One fell on him, across his back, across his head and we thought he was dead. The next thing we knew he was shifting and pushing everything up and away from us. It was too heavy for him to lift, all the levels down on top of us, but he kept enough of it up to make sure we were sheltered from it until crews could make it down there. He’s a true hero.”
The report died out as she heard a loud thud in the front yard and ran to the door, just in time to see the huge creature standing on her front lawn. It was surreal watching as he changed back into a man, not any man, but the one that she would spend the rest of her life with. Running out the door, she threw her arms around him, tossing the throw from her sofa around his naked form as she helped him into the house. He was weak, that was obvious.
“Sebastian, why did you come here? Why didn’t you stay and get medical attention?”
“I’m fine. They can’t help me. I just need to rest.”
“The man, the other firefighter. He said you were crushed by beams. That they thought you were dead.”
“I was.”
“What? What do you mean you were? I was so afraid I had lost you!”
“You’ll never lose me, Laura. I may have forgotten to mention that, like a cat, I have nine lives. I still have seven left. Oh, and my kind lives to be well over a hundred years old. You’re stuck with me for a very long time to come.”
Laura smiled at him and helped him to the bathroom to get cleaned up. Then, they turned in for the night, laying curled up together peacefully. Somewhere in the night, his weakness passed and she was once again reminded why she found him so completely irresistible as his erection pressed into her.
“I can’t believe you want to have sex. Not only did you die today, but look at me. I swear I’ve turned into a whale just in the course of twenty-four hours,” she said, pointing at the size of her growing belly.
“Oh stop. That is just getting me more excited,” he said, slipping into her from one side and pumping his cock deep inside of her.
Everything felt perfect as he slipped in and out of her swollen pink folds, aching for more of him with each stroke. He felt perfect, like he always did, but there was something different now, a closeness that she hadn’t felt before. His hands cupped her swollen breasts as he pushed into her, deeply, wantonly making love to her in a way that made her want to cry with joy. This was what had been missing from her life for far too long. This kind of passion, this kind of devotion.
“I love you, Laura,” he whispered into her ear softly.
“I love you too,” she replied, pushing back against him as her body quaked, shattering into an orgasm that almost left her breathless.
“Oh no, I am not done with you yet” he roared, as he turned her over onto her back and pulled up her legs vertically around him. His eyes glowed orange, and he thrust his long perfect cock more deeply into her than ever before. Her screams of pain quickly turned into screams of pleausre as his cock began widening and vibrating inside of her.
Sebastian didn’t let up, quickly bringing her to several more climaxes before he exploded, filling her with the same seed that had already given life to the next generation of dragon shifters. Their child would carry on his family name into the next century. She could already imagine him with their child, doing normal things like playing catch in the backyard or teaching him to ride his first bike. No doubt there would be dragon training that would feel completely foreign to her, as well.
Whatever was to be would be fine with her. This all felt so incredibly right, like it was exactly where she was supposed to be, and he was exactly who she was supposed to be with. How she had gotten so incredibly lucky was beyond her, but there was no doubt that she was exactly that. Everything felt so right now. So perfect. Sebastian was the most incredible man she could have ever hoped to find to spend the rest of her life with and she knew now that they would grow old and gray together.
He kissed her lips with an almost featherlike caress of his own as she snuggled into the crook of his arm and fell asleep. The morning sun ushered in the next day in only a matter of hours and they climbed out of bed, ready to face the rest of their lives and whatever it might bring. Dressing and walking into the living room, she was astounded at what she was seeing out the front windows. As it turned out, that was a throng of reporters on their front lawn, eager to talk to the hero of yesterday.
“How did they find you here?” she asked in wonder, looking at the mass of them outside, their vans lining the street and their cameramen scattered all over the front lawn.
“I’m sure a neighbor ratted me out. Kind of hard to miss a huge dragon landing on the sidewalk out there. I guess I should have shifted and taken the car back here. I was just in a hurry and wanted to get to you as quickly as possible, to let you know I was okay.”
Laura nodded and smiled, realizing just how much her life was about to change in a world filled with heroes and dragons. Then they opened the door.
Under Fire
Chapter 1
Corinne jumped back as the sauce splattered on the counter.
“Shit!”
She couldn’t afford to speckle her new white dress with red Bolognese spaghetti sauce. She was determined to make everything perfect. Tonight was the night she was going to fix her marriage.
Having averted near disaster, she wiped up the spill and turned off the burner. The clock on the microwave blinked 7:53, which gave her exactly seven minutes to put the finishing touches on the table. Her new heels clicked as she hurried to the apartment’s tiny dining room – really just a square of the great room, delineated by the back of the sofa. The tiny table was set with the best plates she had and the tall silver candlesticks, one of the only things she had left of her mother, gleamed brightly and newly polished. She’d worked on this moment all day. For a week really.
She knew she had to do something. It had been almost five years since the wedding, a day she’d thought was the happiest in her
life. But lately Marcus barely paid attention to her anymore. It was worse than when his hot temper flared and they argued for hours. That meant he was at least engaged, plus it usually ended in hot sex, and with a wolf-shifter like Marcus it was worth the yelling.
But he hadn’t touched her in weeks.
She knew why and she was ashamed. He wanted pups and she was happy to give them to him, after all she’d always dreamed of being a mother. But for some reason her voluptuous body that looked perfect for bearing children seemed to be a dud. It wasn’t something she could argue either. If only she could show Marcus that it was as disappointing to her as it was to him.
Corinne brushed a tear from her cheek as she set the matches down on the table. The tiny flames seemed to blur. She checked her watch – two minutes!
Corinne rushed to the bathroom and checked the mirror for the fiftieth time. Marcus wouldn’t be happy about her blowing so much money on the designer dress, but he would definitely appreciate the final look. Innocent, white, and flirty with tantalizingly sheer layers that billowed out as she moved, yet hugged her in all the right places. And she hadn’t worn anything beneath, anticipating it being ripped to shreds in seconds.
Thankfully her momentary crying session hadn’t ruined her makeup either. The sound of Marcus’ key in the door prompted a last deep breath and she fluffed out her long blonde hair one more time before scurrying back to the living area. He adored her long hair so much she never cut it, which meant a lot of maintenance, but she loved that he loved it so much she didn’t mind.
This was it – the moment she’d been daydreaming about for days. He’d never be able to resist her.
“Welcome home,” she said in a breathy voice as he walked inside.
He froze, his dark eyes fell on the table and the candles and his expression was unreadable behind his rough, unshaven face and wild brown hair. She waited as his gaze slid from the table to her and lifted his eyebrows, letting out a low whistle.