Page 14 of Dragon Daddy Protector

“Jax, there's something else you should know,” Evan said cautiously, glancing at me, then at my stomach. I hadn’t realized we were going do this now, but there wasn’t any reason to wait to tell Jax about the baby.

I nodded, not sure what reaction I was expecting.

“Mariah is pregnant.”

Jax's eyes widened, and the color drained from his face as he literally gasped. His sandwich dropped onto the plate, forgotten in the shock of the moment. I’d expected surprise, but this was a bit over the top. It would have been comical if not for the sudden, sharp flare of anger, my dragon's fiery temper seeming to ignite of its own accord.

“Seriously, Jax?” I snapped, hands flying to my hips. “Why does everyone feel the need to look like they've seen a ghost when they find out I'm pregnant? Is it really so terrible?”

Jax blinked, clearly taken aback by my outburst. “Mariah, I didn't mean—”

But I couldn’t seem to stop myself. “First Evan, now you. What is so utterly horrifying about me having a baby?” My voice shook, and tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as I continued riding my emotional roller coaster. I knew it wasn't fair to take my frustration out on Jax—I was welcoming him home, for goodness’ sake—but just once, couldn’t someone be excited for me?

But Jax was shaking his head, leaning forward as he gripped the countertop, his knuckles as white as marble. “No, that’s not it at all.”

His sudden shift in demeanor had my stomach dropping as Jax’s eyes darted between Evan and me. Any hint of the playful smile that’d been on his lips moments before vanished, replaced by a hard, determined line.

He shook his head. “I’m sorry it’s not the reaction you hoped for, but that’s the last thing I expected. And the timing? Well…” He broke off, running his fingers through his hair. “There’s something I have to tell you guys. The reason I came back.” Jax swallowed, the muscle in his cheek ticking as he clenched his jaw. “I didn't come back just because I missed you all, though that's true, too.”

My heart stuttered in my chest, fear beginning to spiral within my gut.

“I was able to hack into my father’s system, and what I found…” His eyes flashed with fury.

“What is it, Jax?” Evan demanded. “What do you know?”

“He wants you,” Jax said, leveling his gaze at me, and my heart nearly stopped beating altogether. “I don’t know exactly what he has planned, but as soon as I found out, I had to come back and warn you.” He paused. “He’s coming for you, Mariah."

Chapter 5

Evan

I surged to my feet, a roar rumbling out of my throat. “That man will never lay another finger on Mariah or our child!”

Dragons were naturally possessive. Protective of what was theirs. But what I felt now went beyond that. The mere idea of Tomas making concrete plans to come for my family again had me feeling as if molten lava coursed through my veins.

“No, he won’t.” Jax’s expression was hard and determined as he balled his hands into fists. His jaw ticked. “You said I’m family? Well, I feel the same way. You're my family now, and I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”

Mariah’s hand darted to her stomach, as if she were shielding the new life growing inside her from the hovering darkness.

Of course, we’d known things weren’t over. Tomas would never know the limits of his greed, or the boundaries of humanity. But we didn’t know the full implications of his plans. When he’d rammed that syringe into Mariah’s chest, when I’d heard her heart stop…

Tomas hadn’t known for sure what would happen. Mariah could have died like any number of his other experiments. He had to know she was still breathing. But what did he want from her? After what Mariah had told me about her DNA, it could be anything. Did he want to hold her captive, draw more of her blood and use her for his vile experiments? Or was there something else he wanted her for?

“Evan. Evan!”

Mariah’s voice broke through the thrumming in my ears. My eyes were still locked on her stomach, but my talons had jutted out, scraping the marble, and my dragon felt dangerously close to the surface.

“Calm down.” She glared at me. “It’s not like we haven’t been here before, or even that we didn't suspect as much. I’m safe. Isn’t that what you always tell me?”

It was. She was. There was nowhere safer for my mate than here on our own clan lands. Yet she was the one remaining calm in the face of Jax’s news while I was the one on edge.

“Sit back down and eat your food,” she demanded, taking a bite out of her sandwich before turning back to the counter to make two more.

Jax turned to me with wide eyes, his lips twitching, and I shook my head quickly, swiping my hand in front of my neck to indicate that he’d be best off not saying a damn word. Mariah was becoming more unpredictable by the minute. I didn’t know whether to be amused or terrified. I had a feeling I’d do best not waking that dragon just yet.

I cleared my throat and went back to my sandwich. “So, where the hell have you been these past two months?”

Mariah glanced over her shoulder as Jax swallowed a large bite, but she kept piling meat on the toast while she waited for his answer.

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