Page 54 of The Dragon of her Dreams

“Will you marry me?” he whispered.

I stopped wriggling and ran my fingers through his hair, my happiness now impossibly complete. “Of course, I will,” I answered. “When?”

He laughed. “Ah... tomorrow? Next week? How long does it take to set up a party for that sort of thing?” he asked.

“Kiss me,” I whispered up at him, arching my back to feel him against me. “We can sort all that out later. For now, I just need you.”

He grinned and came down on me once more, sweeping me up and away into a world of mind-blowing bliss and physical rapture that lasted so many hours, I lost count.

Epilogue

Jaegar

A YEAR LATER...

I threw open the doors to the servants’ quarters and bolted down the hallway until I reached the medical wing. The doctor was sitting at his table, drinking a cup of tea. “You’ve got to come. Now!” I roared, before I turned and ran back, hearing the commotion of the staff coming behind me. The stupid doctor had left Vanya, telling her she had plenty of time before giving birth, and that she should get some sleep.

Sleep! Asshole. As if!

“Jaegar, what’s happened?” Stavrok called out after me.

But I didn’t dare stop. “Baby!” I yelled over my shoulder, still running. My wife needed me, and all I could do was pray that Anthony’s vision from almost a year ago would come true, and that soon we would have our beautiful child. I could hear Vanya’s screams before I got to our bedroom, and they made my heart race. I burst through the doors, the king and the doctor hard on my heels. “He’s coming!” I said, leaping onto the bed beside her. “I’m here, beautiful. Everything is going to be okay.”

She was panting hard, her white cotton nightgown now drenched in sweat so that it clung to her body. “I think I need to push,” she gasped in between breaths.

The door opened again, and the king and queen of Bravadok came in.

Lucy went around the bed to the other side of Vanya, grabbing her hand tightly. “I’m here, sweetheart,” she assured her daughter.

The doctor walked in a moment later, far too cool and calm for the situation.

I almost rose up from the bed to snap his damn head off his shoulders.

“Princess Vanya, let’s see what’s happening here.” He lifted the hem of her nightgown and reached beneath it, performing a quick physical before voicing his professional opinion. “You’re fully dilated now and can push when you’re ready.”

“I could have told you that!” Vanya growled at him, her eyes fierce as her cheeks reddened with exertion.

I shared a look with Lucy, and we both tried not to laugh. Vanya had turned into a right mother dragon through and through the moment she’d become pregnant. She was every bit as tough and strong and as fiery as I was. And I couldn’t be prouder.

She began to cry out, squeezing my handhard. She strained and pushed, her big belly heaving with the effort.

The king stood behind me by the bed, nearby if we needed him.

Vanya fell back against the pillows, sobbing as her body trembled. “This issohard.”

“I can see the head, Vanya. A few more pushes and you’ll have your baby in your arms,” the doctor advised.

A servant came up beside me with a bowl of cold water and a washcloth.

I grabbed the cloth and dabbed her face and neck tenderly, hoping to ease even the smallest of discomforts. “You’re doing so well, my love,” I cooed, lending her whatever strength I had to give.

“Oh, no,” she sobbed, her eyes wide. “It’s coming again.” She sat up and this time, yelled out loudly as she pushed hard, her brow creased, and her teeth bared.

“I have the head!” the doctor said.

Vanya turned her head to me. She was so exhausted, but so damn determined.

I wiped her face and kissed her brow. “Good girl,” I whispered. “Good girl. You’re so brave. You can do this. I believe in you, baby.”

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