Page 29 of Dragon Unhinged (Royal Dragon Shifters #5)

Chapter

Twenty-Nine

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T he clothes Syrena promised arrive before Ash or any of Declan’s other siblings do, and I’m glad to get to put on something that’s less casual than an oversized bathrobe.

Even if the jeans and t-shirt are met with disgruntled growls from Declan. I pat him on the shoulder with a playful pitying smile.

“I want to go see Pru. I want to know what I’m in for. I can’t exactly roll up to a doctor’s office or a hospital in a bathrobe, though I suppose it might be more comfortable than one of those awful gowns.” I kiss his cheek. “I’ll let you strip me out of my clothes soon enough.”

He tugs me into his arms and kisses me hungrily, and I swear, this man makes my brain go completely blank of any thoughts except him naked way too often.

It doesn’t help anything that I can feel his hard, thick dick through his jeans.

My pushing him away is a beyond feeble attempt, but he seems to have slightly more self-control than I do, as he lets me go and only steals one more fleeting kiss before he takes my hand. “Okay. Doctor first, then I’m bringing you back here, and we are getting naked. If Pru clears it, I’m claiming you. All over.”

God does that make my panties wet.

We’re still driving Ellie’s car, which I can only imagine is cramped for a man Declan’s size, but he doesn’t complain. In fact, he just seems content to be close to me, to be able to touch me, and the limited space in the car makes it that much easier for him to touch.

I’m nervous as we pull into a parking spot at the hospital. My stomach is full of butterflies, and I’m tempted to throw up in the parking lot before we even get inside. At this point, I don’t know if my nausea is morning sickness, nerves, or a sign of something worse, but I’m hoping Pru will have some solutions to help me through it.

Declan keeps his arm around me as we walk in, but when we see Pru waiting for us with a tall man who looks enough like Declan and Malcolm that I guess he’s another sibling, he lets his hand slide from my shoulder down to my ass, where he slips his fingers into my back pocket.

Not exactly where I would’ve chosen for his hand to be when I meet his brother, but he might need this as much as I need him claiming me in front of beautiful Syrena.

“Ash.” Declan gives him barely a nod of acknowledgement before turning his focus to Pru. “I’m assuming the plan is for you to look her over while my brother and I talk?”

“If you don’t mind.” She reaches out for me, and I let her link my arm in hers before we start down the hallway. “Best to let the dragons hash out their own problems, especially when so much has happened since Declan and Krystana went missing.”

I want to ask her so many questions, but this doesn’t seem like the right venue at all for me to word vomit, especially when the bile rising in my throat is threatening real vomit too. Instead, I just let her lead me down to an exam room, and I take the gown she hands me with a silent nod.

“I’ll give you a few minutes.” She smiles kindly, and I can’t help but think she seems made for this sort of role. Just the right balance of kind eyes and heart, with a professionalism that would make me trust her even if I didn’t know that she’s a dragon mate herself. “And try not to worry. I promise, you are in the best of hands, and we’re going to get you through this without any reason to doubt you and your baby both will be happy and healthy.”

“Will you be able to tell if it’s a dragon?” I don’t know how better to ask the question, and I doubt the ultrasound will show anything like wings or talons in utero, but I want to be able to tell Declan for sure if our baby will be a dragon, or if we’re going to have to raise a human among any other dragons we have down the road.

“Honestly, I have no idea. But not even purely dragon couples always have dragon babies. Every now and then, a new clan witch must be born. Whether this baby is a dragon, human, witch, or something else we haven’t even begun to consider, I have no doubt they will be raised in love with a guy like Declan for a father.” She smiles again. “I promise you, we’re going to make sure you and your baby are both healthy. Beyond that, all you have to do is love him or her.”

“That, I am already doing.” I press my palm to my belly, wondering if it would be possible to love a baby more than I already do.

Pru nods and gestures at the hospital gown. “I’ll give you a minute. Do you want Declan in here for the exam?”

I bite my lip, thinking through the question. Before now, I’ve never wanted someone else in a doctor’s appointment with me, even when it was just a simple illness, and my father took me to get medication. It just never seemed like something that needed to be shared with anyone. But this isn’t just my health. It’s the health of my family. Our baby.

“If his brother doesn’t need him, and he wants to come in, I’m okay with that.”

“Oh, trust me, he’s a dragon. He’s going to want to be here.” She smiles at me with a look of I don’t even know what I’m in for yet. “If anyone tries to tell you that dragons hoard treasure, just know that the most treasured thing they can have in their hoard is a mate.”

I smile softly, partly hoping he’ll be by my side, and part of me hoping that I can have a moment to myself, to really wrap my head around the idea that this is real. That I’m really going to have his baby.

Pru leaves me alone, and I change into the gown before getting situated on the table. The room doesn’t seem to be any sort of specialty exam room, none of the stereotypical models or posters shown in movies and TV when a character gets pregnant. I’m thankful for the barren, light blue walls, making it seem like maybe this could just be a regular sort of appointment, not for something that’s going to irrevocably change my life more than it’s already been upheaved in the past few months.

Declan comes in before Pru returns, immediately stepping up to the side of the table to press a kiss to my lips.

“How are things with your brother?” I squeeze his hand, intent on keeping the focus on conversations that don’t have anything to do with the reason we’re here.

“The burden of rule weighs heavily on his shoulders, and it seems like all my brothers are intent on causing headaches for him.” He sighs, pressing his forehead to mine and letting his eyes close. “I guess I’m no better on that front. But he’s most worried about my sister. She hasn’t been seen since the siege of Las Vegas, and no one can reach her. Not even Kash, and they have that whole twin connection between them. She’s either being held captive and somehow managed to get out a few messages or she’s on her own and doing her own thing. We all hope she’s doing her own thing, but I’m pretty sure Ash is going to build a dungeon with chains for her when she gets back.”

Oh god. Are twins a common occurrence? Is that something that I might have to deal with? It’s scary enough that I’m pregnant with one. Could I be having more than one?

“Take a deep breath, mate.” He kisses me again, but I can feel the corners of his lips pulling up into a smirk.

“You don’t always have to be listening in on my thoughts, you know.”

“I don’t intend to, and if it truly bothers you, I can teach you to block out me out.” He squeezes my hand and sighs. “But there were days where your thoughts were the only thing that made me feel sane, and I may be selfish, but I don’t want to lose that connection.”

Well, how can I say no to something like that?

“Maybe don’t always respond to them? I’m freaking out, but it doesn’t mean you have to try to solve it or make it go away.” I cup his cheek, still kind of in awe of the fact that he’s mine. “I know that you’re here for me, that you’re going to help me in every way you can through this, but I’m still allowed to freak out a little bit at the prospect of carrying two babies at once, when we haven’t even talked about what kind of family we want, or if you even wanted kids.”

A small knock on the door draws our attention before Declan can say anything else, and then Pru steps into the room with an ultrasound machine in tow. “Let’s get you checked out, so that you’re ready for this little bundle of joy.”

Declan squeezes my hand and projects his thoughts to me as Pru gets everything set up.

I cannot wait to be the father to your children, whether it’s only one now, or multiple. We’ll face whatever comes together.

I knew this was going to be invasive, but by the time the appointment is over and I’m getting dressed again, I’m not sure I want anyone, not even Declan, touching me anytime soon.

At least Pru seems confident that everything is going normally, and that there’s only one baby in there. I’m not even entirely sure I’m ready to be a mom to one baby, let alone two or more.

“Ms. Wystan?” A nurse in dark blue scrubs steps into the room, a soft smile on her face. She hardly looks old enough to be a nurse, but then I would’ve said the same about Pru being a doctor. “The doctor asked me to bring these in for you. Prenatal vitamins.” She extends her hand with a small paper cup and then with the other hand she lifts a water bottle toward me.

Pru didn’t say anything about sending anyone else in, or needing any vitamins or anything else, but Declan’s right outside the room. He wouldn’t let anyone in that shouldn’t be in here, or who shouldn’t know that I’m here.

I look down at the paper cup. Prenatal vitamins are a standard with pregnancies, if the movies and television are anything to go by. The whole point of them is to keep expectant mothers and their babies healthy, right?

I take the cup of pills and down them with the offered water, and then hand the empty cup back to the nurse.

“Good. Grey was worried this would be a harder task.” Her smile turns sinister as she says, “Finish getting dressed and then you’re coming with me. Grey’s waiting for you. Don’t call out for anyone, don’t think about your mate. Just stay quiet and do as I tell you.”

There’s a yank in my brain and my body starts moving before I’ve made the decision to listen to her instructions.

Did she say Grey?

Like a robot, I don the rest of my clothing. As I work through sliding on one sock on at a time, I can’t help the sensation of déjà vu that overcomes me. The sense of being completely out of control of my own body and mind.

I squeeze my eyes and try to stop my hands from tying my shoes lace, but it doesn’t work. I can’t call out for Declan. I can’t do anything but exactly what she says.

I stand up and turn to her.

“Good. Let’s go.”

I take a step. What am I doing? I don’t want to go with her. My feet stall out a little bit and gives me hope I’m fighting whatever she’s doing to me.

I go to reach for my purse that has the burner cell phone they gave me.

“You can leave that here. You don’t need it.” She hands me a baseball cap and sunglasses, and says, “Put those on, though. And don’t even think about making a noise until we’re on the road.” After a second, she adds, “You can’t share any thoughts with your dragon. Any time he reaches out for you, your mind goes blank, and you have no idea how to reach out to him. You’re Grey’s now.”

The more she talks the more my mind empties with motivation to do anything but what she wants. I feel like I’m bottled up in my own brain unable to do anything. Unable to control my own body. How is this possible?

As we leave the room, I try to get a good look around the hallway. Declan’s not standing there, and no one else in the hallway looks familiar at all. Where did he go?

One step after another, the knot grows in my stomach, tangling it into a vicious twist.

Where is she taking me? What could Grey want with me?

As we step out of the hospital and into a limousine, I realize I’m going to get all of my answers, and I suddenly don’t want them.