Page 68 of Kidnapped Plus-Size Mate

It must be because the hearty dessert is heavenly, that I’m unable to stop stuffing my mouth. There’s just something about the warm cinnamon that embraces my tummy and has it begging for more.

“I don’t know what’s in this thing.” I shake my head, lifting another bite to my lips. “Are you sure the cook isn’t a witch? It’s like she threw some magic potion in here.”

Stryker chuckles again. “I can assure you; the cook isn’t a witch. Just my mother…”

“Uh-huh…” I nod with my mouth stuffed again, the chewed mouthful slipping down my throat and traveling toward my stomach when suddenly, it comes right back up along with fizzling bile.

A hand flies to my mouth, and I hurry off my chair, bolting for the closest bathroom when everything I had for lunch threatens to come to the surface. My belly bubbles with thatthreat, and by some stroke of luck, I find the bathroom and rush inside.

I fall on my knees in front of the toilet, flinging the lid open and retching into the pan. While the once-delicious lunch is discarded along with gut-wrenching acid, I feel Stryker pulling my hair aside and placing a hand on the small of my back to keep me steady.

When I’ve emptied my tummy, I groan and feel like I’m about to cry. Stryker holds out tissues in front of my face, but they’re not to wipe my tears.

They’re to wipe my mouth from the traces of vomit left on the corners.

Sinking onto my heels, Stryker tucks my hair behind my ears and pulls out more tissues, this time taking them to the basin to dampen them. When he returns, he joins me on the floor and then uses the tissues like wet wipes to dab on my lips.

Seeing him care for me this way shed a brilliant light of realization on what I feel for him. The intensity of my feelings is reflected in his actions right now when anyone would have felt revolted by what just happened.

Instead, Stryker was at my side in no time, no questions asked, and it just felt natural for him to be here when I would have died before I let anyone see me be sick over a toilet.

The words hang heavy on the tip of my tongue, and I don’t see any reason to hold them back anymore.

“I think I love you…” I whisper, catching the exact moment when Stryker hears my confession and gasps.

He lifts his eyes to mine, searching for confirmation with a faint frown. “What did you just say?” he asks.

I reach out and feebly touch his cheek, smiling through the sudden wave of exhaustion that washes over me. “I said… I think I love you…” The exhaustion spreads across my bones, turning my mind hazy, but I’m not afraid to close my eyes. I know Stryker will catch me every time I need a reset.

I trust him.

I love him.

***

With my head swirling with the love I feel for Stryker, I open my eyes again with a smile, my hand instinctively reaching for my belly.

I feel the soft cushions behind me, the silk of the lavish sheets whispering beneath my body as the bed hugs me and keeps me grounded. I turn my face to see Stryker’s radiant green eyes glimmering with a newfound sense of appreciation.

“I’m pregnant…” I whisper as gently as Stryker nods his head slowly.

“I know,” he concedes, his hand warmly joining mine on my belly.

“You do?” I ask without a trace of surprise. Our bond—fated mates according to dragon shifter lore, and soulmates according to the coven of witches—allows us to be in tune with our feelings.

Like the one I felt when I fainted in the bathroom and dreamed about a baby.

“I saw your dream,” Stryker explains, folding his fingers over my hand and lifting it to plant a chaste kiss on my knuckles. “Ifeltit. It was spectacular and profound, Camilla. I am honoredto share this experience with you. You have no idea how proud I am to be a father.”

“It’s only the beginning, Stryker,” I assure with a sincere smile. Gone are the insecurities. I had been replaced by a valiant spirit that has me believing that I can conquer the world with my soulmate on my side.

Even if I look the way I do. It means nothing except to remind me that I have always been different because I was born different, and it’s a badge of honor I must wear with dignity.

“... There’s so much I have to learn about my heritage,” I continued, staring into eyes of conviction that confirmed he’d be with me throughout it all. “Now that there’s a baby on the way—a dragonspirit baby…” my voice tapers off as I glance at my belly.

“One that will bring you immortality, Camilla,” he reminds me. “Now that you’ve discovered you’re a white witch, can you imagine how powerful you will be once the baby comes and you’re immortal?”

I nod slowly, letting my reality sink in. “I can’t believe it happened so quickly,” I giggle nervously.

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