"I was all alone there. He was the only person that I saw day after day, stuck in the tiny room, no way to escape. I didn't know what I was going do, I didn't know if he was going to get tired of waiting or… You said that if I slept with you, it would protect me. But you did that just so you'd have that much more control over me, didn't you? You wanted me to get pregnant so you could be the Emperor's father."
The accusation shocked him. He wanted to embrace her, to reassure her that it wasn't his plan. The glare she gave him when he stepped closer stopped him, though. She was hurt, and pushing it wasn't going to help. It felt strange, though, wanting to comfort her. Wanting her to know his true intentions. He couldn’t think of a time when he actually cared what someone else thought about him…
"I didn't," he said. "I wasn't trying to use you, Dominique. I honestly thought it would protect you."
"Well, it didn't." She turned her face away.
They weren't mates. He had no reason to feel like this. Sad, confused, angry. Guilt was heavy in his heart and he didn't know what to do about it. He hadn't regretted being with her but apparently, she did. Not that he really blamed her. There wasn't anything he could say to make it change, though.
"We need to get you to the Temple of Heaven as soon as possible," he mumbled.
"With an assassin coming after me?"
"Once you have a mate and you've gotten pregnant, then the egg can't be bonded to anybody else. My mother will have to accept that."
She didn't respond or look at him. Her movements stiff, she walked towards the bathroom. Virdi stayed where he was. What could he do to make her feel better? Nothing… and it wasn't like it was his job, anyway. She would have her mate soon enough and he would take care of her. Then Virdi would disappear from her life. He'd leave the Americas. Maybe go to Iceland and see if there was a clan left there that he could join. His clan was supposed to originally have come from there. Maybe they would welcome a distant cousin.
Even if they didn't, he wasn't staying here any longer.
Chapter Nine
Dominique
Maybe she shouldn't have lashed out like she had. She repeated exactly what Alom had said to her about Virdi. But did she believe it?
It seemed believable enough. Up until now, she hadn't seen anything in Virdi that indicated that he actually cared about other people. But before she and Virdi slept together, she thought he was being genuine when he acted like it wasn't just because she was the Mother of the Emperor. But what if it wasn't?
And she was pregnant.
Dominique pulled a blanket over her head. Despite the warmth of her surroundings, she was still cold. Maybe it was because there was an assassin out there, wanting to blow her head off. Maybe it was the coppery smell she kept getting whiffs of, even after showering. Maybe it was the churning of her stomach, the knowledge that she had done exactly what her mother had done. Would she one day tell her child that his father was a Dragon and that was all he needed to know?
Claire and Esther had returned with food but she couldn't make herself eat. Now they were arguing softly with Virdi. He wanted to get to the Temple at once, they thought she needed more rest. She just wanted this to be over.
Her hands pressed to her stomach under the blankets. She had always been a little overweight. Would her natural thickness disguise her pregnancy a little bit? In any case, there wasn't any point in going to the Temple, not when she was already pregnant. Unless the test was wrong, or maybe they were all crazy and her 'mate' was somebody else. Or nobody. She was human, she didn’t have to follow their stupid rules.
But what about Virdi? Should she tell him about her pregnancy? She pressed her hand to her ear, trying to block out the argument. It cut off abruptly and she could sense their stares boring into the lump that was her.
Virdi had always come off as a selfish man to her. The kind that used any girl he wanted and then tossed her aside. Was it even true that he'd only had two women and that the girls he lured into the jungle he just flew with? He wouldn't have looked at her twice if the egg hadn't bonded to her. That she knew for certain.
"There isn't anything to argue about," Virdi said suddenly, not bothering to keep his voice low. "The egg has bonded to Dominique and we're running out of time to get her to the Temple of Heaven. Alom kept her captive for too long. We only have a few days to get to the Temple and find out who her mate is."
"Unless she doesn't want to be bound to a Dragon she doesn't even know," Esther argued, her voice a whisper but still loud enough for Dominique to hear. "I don't know about Dragons but we humans like to choose who we're spending the rest of our lives with."
"If she doesn't mate and soon, then the egg will die and the Emperor will not be born. Our clans have been at each other's throats for centuries. Do you want that to continue?" Virdi's voice was full of passion but was he really concerned for the clans, or just himself? "There are human casualties when we end up fighting, too. The Emperor will be able to unify us and restore peace."
Claire spoke, not bothering to lower her voice, just like Virdi. "Even if there is some Dragon for her to 'mate' with, the chances of getting pregnant this quickly—"
"It will happen the first time they are together if they are true mates."
Dominique flinched. She wanted them to shut up and leave her alone. She wanted to go back home to her mom and tell her what happened and she never wanted her baby to know what sort of man her father was–just like her mother did with her. She frowned. It was bad enough growing up never being connected to her father's side of her heritage. She didn't know what Native American nation he was a part of, or if his Asian heritage had come through his mother or father, or anything else about him. How much worse would it be for her child to be even more different from his peers than she had been?
She would have to have some contact with Virdi… assuming he'd want to be part of her child's life. If nothing else, make sure that the baby had a strong shifter presence in his life. There were Dragon cultural centers in her home city. Being a single mother archeologist probably wouldn't work out too well, but she could always teach. Not as glamorous as digging through mud and dirt, but it would keep her close to home for her child.
One thing was for certain, she wasn't going to raise her child with the expectation that they alone were responsible for the fate of Dragon shifters world-wide.
"Will the assassin stop coming after me if we go to the Temple?" Dominique asked, throwing the blankets off. She shivered at the rush of cold air that caressed her.
Esther glared daggers at Virdi but he ignored her as he nodded. "I think so. I can't say for certain but I don't think my mother would go against centuries of tradition and kill you once you were pregnant. It would bring a lot of fury on our clan. My grandfather, our king, would kill her himself if she were to do that."
"Then we'll go."
Dominque reached for the clothes that had been left for her. They were a nondescript shirt and pant combo, a little smaller than she would have liked but better than this thin dress she wore now. She marched into the bathroom to change. But she didn't come out, too wrapped up in her thoughts still.
A few minutes later, Esther knocked on the door. "Dominique? Is everything okay?"
She sat on the edge of the tub and didn't reply. After a moment, Esther opened the door and slipped inside.
"Virdi and Claire have gone to get us transportation. What happened? You haven't been yourself."
"I slept with Virdi," Dominique blurted.
Esther gasped.
She turned her face away so she wouldn't have to see the shock on her friend's face. "Just before I was kidnapped. He said that it might help deter the other Dragons, so I agreed. Now I'm just so angry with myself for it. Why did I believe him?"
Esther put an arm around her. "Hon, he's a persuasive guy. And he was probably telling the truth. He's been obsessive about your safety this whole time. I don't think he was using you."
Dominique shrugged listlessly. "I held
on and waited for the right guy to share my first time with. And then I slept with a man I didn't even like. What kind of person does that make me? I'm just like my mother, sleeping around and—" She cut herself off and took a deep breath. Could she say that she was pregnant out loud?
Esther's warm brown eyes were sympathetic and she embraced her friend again. "It makes you a biological organism with physical desires. Hormones don’t make you a bad person. Heck, if Virdi so much as winked in my direction I'd drop my pants. He's very good looking and he's got that sexy confident bad-boy thing going on that's just…"
She trailed off, seeing the glare that Dominique was giving her. Dominique, for herself, wasn't sure why a feeling like slimy algae filled her stomach hearing Esther talk about that, or why she had the sudden desire to claw her friend's eyes out. There was no reason for her to be jealous…. and yet here she was, turning into the green-eyed monster.
Luckily, Esther mistook the glare for anger rather than jealousy. "I'm sorry. It's perfectly okay to have regrets—"
Hearing the word made Dominque flinch. She swallowed, hard, her throat suddenly dry as the realization hit her hard in the stomach. "I… I don't regret it. I guess that's why I'm so angry. Because I don't trust him, I think he was just using me and yet I still… I don't regret giving this man I can't stand my virginity! Hormones aside what does that make me?"
Esther's eyes went wide. Her mouth formed a perfect O.
"I wanted my first time to be special. There were guys in the past that I liked that I turned down and then regretted turning them down. I wanted to be with someone who loved me and who I loved. Instead, I chose Virdi? Stress and hormones, yeah, I can understand that changing my mind but then why don't I regret it? I'm such an idiot for all of this." She shook her head. "But mostly I'm an idiot for letting myself develop feelings for a man I know wouldn't care about me if it didn't benefit him."
"Dom—"
"I scoured the skies every day, watching for him, praying he'd come."
"And he did come for you, didn't he?" Esther put an arm around her. "Look, I know that you're all confused and scared but I don't think Virdi is as manipulative as you think."
Dominique turned her face away.
"He was beside himself in Skaldi's court. He begged to be sent after you. He constantly argued with her about killing you." Esther sighed. "He cares. More than I think he wants to. But he fought for you. He promised that you and the Emperor could both be part of her court but that woman… The phrase 'ice queen' comes to mind."
"But he still just wants to increase his own power."
Esther shook her head. "If that was all he wanted, he would have cut his losses with you by now. Skaldi actually had him arrested. Just because he wanted her not to kill you."
Dominique's eyes widened. Her jaw dropped and she didn't know what to say. What sort of woman would arrest her own child because she didn't want to listen to him anymore? Her hand drifted to her own stomach and she shuddered. No wonder Virdi acted the way he did.
"Maybe he wants to use me to get away from her."
"Well, he can't go back now."
"What do you mean?"
Esther looked grim. "What I mean is that he directly went against her orders when he rescued Claire and me. He fought against his own clan to get us out of there. He's considered a traitor now and they won't let him go back. I wouldn’t be surprised if Skaldi would kill him herself after this."
Dominique shivered. Her shoulders hunched and her arms wrapped around her middle. "I'm pregnant," she blurted. "If what all these Dragons are saying is true, then…"
"You're already carrying the Emperor." Esther's eyes were as round as saucers. "And the father is…"
"Virdi," Dominique whispered. "But I can't tell him. I don't even know him. I'm not going to throw away my life for someone I don't even know. Not to mention that I don't like him."
"Oh, hon. You know that's not true."
"What do you mean?"
Esther hugged her. "From the first day, he came to our camp you've been having eye-sex with him. I saw the look on your face, you weren't mad because he was taking advantage of the girls he went off with, you were jealous. Plain old green-eyed jealous. You talk about him all the time."
"Because he drives me crazy!"
"Yeah, he does. Because you like him and you don't want to."
Dominique shook her head. "It doesn't matter. You can't tell him I'm pregnant."
"But when we get to the Temple—"
"Don't tell him!" Dominque narrowed her eyes.
"You need to, then."
"I know.” She sighed, feeling cold again. "And I will. I just need to figure out how to… without him thinking that it means that we're destined to be together. Because we're not." A frown fell over her face and her stomach squeezed. "We're not."
Chapter Ten
Virdi
Driving was the least conspicuous method of transportation, though the slow pace drove Virdi crazy. His fingers tapped on his knee as they rolled down the highways, crowds of cars on every side. It wasn't until they were far from the city that things thinned out, but then there was another concern to worry about. Fewer humans around meant an increased chance of attack.
They drove all day and when night was nearing, Virdi directed Claire, who was driving, to a place where they could be safe. His childhood home looked more run-down than ever, but its security system was still in place and there was enough room for all of them. Nerves churned in Virdi's stomach as he ushered Dominique inside. After his dad left he came back here often, whenever his mother's demands ended up too heavy on his shoulders, or when he just needed a break from constantly fighting for his position. He dreamed of one day rebuilding the house and being free of her forever. It wasn't a perfect hideout, but it would do.
"There's a room in the basement that doesn't have a window in it," Virdi said. "You'll be able to rest there."
Dominique nodded without looking at him. "Esther?"
"I'll show you," Virdi said. "It's best if we don't use flashlights."
He put an arm around Dominique and led her down the stairs, Esther close behind. Despite the dilapidated nature of the outside of the house, inside it was still in relatively good condition, though it smelled musty. It was fine for an overnight stop, though. The darkness meant the humans weren't able to help him keep watch on the road, and their headlights made them easy targets. With an assassin on their trail, it was best to take the opportunity to rest so they could face the coming day more alert.
"There's a couch here," Virdi said leading Dominique to it.
The smell of smoke was still heavy down here. He remembered the day that Skaldi had come, eyes blazing and told his father to either come back to the heart of the clan or leave and never come back. Virdi had run down here and shifted, filling the house with smoke. That was the last time he had seen his father. He had gotten cards and phone calls occasionally over the years, but his dad never returned.
"Try to rest," he said to Dominique, fighting to keep emotion from his voice. Esther settled down on the couch by her feet. Neither woman said anything.
He went back upstairs and Claire elected to stay in one of the rooms that did have a window, despite it being more dangerous. Virdi didn't argue the point with her. He walked through the house, making sure that it was locked down and secure, before retreating to the kitchen. His old store of dried food, kept in sealed tin containers within a heavy metal box, was uncompromised and he opened one of the cans to snack on the dried fruit inside. The night outside was bright for the jungle and he saw various types of wildlife slip through the thick brush but no signs of human or shifter activity.
The soft patter of feet behind him made him turn.
"So you guys can see in the dark, can't you?" Claire asked.
Yes, he could. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he took her in, standing in the doorway without a stitch of clothing on. Her white skin gleamed in the soft moonlight, her red hair tumbling dow
n in waves around her shoulders. One of her arms rested over her head, stretching the curve of her side out more.
"What are you doing?" Virdi hissed. She was pleasing to the eye but he felt no stirrings, only anger. "Go put your clothes on. What if we're attacked?"
"You'd protect me," Claire purred. She sashayed over to him. "Come on. You've done so much for us already… I just want to thank you."
"Then say thank you." Virdi stepped away from her. "I am not interested."
Claire stuck her lower lip out in a pout. "What is it? Don't you find me attractive?"
"On the run from an assassin and stuck in a dirty house? No, I don't find you attractive right now." Virdi grasped her shoulders, spun her around and pushed her towards the door. "Goodbye."
Claire made an angry noise and flounced back out. Esther emerged from the downstairs just in time for the two women to run into each other. Both of them cried out, quickly hushing themselves. Virdi grimaced as Esther reached for Claire to balance herself–and her hands ran over that smooth, silky, naked skin. It would have been the cliché start to a cheap lesbian porno and right now Virdi didn't want to deal with any of it.
"Oopsy." Claire laughed. "I'd better get back to my room now."
"Where is Virdi?"
"Over there somewhere."
Claire flounced away. Esther inched forwards, her hands held out like a blind woman–which, given human eyes, she was–until she got close enough to see his shadow. She stopped right in front of him and smacked his arm. He pulled away.
"What was that for?"
"You slut!" she hissed. "So that's how it is, is it? You sleep with women and then it's on to the next? Dominique believed you when you said—"
"I didn't do anything with Claire," Virdi interrupted. It was none of Esther's business what he did and didn't do but he was worried what she might tell Dominique when she went back downstairs. Their relationship had enough strain on it already. "She just came in here naked. And what would it matter to you, anyway? We haven't been together."
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