Fuck! I had kind of skimmed over that before, but I should have paid closer attention to the fact that Larky planned to turn me into a dragon baby maker. A fact which fit with our earlier revelations of my fertility, and his want for an heir.
He promised the eldest of his offspring, a child of immense power. We would never consider it for a moment, but it’s a weapon the shadow ones will use against us.
A warning entered her voice.
This is a bargain which still stands. You must ensure this never comes to fruition. Please remember, supernaturals who are dragon mated don’t have the same fertile periods as regular shifters. You can have a child at any time, unless you seek spelling from a magic user.
That was weird. Besides my pains very recently, I’d always had normal shifter fertile times … maybe it was because my mark and dragon had been suppressed, her magic locked down. Either way, I didn’t have to worry about having that asshat’s child, I think I’d remember if Larky had been close enough to get his di–
Wait…
My heart stuttered in my chest.
Braxton.
We had slept together after my mark was released, and without using protection. I had been ages away from my fertile time, so there had been nothing to worry about. Except … apparently there was. I could be carrying Braxton’s baby, a child that might be a dragon shifter, and was promised to the shadow ones…
The agony must have been clear in my ashen features. Chrysandra offered me some reassurances. The promise was only for Larkspur’s first born, so a child conceived with another would be free from any debt to them.
The relief was short-lived.
But … if your child with another is a dragon shifter, and Larkspur steals this young and offers it to them, the shadow spawn will not care that this is not the complete fulfilment of the promise. They want the weapon, and will accept the first natural born dragon shifter. Do not let Larkspur steal your child … my daughter’s child.
I was in the midst of trying to comprehend the gut-wrenching information when she answered one of my first questions. The one about why Larky had not used his sorcery against Braxton. I focused through my shock, it was important to know every single weakness he had.
All of the magic on Earth, all of the magic gifted to the supernatural races, originates from Faerie. Larkspur is not a sorcerer, he is a pure-born shifter, one who must have some powerful friends to lend him magic.
That was one of the more useful pieces of information she had given me. He was not a sorcerer – despite the fact that he’d fooled all the supes in his time to think so – which must mean that any magic he’d used had originated from somewhere else. If we could figure out how to make sure he didn’t have access to any magic sources during our next battle … well, that would be a distinct advantage for us.
The golden dragon moved even closer, towering above me. I did not run, but her presence was very overwhelming. I understand why my child chose you. You’re strong, intelligent, loyal, loving, and selfless.
And sometimes I was an asshole. I guess I was just lucky my dragon liked me for me, even the bad.
Care for each other. The dragon mated bond, and your bond with your true mate, is your key to beating the shifter. We will meet again, Jessa of the shining line. I leave you with two gifts. You will know what to do when the time comes.
As I tried to find the words to express my gratitude and joy at meeting Chrysandra, queen of the dragons and Josephina’s mother, a blast of energy rocked out in a circle, starting from the golden dragon and ricocheting outwards like some sort of atomic bomb so fast there was no way for me to avoid the impact. I closed my eyes and braced myself the best I could.
As it crashed against me, the world tilted on its axis and everything went dark again.
By the time I managed to regain control of myself, still naked as the day I was born, the golden dragon was gone. I stared around … I was somewhere else again.
A flash of something in the distant sky caught my attention, and as I saw the shine of scales I crouched by instinct. It took me a second to recognize the black and blue beast. Braxton. He had come for me, just as I knew he always would.
I bounced with urgency, the conversation I’d had with Chrysandra burning in my mind. I had to let my pack know. Both of my hands dropped to press against my flat stomach; the golden dragon had not confirmed my pregnancy but there was definitely a possibility.
It was too early for any obvious signs of a pregnancy, but I did have the weird back pain and the weird anti-touching thing going on … which could be nothing also.
For now, I was going with a maybe I was pregnant, because my poor brain just wasn’t ready to deal with an absolute yes. I wasn’t even sure I wanted rugrats. I kind of liked being selfish, and having young would have put an end to that immediately.
Still, if I was preggo I would love my child with a fierceness that would probably scare the shit out of everyone, including the kid. I had no idea what Braxton would say once I told him all of this, but one thing I did not doubt was that he’d love and protect his young with the same ferocity that he loved and protected me. Fuck, he was going to be extra batshit crazy over my safety now. All of the Compasses would. Fun times, baby Compass, fun times.
I forced myself to focus on Braxton, until a shimmer of light sprung up close by. The burst of magic took me by surprise but didn’t scare me. I was pretty sure this was going to be one of the gifts from the queen. I glanced to the sky again. Braxton was still some distance away, so I had enough time to explore.