was thrust in front of her face. Tristan said, “Here. Take it.”
Wanting to get rid of the awful taste in her mouth, she took it without a word, rinsed out her mouth, and spit out the water. After a few sips of water, she started to feel somewhat normal again.
And to think, she had months of this to look forward to. At least she had Samira and Liam to help her through the worst of it.
After one more deep breath, she looked up to thank Tristan for the water, but her words died in her throat at the fierce look in his eyes. The look kicked her temper into gear, and before she could stop herself, she said, “What have I done now to deserve that look? Is my vomit, caused by your baby by the way, offending your sensitive dragon nose?”
He growled. “No. You’re ill and my dragon doesn’t like it.”
She’d been civil in front of the children, but she decided to let loose in a quiet, steely voice. “Oh, that’s right. Only your dragon cares about me because I’m breeding. You are perfectly all right to ditch me at the first scent of pregnancy.” She waved toward the students. “Go eat your lunch, Tristan. My time is up, so I’ll leave you alone for today.”
She moved to leave when Tristan’s hands clamped around her upper arms. “I will see you home.”
She gave a pointed look at the grip on her arm and back to his face. “Why? I can walk, and you made it clear that I’m on my own. I fulfilled my end of the sacrifice contract by conceiving and I don’t need your protection. If something happens, Samira or Liam will help me.”
As soon as she mentioned Liam’s name, Tristan’s pupils flashed to slits and back again. “You shouldn’t be asking another male to look after you.”
Aware of the children, Melanie kept her anger to a restrained whisper. “You gave up any claim as to what I do or who I ask for help the instant you snuck out and left me alone in that bed.”
“I have my reasons for doing that, but you wouldn’t understand.”
She narrowed her eyes. “If this is about what happened to your mother and sister, I know about that.”
His fierce look grew fiercer. “Who told you?”
“All that matters is that I know. And while focusing hatred on all humans might seem like a fine idea to you, it’s useless, Tristan. And I would think you’d see that if you only gave me a chance.”
“Giving you a chance would mean being near you. As long as I remain with the children, my beast’s need to claim you is replaced by a need to protect the young. If I meet with you anywhere else, even in front of others, my dragon will push to the forefront and seek you out.” He leaned down until his breath was hot on her ear and whispered, “My inner beast is already attached to you. I guarantee that if you let me fuck you even just one more time, I won’t be able to keep my dragon away from you as I’ve been doing the past week. And you remember what happened the last time my dragon broke loose, and that’s just a glimpse of what could happen.”
~~~
He was trying to scare her away from him. For himself, or because of his dragon’s throbbing need to claim her, he didn’t know. As he waited for her reply, he was overly aware of her womanly scent filling his nose, making him hard all over again. He was tempted to lick her ear, but he had just enough self-control to stop himself.
Take her home. Care for her. Protect her. Let the other dragon watch the children.
His dragon was starting to demand more than just sex; the beast wanted to look after her.
Fuck, that wasn’t good. The attachment was getting stronger, and after the last half-hour of watching Melanie deal with the children before being sick, even the human-half of him was starting to wonder if he’d been too harsh on her.
Melanie turned her head to look him in the eye. “Before I let you fuck me again, Tristan, I want to meet your sister.”
His dragon hummed. She wants to fuck us. I want her. We must do anything to make her
Jules Michelet
Phyllis Bentley
Hector C. Bywater
Randall Lane
Erin Cawood
Benjamin Lorr
Ruth Wind
Brian Freemantle
Robert Young Pelton
Jiffy Kate