Loved by a Beast - Miranda Bridges Page 0,22

me to breathe.

With my eyes closed, I sink to the floor and lay my forehead on Jaxar’s chest. His heart pounds furiously, and the sound of it intensifies my weeping.

A broken heart hurts like a bitch.

Chapter 9

“Makayla.”

I jerk up my head to look at him, wondering how long I’ve been sitting here. He works his lips and swallows several times, but it’s obvious that the paralysis is beginning to wear off.

It crosses my mind to stab him again.

“Grefina has never been in my bed.”

“You’re just saying that because I could kill you right now.” I sniff and wipe my face. “Keep lying and I might actually go through with it. I know what I heard, and there’s nothing you can do to change my mind.”

A low rumble hits the night air as Jaxar flexes his fingers. His gaze is a mixture of worry and exasperation, which pisses me off. I don’t want his concern because that would mean he cares when he clearly doesn’t. And his irritation with me is uncalled for. He’s the one who’s wrong, so if anyone gets to be upset, it’s me.

Unfortunately, my husband decides to inflame my anger by saying one of the dumbest things you could ever say to a woman.

“You need to calm down, Massela.”

An enraged groan leaves me in a rush. “I need to calm down? I need to calm down?!” I jab my finger into his chest multiple times, accentuating my every word. “How about you shut the fuck up? I swear to God, if you say I’m overreacting, I’m going to…”

A tiny popping sound, no louder than a whisper, halts my rant. I’m not sure how I even heard it considering I was probably yelling loud enough for all the tribes to hear. I was trying to be quiet, but that’s never been my forte.

My eyes widen as a warm liquid seeps from me and pools underneath where I sit. A strong kick from the baby plus a stabbing sensation across my abdomen have me gasping. The second time pain lances through me, I can’t help but clutch my belly and close my eyes.

Oh fuck. Maybe I should’ve calmed down a little.

“Makayla?”

Jaxar’s voice breaks through the haze of agony, and I shake my head, trying to concentrate on what’s happening to me. I regulate my breaths as much as I can, but when another contraction hits, I whimper.

That’s when the Masse’s voice goes from concerned to ticked off.

“You will tell me what’s going on this instant,” Jaxar says, the tip of his tail tapping the floor in a succinct rhythm.

I open my eyes as the discomfort ebbs only to find him straining to move. The veins running through his neck and arms bulge against his skin, and he’s grinding his teeth so harshly I cringe. As much as I want to take perverse satisfaction in seeing him struggle, I have bigger things to worry about.

Like having a baby. A Boraq baby.

Slowly I get to my feet and immediately wish I wouldn’t have, but I know I don’t have a choice unless I want to give birth here, next to Jaxar’s prone form. Liquid cascades down my legs like a damn waterfall, and even though I shouldn’t be embarrassed, a part of me is. However, that feeling is forgotten as the muscles in my stomach clench and tighten, followed by another ribbon of pain.

“Ecknar zat!” Jaxar roars. “Makayla! You will not be pleased when this venom wears off because I’m—”

I clutch my belly with one hand and raise the other. “Shut up. I can’t do this with you right now. If you’re going to yell, at least call for Anwa.”

Perhaps it’s instinct, or maybe it’s just an educated guess, but I know my baby is coming earlier than it should be. The thought terrifies me, and it takes everything I have not to burst out in tears again. There are no NICUs here on Sulrim, so even if I miraculously deliver without any complications, my child still might not survive.

I press a fist to my mouth, stifling my cry. First things first: I need to find Anwa. Maybe if I just focus on the next step, I can keep my sanity for a little while longer.

Jaxar stills so drastically that it’s almost as if he’s been pricked with the venom again. The only change is his eyes widening. Not even his chest moves, and I’m wondering if he’s forgotten how to breathe.

“That’s right, you ungrateful asshole,” I say, giving him a