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“I’m not sure how to accept it,” I said, my voice barely a whisper.
“I don’t think it would hurt to talk to Evan about how you’re feeling.” Abi squeezed my shoulder, her eyes full of empathy. It was as if she knew everything I wasn’t saying. “You two are stronger together. Let him support you through this.”
I nodded, swallowing against the lump in my throat. “Thank you, Abi.”
“Anytime.” She gave me a gentle smile. “Just remember, your dragon is a part of you, not your enemy. Embrace it.”
Easier said than done, but once I was alone again, I reflected on her words throughout the afternoon. I didn’t see Evan until just before dinner. His meetings and my classes had kept us busy all day. I walked into our bedroom to find him playing with Sofia on the floor, her giggles filling the air like a sweet melody. The sight of them together warmed my heart, but the unease from my conversation with Abi still lingered.
“Hey,” I said tentatively. “Can we talk for a minute?”
“Of course.” Evan set Sofia down in her playpen with a gentle pat on her back before coming over to me. “What's on your mind?”
I bit my lip. “I’ve been feeling a bit…emotional lately. I talked to Abi about it, and she said that my dragon might be causing some of my emotions to emerge stronger than usual. Then with the pregnancy on top of it…”
Evan immediately enveloped me in a hug, his arms strong and comforting. “She’s right, Mariah. We don’t know exactly how things are going to go with you as your dragon begins to get stronger, as she gets closer to truly waking up, but we know what happens with shifters when they come of age. It's normal for your dragon to be possessive. That’s part of its nature. And I’m sure those feelings are intensified because your dragon has maternal instincts as well.”
He pulled back and gave a wry grin. “I can only imagine it’s one of the many feelings you'll experience during this time.”
“I’m not sure I want to know what you mean by that.”
Evan chuckled. “Think of it like going through puberty again. Your body is adjusting, and so is your dragon. There are also a shit ton of uncontrollable hormones.”
I groaned, dropping my head to his chest. “Fantastic.”
He gripped my chin and tipped my head back. Amusement filled his eyes as he said, “For better or worse.”
I snorted. “Why do I feel like it’s about to get worse?”
He laughed again and pulled me close, kissing my lips softly and slowly before Sofia was calling for us, demanding she not be ignored. We picked her up out of the playpen and carried her downstairs, where we played late into the evening.
But my own words haunted me. I’d only been talking about my hormones, but it was too easy to pretend life could continue on so perfectly. There were still so many unknowns and so much danger still lurking outside our little cocoon.
We’d come so far: defeating enemies, finding true love, home, and a beautiful family. We’d made it through so much already. And with our baby on the way, there was even more reason to stand strong and face whatever challenges lay ahead.
I would fight for this life, for this love, whatever came our way.
Chapter 3
Evan
The sterile scent of the doctor's office mingled with Mariah's familiar scent, creating a strange mixture of comfort and anxiety. Her small hand warmed mine while we waited for the doctor. Mariah appeared calm on the outside, but I could sense the underlying unease as we waited for the shifter doctor I’d come to since I was a boy to return and confirm what we already knew. Luckily, he’d been able to see us within a matter of days.
I couldn’t forget the look on Mariah’s face when I mentioned coming to the doctor. She hadn’t wanted to talk about her experience with Tomas this last time. At all. Any time I pushed her, she shut down. So, I’d let it be after a while, hoping she would open up to me when she was ready. It was clear she was dealing with trauma in the aftermath of the kidnapping.
Dr. Patel was one of two doctors who saw to our clan's healthcare. After Mariah agreed to the appointment, I’d let him know the full extent of what Tomas had done, vowing him to secrecy until we figured out what we’d tell the clan. We needed to keep the details of her transformation quiet, especially until we better understood this serum Tomas had concocted, but it was vital that whoever cared for my mate knew all the details.
“Congratulations, Mariah,” Dr. Patel said when he strolled back in with a big smile on his face. “According to the initial test, you're pregnant, and based on the information you gave my nurse, I’d put you at about two months.”
Two months? My chest tightened, and I mentally cursed myself. I’d gotten Mariah pregnant as soon as she’d changed into a shifter. We hadn’t even thought about needing to use any protection, but I should’ve known better. Guilt ate at me. She was already going through so much, her body dealing with a myriad of changes we weren’t certain of. We’d never heard of a human becoming a shifter before Mariah. I could only hope adding a pregnancy into the mix wouldn’t come with more complications than a deluge of hormones.
But I wouldn’t let Mariah see my concern. I squeezed her hand, the overwhelming urge to protect her and our unborn child rising sharply.
“Thank you,” Mariah said, her voice wavering.
Dr. Patel began gathering instruments from a supply drawer and setting them on a tray. “I want to do some blood work to make sure everything is checking out normal for a shifter pregnancy.”
Mariah stiffened, her fingers tightening around mine.
