Page 51 of The Dragon Queen

Adragoncan'tgetpregnant--notuntilthey'veEmerged.

Myheadspins,andIthinkImightthrowup.

OhGods--thecoffeethatwasn'tsittingrightwithmystomach.Iblameditonexhaustion.

AndI'vebeensotired.Sooff.IassumeditwasthestressandtherigoroftrainingandthestrainofbeingseparatedfrommyTrueMates.

But...

Myeyeswiden,andImeetMalik'ssoft,liquidbluegaze.

Alltheseyears.IfailedandfailedandfailedtoEmerge.Myentireadultlife,I'vebeenontheultimatebirthcontrol;beingunabletoreproducebecameapartofmyidentity.SomethingItookutterlyforgranted.

Butthat'sovernow.IEmerged--didIever.Andthenthedayafter?Withouteventhinkingaboutit,whatdidIdo?

Getabsolutelyrailedbyallfourofmymates.

Ishudder,myhandstillonMalik'sneck,hisbodystillpressedtomine.Rafe'sholdingontomyarm,andJianyuandStormaresocloseIcantastethem,myskinstarvingforthemall.

ThatmorningafterwearrivedhereintheoldWaterDragonKingdom,afterIsleptoffmymagicalhangover...Ifrettedabouthavinglostthebracer,andthesemencametome.Theyconsoledmeandheldmeandreassuredmethateverythingwouldbeallright.Theyremindedmethatbeingadragoncanbefreakingawesome.

Andthentheyeachhadme,oneafteranother,andthen--ohGods--twoofthematatime.Theyeachfilledmywombwiththeiressence.

"Holyshit,"Ibreathe.

Rafeleansinclosertopressahot,wetkisstothetenderfleshbeneathmyear. "Goodluckfiguringoutwhothefatheris."

Myinsidesclenchwithneedatthedeliciouswarmthofhisbreathagainstmythroat,andIreachoutforhim,curlingmyhandsinhislushhair.

Ishakemyhead,evenasI'mleaningintohismouth. "Wedon'tevenknowforsure..."

"I'mcertain,"Maliksayswithfinality,andthenhe'skissingmeagain,softandslowandsofuckingdeep.

Malik'sgiftwithwaterhasallowedhimtoperformhealingmagicinthepast,butthatdoesn'tmakehimaboard-certifiedOBGYN.Still,hisconvictionrockssomethingwithinme.

Jianyubrusheshishandagainstmine. "He'sright."

Icastaglanceinhisdirection.Intensityburnsinhisdarkeyes.

Stormmakesastrangledsound.Ourgazesmeet,andhisisfullofabsolutelove. "Ialwaysdreamed..."

Mystomachdoesasomersault,andithasabsolutelynothingtodowithnausea.

Backwhenweweredatinginsecret,weidlyspeculatedaboutwhatlifecouldbelikeifwewerefree--ifheweren'tinlineforthecrownandifIweren'tadefective,winglessoutcast.Eveninourwildestfantasies,weneverimaginedanythingbeyondrunningawaytogethertosomeisolated,hiddenisland,though.Ourimaginaryplansneverinvolvedafamily.

Orleasttheydidn'tforme.

Butsuddenlytheimpossibleisn'tjustpossible.IfMalikiscorrect,it'sreality.

AndStorm'sjoyisbrilliantlighteruptinginourbond.Thehappinessspreadsinwardfromeachofmymates,andmyeyesstingatthewarmthfloodingmychest.

Ababy.Abundleofloveandhope,growingwithinme.

"Ican'tbelieveit,"Iwhisper.

"You'vegotsometimetogetyourheadaroundit,"Stormpromises.

Jianyunods,hisnormallyseriousexpressionlitfromwithin. "Andweshouldgetyoucheckedoutbyadoctor."

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