Page 69 of The Heart of the Dragon

"That's because you're fertile and your body knows what it needs, and that it didn't get it."

"What?" I mumbled, struggling to focus on what he was saying.

He took that moment of confusion to ease from my body and rolled us to our sides in this chair that suddenly seemed too small for the both of us. "Most Omegas are breeders, baby. Their life-giving magic is literally made for it. I know you know what mating heat is now and why the omega craves sex. But it triggers the alpha too, and given half the chance you'd be halfway to pregnant with my dragonling right now."

"I take pills to keep that from happening."

A deep rumbling laugh erupted from him. "Unless you've infused those things with magic, no human pills are going to stop anything."

My eyes grew wide as he looked at me with a smirk. "Is that a joke?"

"Do I look like the kind of person who tells jokes?"

Maybe not. But I was pinning my lips closed to keep from laughing in his face right now. Although there was nothing too funny about unplanned pregnancies. They tended to change lives drastically and not always for the best.

"So what do I take so I don't end up pregnant?" For a moment, his eyes shuttered closed and I could see pain etched on his face that even the scars couldn't cover.

He suddenly rolled to his feet, walked across the room, and disappeared into the bathroom. A moment later I heard the water turn on and assumed he was getting in the shower. Apparently, the topic of pregnancies was a sensitive one.

I tried to get up to follow him and my body screamed in protest. Every single muscle ached and complained. I laid there for a minute more and then tried again. Achy or not, I wanted a shower too. I could feel the sticky remnants of our sex between my legs and I had no idea what had happened to my clothes.

Wait...

I padded into the bathroom and found him sitting at the edge of a giant tub checking the temperature of the water.

"Holy shit. That thing is huge," I blurted, more interested in climbing into the vat of warm water than watching what words came out of my mouth.

He quirked a brow at me as if to say something smart but remained silent.

"Did you really burn away our clothes?"

"Aye, I did."

"I didn't think to pack a bag. Yesterday I'd assumed I'd be staying at my parents house and they keep plenty of things in my room there."

"There are plenty of clothes here. This room was either a hideaway for my brother's mate or a sanctuary for my mum. Depends on which stories you believe are true."

A shudder worked down my spine.

"Are you cold? The water's ready if you are."

"You made that for me?"

"For us.”

I stood dumbfounded for a moment before I engaged my brain again. "Don't we have to meet Kitra and Isaac downstairs?"

“And they can wait a little while longer. It's been a crazy couple of days for you, and kind of an insane several months for me. If we have any luck left, we can afford to take the time for one bath together."

I couldn't lie even to myself. His getting up and preparing the bathroom for us was going to be one of those special moments I would remember for the rest of my life. He was the first man to take the time to do something like this for me. And considering I had no idea what the future held for me, this might be the one and only time something like this happened.

"C'mon, you first." He waved me over to the tub and then took my hand to help me in. The minute my body hit the warmth ofthe water, I groaned in delight. This was the thing I needed and didn't know it.

"Should I leave you alone? You look pretty happy right now."

My eyes popped back open. "I do feel blissed out right now. But you should come in. You're right. We both need this."

He grinned back at me, and it nearly took my breath away. He definitely needed to smile more often. It made him much less scary.

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