She snuggled farther into the blankets and sighed. He wished he could do more to help. Her body was growing his baby and all he could do was get her food and make sure she rested. It didn’t seem enough to him.
Their night of lovemaking had tired her out. She’d mentioned something when she was falling asleep the previous night. The conversation rushed to the front of his mind.
“I didn’t think you’d find me attractive,” she whispered into the darkened room.
“Why would you think that? You’re beautiful,” he said and cuddled her closer into his side, her head on his chest.
“I’m so big. I was already big before, but now I’m huge,” she said softly.
He turned his face and cupped her chin, forcing her to glance up at him. Their kind could see just as well in the dark as in the light. He stared deeply into her eyes. “You’re gorgeous. I’ve thought that since the first moment I saw you.”
She pressed a kiss to his beard. “I know, but how attractive can having a huge belly be?”
He brought her hand to his lips and then placed it on her breast. “Your breasts are bigger. They’re sensitive and make me fucking hard.” He moved her hand down to her pussy. “You’re still just as hot and tight down there. And you like having me inside you. That’s more than I could ask for.”
He then placed his own hand on her belly. “But this, you carrying my baby. The knowledge that I made you this way makes me so fucking hard, I hurt.” He kissed her and slid her hand to his hard cock. “I want you now. I will always want you. No matter how big you get or how old you get. No matter the changes in your body or physical appearance. You’re always going to make me want to fuck you into next week.”
“Really?” she asked with surprise.
“Yes. And the more I see you like this, pregnant and big with a little bit of me inside you, the more I want to keep you like this,” he growled. “I’ve never wanted to make a woman mine like I do you. I’ve never wanted to see her body grow and know the life she carries is because of me.”
She grinned. “There’s some Neanderthal in you after all.”
“A lot more than you realize, sweetheart. I come from a time where getting your woman pregnant was an accomplishment and I fully believe that. You, pregnant, are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” He groaned when she stroked his cock. “And I want to keep seeing you this way, full and big with my child. It makes me horny as fuck.”
She laughed at that. “Who would have thought you got off on pregnant women.”
“Not pregnant women. My woman pregnant. There’s a difference,” he said.
Fuck, thinking of that made his dick hard all over again. He wouldn’t wake her though. She needed her rest. He slid out of the sheets and let her sleep. He had an idea and would need help to make sure he got things right for her.
Her happiness was his number one priority now. He’d find out about her ex and pay him a visit, too. But first, he needed to pamper his mate. Growing a baby was taking a toll on her and he wanted her rested.
19
Lily woke to the scent of fresh coffee and grinned. She’d had the most amazing night with Thane. While she was still unsure how they were going to work a relationship or even if he only wanted to do it because she was having his baby, the truth was she couldn’t help the way her heart filled with love for him.
Not only had he made love to her repeatedly, but he’d said such beautiful things about her body to her. How much she turned him on with her pregnancy surprised even her.
She glanced to the side but knew he wasn’t there. A quick peek at the cable box made her gasp. Holy crap, it was almost late morning. She never slept that long. Hell, she was lucky if she got two hours in before she had to get up to pee.
They’d been up pretty late, but even with that, she got a solid six hours of sleep and that in itself was a miracle. She yawned and got up to take a shower. After putting on the most comfortable clothes she could find, she made her way to the kitchen.
“There you are, finally,” Thane said and pressed a hot cup of coffee into her hands.
She glanced down at it and took a sip. “How do you know how I like my coffee?”
He winked and her heart did a summersault. “I have connections.”
She wondered which of her cousins had spilled the beans as she drank her first cup.
“I made a full pot so you can have more.”
She raised her brows. “You’re not going to tell me caffeine is bad for me? Stephanie tries every day.”
He laughed. “You’re a shifter. Things are different for you.”
“Thank you! Finally, another person who understands I’m not human and can have my damn coffee when I want it.”
He chuckled. “What do you think I have, a death wish?”
She shook her head and refilled her cup. “Smart man.”
He glanced down at her feet and frowned. “You’re going to need shoes, love.”
“Yeah, I know,” she groaned. “I hate shoes.”
“Why?”
“Putting socks on is a pain in the ass. I couldn’t find my boots and if I get down to search under my bed, I’ll probably never get back up again,” she said with a sigh.
“I’ll find your boots.”
Her eyes widened. “Really?”
He nodded. “Yeah. Just tell me what they look like.”
“They’re black and have fur inside. Nothing special but they’re warm enough I don’t need to put socks on when I wear them,” she said and sat at the kitchen table to drink her next cup of coffee.
He left for a few minutes and returned moments later with her boots in hand.
“You’re my hero,” she grinned. “Where were they?”
“Under your bed.” He laughed and put them on her feet. For once, she didn’t have to struggle to slip on the shoes or almost break her leg to turn it so she could pull them on without getting her belly in the way.
She sighed in happiness and glanced down at her empty cup. “I guess I should figure out what I’m doing today, huh?”
He shook his head and offered her his hand. “Nope. Today, you and I are doing stuff.”
She smiled at the secretive way he said that. “Oh? And what are we doing?”
“You’ll see. It’s a surprise. First, we’re going somewhere and then I have a different surprise for you.”
She laughed. “It’s not my birthday, you know.”
“I know. Your birthday is January first. Don’t worry, love. I have that marked as well.”
The smile turned into a frown. Why was he doing all this? She’d already said she’d think about things. He didn’t have to go out of his way for her.
They drove to a very chic hotel she knew very well as it was one of the nicest ones in the city. He took her up to the twentieth floor to a separate reception area.
“Hello, can I help you?”
He smiled at the woman. “Thane Dreki, I set up an appointment for Lily today.”
The other woman perked up and smiled. “Of course! Mr. Dreki. So nice to finally meet you. We will take great care of your wife. Don’t worry about anything.”
Lily raised her brows and glanced at him. “Thane?”
He gave her a quick kiss and turned her to face the person waiting for her. He hugged her from behind and whispered by her ear, “Don’t worry about anything. Just relax. I’ll be back to take you to lunch.”
20
Lily watched him get back in the elevator and blow her a kiss as the doors closed.
“Don’t worry about anything, Mrs. Dreki. You’re in great hands,” said the older woman that came out of nowhere in what looked like a pale blue uniform. She smiled warmly at Lily. “First, let’s feed you.”
She didn’t know what was going on, but food always sounded good. After an amazing breakfast, she was taken to a room where she was given the most amazing oxygen facial.
At first, she thought the spa employee was confused but was soon shown the machine
they’d use to pump oxygen into her skin. She worried about side effects with being pregnant, so she quickly googled the procedure. Realizing there was nothing to be concerned with, she allowed them to work her face and was happy with the process and results. Her face felt like she’d washed it with a really good scrub.
Next, they took her for a full body pregnancy massage. She got to lay on a bed that had a hole in the center to accommodate her belly. Scented oils were not her first choice. As a shifter, scents were usually too strong for her, but they used something so light, it hadn’t bothered her, and she was able to relax. She swore she fell asleep on the massage table.
After that, they took her for a fire and ice manicure and pedicure. She had no idea there could be so much done during a simple mani and pedi. But as she saw, there was lots of massaging, hot towels wrapped around her legs, masks put on her hands and feet and cooling gels that made her skin feel super refreshed.
The spa time ended with her curls getting a trim and a nice wash and blow where they made her crazy curls looks fluffy and soft. They even helped her slide her feet into her fuzzy boots again.
When Thane showed to pick her up that afternoon, she felt like a new woman. Almost. Except for the huge baby she was carrying.
“Ready for lunch?”
She nodded excitedly. “I didn’t think it was possible to get hungry while someone else did all the work, but that’s exactly what happened.”
He grabbed her hand and hugged her to his side. “Let’s go. I have something special for you.”
“Oooh. More special stuff. You’re going to spoil me, and I’ll want special days all the time.”
“You should be treated to special days often, sweetheart. I’ll make sure of it.”
They had the most amazing lunch at a small restaurant where he knew the owner. The guy even gave her wine and told her because she was a shifter, it was okay to have a few glasses. She was on top of the world.
When they got in his car, she turned to look at him and grabbed his hand. “I don’t know what could make today any better. Thank you. I didn’t realize how much I needed to just do something for me.” She leaned back in the car seat and sighed. “I have been so preoccupied with baby stuff and work, I am exhausted.”
“We’ve got one more place to go, love. I just don’t want you to feel this is final.”
His words worried her for the first time that day. What did that mean?
She found out once they got to his cabin. He helped her walk through the foot-deep snow and into the cabin. Then he took her to the second story, down the hallway to his bedroom.
If he wanted her in his bed, he only had to tell her. After the day she’d had, she’d happily give him anything he asked for. Who was she kidding? She’d do that anyway. They stopped a door before his room. She saw how nervous he was by the stiff way he held himself now. He had been so relaxed just moments before.
“Everything okay?”
“Yes, sweetheart. I just want you to know that whatever I do, I’m doing because I care.”
Didn’t people say that when they did something to piss off someone?
He opened the door and air rushed out of her lungs. Her jaw worked but words didn’t come out of her mouth. Slowly, she walked into the giant suite and glanced around in awe.
“Oh my god, Thane,” she finally got out. “What did you do?”
But she already knew what he’d done. Somehow, he’d found out exactly how she wanted her daughter’s nursery to look and made it happen in the cabin. The room was decorated in soft browns and greens that brought the outside in. Dark wood furniture had been placed throughout the room, the colors blending with those of the natural wood in the cabin.
The crib, changing table, dresser, rocker, and other furniture matched in color. There were stuffed animals of all kinds around the room and a mural of a flying dragon carrying a little girl on its back painted on the single sheetrock wall that gave way to the bathroom. He must have had that wall put in because she knew the rest of the cabin was all natural wood. The cabin itself had been built forever ago.
Everything a child could need was in that room. An opening led to a second room with enough clothes to last the baby a year.
“Thane―”
“I’m not asking you to decide to live here, baby. But I want you to have the nursery you envisioned. So I made sure you got it.”
She turned to look at him. “This nursery here. It means you expect me to move in here, no?”
He shook his head. “I had the same thing done to your house.”
She gasped and widened her eyes. “Are you insane? That must have cost a fortune!”
He shrugged. “I don’t care how much it costs. Money means nothing if I can’t use it give you what you want.”
God. The man had a way with words. If she had any doubt before that she needed to give him a chance and see what their life together would be like, that doubt was now dead. Her heart filled with love for him. She couldn’t even fathom a man doing all he’d done that day, just to make her happy.
“Give me some time to decide things, Thane. This is a bit rushed and I want to make the best decision for our baby.”
“Whatever you need, love. I just want to make things easier.”
“Let’s go to my home. I want to see that nursery, too!” She smiled and grabbed his hand. That act alone made her realize she wasn’t doing this alone. She had a partner, one who cared and loved her and their baby.
When they got to his car, he got her situated and closed her door. He dug in his pocket for something.
He frowned and bent down to her car window. “I left the keys in the house. Be right back.” He hurried through the back door, searching the entry table then farther in.
Lily sighed and sat back into the leather seat. She couldn’t believe this was her life. Two months ago, she was in such a different place. Everything seemed to be falling into place. A noise outside pulled her from her thoughts. Flapping wings?
She glanced up and saw a massive black dragon coming right for her.
21
Thane heard Lily’s scream from his office. Blood froze in his veins. He ran for the back door and saw Ramoth trying to grab her with his claws.
He let out a loud roar and let his dragon loose. It took precious seconds before he was in the air, ready to tackle his brother away from his mate.
“You found a mate,” Ramoth spat through their dragon bond. “And it’s her. I should’ve known.”
“What are you doing here, Ramoth?” He sent a line of fire directly where Ramoth flew, but he moved too quickly for it to get him.
“I came to kill you, finally. I didn’t expect you to be mated, or having a child.”
“Stay away from my mate, Ramoth. I’ll fucking tear you apart.” He circled his brother, forcing Ramoth to move away from the cabin and car.
Ramoth laughed and blew a plume of smoke at Thane. “Don’t worry, brother,” he said. “I’ll make sure to kill you all as a family.”
Thane’s anger rose. His dragon flapped his wings and flicked his tail to puncture a hole into one of Ramoth’s wings. His half-brother tried to move but hadn’t been fast enough.
Thane chased him. They flew over the mountains and rivers, past the city, and to empty fields. Ramoth turned, directing another bellow of fire at Thane. Thane pulled back, but quickly increased speed once the fire dissipated to slam his tail into Ramoth’s side.
He flew after Ramoth, following him between large trees and sending another fire cloud at him, catching Ramoth’s tail.
Ramoth roared and dove, turning to shoot upward toward Thane. Thane skidded between trees, did a U-turn and slammed the side of his body into Ramoth’s wing. Another hole tore through it. Ramoth took off and Thane chased. They raced to the area of Thane’s cabin.
“I’m going to kill your mate and your offspring,” Ramoth taunted. “It’s my time to rule.” Ramoth blew a cloud of fire at Thane’s cabin but only managed to get the car. The car
his mate was in. It lit up, burning so fast, Thane’s heart almost exploded out of his chest.
“Lily!” He shifted so quickly, he fell the last ten feet to the ground in human form. “Lily!” The car detonated, throwing his body back into the snow. The back door opened and his mate stuck her head out.
“Thane,” she yelled as she ran out to him. She gasped when seeing him. He looked down and saw deep burns in his skin he didn’t feel in his anguish over what he believed happened to her.
When he glanced up at her running to him, his brother was flying directly behind her, diving at increasing speed, mouth gaping wide. “Lily!” He lunged to his feet, tackling Lily to the ground, carful of her large stomach. Fire skated over his back. Thane noticed how low Ramoth came in his plunge. Mistake for his brother.
Thane borrowed strength from his dragon and launched into the air, sending a punch into the midsection of the passing creature. Ramoth spiraled out of control and crashed into the trees.
Thane snatched up his mate and headed for a small metal building well hidden in a snowdrift.
“Thane,” Lily puffed, “where are we going? Who was that?”
“I’ll explain shortly.” Lily still in his arms, he managed to open the metal door. As soon as he stepped inside, a dim light lit the small room. On another wall, he flipped a switch and a panel on the floor slid to the side revealing a stair unit. Lily gasped with surprised.
“Thane?” He noted the worry in her voice.
He kissed her forehead, carefully stepping down. “It’s fine, love. Just sit tight.”
She snorted. “I don’t have much of a choice, do I?” she said, held snuggly in his hold. He had to grin at her strength when he knew she was scared to death. She was perfect for him.
A roar came from outside the shed. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he slammed his hand against the wall. The floor began to slide back into place. Just before sealing closed, daylight peeked through telling him Ramoth demolished the building.
Vote Then Read: Volume II Page 312