by T. S. Ryder
Stafford lived on the university grounds, near the greenhouses where potion ingredients were grown. It was a one-bedroom cottage with its own kitchen and laundry. The school facilities, like the cafeteria, were only for students. Pearl gave him a good salary for everything he did around the school, though, and he never complained about having to eat his meals in relative isolation.
As she got closer to the cottage, Jessica's heart started going double time. What if he laughed in her face and told her that she had got what she deserved?
No. Stafford would never be that cruel. Inhaling a deep breath, Jessica walked right in, not bothering to knock.
Stafford was at his table with a mug of coffee. He leaped to his feet when he saw her, eyes widening. "Jess—"
"You had no right!" Everything she had planned on saying, every calm and rational discussion she had practiced, disappeared the moment she opened her mouth. "I know I promised not to flirt with Braden, but what happened did happen and it's not fair of you to just abandon me when I needed you!"
A muscle in Stafford's jaw twitched, but he remained silent, letting Jessica continue her tirade.
"I'm sorry if you were in love with Braden too, but the fact is we slept together and I'm pregnant, and I need you with me. I don't know what I'm going to do and now I'm going to have twins and they might die!"
Stafford strode forward, wrapping his arms around her as she broke into tears. Jessica collapsed against him, too grateful that he was actually comforting her to pull away like she thought she ought to. She should be demanding answers. Instead, she bawled like a baby–she hadn't cried since Braden left her, and it felt so good to be a total mess.
Her brother led her to the couch, sat her down, and looked her in the eye. "I've been calling you every day. I keep going to voicemail."
Jessica's eyes widened. "What? No, I haven't gotten any calls."
"I have tried to see you, too. I've gone to the dorms several times, but Pearl told me that you wanted nothing to do with me and that you were distraught over… Braden."
What was he saying? Jessica stared at her brother. Pearl had told him… why would she lie? What did Pearl have to gain by isolating her from her brother? And her phone… had Pearl used a spell on it to stop her from being able to contact her brother? And Braden? Anger began to well in her. How dare she?
"And I don't love Braden. I never have." Stafford squeezed her hands. "He's not my type. I didn't want you flirting with him because I didn't want you hurt. I didn't realize he felt the same way."
"I want to talk to him. If I haven't been getting your calls, maybe I haven’t been getting his. Did he even leave or was that another of Pearl's lies?" Jessica clenched her fists, trembling with anger. What was wrong with that witch? But whatever she was going to do to Pearl over this would wait. First, she needed to see Braden and hear from his own lips how he felt.
Stafford, however, winced. "He's not here. There's a warrant out for his arrest."
Jessica's stomach plummeted.
"A witch attacked a member of his flock, and he defended him. But there were no witnesses other than the witch's friends, and they're claiming it was an unprovoked attack. He had to run."
"So… I really am alone?" Fresh tears spilled over her cheeks.
Stafford shook his head vehemently. "You're not alone. You’ve got me, and I've got Braden's number. I also know where he is. He wanted me to keep him updated on how you were. If you want to see him—"
"I do." Her heart pounded but, for the first time in a long time, Jessica felt full of energy and eager to get moving. "I need to see him."
Chapter Six
Riding on Stafford's motorcycle was uncomfortable in the best of circumstances. Now, with her skin stretched so tight that she felt like she could burst at any second, it was absolutely miserable. Every time they swerved around a pothole or went over a bump, Jessica thought she was going to vomit or pee herself. By the time they stopped her hips, pelvis and knees ached so badly that she had to lean on Stafford to walk.
"This is where he went?"
"He fights here every other night. Has to pay the bills somehow."
Jessica eyed the dirty building that had a banner boasting the dragon fights that were on that night. It looked like an old warehouse that had been transformed into a fight club. She wrapped her arms protectively around her belly.
"It's firmly within dragon territory. Even if the coven found him here, they'd have a lot of red tape to cut through to get him back. I know it's not a great place." Stafford grimaced. "Come on. I still haven't been able to get ahold of him to tell him we're coming."
Jessica let her brother lead her towards the building, wincing as she walked. Her shoes were too small. Did women swell up this much in normal pregnancies? Or was it just because she was carrying dragon twins?
The air inside the building was hot and meaty. People were crammed in so tightly that Jessica was instantly assaulted by the scent of perfume, cologne, sweat and so many other things, and vomit rose in her throat. She gagged it back, determined to see this through. The lights were off except for a series of spotlights pointed into the center of the building. Two men were in a ring, shirtless, not wearing any protective equipment, beating the crap out of each other.
Jessica's heart leaped to her throat when she realized Braden was one of the fighters. Bruises distorted his tattoos and blood trickled down his shoulder blades. Sharp teeth filled his mouth; he lunged and bit at his opponent like a vampire. The man he was fighting stumbled, falling to his knees. The crowd screamed, pressing inwards.
An alarm blared, perhaps signaling the end of the round. Jessica pushed through the crowd, quickly losing sight of Stafford as he fought his way in deeper.
Bodies crushed in on her, elbows jolting her stomach, but she ignored the looks they gave her, her breath locked in her chest. The crowd shifted and seethed, blocking her view of Braden. When the curtain of bodies parted, he had his opponent by the neck and was repeatedly smashing his fist into the man's face.
Black wings sprouted from his back, beating the air, and smoke curled out of his nostrils. Jessica could hear Stafford somewhere shouting Braden's name, but she couldn't make her own voice work. She felt like she was in a nightmare, slowly drowning in the crush of bodies, somehow moving further away from Braden the harder she struggled to get to him.
There was a flash of light, and a magic shield struck Braden. He was lifted twenty feet into the air, thrown into the crowd. Several witches in stripped black and white referee shirts stepped in, blocking Braden from his opponent. The crowd screamed again, some with encouragements, others with insults, as the dragon got to his feet, shook his head and charged the referees. The witches circled their hands in the air and stomped their feet, sending a shockwave at Braden; it slammed him against the far wall and he fell.
Jessica nearly screamed then, but couldn't draw air into her lungs. Her mouth dropped open but all that came out was a weak wheezing.
Braden picked himself up again, his skin darkening as scales sprouted all over his body. He charged again, flames flickering in his mouth as a roar echoed throughout the large building.
The witches blasted him back again. Again, he picked himself up and went at them. The crowd was in a frenzy now, half of them shouting his name, half of them shouting for the referees to kill him. Jessica threw her own hands out, sending bolts of magic into her path. People yelped and jumped aside, but there was nowhere to go, and so her speed did not much improve.
Blood was trickling from Braden's ears now, from his mouth and nose. The witches kept blasting him backward and he kept attacking them. What was he doing? Was he trying to get himself killed? Jessica felt a firm tug in her abdomen, and suddenly she could breathe. She could fill her lungs with air and she could scream.
"Braden!"
It came out more as a screech than anything else, but the moment her voice sounded Braden stopped his charge. His head jerked around, searching the crowd. Jessica screamed his nam
e again, increasing the bolts of magic she was using to clear her path. Braden's heaving chest stopped moving and the scales retreated back into his skin. The flames stopped flickering in his mouth and, even as the witches came at him with magical bindings, he searched the crowd, motionless.
Jessica's desperation rose through her throat until she was screaming again and again, half-sobbing. Whether it was her magic or her tears pushing them aside, people began shifting out of her way until she could run towards her dragon. The witches encased Braden in a magical light.
"Jessica?" His shout was incredulous and terrified. He finally found her and his eyes widened. "Jessica!"
He fought against the magic binding him to no avail. Just as she got to the edge of the ring, where Braden's opponent was just stirring back to consciousness, Jessica's foot caught on something. She pitched forwards, throwing out her hands to block her fall. But before she landed, Braden was next to her. His arms were around her, pulling her back to her feet. The witches who had been containing him sprawled every which way, but Jessica didn't spare any time to think of how he had freed himself. She embraced her dragon, pulling him closer, tears cascading down her face.
"Jessica," Braden breathed, burying his face into her corkscrew curls. "Jessica, you're here!"
Jessica laughed despite her tears, pressing herself to her toes to throw her arms around her dragon's neck. She kissed him fiercely, forgetting about everything except that he was here, in her arms, holding her, kissing her back. Her fingers tangled in his hair and his hands roamed her body, hungrily exploring as though he wanted to make sure she was real.
"Get a room!"
The kiss broke and both Jessica and Braden twisted to look at Stafford, who had just fought himself out of the crowd. He quickly moved to their sides, grinning broadly, and grasped both of their shoulders.
"Come on," he said to Braden. "Those referees are giving you the stink eye. We'd better get somewhere where we can talk privately."
Braden nodded and, sweeping Jessica into his arms, nodded once to the referees, who let him pass as he headed for a tunnel of sorts that led from the warehouse.
They didn't get a chance to talk for several more hours. Braden had to be checked over by a doctor, and then the referees came to tell him he was banned from fighting in their establishment again, although they gave him what he had earned from defeating his opponent. Then, bruised and battered, he led Jessica and Stafford back to the apartment he was living in. It had peeling wallpaper, a sagging sofa for a bed and water damage that wasn't quite black mold running down one wall.
He never stopped staring at Jessica, a smile as bright as the sun on his face. She held his hand, exhausted as her own adrenaline wore off.
As soon as they were in the apartment, Stafford made her lay down on the couch and quickly explained to Braden what Jessica had told him about the twins. The dragon's smile had fallen into a mask of worry by the time he was done, and he knelt beside Jessica, holding her hand and stroking her hair back from her face.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I called you dozens of times, but it always went to voicemail. Then one time Pearl answered. She said…"
Jessica's anger swirled at the mention of the headmistress, but she clenched her jaw and didn't interrupt. Whatever Pearl told Braden, he deserved the chance to tell her at his own pace.
Braden's head hung. He was silent for a long time, until Stafford cleared his throat and said he was going to go and buy some water. After Stafford was gone, Braden moved so he was sitting beside her. He pressed a tender kiss to her forehead.
"Pearl told me that you regretted what we did. That you didn't know that you would get pregnant and that you didn't want to keep the baby. She told me you were depressed, suicidal even, and refused to leave your room or even see Stafford. When he said the same thing… I didn't know what to do. My heart broke. I was so certain that we were meant to be mates."
Jessica brought his palm to her lips, her own heart breaking for his pain. "She told me that you were bragging about me in bars and that you attacked a witch for no reason. I didn't believe her, not really, but when I didn't get any calls from you… but that was her. That was all her. I love you, Braden. I didn't know I was going to get pregnant, but I am and we're going to have twins… but I'm so scared I won't be able to carry them to term."
He gathered her up in his arms. "Whatever happens, I am here for you. I'll never leave your side again. I love you."
Jessica breathed in his smoky scent, her heart singing. "I love you, too."
This would work out. Somehow, she knew this would all be okay in the end. She buried her face in Braden's shoulder and prayed she was right.
Chapter Seven
Sleeping on the foldout sofa was the greatest physical trial of her pregnancy, but every time Jessica woke and felt Braden's arms around her and his soft breaths on the back of her neck, it was all worthwhile. She had her dragon back, and whatever happened in the future he would stay with her. That was all that mattered right now.
In the morning, she was woken by a quiet conversation between Stafford and Braden about breakfast. Her hip ached, but she stayed still, hoping to be able to drift back off to sleep. After Stafford left to go and buy eggs, it became apparent that she wasn't going to get any more sleep, and Jessica slowly sat up. It felt like every joint in her body had fused, and she groaned.
"Good morning." Braden kissed the top of her head. "How are you feeling?"
Her stomach clenched, making her feel dizzy. "A little sick. Do you have any crackers?"
"Uh… I've been living off Chinese takeout. I think I have some rice that’s not too old."
It was better than nothing, so Jessica nodded. Braden brought her the rice, sitting beside her while she ate. It was a little old but still tasted good, and Jessica's lightheadedness slowly went away. She sighed after she was done, wrapping her arms around Braden's chest. Bruises still distorted his tattoos, but they were fading, and the cuts he'd suffered already looked a day or two old. She touched a split in his lip, shaking her head.
"You didn't have to get yourself beaten up so badly. Couldn't you have earned money some other way?"
"It wasn't about the money," Stafford admitted. "It was because I hated myself for what I did to you–or what I thought I did. The equinox was the best night of my life, and I thought that you and I were meant to be together for the rest of our lives. We've known each other for what, ten years now?"
Jessica nodded. A dreamy look came to her eye. "Did you love me the moment you saw me?"
"No. You were twelve and I was only fifteen." Braden shook his head and chuckled. "I don't believe in love at first sight. It was the first time I really talked to you, and you started telling me about the romance novel you were going to write someday. Your eyes lit up. I just wanted to see you like that forever."
Jessica ducked her head, a flush rising in her cheeks. It sounded really romantic, the way he said it with the glow in his eyes.
"And what about you?" the dragon cupped her face, bringing her gaze back to his. "Did you love me the moment you saw me?"
"No." Jessica's flush deepened. "I didn't even like you. It was a year later when Stafford told you he was gay and you offered to set him up with some of your friends. My brother is really important to me. And I was ready to fight you if you were cruel to him. But you didn't react how I expected, and I fell in love with you. And I told Stafford and he immediately forbade me from acting on my feelings."
Braden chuckled. "He's very protective of you, your brother. I'd hate to get on his bad side where you're concerned."
Jessica buried her face in his shoulder. "If he has a problem with this, he'll just have to deal. But I don't think he will. He promised me that he wasn't in love with you."
Braden chuckled, kissed her and slid his hand down her thigh, bringing her leg up over his hip. Heat burned between them, and they fell into passion.
***
Jessica sighed as her body was filled with rapture. F
or the first time since the spring equinox, she felt utterly relaxed. Her hand traced lightly over her belly, Braden's hand under hers. Despite the fear for her babies, making love to her dragon had given her all the reassurance she needed. Even all of her aches had disappeared. It was probably because she was so relaxed now.
"We need to get dressed before Stafford comes back," Jessica said, not wanting to get up. But it would be extremely embarrassing for her to still be in this state of undress when her brother came home.
Braden groaned. "You're probably right. I did text him not to come back for a while, but we both need to eat, don't we?"
Jessica turned awkwardly to him, running her hands over his smooth chest. "You texted him?"
"I didn't want him to come home while we were in the middle of things," Braden said, then looked at her. “I love you, Jessica. And the babies.”
A smile broke over Jessica’s face. Her heart sang, and she felt like she could fly as her whole body lightened. She threw her arms around her dragon, digging her fingers into his hair. Braden laughed into her mouth, then laid her down on her side while he claimed her again.
By the time they let Stafford return, Jessica was ravenous. She ate three servings of eggs before she felt satisfied. After cleanup was done, Stafford pulled out his laptop and began searching lawyers who could help Braden with his case.
While he did that, Jessica and Braden searched through local apartments. None of them had any plans of returning to the coven, but this barely-legal apartment with the lumpy sofa bed was certainly not a suitable location to bring two babies into the world.
"Are you looking for two bedrooms or three?" Stafford asked absently.
"Two, of course." Jessica laughed, but it was cut short by a sudden gasp as pain lanced through her belly. She wrapped her arms around herself, turning wide, frightened eyes towards Braden. He put an arm around her, one large hand instantly going to her stomach.