Page 1 of Pregnant Rejected Mate

Chapter 1 - Felix

“Mi ángel…”

The words leave my lips with a gentle sigh that follows. Leaning my forearms on the balcony rails, I stare longingly at the horizon where the sun sets in soft orange hues, the gold silhouette reminding me of the shade of her beautiful eyes.

Another long, drawn-out sigh escapes my lips as the distant memory of the taste of cherry kisses sweetens my tongue. A kiss that I hadn’t experienced in five years, but one that I still find myself reminiscing on evenings so beautiful. I can’t help but stare at the figment of the mortal world visible from the island.

As the sun’s rays recede, giving way to the moon for the night, it’s her face I see. She visits me when the sun meets the moon in the sky—the only time two star-crossed lovers are permitted to meet. At least, that’s what I thought we were all this time.

Until my brothers succeeded in pursuing human mates in the human mating process.

I can’t help but wonder if the human girl I’d fallen madly in love with could become my mate. After all, we rely on the Cube of Knowledge’s DNA scan to determine if a human female is a match for a dragon shifter male. As the Beta of the Aurora Dragon clan, I can access the Cube and utilize it to find out if she’s a match.

Truthfully, I’m too afraid of the outcome. There’s a one-in-three-billion chance that the woman in my heart is a match for me. I’m not prepared to take the risk of getting my heart broken the second time around, even if she’s not the one who broke it to begin with.

I’d done that all on my own. Thanks to the lack of knowledge the dragon shifter race had before, I was convinced that there was no way things could work out between a dragon shifter and a human.

That didn’t stop me from falling in love—it’s not like we can control the matters of the heart. As much as we try to fight it, the heart always wins. I’ve seen it with both Draco and Aragon. I’d experienced it first-hand myself when I’d visited the mortal world. Except, mine was a case of love at first sight. Then, I chose to leave the human girl because there was no way we could ever be together.

Until now.

Though I haven’t seen her in years, it’s the memory of her that keeps me alive and thriving. Those memories of her amber eyes and supple lips make me wonder if things could work out between us. There's hope for us thanks to the human mate process the dragon shifters have adopted.

As the sun disappears in the sky and allows for the moon’s dominance, I’m filled with a stronger sense of hope. Straightening up, I clutch the balcony rails until my knuckles pale with my determination. I decide on the spot that I’ll use the Cube to find out if the human girl I love is a match to be my mate. Not because I want her to produce dragonspirit children for me, but because I’ll finally be able to exist in a world where she does. Breathe the same air as her since my lungs feel parched in the time I’ve spent away from her.

I can’t be a coward anymore. I have to face the Cube of Knowledge to determine if she’ll be a match for me. That’s the only way I can fill this hole in my heart, a void that longs for her.

Brother Felix… Draco enters my mind telepathically, abruptly jolting me from my thoughts. Council meeting in ten.

Sighing as I press a finger to my temples, I remember that much more pressing issues in my world need to be taken care of. Coming, Draco, I reply, eyes saddening as I steal one last glance at the horizon before heading up to the boardroom for the meeting. My agendas need to take a back seat for now.

I can’t help but wonder if being the Beta of the Aurora Dragons is my excuse for not pursuing the woman I love as my mate.

***

“The man is a private investigator in the mortal world,” Father explains, brows knitted with irritation. “No one important, according to our findings.”

“Except…” Nimbus, the Flame Serpents’ Elder, adds, turning his attention to Draco. “... He’d been hired by your sister-in-law.”

“My sister-in-law…?” Draco responds confusedly until realization dawns on him, and the color seeps from his face, leaving him pale. His eyes widen as he looks up at Nimbus. “Violet?”

“Yes,” Nimbus concedes with a brisk nod. “Violet Turner. She’d hired Diego Alvarez to track her sister’s location.”

“She must have grown suspicious during the wedding,” Father sighs, wiping a hand across his worried face.

I turn to my brother, Draco, seeing how his own worry has shackled his brows. Since learning that a human could trace the island’s location, the Aurora Dragons have been on high alert. We can’t risk being found out by the humans—let alone by the family of the alpha’s human mate.

“What do we do now?” I ask Draco, but he’s too horrified to reply. Instead, Nimbus speaks up.

“There’s no cause for panic,” he assures us, glancing at each of the members of the Dragon Council. Seated alongside the boardroom table, everyone is almost as equally as shocked as Draco.

When we first learned that a human was on our trail, we would have never thought it would be someone this close to home. Even if we’d agreed not to use violence against the humans we’re meant to protect, we can’t risk exposing ourselves to their kind.

We’ve spent millennia hidden from view, our existence kept a secret. We’ve also been exercising the utmost caution when it comes to taking human mates. We can’t sacrifice our existence now.

“... In fact, I’ve already handled the situation.”

“You have? How?” Draco quickly chimes in, finally able to speak. It’s almost as if I can feel his concern radiating off him in waves as he sits beside me. I can only imagine what’s going through his mind.

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