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As they passed one of the Stonefire’s eateries, the smell of steak and kidney pie filled his nose, making his stomach rumble. No doubt, after losing her breakfast, Melanie would be hungry too.
He was about to ask her if she wanted something to eat when she buried her head against his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. He stopped walking and said, “What’s wrong?”
Her voice was muffled. “That smell...it makes me want to vomit again.”
“So you’re burying your face against me to cover me in sick and get revenge on me for impregnating you?”
She shook her head against his chest. “For some reason, your scent calms my stomach.”
His inner dragon hummed.Our scent helps her. She will want us always by her side.
Tristan brushed the remark aside, determined to remain unaffected. “Let’s keep going. We’re nearly there.”
“If I move my head away before we clear that smell, I’ll be sick. And this time, I’ll make sure to aim for you.”
He nearly smiled. Even when facing a humiliating situation, like being sick in public, Melanie Hall didn’t back down.
Since she was suffering in part because of him, he looped an arm around her waist and said, “I can carry you or guide you until the smell clears. Which method do you prefer?”
She hesitated a second and then said, “Guide me, but make sure to walk slowly.”
His dragon let out a soft snarl inside his head.Carry her. I want to feel her soft body pressed against ours.
Not now. She doesn’t feel well. Comfort her first and maybe we’ll feel her body against ours later.At the promise of feeling the human female’s curves against his skin, the dragon retreated. Tristan tried not to think too hard on how cooperative his beast was being, because that would mean thinking about how attached his dragon was becoming to the human.
He tightened his grip on Melanie’s waist and started walking, careful to time his steps to her sideways walk. He nearly ordered her to walk faster, but then he remembered Lia’s words about taking care of Melanie. If his mother were alive today and saw him barking at a pregnant woman, carrying his baby no less, she would’ve frowned and give him a cool, even look. His mother had never been one to raise her voice, yet Tristan and his sister had known better than to disobey her.
Thinking about his mother squeezed his heart. He’d pretty much locked away his memories of her for both his and Arabella’s sakes, but he was starting to wonder if it was time to address both the pain and the memories of his mum. He had a feeling that during their visit with Arabella, he wouldn’t have a choice.
Samira and Liam’s cottage came into view and he caught traces of Liam’s scent in the air. His dragon snarled and tried to take control.A male lives inside that house. He will take our human many times until he erases our scent. We must take her away and protect her from all other males.
I will protect her. Now, stop being daft. Liam has his own mate.
But ours is better.
Ignoring the remark about mates, Tristan said,Stop it or I will shut you out completely.
His dragon grumbled and allowed Tristan’s human-half to remain in control. At least, for the time being.
He tightened his grip on the human to further soothe his dragon. The feel of her soft curves warm against his hand, arm, and chest calmed the beast. He hoped Liam was out, or his dragon would try everything he could to break free, resulting in a rather spectacular display of protectiveness and possibly a fight.
They reached the front door of Samira’s cottage. Tristan gave his dragon one last warning to behave before he said, “We’re here.”
* * *
Melanie had mixedfeelings about morning sickness. On the one hand, ordinary smells made her want to vomit on a second’s notice. On the other hand, it made Tristan be nice to her.
It was strange having her face pressed against his chest as he guided her toward Samira’s cottage, but she hadn’t lied about his scent calming her stomach. She didn’t know if it had to do with the half-dragon baby in her uterus or not, but whatever the reason, it beat throwing up again.
Yet as they slowly moved toward Liam and Samira’s cottage, she couldn’t help but notice the heat of his hand on her waist or how safe she felt pressed up against him. If he continued being nice to her, she probably would jump into bed with him again at the first opportunity. And if that happened, she had no idea what Tristan’s inner dragon would do. She wasn’t quite sure what it meant for one to “grow attached” as he’d put it. For all she knew, it might curb her freedom on Stonefire’s land rather than expand it.
Not that she’d allow him the opportunity to try to contain her. She’d worked hard for what freedoms she’d gained thus far, and she’d fight for them all over again if she had to.
Still, despite all of that, she couldn’t help but wonder if an attached dragon looked something like how Liam and Samira acted with one another. Strong-willed Samira melted whenever Liam caressed her cheek or gave her a gentle kiss. While staying with the pair, she’d never seen Liam try to hide his affection.
Sometimes Liam’s possessiveness surfaced when another adult male was in the room and he’d haul Samira up against his side, but Samira never seemed to mind. Quite the opposite, actually; she’d lean against him and lay her head on his shoulder.
Stop it, Hall. No fairy tale endings, remember?Melanie resisted a sigh, realizing she was hoping for things she probably would never have. Tristan wasn’t Liam. Hell, if not for Tristan’s dragon, the man would probably have nothing to do with her.
