Loved by a Beast - Miranda Bridges Page 0,28

possess, I grip his hand, and he jerks up his head to meet my gaze. His golden eyes widen as his lips part, sucking in a breath. He looks at me as if I’m unreal, ethereal, or in disbelief—I can’t decipher which. Perhaps I’m nearing death, or maybe it’s because he sees the determination that I feel inside.

He uses his free hand to palm my belly, and the instant the muscles of my abdomen clench, he starts talking, his voice low but fervent. Throughout the entire ordeal, he speaks to me of my bravery and fierceness that first caught his attention on Najarie. Over and over he tells me how much he cares for me and how I am life itself to him. He regales me with his memories of me when I battled the poisonous snakes to save Tika and how I’d been blessed by the skatnar’s presence.

As if summoned by magic, the little dragon trots across the floor, jumps on the bed, and snuggles up to my side, resting her head just above Jaxar’s hand on my belly. My husband’s mouth goes slack, but I am drawn to the purple orbs staring back at me.

“Shadow,” I pant. “Where in the hell have you been this whole time?”

The dragon-like creature purrs in answer. The vibrations are like a light buzzing across my stomach, and it’s almost as if she’s redirecting my focus. Gripping Shadow’s tail in one hand while keeping my fingers entwined with Jaxar’s, I give everything I have, encouraged by their support.

“Keep going, Massela,” Anwa calls from the foot of the bed. The pitch and cadence of her voice tells of her excitement, and hope rises in my chest. “The youngling is coming.”

I give and give until there’s nothing left. Pain lances through me, starting at the core of my being and then spreading rapidly through every nerve ending. Screams tear from my throat, but I don’t stop because I know this is my one and only chance to safely bring my baby into the world.

“Brannick, tuck the wings as I guide the body,” Anwa says.

At the cry of an infant, my eyes fly open, allowing me to see my baby for the first time. I watch in a daze as Anwa holds my child, carefully wiping away the natural debris from its skin, which is more gray than purple.

“You have a son,” she says, looking at me. Then she glances at Jaxar. “And you have an heir, Masse.”

While Shadow chirps quietly in my ear, I watch as Jaxar goes statue still. He can’t seem to take his eyes off the baby. There’s awe, shock, and disbelief, all swirling in the gold of his gaze. But then he drags it away and looks at me. The love that’s shining through steals my breath right before he brushes his lips across mine.

“It is an honor to have you for a wife,” Jaxar says softly.

Anwa touches her forehead to my son before handing him to Brannick. “I will care for the Massela.”

The Boraq male makes his way over to the side of bed and gently places the baby in between Jaxar and me. With both of our bodies acting like a cradle, we stare down at the result of our union.

He’s perfect.

Little, claw-tipped hands rest against his chest that swells with tiny breaths, causing his nostrils to flare on occasion. His rosebud lips are followed by a proud chin and surrounded by fleshy jowls. He stirs just the slightest bit, and his tail thumps against my arm once.

Brannick leaves so Anwa can bathe my body in private, removing the remnants of the birth. I pay the healer no mind, although my gratitude toward her is immeasurable. However, my infatuation and my love for my son override everything in this moment. As I gaze at him, I know he is worth every bit of suffering I endured, and for him I would do anything.

Jaxar removes his hand from my belly to run the pad of his index finger over the crown on our son’s head. “Aside from your love, Makayla, he is the best gift I’ve ever been given.”

If I weren’t exhausted, I would weep, and maybe my heart is, since it stutters at the beautiful declaration. Instead I give Jaxar a weak smile when he raises his head to look at me.

“Take care of him,” I say, my eyes closing.

“You needn’t worry. I will look over you.”

As I drift in and out of consciousness, I’m aware of my friends