Page 86 of Dragon Unhinged

The only good thing about the whole situation is that so far, Grey and Peter have pretty much left me alone. The only person to come into my room so far has been the nurse, Donna, who brought me here in the first place.

The clicking of a key in the lock announces that she must be coming back, no doubt to check on the progress of my baby for the third time today.

“How’s our little one doing?” She smiles at me. Or, more accurately, at my stomach. She doesn’t look at me. She doesn’t see me as anything other than a vessel for my baby, for Declan’s baby.

No one here sees me as more than that, and I need to remember that every fucking step of the way.

“You know, Donna, if you’re going to poke and prod at me every few hours you could at least treat me like a person.” I roll my eyes as she glares at me. “Or at least tell me why someone who clearly has medical experience is working with a monster like Grey.”

She scoffs, “I don’t have to explain anything to you. I’m here for Grey, for this baby. You’re just a means to an end. And one that I’ll be glad to be rid of as soon as we have what we want.” She points at the bed, clearly done with this conversation.

I crawl up onto the bed, not bothering to fight. There’s no point, not when Grey’s commanded me to obey any orders the nurse gives me. Not to mention the brute shows of strength I’ve seen from her through my window. Whatever this woman is, she’s not human. Or at least she’s not anymore.

“Please, you’ve got to give me something. I’m alone here. I’m freaking out. I never even imagined I’d be pregnant, let alone doing it like this. All this stress can’t be good for me or the baby.” I gesture at my belly, trying to sound pathetic. Like I’m pleading.

I need her to see me as human. I need her to see me as someone who matters, someone who’s more than just a means to getting Grey a dragon baby.

If my baby’s even going to be a dragon at all. How could they know? And if she’s not, then what? Would they kidnap Declan and force us to have another kid like this? And another and another, until they get what they want?

Or worse, would they just kill me, my baby, and Declan before moving on to another dragon and unsuspecting mate?

“If Grey lets you live after this, he’ll wipe your memory. You won’t even remember you were pregnant.” She smirks at me, and it’s not the first time her smile makes my skin crawl. “He could make you forget you were ever paired to a dragon, too. I can only imagine the things that monster forced you to do.” She starts up the ultrasound machine before adding, “If you prove yourself an asset, perhaps he’ll even bestow dragon’s breath on you.”

“I don’t want to forget.” I cringe as she squeezes cold gel over the wand for the ultrasound. “And Declan isn’t a monster. Why do you follow Grey? Why are you helping him?”

Donna moves between my legs and inserts the wand into my vagina. “He’s given me power I never thought I could have. I never even dreamed possible.” She takes a second, using themachine’s wand, until the rapid thrum of my baby’s heartbeat fills the room. “He gave me freedom.”

I listen to my baby’s heartbeat for a minute until she flips it off again. I squeeze my eyes shut trying to hold back the tears until Donna leaves. “How is this freedom? Following orders, not knowing if you can even trust your own mind, your own thoughts. Kidnapping people, drugging them. It’s all your choice?”

So much for trying to appeal to her humanity. But I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for her. I’d be with Declan, in his arms. That dream I had could’ve been true, if it weren’t for her.

I wouldn’t be in so much pain, so worried about my life, my baby, my mate… if it weren’t for her.

“You’ll learn.” Her voice is empty and nonchalant, like none of this matters. “He doesn’t force things for long, just long enough to know that you’re loyal. Once he can trust you, you’ll have more chance to move around. Prove your allegiance, and he’ll give you real power.”

“Maybe for you.” I roll my eyes, not bothering to look at my baby on the screen. She feels so impossible, so strange. How can she do this to another person?

It shouldn’t be like this.

Declan should be with me. Taking care of me. Of us.

“Your dragon is growing well.” The nurse smiles, before reaching into her bag and pulling out a long needle. “Now, I just need a sample to run a few tests, and you and your baby can go back to resting. I’ll have the chef send up larger meals for tomorrow, and more snacks. You need to keep your strength up.”

“What the hell are you going to do with that?” I scooch back against my pillows, covering my belly with my hands. “You’re not coming near me with that.”

A sharp strike into my abdominal wall echoes my fear, my discomfort.

I want to soothe her, to tell my daughter that we’re not going to let this happen, but what can I do? What could I even begin to do against a woman with superhuman strength and the force of vampires driving her?

“It won’t hurt you or the baby. Just stay still.” She keeps moving closer, the needle looking a lot more like a knife wielded by a serial killer than a medical instrument. “Don’t make me get Grey in here to make you comply.”

I shake my head and tears streak down my cheeks. “Please, just let us be. If nothing is wrong, surely you don’t need to run more tests.”

“Don’t make it difficult, Brianna.” She grabs my wrist, pinching it hard enough in her hand that it feels like she might crush the bones in my wrist into nothing but dust. She pulls my hand back, positioning the needle over my belly.

My little one kicks harder and harder in protest.

I close my eyes, fighting a wave of nausea while more tears fall. Frustration, fear, and rage all seem to be tumbling around inside me, all of them strong enough to make me want to scream, but none so strong as to overtake the others.

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