Page 28 of Fury of Affliction
She arched a brow in disbelief.
“Okay, maybe a little.” Fascinated by her hair, he fiddled with the ends, exploring the texture, enjoying the softness. Unable to help himself, he gathered it in one hand, tugged the thick mass over one of her shoulders, and wrapped the fiery strands around his fingertips. “Why’d you come back?”
Green eyes riveted to his, she stared at him, giving nothing away.
“Told you not to, baby,” he murmured, fear for her rising. “It’s not safe. I’m not safe for you.”
“That’s a load of bull. You’re the safest place for me to be.”
“Natalie—”
“I left under duress, with fear riding me hard. I didn’t want to go…to leave you… remember?”
His chest tightened. “I remember.”
“The universe works in weird and wonderful ways,” she whispered.
Confused by the cryptic comment, he scowled at her.
Her mouth curved. “Notice anything different about me?”
He opened his mouth to say no. She was as beautiful as ever. Luminous skin. Curvy body. Pretty face. Lovely hair. Gorgeous jade green eyes. A scent dominated by the perfume of water lilies. So fresh and pure as wonderous as the woman who possessed it.
Needing more of it, he breathed her in and froze. His brow furrowed. Something was different. Something had changed. Dragon senses searching for the reason, he stared at her. Shewaited as magic rose like a wave inside him. Energy-fuse, the magical bond between mates, tightened its grip. Her aura flared. The unique bio-energy she threw off like a beacon nearly blinded him, but he refused to look away, mining the connection, hunting for the truth and?—
“Hristos.” Shock battered him, swamping him under a wave of emotion. “You’re…you’re…”
“Yes,” she whispered. “I am.”
Hamersveld opened his mouth.
No sound came out.
He closed it again, then shook his head, battled through the shock, and found his voice. “How? I don’t understand…how?”
“How?” Cupping his cheek, she smiled. “Handsome, we had so much sex that day, you could’ve gotten me pregnant ten times over.”
“That’s not it. That’s not what I mean.”
She stilled atop him. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve tried, Natalie. I’ve tried to have a son for years. Each time the Meridian realigns I take a female to my bed. Twice a year for centuries,hoping it would happen, but it never did,” he said, trying and failing to solve the mystery. “I want children. I want a family. I want someone to call my own. But after so much trying without a single success, I thought…”
He trailed off.
Natalie picked up the slack. “That what—you’re infertile?”
Unable to say it out loud, he nodded.
“You’re not infertile, handsome. You may have been with those other women, but you aren’t with me.”
Her words registered. Acceptance came slower, moving understanding along at a snail’s pace.
Throat so tight he could barely speak, he whispered, “You’re pregnant.”
“One-hundred percent knocked up.”
Knocked up.