Page 130 of The Dragon's Mate

She curled into him, smiling a little. Shehad pleased her mate.

* * *

Kaida traced her fingers along Bren’sforearm. She loved being curled up with him in the bed, loved the feel of hiswarm body against hers. The bedroom was cold, but Bren hadn’t asked her toshut the window after their lovemaking was done. Eventually they would have toclose the window, winter would be too cold for Bren to sleep with the windowopen even with the warmth of her body. But for now, she would enjoy it.

How quickly you forget. You won’t be withthe human by winter.

Her dragon growled angrily at her innervoice. It wasn’t planning on ever giving up Bren and as each day went by, herdragon’s claim on him grew stronger. It fully believed that Bren was theirmate.

As if he’d read her thoughts, Bren kissedthe back of her shoulder and said, “Can we talk about the mate thing?”

“It was my dragon who said it,” she repliedquickly.

It wasn’t just her dragon who said it. Hervoice would have been different if it was, but she’d been more than happy togive in to her dragon’s wishes and call Bren her mate. She waited for Bren tocall her out on her lie.

Instead, he kissed her shoulder again. “Iknow. But is it only your dragon who believes it?”

“My clan knows I’m spending time with you,”she said. “They believe it’s just a fling. I’m not the only dragon in the clanwho is socializing with humans.”

“Okay,” Bren said. “But that isn’t what Iasked you. We agreed to try the dating thing, and it’s been a couple ofweeks. I know how your dragon feels, I want to know how you’re feeling aboutus.”

“Does it matter?” she asked. “My clanwill never allow you to live with them and I can’t be away from them.”

“You spend every night away from them,” hesaid.

“And every day with them.” She stared outthe window at the brick wall of the building next to them. “I can’t be away frommy clan, Bren. I’m sorry, but -”

He squeezed her waist and spooned her evencloser. “You don’t have to say sorry. I get it. You can’t be away from yourclan, so we need to figure out a way to make your clan accept me. Maybe I shouldget an invisibility potion from Elora and on my days off, spend time with youand your clan. We can ease them into it.”

“It isn’t just my clan.” The topic she’dbeen avoiding and denying even to herself, finally reared its ugly head. “Youwant hatchlings.”

“I do. You don’t?” He had tensed behindher.

“I want them very much, but I’m not sure Ican have them.”

He tugged on her arm until she rolled overto face him. He pulled her into his embrace again. “Have you seen a doctorabout it?”

“No, it’s not that. It’s… dragons aregoing extinct, Bren. We’re going extinct because our females rarely becomepregnant. Jarvis and Sika’s hatchling is the first to be born in our clan inover a decade. The odds that I will ever be a mother are incredibly low.”

“But not zero,” he said.

She cupped his face. “You want hatchlings,I cannot promise to give them to you.”

“No woman canpromiseto give me akid, just like I can’t promise to give her a kid,” Bren said. “Having difficultygetting pregnant is not the same as knowing you absolutely can’t have kids. It’sworth the risk to me.”

Her dragon purred with happiness and Kaidacould feel warmth spreading through her entire body. Her mate was perfect, andshe had no idea how she’d gotten so lucky.

You’re going to disappoint your mate.

She wanted to tell her inner voice to shutup, but it made a point that she couldn’t ignore. It might be worth the riskto Bren now, but after a few years, when it became obvious that she would neverconceive, then what?

Bren stroked her cheek with his thumb. “Look,I know we have a lot of hills to climb with this relationship, but I think it’sworking for us so far. You’re important to me and I don’t want to give up on us.Do you?”

“No,” she admitted.

His smile radiated happiness. “Good. So,should I start hanging out with your clan?”

“Let’s give it a bit more time,” she said.“Do you mind?”

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