Page 31 of Having the Dragon's Baby

After a moment, she leaned back. “So, mates. Tell me, what does that mean to a shifter exactly?”

“Well, shifters have mates, but only a few, especially dragons, have fated mates. That’s when there is a biological change, or maybe it’s chemistry that aligns, showing that two people belong together without a doubt. There’s a pull that can’t be denied. A shifter has to acknowledge it because his animal side can’t be denied. Once they are found, a shifter grows restless when they aren’t with their mate and will scorch the earth to protect them.”

Marcus couldn’t tell Rachel’s true thoughts about everything he had just said. Maybe it was too much…

He didn’t dare say anything else until she responded, worried he was going to make it worse.

Finally, she broke the tension. “So, what you’re saying is that, without a doubt, you and I are meant to be together? And you feel that strongly toward me? About everything you just said, that is. Not just because you want me to have your child but also because I’m your fated mate. The one person you can’t live without?”

“Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.”

Rachel’s mouth widened in a large smile, taking Marcus by surprise.

“Honestly, that makes me happier than you could imagine.”

“It does?”

“Yes. I mean, I knew about mates, and I was actually afraid you would find your mate eventually and move on from me. It sounds selfish, but I didn’t want that to happen. I would have been happy for you but sad that I wouldn’t be that person for you anymore. I’ve seen how shifters look at their mates in the diner, and I … I have very strong feelings toward you and want this to work beyond just having a baby together.”

Marcus’s chest roared with fire at the thrill of her words.

“You do?”

She nodded, biting her lip.

He leaned in and kissed her eagerly.

“You don’t ever have to worry about me finding another. You’re my one and only, Rachel. I can’t do this life without you. I knew that from the moment we met, and it echoes more clearly with each passing moment we spend together.”

Her eyes glowed as he spoke his truth.

Seeing her happy over something that he had been so worried about made him laugh, realizing that he should’ve never stressed about it in the first place.

She kissed him again.

He held her face close when she pulled away and leaned his forehead against hers. “You belong beside me in this den. You’re mine, and I am faithfully yours. Together, we can conquer anything and have the family we always imagined for ourselves. Together, we’re unstoppable.”

THIRTEEN

RACHEL

The breeze flowed from east to west. It was soft and smelled of honeysuckle, fresh hay, and decadent jasmine.

“Earth to Rachel. Earth to Rachel. Come in, Rachel,” Luna, her best friend, said jokingly.

“Sorry about that,” Rachel answered. “I drifted on you, didn’t I?”

“Girl, I don’t care that you drifted. I want you to spill the beans,” Luna remarked.

“Go this way,” Rachel said.

They strolled along a dirt lane not far from the den. The road came to an intersection. To the right was a dilapidated covered bridge, a postcard-perfect faded red. To the left was another dirt path lined with buffalo grass and mulberry bushes thick enough that Rachel was thinking she might take her shoes off.

“What do you want me to spill the beans about?” Rachel asked Luna.

“It’s been a few weeks since you’ve been living full-time in the den,” Luna answered. “I mean, you are so wrapped up in the shifter community, especially your dragons. I want to know. Spill the beans on what you’ve been doing. Please.”

“You’re right,” Rachel told Luna. “My dragon den has really taken me in completely. It’s so community-focused. They’re almost hyper-focused on the children. One of my first experiences was with a group of women who stole me away right in the middle of a gathering. The way they treated me, I felt like a prized relative. Like I belonged and was treasured.”

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