Page 52 of Dragon Unhinged

She chuckles. “There are a few spells that could accomplish that. But I’m hoping you can get me in without spells. The less magic I expend before we get to the shifters, the better chances I’ll have of saving your mate.”

I give her a soft smile, glad to have at least one person in my life who seems to get it, who I don’t have to hide anything from. “I wish I knew how to find his heartstone. From everything he’s told me, it’s pretty important to him, to his people for the mating process.”

“One thing at a time. We need to figure out how to get him out, and then we need to hide the two of you from your family, and whoever your father’s working with. Then…we can worry about happily ever after.” She reaches into her bag and pulls out a clear bottle filled with a fizzy, golden colored liquid. “But for now, drink this. It’ll help with your stomach issues.”

I take it, looking at it curiously. “Is it some kind of fae potion? Should I be concerned?” I give her a smirk, trying to let her know I’m kidding. Mostly.

“Not fae, I’m afraid. It’s actually a mortal potion. You might know it as ginger ale.” She winks at me. “I like the bubbles, but it looks like you could use it more than I can today.”

I take a sip, letting the fizz dance over my tongue before I swallow. Slowly, my stomach settles a little, and I sit up, feeling more myself.

“Are you feeling okay, or is this something that’s more chronic?” She looks at me curiously, like she can see more than just what’s on the surface. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you react like this, even with the stress we’re usually under.”

I shrug, taking another sip of the ginger ale. “I’d say this is a little more life-and-death than our usual stress, Elle.” I sigh. “And yeah, this is an unusual reaction for me. But I feel fine mostof the time, so unless I caught a bug from somewhere, I have to assume it’s the stress.”

“Or you’re pregnant.” Her eyes seem to almost glow at the prospect, and I remind myself —and her—that that’s not possible until he claims me.

“I can’t be. I’m not claimed.” I bite my lip, wondering what it would be like to be a mother, to carry Declan’s baby.

To try and raise a dragon shifter baby.

“Declan tell you it’s impossible?” Ellie looks at me even closer, until I start to feel like a specimen under a microscope. “Like dragons mating with humans was supposed to be impossible?”

“He would know, wouldn’t he? I mean, he’s got brothers who have found human mates. And none of them got pregnant before the claiming.”

“And what is it that Jeff Goldblum says in those dinosaur movies? Life finds a way. Dragonkind has been struggling for so long, I doubt most of the dragons even understand their full history, or where they came from. The Elders are a shady bunch. Their kind was on a path toward extinction, because female dragons weren’t being conceived. The balance of nature has been askew for so long, I’m surprised it’s taken this long for the Fates to right the ship.”

I press my hand to my belly, wondering if she’s right. It’s not like we’ve even tried to be careful. Even if we thought it was a possibility, though, it’s not like I would’ve been able to just make a pit-stop somewhere to pick up condoms or try to get birth control. Not with how closely my father monitors everything I do. There is no doctor/patient confidentiality in my life. “If I am, we can’t tell anyone. Not even Declan. Not until he’s free.”

He’s got more than enough to worry about, without wondering if he’s going to have a kid in nine months.

Or is a dragon gestation period even the same as a human?

Sometimes, I really wish we could just fly away, find his family. Find safety. A home. Leave all this insanity and pain behind.

“I won’t tell him. But if you are carrying a baby dragon, he’ll smell it on you soon enough.”

Great. The only secret I could even possibly consider keeping from Declan to keep him safe, and it’s something I couldn’t keep secret even if I wanted to.

“Will you drive me home? I’ll text my father, tell him I’m not feeling well, so that he doesn’t send his goons after me, and maybe I can just get you into the basement sooner than later.”

“Even if you could get me down there today, I still need time to work out the runes, to find the counter spells or marks to break his shackles and free his dragon. I won’t be able to get him out of it, even if I had all the information tonight. He’s still going to have to face down whatever they’re planning.”

I curse under my breath. “It’d still be worth it to go home early. It might not fix anything yet, but I can’t stand being this far away from him. What if he doesn’t think I’m worried about him?”

“Honey, I don’t think you have anything to worry about there. From what I know about dragons and their mates, he’ll kill anyone who dares try to keep you from him, claimed or not.” She raises an eyebrow. “Pregnant, especially.”

“Okay, fine. I admit it. I just want to see him. I want to know he’s okay, before they haul him off to God only knows where, to do God only knows what.”

I can’t admit to her that one of my biggest fears in this is that someone out there is going to find a way to break the connection we have and take my dragon from me forever.

At least I know if he’s still fighting, if he’s still winning, my father’s not likely to let go of him any time soon and that gives me more time to figure out how to get him out of there.

My father’swaiting in the entryway when I get home.

Because of course he is. Of course he’s home, waiting for me, keeping me from getting to see Declan.Even though it’s probably not safe for me to go down there anyway.

“Hello, Papa.” I give him a slight bow and hoist my backpack higher on my shoulder. “Is it okay if Ellie stays for a bit to study?”

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