Page 72 of The Dragon's Mate

“Yes,” Sika hissed before blowing more flameout the window. “Help me, Kaida. Please.”

Shit! What did she do?

Call Bren.

She winced when Sika squeezed her handagain.

“Kaida, I need a hospital,” Sika said. “Iam not having my hatchling on the side of the road.”

“We can’t take you to the hospital, honey.You know that. The baby will be born with scales and it’s first breaths aresmoke and flame. If the doctor sees that…”

“Fuck!” Sika shouted. “This cannot behappening.” She started to cry. “I want Jarvis. Please, Kaida, I want Jarvis.”

Call Bren.

They were close to Bren’s apartment. If hewas home, she could take Sika there. It would mean exposing their secret toBren but what choice did she have?

“Hang on, Sika. I have an idea.” She grabbedher phone and called Bren, her stomach in knots and her pulse racing.

* * *

Bren’s stomach did a dip and dive when hesaw who was calling. He’d been jittery and nervous since he woke up this morningand while it was embarrassing at his age to be this excited about a first date,he couldn’t contain it. Seeing Kaida’s name on his phone screen only increasedhis anticipation.

Don’t get too excited, buddy. She’sprobably calling to cancel.

Hoping that wasn’t the case, he hit theanswer button on the steering wheel. “Hey, Kaida, what’s up?”

“Bren, are you at home?”

Kaida’s voice was uncharacteristicallyshrill.

“No, but I’m close to home,” he said. “What’swrong?”

“Shit. How close?”

“Five minutes,” he said. “What’s going on?”

“Are you working, or can you meet me atyour place?”

“Technically I’m working but I can meet youat my apartment.”

There was a muffled groan of pain in thebackground and Bren’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “What was that?”

“Sika,” Kaida said. “It’s okay, honey. Holdon. We’re almost to Bren’s place. Bren, please… can you meet us there?”

“I’m on my way.”

“Thank you.” She disconnected the call andBren flipped his lights on and stepped on the gas. Thanks to the lights, he madeit to his apartment in three minutes instead of five. Kaida was parking in thevisitor parking and he parked in his spot and jogged over to her car as sheopened the passenger door.

“Kaida, what’s wrong?”

“Sika isn’t feeling well,” Kaida said as shehelped her pregnant friend from the car. “Do you mind if she rests at your placefor a few minutes.”

“Uh, sure, that’s fine.”

Kaida put her arm around Sika’s waist andguided her toward the front door of his apartment building. The woman wassweating profusely, and her face was pale.

“You sure she shouldn’t go to the hospital?”Bren opened the door and Kaida and Sika followed him to the elevator.

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