Page 7 of Having the Dragon's Baby

Sylvia nodded in understanding and gave her a serious look. “I appreciate your candor. It actually makes you appear even more fit for this type of program and the potential shifter we have chosen. That being said, I don’t want you to be uncomfortable by any means. Make the choice that is right for you.

“But may I suggest, since you are so uncertain whether this is a good fit for you, maybe meeting with this alpha would at least give you more of an answer as to whether you want to proceed or not. As I said earlier, you do have a choice here, even after you two meet and talk about what you want from this.”

Sylvia wasn’t pushing her into a corner. She was just making some very valid points. Ones that Rachel’s logical side couldn’t argue with, especially since she was on the fence.

“Would it be like a date?” Rachel asked. Not that it mattered. She was just buying time.

“Usually, yes. But not this time. We are hosting a mixer in a few days where you will be able to meet your match. One-on-one but with much less pressure. Does that sound more to your liking?”

“Yes,” Rachel answered without even thinking. Was she really agreeing to this?

Sylvia looked satisfied. “So, are you ready to give this a chance?”

“Yes,” Rachel responded again. She couldn’t believe she’d reacted that quickly, but now it was too late. At least to back out from meeting her match.

“Perfect.” Sylvia pushed away from the desk as Rachel stood. She opened the door. “I will send you the details via email this afternoon. Remember, don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. Melinda will give you the shifter intel documents on your way out.”

Rachel smiled, nodded her thanks, and went into zombie mode as she gathered her documents and headed out to her pickup.

It was as if she were having an out-of-body experience. And now, not only was she trying to come to terms with what she had just decided to do, but she was also meeting her parents and Luna for dinner to discuss her day. Which, of course, sent her anxiety skyrocketing the moment she pulled up to the quaint restaurant she and Luna frequented. She saw through the window that her family and Luna were already seated and waiting for her.

She took a breath and convinced her legs to lead her inside.

Luna was the first to see her and waved her over. “Rach!”

Rachel’s parents turned and smiled at their daughter as she came to join the table.

“Hey, honey. How was your day?” her mom asked. “Luna said you had some exciting things going on.”

Rachel gave Luna a disgruntled look, but she wasn’t sorry. Her brown-haired friend simply smiled unapologetically.

“Yes, I do. It was Luna’s idea, but she convinced me it may be a good one, so I went along with it. I had the interview today.”

Their server came over and took Rachel’s order. When he left, her father and mother were looking eagerly at her.

“Interview? For what? How did it go?”

Her family knew what she had wanted for a long time. They never doubted her and had always stood behind her. This just felt rash to Rachel, and very unlike her, so she wasn’t sure how they would take it. Having Luna in her corner helped, but that was momentary.

Rachel looked at Luna for courage and just let everything come out about the agency, the interview, the surrogacy, and the mixer.

Luna looked ecstatic, but Rachel’s parents were quiet.

“So? Thoughts?” was all she could ask.

After a moment, her father spoke. “We have lots of questions and our own opinions, but first of all, are you sure?”

“I wasn’t, but the more I think about it, the more I want to take this opportunity and see where it goes.”

Her father nodded and gave her a quiet smile. “Then we support you, no matter what. You know that. But now we have questions.”

FOUR

MARCUS

Marcus wasn’t exactly thrilled about having to attend the mixer. But it was a practical, necessary step that had to be taken before being able to gain himself an heir. Getting to know the woman who could potentially hold the key to his legacy would be a good idea. Plus, he had to keep up his reputation as a class act … he was, after all, the alpha of a rather notorious dragon thunder.

Marcus had a lot on his mind that night, like he did every night. Namely, the missing shifters. He still didn’t think it was the best time for him to be deciding on a surrogate, but it was far too late. Vincent, along with the rest of the thunder and his close family members, had been rather adamant about the matter.

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