Chapter Eighteen
Blake picked up the screaming baby dragon. Squirming in his hold, he moved swiftly to place the little one into Emily’s arms. As soon as his mate embraced the squalling bundle, he grinned. An instant in Emily’s arm and his daughter transformed to her human shape. Greedily, she latched onto Emily’s breast. Suckling and gulping loudly. He chuckled.
Big gold eyes stared up at Emily.
Blake slid in the bed beside her. Only days ago, he’d carried them both out of Garth and Naomi’s mountain dwelling, leaving Naomi’s lifeless body behind for Garth to tend. Even now, his blood ran cold thinking of how Naomi had planned to eliminate Emily in order to get to his fiu.
If only he had known all this time how Naomi had plotted to claim his child as her own. He wrapped his arm around Emily’s shoulders, pulling her against him.
In all the years of waiting, mourning, Garth had never mentioned Naomi’s inability to conceive. Grief tugged at him. Not for Emily coming along, the evil in Naomi’s heart may not have been known to them. Not until too late.
He tucked back a strand of her hair, leaning in to inhale her sensual scent. Since shedding the rest of the egg shell, he couldn’t refrain his hands from exploring this new part of her.
He thanked Melsunia for his daughter, Amelia. But he thanked Freya, for the blessing of his true mate.
With his fiu hatched, Olaus could no longer threaten judgment for theft. They would, however, still need to stand before the counsel. He could handle the dragons.
“Did Sigurd say when Father would arrive?” Emily asked.
He continued to brush his fingers across the top of her bared breast. “We still have time for a nap.”
Her eyes sparked at his suggestion. Watching her feeding his baby pricked him with jealously.
“And when neither one of us sleeps?”
He let his finger dip lower to her un-suckled breast. “I’ll put you to bed.”
“Now I know where she gets her impatience from.”
Blake chuckled. “Like father like daughter.”
“You’re not disappointed it’s a girl?”
Blake slid in the bed beside her. “I’m curious how you knew.”
“I’m the daughter of an oologist, remember?”
He reached over, allowing his daughter to grip his finger. That jealous pang replaced with pride and love for his child, for this woman who claimed them both. “And to think you tried to steal my egg.”
“Do you think Naomi was Margaret’s buyer?”
“If not, we’ll soon find out.” Blake relieved Emily of the infant. He laid the girl, no more than seven or eight pounds, against his shoulder and patted her back. Emily slipped her deflated breast back in her bra and pulled out the other swollen one.
Amelia burped against him. He looked down and sighed, the little thing had shifted back into a shimmering gold dragon. Her wings limp on her back. “I think you have spoiled her.”
“May I have her back?” Emily reached for her. He turned the baby and laid the little dragon in Emily’s arms. After a moment, the dragon infant once more became a human infant.
“She’ll learn to control the shift when she’s older. Then she’ll teach all her brothers.”
Emily looked at him, bewildered. “Brothers?”
“You’re expecting to have more girls?” He leaned over and kissed her neck.
He felt her flush. “I know what you’re thinking.”
“And what is that?”
He rubbed her shoulder. Rubbed her arm. “You’re wondering how soon we can take that nap.”
Emily laughed, softly. A sound he would never get tired of hearing.
In her arms, Amelia’s eyes drooped, her sucking slowed, stopped, slowed. Then a few minutes later, she slept with her mouth open. Blake took the babe, laid her back in her bassinet a few feet from the bed. Emily tip toed up behind him, wrapping her arms around him. Peering around him to the golden-haired wonder he called his daughter.
She slipped her hands into his shirt, splaying her fingers across his taunt abs. “Is that all you can think of?”
“When you are bond to mate such as I, is there anything else to think of?” he asked.
Emily turned him, lifting her face to gaze up at him. “What if my father takes me back? Our family debt hasn’t been paid.”
He pressed his fingers to her lips. “I will always come for you. We are one now. They cannot separate us.” He took her wrist, kissed the place where his fire had left his brand burnt into her flesh like a golden tattoo. “If there is a debt then it has become mine as well.”
He led her away from the bassinet, grabbing her by the hips pulling her in to feel his need for her. “How did you know where Naomi had taken me?”
“I heard you call for me.”
“You were so far away,” she said, breathless. His fingers played with the hem of her shirt.
“As our bond grows stronger, you’ll hear me, too.”
“Can hear me, now?”
Oh, come for me my dragon.
“That, my love, you can always count on.” He led her from their bedchamber, hoping Sigurd hadn’t remembered to take the short route home.
THE END
Keep reading for a sneak peek at the next book in my Dragons of Giresun series, Her Dragon’s Treasure.