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“What’s wrong? What do you mean, what’s wrong?” She spun around and stuck the wings in my face. “This is what’s wrong, Evan.”
I chuckled again at the sight of them, but I had a feeling Mariah wouldn’t appreciate it. Her expression darkened, and she turned back from me, tears streaming down her face now as she wrung her hands.
“Oh God, oh God, oh God.” She was quickly spiraling from panic to outright terror.
“Mariah? Breathe, baby. Tell me what’s going on in your head right now.”
“Look at me,” she whispered, her voice trembling. She reached one hand behind her, and it trembled as she traced the outline of one wing. She shuddered, and I could feel her fear radiating off her.
“You don’t have to be afraid, sweetheart.” I tried to pull her into my arms again, but she jerked back, shaking her head.
“I didn't ask for this. Don’t you get it? I never wanted to be a dragon shifter. And now... now I'm growing wings!”
I placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, but, once again, she recoiled from my touch.
“Please, don’t,” she choked out, tears welling in her eyes. “I just need a minute.”
Damn it. I hadn’t considered just how these changes might affect her so deeply, so emotionally. I’d assumed she’d have some amount of nerves, but this was the first time I was realizing just how upsetting this was for her. How foreign.
“Try to stay calm. Please,” I practically begged her. If her wings were sprouting, her dragon would be closer to the surface than I realized. I didn’t want to set her off. “You don’t want to stress out the baby.”
Her eyes widened farther, but she nodded jerkily, her gaze locked on mine. She took several deep breaths, and I watched her, unsure what to do next.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to lose it. I didn’t think I would freak out this much. It’s not like I wasn’t expecting…something. But knowing it was going to happen and feeling my dragon inside is hugely different from seeing wings on my back.” Her voice was getting high again.
My heart ached for my mate as I watched her struggle to come to terms with the changes happening to her body. Changes she hadn’t asked for. Tomas had forced this on her, and she’d never even had a choice. I was coming to realize just how much that bothered her. After several long moments, she finally looked back at me, her eyes swimming with unshed tears.
“I’m so sorry, Mariah.” I reached for her again, and this time she let me wrap her up in my arms.
“For what? This isn’t your fault.” She sniffed, resting her head on my chest.
“No, but I feel like I’ve let you down as your mate. I should have explained everything to you, helped you understand better than I have.” I ran my hands over her back, smiling when they brushed against her wings. “But this is a good sign. It means your first shift is closer than we thought. It should happen soon now, and once it does, we can help you develop your control.”
She sighed and pulled away, her face hidden behind her hair as she returned to the bedroom. I followed her as she got her shirt and put it back on.
“What else can I expect?” she whispered, her voice wavering.
I sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her down beside me, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “You’ll likely start noticing random scales in random places. A few will pop up here and there, then they’ll disappear, and more will show up elsewhere.”
Mariah groaned, her head still on my chest. “Great,” came her muffled voice. “And I thought pimples were bad when I went through actual puberty.”
I had to laugh at that, and I was happy when Mariah giggled a little as well, turning her head up to mine. Some of the panic had faded from her eyes.
“You could experience something similar to heat, but I’m not totally sure since you’re already pregnant. You might not.”
“At least there’s that on my side.” But then she cocked her head. “Though it does sound interesting.”
“Oh, it’s remarkably interesting indeed. And if it happens, I’ll be more than willing to help you through it.”
She grinned, easing some of the worry tightening my chest. “What else?”
“Let’s see.” I thought back to my own puberty. “Your fangs will start to come in, and your teeth will hurt.”
“I can borrow Sofia’s teething rings,” she said, giving me a wry look. Then she hesitated before asking, “What about my first shift? You said it could be soon?”
There was that hint of nervousness again. “Yes. Once your wings are fully developed, you’ll feel the urge to shift, but just remember, you’re the one in control. It won’t happen against your will.” Like so many other things had.
She sighed, seeming to come to terms with what was happening, at least to some small degree. “How much longer will all this last?”
