Page 9 of Dragon Prince of New York

“Nothing.” He straightens in his seat. “It’s fine. I just want Yeva with us to ensure the baby is healthy.”

“Midas.”

He drops his elbows to his knees and looks at the floor. “Aspart of the royal line, the baby is… big. Stronger than most dragons.”

“Sure, but Jeslyn’s a dragon now. She can handle it.”

“Yes, in theory. But a transformed human has never carried a royal heir before.” He runs his hands through his hair, silent for a beat, before whispering, “The baby keeps transforming in the womb.”

“What? How is that possible?” I leave the window and walk over to the desk where Midas is sitting. Dragon women can’t transform while pregnant. They stay in whatever form they were in when they conceived. The inability to shift is one of the earliest signs of pregnancy. The baby takes whatever form the mother is in. I’ve never heard of a case where a dragon baby could shift in the womb.

“If Jeslyn goes into labor while the baby is in dragon form, things could get…” His breath hitches again, and he drops his head to his hands. “I can’t lose her, Cy.”

“Hey, you’re not going to lose her.” I crouch down in front of my brother, unsure of what to do. We’ve never been overly affectionate, but I hate seeing him like this. I put a hand on his shoulder. “Take Lennox and Yeva. Go to the hatching grounds. The goddess has been with the two of you from the start. I’m sure she’ll be with you now.”

“If…” Tears rim the edge of my brother’s eyes when he looksup, and it makes me feel panicked. I haven’t seen him this upset since our parents died. A night I wish I could scrub from my mind.

I squeeze his shoulder. “When do you leave?”

“Tomorrow. In the morning. I want Jeslyn to be well rested.”

“Alright. Guess it’s a good thing I haven’t unpacked yet.”

He takes my hand. “Thank you. I’m trusting you. I would have Jethro look out for her, but you know how flighty he can be and…” He clears his throat, sits up, and straightens his suit jacket. “There’s more we should talk about.”

Standing back up, I lean against the edge of his desk, waiting for him to continue.

“The Silver Horde has been restless. They’ve always wanted to do business in New York, and there are rumors they’re planning something. I need Jethro and the rest of the Guard on rotation at the hatching grounds. We’ve kept the pregnancy quiet, but they’ll know as soon as we reach the High Temple.”

“You think they’ll try to attack on sacred ground?”

“No.” He shakes his head. “I don’t think so. Their new Ra'a seems more calculating than violent. Not at all like her parents, but she hasn’t been Ra'a for long, and it’s hard to tell what she’ll do. I won’t risk it. The Silver Horde has takenadvantage of our perceived instability before.”

Our eyes meet, and it’s clear he’s thinking of the same thing I am. The last time the Silver Horde attacked, it was right before he married Jeslyn. And it was my fault. I spread the word that Midas’s mate was human and that his throne was being challenged. By me.

We’ve come a long way since then, and he knows I regret not trusting him. His trust in me now, with his sister-in-law, his family, is proof of how far we’ve come. It’s also another reason I have to be careful around Finley. It doesn’t matter that she’s my fated mate. I can’t break the fragile trust Midas and I have gained by making a move on his sister-in-law before she’s legally of age.

It’s going to be torture. But he’s right. He can’t leave Finley here alone. Not if there’s even a hint of a threat from the Silver Horde.

I drop my head. “You have my word, by the goddess and the gold, I’ll protect her.”

“And the horde?”

“Of course.”

But Finley most of all.

Chapter 6

Cyrus

What happens at thetemple is never tame. Even when we’re gathered for the equivalent of a dragon baby shower, the blessing of a new life. The Temple of Gold is where we let ourselves be what we are—wild and dangerous. Creatures of lust and greed. Beasts who horde wealth and beauty, who take what we please and protect our own.

But for the past six years, I’ve felt completely out of sync with my dragon side. I’ve shoved that part of me down so deep that I feel more human than dragon these days. My dragon instincts know nothing of laws and decrees, of gaining trust between brothers. They tell me to seize, claim, and defend.

“This is a great day for the Court of Gold!” Midas’s voice booms and the horde cheers. “I ruled without a mate for too long, but the goddess finally blessed me with Jeslyn, a woman beyond any I could have dreamed.”

My chest caves in with longing for what they have, for the ease of it, as well as the heat.

---