Page 77 of Pregnant Forced Mate

Felix and the twins follow close behind.

“Sorry,” she apologizes when she turns back to me, offering me a half-smile. “Aragon asked that I take you back to the castle.”

“Kairo, what’s going on?”

She sighs as she gets to her feet, offering me a hand to help me stand up. I take it willingly, needing the assistance to get to my feet in my current state. My face contorts as I struggle to get up, one hand cradling the underside of my very ripe belly.

“A human has discovered our location,” she reveals. “Do you need help getting back to the castle?”

I shake my head. “I wanna take a walk outside for a bit. What do you mean a human has discovered our location? The island’s location? I thought it was off the radar.”

Kairo nods. “I should head inside and hear what’s going on. It could just be a false alarm. Are you sure you’ll be fine?”

I offer Kairo a gentle smile and nod to encourage her to go ahead without me. Ever since the dragon shifters who committed treason were sent off the island, things have been calm around here.

Except for now, if the island’s location really has been discovered by a human. The Aurora Dragons have worked hard to keep their identity secret. A shiver of worry courses down my spine as I suspect it might be James.

He hasn’t been questioning me about my whereabouts, but I can’t shake off the feeling that he’s digging deeper. The only thing keeping me sane is the long walk I take outside, the sun beginning to set when I enter the lavender fields.

Sighing out my worries, I spot a flash of something glistening in the dirt. It’s a gruesome task, squatting low enough to inspect the hidden treasure in the ground. It sparks my excitement, making me forget all about the stresses the dragons have.

At least I’m still allowed to work. Smiling to myself, I unearth the amethyst rock with my fingernails and lift it up to inspect it. I’ve been turning toward the study of the hidden gems I come across on the island, finding some fascinating and rare stones that haven’t made it to the history books. Out here, there’s an entire world waiting to be discovered by yours truly.

“There you are!” Aragon calls from behind. I turn to see him jogging toward me, brows furrowing when he nears, and notice me struggling to get up. He instantly grabs my arms and helps me straighten up.

“Thank you, my love,” I whisper as I plant a kiss on his cheek.

He doesn’t seem pleased. “I told Kairo to help you to the castle. You shouldn’t be out here in your condition,” he scolds.

“I found this,” I say cheerfully, lifting the rock between our faces.

This makes him chuckle with humor. “Will you ever stop working?”

“No,” I declare, probing a finger into his chest. “Neither will you.”

“Yeah,” he sighs. “I’m sorry I left the game. We have something we need to deal with.”

“I heard,” I nod as I slip my arm through his. We begin walking through the lavender field, soaking up the heavenly scent on our way to the castle. “It’s not James, I hope.”

“No, it’s not. And you don’t need to worry yourself about any of it,” he assures me, pausing at the ingress of the field and turning toward me. “In a month, you’ll be having our baby,” he says as he places a hand on my very swollen belly. And we will be wed after that. Which means that no matter what, I will protect you from the horrors of the outside world?” I ask with a faint smile. Hearing Aragon’s tales about his travels made me realize how glad I am to be away from it all. It was never for me, and I’ve found my rightful place on Aurora Island.

I’d rather be right here than out there, studying rocks unheard of by the outside world.

“From anything that threatens to snatch you away from me,” he declares, leaning down to press a kiss on my forehead. Pulling back, he removes the rock from my hand and inspects it. “You know… I could just tell you about this one.”

“Don’t!” I exclaim, grabbing the rock back. “I don’t want you spoiling the fun for me!” I pout in protest, tucking the rock safely under my arm.

Aragon chuckles, sliding his arms across my belly and settling them on my waist. He stares deeply into my eyes, noticing why I’m so profoundly happy here. “You’re something else, Yazmine Hendricks.”

“So are you, Aragon Vulkan,” I retort with an impish smile. “That’s why I love you.”

“I love you too, my angel,” he responds, pressing a kiss to my lips and melting me in his arms.

It’s the safest place to be in—a place where I’m loved for who I am, allowed to give unconditional love to the dragon shifter, who is everything I could have wanted.

And more.

*****

THE END