Page 3 of The Dragon at the End of This Pregnancy

"Not slaves." That word rankled. Slaves could not consent. "Servants. Those who choose to serve would be cherished. Those who do not could continue their current daily chores, whatever they may be."

"Why would we choose to serve the creatures that left us to die almost a century ago?" A green-haired alpha stepped through the line of armored betas, full of bluster until he saw Coz's red hair, or maybe the beta kobold hatchlings on his shoulders.

"This does not concern you, alpha," I told him. "I have already spoken to your better." I nudged Lark with my snout. He and his mate Punky were the ones who had approached me about a deal, after all. Now it was my turn to collect, and I wouldn't bargain with anyone else. My deal was with the new parents, Coz and Grindl, and soon-to-be parents Lark and Punky.

The alphas continued to talk among themselves, but my mate caught my attention instead. He strode forward and placed his hand on Grindl's shoulder. A beta hatchling curled around Grindl's neck, and my mate let the tiny kobold sniff him.

"I'll serve you, dragon," he said. "I don't know how many more of us will. Is one of us enough?"

My mate wanted to serve me! Of course, he was enough. He was braver than I'd hoped.

I motioned him closer with the tip of my wing and drank in his scent with the deepest breath I could muster. I exhaled, claiming him with my smoke.

He fell to his knees before me. The scent of his arousal, something I'd expected to take years of courting, already mingled with the tang of his fear.

It took everything I had not to exclaim he was my fated mate. I had an urge to lick him, to mark him from head to talons with my scent, but I resisted. Until I reached my final molt, I couldn't claim him the way I wanted. Only then would I tell him.

"You will do," I said instead. I hoped I sounded nonchalant, even though my heart thudded against my chest and rushed in my ears. "And any who wish to accompany you," I added, so I didn't sound too eager.

I couldn't hold in my smile, though. My mate had volunteered to be my servant! I launched myself into the air, hoping to hide my joy from the kobolds.

I wanted to take my mate home, but first, I had a changeling circle to destroy. My family wouldn't be happy if they returned to find the kobolds still sending their alpha and omega babies to Earth as human changelings.

ChapterTwo

Mac

A dragon.A freaking dragon!

It had been over a century since anyone but the priestesses and temple workers had seen a dragon at this distance, close enough to marvel at their gorgeous glowing eyes like purple embers and the smoke rolling out of their nostrils as they exhaled. Their sleek black scales rippled with each breath, reflecting a sparkling blue sheen in the sunlight. They were the most magnificent creature I'd ever seen.

When they spoke, the ground shook. When they asked for a beta to volunteer, I couldn't resist the call, even when they used the word, "servant." I had been serving our village for years by raising dragonets. If any of us were ready to serve a dragon, I was.

I had to brace into the wind when the dragon launched into the sky beside me. I thought they had forgotten me, but when they finished razing the changeling circle, leaving the stones in a pile of mundane rubble, they returned.

"You." They brushed their snout across my chest. "Come to the foothills with me. We have much to discuss."

The next events passed in a blur. The dragon helped me scramble onto their back and secured me with a spell so I wouldn't fall off for the short ride to their cave.

It was dark and stank of decay near the entrance, but then they helped me dismount and showed me the cozy fire burning in the back, a natural (or dragon-made) vent letting the smoke escape through the ceiling. They had a huge nest by the fire and a few chairs fit for kobolds much smaller than me.

"I apologize for the lack of decor," they said. "You may sit wherever is comfortable. The old bench might be more to your liking?"

The bench was long enough for my ass, at least, but only as wide as my hand. "That will do," I said, keeping my rhythm slow and even the way they spoke. "What may I call you?"

"Oh!" Their head was suddenly very close as I shifted the bench toward an even spot on the cave wall and sat down. "You have far better manners than the priestesses. They call me 'Dragon' and do not care to know my name."

"You destroyed their entire village and killed most of their friends," I reminded them. "You're lucky they don't call you worse names."

The dragon snorted, and a puff of smoke rolled from their nostrils. "I like you. Yes, I like you very much. Unlike your alpha and omega counterparts, you are brave and foolish."

"I am not foolish!" I was brave enough to say it with the dragon breathing down on me. Okay, maybe I was foolish.

"That was a compliment," they said. "It was Galena, the last time anyone called me by my name."

The sheer loneliness in their tone spoke volumes. "How long ago was that?"

"Around the time your village burned. My family left to destroy the rest of the kobold villages."

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