They led her through a maze of corridors until they entered a brightly lit cavern, much bigger than any of the others. Stalactites littered the high ceiling but the floor had been cleared of any stalagmites. It was covered instead by a plush, red carpet, strewn with small white flowers; elongated and leading to a make-do altar holding a large book.

“You are simply beautiful,” a male voice whispered into her ear and she jumped at the unexpected contact. She whirled to peer up at Elder Coffer, wearing an identical white robe. He’d slicked his raven black hair back against his head but the robe managed to hide what remained of his body.

It wasn’t like she wanted to see it anyway, she just wondered what kind of weaponry he had stashed in that robe. He had to know she wouldn’t make this easy for him.

“Now,” he boasted. “I waited until now to tell you the good news, but this ritual is to be conducted by the Ancient Ones’ ways.”

Jazz reeled in shock at Coffer’s admission. She couldn’t, she wouldn’t. It wasn’t possible. Her hands immediately went protectively to her womb. The Ancient Ones completed the mating ceremony in their Dragon forms.

Her eyes went back to his and she frantically searched for any reason to change his mind. She reached up and tugged at the collar of her robe and inhaled sharply when Coffer grabbed her wrist in a dangerous grip.

“What is that?” he demanded and nodded at her neck.

“What are you talking about?” Jazz asked and struggled to pull free of his bone-crushing grip.

He dragged her over to the altar and swiped his hand across the surface, successfully clearing the crude table with little effort. Upon seeing the article he sought, he grabbed it and shoved it into her face. Jazz tore her eyes from him and peered into the mirror. When she noticed the source of his rage, she almost smiled. Twin, blunt, teeth marks scored the skin at the crook of her neck.

It didn’t matter if Damien hadn’t meant to claim her, he had, and now Coffer couldn’t mate her. He would die should he even try.

Smiling triumphantly, she wretched her wrist free of his grasp and took a step back.

“I’m his,” she declared. “You can’t touch me.”

* * *

Damien stepped into the cavern just in time to see Coffer backhand Jazz hard enough to send her flying through the air. She crashed into the hard wall and fell to the floor with a slight moan and didn’t move again.

Rage filled Damien and he pulled every ounce of water from the air. He subconsciously noticed two female figures explode as he siphoned the fluid from their bodies, but he ignored them and embraced the shift. He grew until his head touched the cylindrical spikes on the ceiling. Throwing back his massive head, he roared with enough force to bring rocks down, effectively crushing Coffer who’d remained in human form. Three of the Elder’s men rushed Damien and he swept his taloned-hand, effectively severing them into a multitude of pieces. Once they lay motionless on the floor at his feet, he used his claws to rake them into nothing more than red, mushy piles of meat.

Using his long, spiked tail, Damien shoved through the rubble until he located Coffer’s unconscious form.

“Damien?” a soft female voice called and his gaze shifted to Jazz standing a few feet from him. Her eyes widened as she took in his true form for the first time. He closed his own eyes and allowed himself to see his massive form through hers. She marveled at the monumental size of his head, the jagged edges of his fangs, his vibrant blue scales and then ended with the sight of his spiked tail coiled tightly around the possibly-dead Elder.

But suddenly he snapped back into his own mind when he detected something he’d never expected. His heartbeat synced with hers and the little thump-thump of a third shocked him speechless.

He quickly shifted back to human form and subdued Coffer before rushing over to Jazz. He stopped short of wrapping his arms around her middle and merely stared at her stomach. Sure enough, a tiny bud of light had bloomed within her and he felt the connection instantly.

She carried their son. His son. His heir.

“How? When? Why didn’t you tell me?” he stammered hoarsely. “I don’t understand.”

Jazz chuckled and took his hand in hers, bringing it to the pudge of their growing child.

“Our first time,” she explained. “Our first time demonstrating our love and we created this.” She gnawed her lower lip and made a knee-jerk decision. “I don’t care who you’ve chosen as your mate, I claim you as mine and since I’m carrying your heir, you will disgrace us both if you don’t marry me. I refuse -”

He shushed her by taking her lips with his own. Wrapping an arm around her, he left his other hand on their child and brought her closer to him as his lips devoured hers. He poured every ounce of love, relief and devotion into the kiss.

“Anyone ever tell you that you talk too much?” he asked as he pulled back. “I came to Jamaica to claim you,” he admitted and laughed when her eyes widened. “There’s never been anyone but you. There never will be,” he declared.

He dropped to his knees before her and pressed his face to her womb, wrapping his arms around her waist. He nuzzled the little bump and almost laughed when he felt the little flutter of life.

“You two are my life,” he whispered. “I would sell my soul to protect you both.”

Jazz’s eyes teared and she rested her hands on his head as he continued to cuddle and kiss her stomach.

“Alright,” Sera called from across the cavern. She entered in enough time to see Damien declare his love for her daughter. “We have a ritual to attend. You two have already skipped to the fun part, now we have to solidify it, get moving.”