Page 16 of The Dragon at the End of This Pregnancy

The elevator jerked to a stop, and a bell rang as the doors slid open. Galen spun away from me and nearly plowed into a couple who were trying to enter the elevator at the same time they exited.

"Excuse you," the woman called after them.

It wouldn't take much to burn them to cinders, especially in a toasty metal elevator box. Either Galen didn't hear them or didn't understand they'd tried to insult them. Either way, it was a blessing. I offered a tiny shrug as an apology and followed Galen down the long corridor.

ChapterSix

Galen

Mac calledme adorable and laughed at me. Me!

Dragons were the most formidable creatures on Ignitas. From what I had seen of Earth, we could dominate their plane, as well.

"Why were you laughing?" I asked when he finally stopped and removed the key card from his pocket.

"I'm worried the other dragons might try to kill me for being your fated mate," he said, "and you're freaking out about shrinking a little smaller."

The door latch popped, and he cranked it open and stepped out of my way. He gave me plenty of room for this smaller body, but I brushed past him into the room. His chest was still pleasantly warm where I'd been leaning against him, but I didn't want to think about that now. I was still angry.

"A little? Kobolds of old would come up to a human's knee. Punky and Lark's children are twice as tall."

I let my horns pop back into existence, and the world seemed to right itself around me. The breeze from the air vent beneath the window rushed past them, centering me in a way I hadn't felt since I'd first morphed into this human body.

It was bad enough to force my greatness into such a tiny package, and then I had to clothe it! My magic made it easy, but nothing about holding this form felt right. I wanted out.

As soon as I heard the door click shut, I released the spell for my clothes.

Mac sucked in a breath. "What are you doing?"

"Do you know how uncomfortable clothes are to someone who has never worn them?"

"Yes," he said. "I hated wearing them as a child. I still do, sometimes."

Yet he wore them around me. "Why do you wear them when we are alone in my cave?"

He kicked off his sandals. "Tradition?"

The word smelled wrong. I closed the gap between us to sniff again. "Don't lie to me."

"Embarrassment," Mac admitted. "I'm a mess around you, and it would be really obvious without clothes."

"A mess?" That word smelled … confusing.

"I'm attracted to you." He blushed and looked at the floor.

"Obviously. You're my fated mate."

I relaxed my tight hold on my form, letting my shoulders expand and lifting me a few inches taller than Mac. It was far from my dragon form, but being larger than Mac felt more appropriate. Mac was struggling with his emotions, and I wanted to hold him and make him feel safe.

Instead, he glared up at me. "I didn't know I was your fated mate until two days ago!"

"But I knew. I have always been grateful for your attraction to me. I don't understand the problem."

He tugged at the buttons on his polo shirt and pulled it over his head. Once the shirt was off, so was his glamour. There was my gorgeous kobold beta mate without the shimmering human facade.

"You made one comment about copulation that first night, and then you ignored me for three years." Mac untied the drawstring of his shorts and pulled them off.

"I did not ignore you! I very much enjoyed having you near and scenting your growing attraction for me. I was thrilled."

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