Page 16 of Pregnant Forced Mate

“Kidnapping a human wasn’t ideal the first time around,” mother says softly.

“Yeah. It was hard on Lily,” Kairo adds. “Just because you’re taking breakfast for her doesn’t make the situation any better.”

I turn to my sister and offer her a shrug. “I don’t wish to compare this with what happened with Lily.” I glance at the only human in the room. “I’m sorry, Lily. I know how much you hated being locked away. But this isn’t the same as you and my brother.”

“It’s exactly the same,” she protests, standing beside her mate. “It’s—”

“No, Lily,” I argue, shaking my head and rising to my feet in defiance. None of them seem to see the sense behind my actions. “It's not the same. What you have with my brother is a rare occurrence. Not everyone is destined to be fated mates.”

“Aragon—”

“No, mother,” I cut her off with a dismissively raised hand. “Firstly, I don't want any of this. I'm only proceeding with mating with that human for the sake of our existence.” I take a deep breath, momentarily calming my nerves when I feel my temper rising to the heights of the dragon's fierce temperature. “Secondly, I have had to do damage control. We have spent centuries hiding and will not forsake our safety simply to avoid extinction.”

“He has a point,” Felix finally speaks up.

Draco sighs, shoulders slumping as he nods his head. “I have to agree.”

“Draco!” Lily says, staring at her mate in disbelief. “I don't believe this!”

Lily's hands fly up in the air. When Draco tries reaching for her, she shrugs away and stares at him accusingly.

Lily storms off, leaving the tension in the room palpable. But I don't feel an ounce of guilt, having to trust my gut instinct and do what is right—for me and for the clan.

I'm calm as I continue to eat breakfast, the others following suit. Only Draco appears unsettled, but I won't apologize for doing what I did.

Wiping the corners of my mouth with a napkin, I clear my throat purposefully to draw everyone's attention. Satisfied when I look up to find their eyes on me, I announce, “There's something you must see. I must say, the Cube of Knowledge really chose her well.”

“What do you mean, brother?” Draco asks with a skeptically raised brow.

Slowly pushing myself off the chair, I get to my feet and throw the napkin on the table. “You'll find me in the ground floor study.”

Without waiting for a reply, I headed to the study area where I'd kept the dragon bone. The twins are the first to follow me there, their youthful excitement evident in the way both gasp and awe at the relic in the center of the room.

“Don't act so surprised,” I chuckle. “Have neither of you visited the museum?”

Stryder and Stryker exchange sheepish glances, both turning to me with shrugs. “Nope,” they relent in unison.

Of course, they wouldn't know what dragon bone looks like. I can't help but chuckle with a roll of my eyes. Being the youngest of the Vulkan siblings, they've really been spoiled enough not to care about dragon history. Unlike the older siblings, who'd been forced to learn everything there is to know. Attending boot camps to further our knowledge made up a huge chunk of our childhoods.

Perhaps that's why I care so much about the clan's well-being. Much of what interested me had to do with the wars long ago. What forced dragons to remain hidden despite many attempts to coexist with the human race?

It was almost impossible. And I don't believe that it can change now that the world is gone to shit.

The rest of my siblings and my parents finally joined us in the study. Everyone's attention is on the fossil in the room as they gather around it.

“It's one of ours,” I reveal, folding my arms and standing back. “It turns out the human is a paleontologist. She was researching this bone.”

“Where did she find it?” Draco asks, turning around with a hand on his chin as if in deep thought.

“That's what I don't know,’ I shrug. “I'm gonna find out. But can you see now why it was concerning?”

Draco nods his agreement slowly. “I can see that now. And you're right, Aragon. We didn't think about the consequences.”

“But what do you plan on doing with the human?” Kairo asks, stepping forward. “She can't be treated like a prisoner here. It will do you no good.”

“I don't plan on keeping her as a prisoner,” I admit. “She will fulfill her purpose and will be allowed to leave the island once the Council is satisfied with how many children she produces. I give it a year.”

Draco chuckles. “You know it isn't easy to subdue a human, right?”

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