Page 96 of Dragon Unhinged

“Fuck you.” I grit the words out as another contraction starts to build.

“Just like a human. So crass, so barbaric. Nothing more than a means to an end. Shouldn’t be long now, though.” He reaches down and grips my chin, squeezing to force me to look into his blood red eyes. “I had promised Peter he could have you to play with once you gave birth, but I’m sure he won’t mind me taking a taste. I’ve always wondered if humans who mate with magic taste different.”

He leans down and licks my face, starting at my jawline and going up my cheek almost into my hairline.

“I guess I’ll find out soon enough.” Grey pats me on the head like I’m a dog, and smiles at me, all teeth and fangs. “I’ll send the doctor in. Don’t die until I get my taste, Brianna.”

I want to fight, to find something, anything to even try to hurt him with, but with the labor pains coming faster, closer together, I don’t even think I can move.

Frustrated, despondent, full of fucking rage, and I can’t do anything but watch as he walks away, leaving the door wide open.

Taunting me with freedom that’s just out of reach.

If I could stand, if I could walk, I could leave.

Donna comes down the hall, dressed in scrubs and pushing a cart that I assume is full of medical supplies.

“Okay, Brianna, we’re going to get you into bed in just a minute, and I’m going to make sure you and that baby get through this just fine.”

I shake my head, tears in my eyes. “I don’t want to just get through it. We have to get out of here.”

“I know.” She glances over her shoulder. “But you can’t talk about that right now. Not when you need to worry about bringing this beautiful baby into the world.” She smiles at me, but her eyes are saying something else. Something I can’t decipher.

Not that I want to right now, as my body cramps again and I let out another scream.

Donna quickly changes out the sheets on my bed, and then lays down a few towels before she comes back to me. “Ready to move?”

“No.” I groan. “But it’s not like I have a choice.”I hardly recognize my own voice filled with fury and pain.

I let her help me up, and then she quickly scoops me into her arms like I weigh nothing, moving me over to the bed before she goes back to close the door.

“Okay, Brianna, I know this isn’t how you wanted to do this at all, but we don’t have a choice in it right now. I’m going to help you through it, but you must listen to me.”

“Listen? To you?” I scoff. “You’re the reason I’m in this situation in the first place.”

She scowls at me. “Look, you want to get out of here, at this point, I’m your best shot. You’re not going anywhere until this baby’s out. I can’t move you in this condition, but I have a plan.”

I roll my eyes. A plan, from the woman who brought me here? Who force-fed me drugs that made me go through this pregnancy faster than should’ve been humanly possible?

As my latest contraction eases just a bit, I see the sorrow and worry on Donna’s face. I take a shaky breath in. I remember she’s a prisoner here too.

“We need a car,” I pant. “We need some way of distracting Grey so we can get away.” I grimace again, and Donna reaches out to take my hand, holding onto me as the pain rips through my body.

“Just focus on breathing. Focus on getting through this baby, and I swear, I will get us all out.” She’s watching her watch, as if this is all commonplace. As if she does this every day.

I suppose if she’s truly a pediatrician and neonatal surgeon, she’s probably done quite a bit of it.

But for me, this is the worst pain I’ve ever experienced, and I can only assume it’s going to get worse before it gets better. “I need my mate.” The words spill out of me on a sob, and I press my free hand to my belly. “I need your daddy.”

Donna squeezes my fingers and sighs. “I know this is hard, but we’re going to get you through it.”

I squeeze my eyes shut, picturing my mate, focusing on Declan’s face. On that dream I had, of us starting our family together.

Not like this.

I need his strength, his confidence, his love, to get through this.

And all I have is a doctor that I can’t even trust, a vampire who wants my child and a taste of me, before he hands me over to another vampire who wants to drain me dry.

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