Page 40 of Bred By the Dragon

“That’s the problem!” I could just scream. “I can’t have a thing for a dragon who’s three hundred years old, and will live until he’s a thousand years old. That’s a whole ass millennium! I’m like a blip on the radar for him.”

Jared and Sarah both stare at me with wide, confused eyes.

“Huh?” Jared says, breaking the silence. “That’s what you’re worried about?”

I don’t understand why they don’t get it. “Of course it is! I want to find my forever person, you know? I don’t want to commit to someone when I’m just going to die on them.” I don’t even mention the other part—that if Zakarion were to bond to me, it could spell his end, too.

With a heavy sigh, Sarah drags her lawn chair closer to mine and wraps an arm around my shoulders, pulling me tight against her.

“Sammy. You fucking idiot.” She pats my head. “I say that as affectionately as possible. You can’t keep pretending you don’t like him, putting on that fake-happy face while you burn up inside. Remember what happened last time?”

Ugh. I know she’s right. At the gym, I faked it and faked it until I couldn’t take it anymore, and I burst apart at the seams. The last thing I want is to explode on Zakarion.

“Have you told him this fear of yours?” Sarah asks.

“It’s not a fear, it’s a fact!” I snap.

“Stop for a second.” She tightens her grip in a rather threatening manner. “Have you told him, or not?”

I cross my arms petulantly. “Why would I? It doesn’t matter. It would never work. It’s not worth it to even open the door.”

Jared pipes up. “But what if you opened the door and found something wonderful on the other side?”

But I don’t see anything wonderful. All I see is heartbreak, and I don’t want to do that to him, or to me.

I decide to pick up snowshoeing, despite my growing belly. It’s only five more months now, according to the ob-gyn—just five more months until I have the baby, and never see Zakarion again.

I lose myself in the woods, following trails that others have left to tiny lodges where I can build a fire and warm up. Nature is mostly silent save for the occasional bird call, which reminds me there’s still life out there, even in the dead of winter.

Often, though, when it’s cold, I think of how warm Zakarion is, how the fire in his chest would keep me toasty even as the snow falls.

While our next appointment rolls around, and the little dragon inside me grows bigger, I debate this question. What would Zakarion do if I told him? Would if he returned my feelings? Then what?

I’m terrified of the idea of telling him the truth—and even more terrified of him saying, but you’re human. He’d be right. I’m nothing, a drop in the bucket of time. He has ancient treasures in his house that date back thousands of years, while I’ll be lucky if I get another sixty or seventy out of my life here on earth.

But Sarah’s right. I can’t keep doing this any longer.

Finally, it’s Tuesday. I drive to the doctor’s office with a hard lump in my throat, dreading what I’m going to say. When Zakarion arrives and enters the lobby, all I want to do is throw my arms around his neck and hug him for everything he’s worth.

I offer him a smile, same as always. “How are you?”

“I’m well,” he says, his mouth in that same hard line that I’ve grown accustomed to, his eyes giving nothing away. “And you?”

“I’m good. Trying to stay warm. At least the snowpack has been good for outdoors sports.”

He frowns deeper. “You have been out doing sports?” His eyes travel down to my belly. “Is that wise?”

I swat at him playfully. “I’m pregnant, not a porcelain doll. It’s good for me to get exercise.”

He furrows his brow. “But nothing strenuous, right?”

“Right,” I say, letting out a small laugh. “Don’t worry, Zak.” I want to slap myself. “Zakarion. Sorry.”

His eyes close and he sighs, as if he’s very tired and my calling him that didn’t help. I ball my hands up in my lap, wondering how things became this way between us. I feel like I don’t know him anymore.

Neither of us speaks until we’re called back into the doctor’s office. Once I’m in a gown, the yeti returns to do the ultrasound. Zakarion sits in his usual place next to me as the ob-gyn covers my belly in gel and starts scanning it.

“Oh, wow.” I can’t help the exclamation as the baby appears on-screen. It’s much bigger than before, with definite features—wings, a tail, even a snout. I gape at what I’m seeing, this little fetus curled up in a ball inside me.

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