pushed away from the wall. She walked up to the dragon and stood less than a foot away from him. He lowered his head, blinking his eyes slowly. One green eye and one tawny eye. He mesmerized her. She stroked his nose. The hard blue-green scales, cold to her touch, felt like glass. He leaned in to her touch and closed his eyes.
Cate , I love you.
He turned his big clawed hand to run his knuckle down her cheek. A tear slipped free. Joy pulsed through her.
It is finished.
She sighed and pressed her mouth to the same knuckle he ’ d used to caress her.
“My, isn ’ t that a touching scene? Beauty and the Beast.” Michael sneered directly behind Cate now.
She whirled around to see him holding the Luger, pointed directly at Grayson ’ s heart.
Fear exploded in her chest.
Michael pulled the trigger.
Fire flashed a few inches in front of the barrel. The bullet hit Grayson ’s scaly armor and ricocheted into the wall behind Cate . Grayson nudged Cate to the ground and spread his wings to protect her. She covered her head with her arms and curled in a fetal position to prot ect the life growing inside her .
A rapid-fire volley of bullets sprayed throughout the room, bouncing off of Grayson and hitting the walls, the pictures, the lamp and light fixture. Glass shards fell around her. Fiery heat ripped through Cate ’ s shoulder. Damn. Collateral damage. Pain seared through her. She gasped, then panted. She looked down to see blood wetting her blouse. She pressed hard on the wound to staunch the blood flow. Her vision blurred.
The dragon bellowed. A scorch of fire erupted in the room, the smell of brimstone heavy. This time, the action would be no fear tactic. This was self-defense. Pure and simple. To the death. Protecting h im and his own .
The gun j ammed . Michael screamed and threw it at Grayson in frustration .
Cate peeked from under Grayson ’ s wing just in time to see a fiery inferno blaze for a minute, then two. The fireball collapsed. Smoke cleared. A colorful stone pinged as it bounced against the hardwood floor and rolled to a stop at Grayson ’ s feet. Then, a fine fall of ash floated to the ground, a gentle dance of carbon all that was left of the monster Michael James.
“Grayson?” She looked up at him. Pain wound through her in tight, fiery spirals from the gunshot wound. “Help.” She panted, fighting against the darkness that threatened to overwhelm her.
The dragon folded his wings and lowered his head. His nose quivered. He nuzzled first her stomach, his warm, rough tongue swiping the bare skin of her midriff. The baby in her womb moved at his father ’ s greeting. A tear plopped onto Cate ’ s shoulder from the dragon ’ s amber eye. Then he lapped the wound with his tongue.
An ancient language she didn ’ t understand buzzed in her head. Then the words righted themselves, To have and to hold from thi s day forward until death do us part .
A quiet peace filled Cate . A gentle hymn she ’ d always known. A sacred place long forgotten, but unearthed by the healing tears and the restorative kiss of a dragon mage. She didn’t know if it’d be enough. Cate had found her hoard. And she ’ d never let it go. Ever. Even if she never held her baby in her arms or kissed her husband again . Sh e just hoped it wasn’t too late and that Michael hadn’t stolen that from her, too.
#
Grayson Cooper had never been so scared in his life as when he ’ d seen Cate ’ s lifeblood soaking her clothes and smearing her body. He splayed his hand over her tummy and caressed the growing child she nurtured in her body. The baby rolled, as if he enjoyed the touch. Grayson chuckled, but sobered at the closed eyes of his wife, the pale countenance. It had been two day s now since she ’ d passed out after the confrontation with the scumbag Michael James.
Hattie had bandaged Cate ’ s shoulder and had given her something to ease the pain. She ’ d said Cate might wake when the wound knitted, when
Cate , I love you.
He turned his big clawed hand to run his knuckle down her cheek. A tear slipped free. Joy pulsed through her.
It is finished.
She sighed and pressed her mouth to the same knuckle he ’ d used to caress her.
“My, isn ’ t that a touching scene? Beauty and the Beast.” Michael sneered directly behind Cate now.
She whirled around to see him holding the Luger, pointed directly at Grayson ’ s heart.
Fear exploded in her chest.
Michael pulled the trigger.
Fire flashed a few inches in front of the barrel. The bullet hit Grayson ’s scaly armor and ricocheted into the wall behind Cate . Grayson nudged Cate to the ground and spread his wings to protect her. She covered her head with her arms and curled in a fetal position to prot ect the life growing inside her .
A rapid-fire volley of bullets sprayed throughout the room, bouncing off of Grayson and hitting the walls, the pictures, the lamp and light fixture. Glass shards fell around her. Fiery heat ripped through Cate ’ s shoulder. Damn. Collateral damage. Pain seared through her. She gasped, then panted. She looked down to see blood wetting her blouse. She pressed hard on the wound to staunch the blood flow. Her vision blurred.
The dragon bellowed. A scorch of fire erupted in the room, the smell of brimstone heavy. This time, the action would be no fear tactic. This was self-defense. Pure and simple. To the death. Protecting h im and his own .
The gun j ammed . Michael screamed and threw it at Grayson in frustration .
Cate peeked from under Grayson ’ s wing just in time to see a fiery inferno blaze for a minute, then two. The fireball collapsed. Smoke cleared. A colorful stone pinged as it bounced against the hardwood floor and rolled to a stop at Grayson ’ s feet. Then, a fine fall of ash floated to the ground, a gentle dance of carbon all that was left of the monster Michael James.
“Grayson?” She looked up at him. Pain wound through her in tight, fiery spirals from the gunshot wound. “Help.” She panted, fighting against the darkness that threatened to overwhelm her.
The dragon folded his wings and lowered his head. His nose quivered. He nuzzled first her stomach, his warm, rough tongue swiping the bare skin of her midriff. The baby in her womb moved at his father ’ s greeting. A tear plopped onto Cate ’ s shoulder from the dragon ’ s amber eye. Then he lapped the wound with his tongue.
An ancient language she didn ’ t understand buzzed in her head. Then the words righted themselves, To have and to hold from thi s day forward until death do us part .
A quiet peace filled Cate . A gentle hymn she ’ d always known. A sacred place long forgotten, but unearthed by the healing tears and the restorative kiss of a dragon mage. She didn’t know if it’d be enough. Cate had found her hoard. And she ’ d never let it go. Ever. Even if she never held her baby in her arms or kissed her husband again . Sh e just hoped it wasn’t too late and that Michael hadn’t stolen that from her, too.
#
Grayson Cooper had never been so scared in his life as when he ’ d seen Cate ’ s lifeblood soaking her clothes and smearing her body. He splayed his hand over her tummy and caressed the growing child she nurtured in her body. The baby rolled, as if he enjoyed the touch. Grayson chuckled, but sobered at the closed eyes of his wife, the pale countenance. It had been two day s now since she ’ d passed out after the confrontation with the scumbag Michael James.
Hattie had bandaged Cate ’ s shoulder and had given her something to ease the pain. She ’ d said Cate might wake when the wound knitted, when
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