Sacrificed to the Dragon: Part Four Read online

  His nostrils flared and his eyes flashed to slits and back. He moved a hand to the edge of her short skirt and fingered between her swollen folds. Melanie moaned as he thrust a finger into her pussy.

  “Fuck, you aren’t,” he said.

  He swirled his finger around and she cried out. “Tristan, please. I’ve been waiting all week for you to fuck me again. I’ve missed you.”

  “With pleasure, my little mate.”

  He kissed her again as he removed his fingers and lifted her, cradling her ass with his large, warm hands. She tried rubbing against him, but he dumped her on the edge of the back of the couch and shimmied her skirt up above her belly. He then pushed her legs wide and rubbed his hands up and down her inner thighs.

  He kneeled before her, confusing her. “What?”

  He rubbed his hands on her thighs and looked up, his eyes heated and full of desire. “I said I’d fuck you, but I didn’t say with my cock.”

  Before she could reply, his tongue was thrusting in and out of her pussy and she threaded her fingers through his hair to keep her balance. Moving her hips in time to his tongue, she decided that she could live with more of this. Lots more.

  Then his tongue was gone and she dug her nails into his scalp in displeasure. She felt his chuckle against her thigh and his breath dancing across her pussy lips as he said, “I think we’re both impatient to have my cock inside you. So I’m going to speed things up. You deserve pleasure first.”

  “Tristan.”

  Then his talented tongue was flicking and swirling around her clit, and she kept a grip on his head for balance. For the past week, she’d dreamt of Tristan licking between her thighs, but both her dreams and her memories were nothing compared to the hot, slickness of his tongue against her sensitive nerves.

  She moaned as the pressure built, impatient for her first orgasm as mate to a dragon-shifter. Then Tristan bit her clit and she screamed as pleasure shot through her body, but rather than let her ride it out, Trsitan plunged two of his thick fingers in her pussy and she clenched and released around him.

  As she came down from her high, she hoped this was only the beginning because Tristan’s tongue wasn’t nearly enough. She was hungry for more. Much more.

  ~~~

  Tristan gave his mate’s clit one last swirl before he leaned back and looked up at her. Her eyes were heavy and half-lidded, just the way he liked it. Then the light glinted off the silver mate band on her arm and his dick pulsed. He wanted to fuck his mate while she wore his name on her body.

  But first, he wanted to play a little more while his human-half was still in control.

  He still had his fingers inside her pussy. Melanie had stopped spasming around him, and he widened his fingers and Melanie drew in a breath. “Tristan.”

  Take her. Remind her we are her mate. Brand our scent in her pussy.

  His dragon was impatient. Just a few more moments and then we can do it your way, Tristan told his dragon-half.

  His inner beast seemed content with that answer and sat back to see what would happen next.

  Tristan closed his fingers and opened them again. In response, Melanie clenched the back of the couch on either side of her. With a gruff voice, he said, “I’m just trying to make sure you’re ready for my cock, love, because I’m going to own your pussy like no tomorrow.”

  Melanie bit her lower lip and then looked down at him. Her voice was husky when she replied, “I’m ready, Tristan. Take me hard, the way your dragon likes it.”

  His dragon stood at attention at her words. She thinks of both of us. We love her. Take her. Now.

  Tristan removed his fingers and gave them a lick. He growled in approval. He’d never tire of how bloody fantastic his mate tasted.

  But his dragon was pushing harder to take control and Tristan wanted them to work together so they could both enjoy their mate.

  He stood up, unzipped his jeans, and his aching dick burst free. Melanie’s eyes moved to his cock, and he felt a drop of precum seep out.

  His dragon growled. Now. Fuck her. Hard. For us.

  He kicked off his shoes and jeans and moved between Melanie’s thighs. She barely had time to hold on to his biceps before he positioned his cock and thrust into her.

  She cried out but he barely noticed as he reveled in the feel of her tight, wet pussy. His dragon wanted to start fucking, but Tristan wanted access to her beautiful breasts first. He reached up, ripped off her tank top, and rolled her hard nipple in his hand. She was perfect.

  He pinched her nipple. “Are you ready for me, my little mate?”

  “Yes, Tristan. Always.”

  “Good.”

  He let go of her nipple and took hold of her hips before he moved. With each thrust, he moved faster, never taking his eyes off his mate’s eyes. She dug her nails in his biceps and he pounded harder.

  His dragon hummed. Yes. Harder. She belongs to us.

  From the corner of his eye, he could see her delicious curves bouncing in time to his thrusts, and the sight made him proud. He would make sure she knew how much he approved of her body.

  Melanie clung to his arms and arched her back. From her little sounds of pleasure, he could tell she was close. He took a firmer grip on her soft, wide hips and thrust as hard as he could without crushing her. His dragon crooned, content with how they were taking their female.

  Tristan felt the pressure building at the base of his spine. In the last second before he came, he took his mate’s lips in a rough kiss, swallowing her cries as his semen made her come.

  As her pussy squeezed and released his dick, he moved closer until he had his arms around her. When she finally sighed as her orgasm ended, he broke their kiss, stared into her eyes, and said, “You’re mine, forever.”

  She smiled. “I think you’re confused, Tristan, as you’re mine forever.”

  He smiled and hugged his mate close. Never in a million years would he have expected to find such a wonderful mate he loved with every bone in his body. He only hoped he could love her until they were both gray and wrinkled.

  They’d find out if he could have that dream or not in seven or eight months’ time.

  At the thought of Melanie dying in childbirth, he hugged her tighter. She mumbled, “What’s wrong?”

  Tristan didn’t want to break the spell of their momentary happiness, so he said, “I’m just trying to think of what else my little mate can take before she’s exhausted.”

  Melanie hugged him tight and whispered, “Give me everything you’ve got, dragonman. I can take it.”

  With that he growled, and his dark thoughts disappeared as he thought of what else he wished to do. Since he wasn’t always good with words, he decided to show her just how much he loved her with action.

  Epilogue

  Seven Months Later

  Tristan MacLeod had experienced his fair share of pain, but the way Melanie was currently gripping his hand was one of the most painful experiences of his life.

  Not that he could say so. As his mate’s latest contraction finished, her grip relaxed and she deflated against the pillows. “I can’t keep doing this, Tristan. We’ve been optimistic about me surviving the birth, but I’m pretty sure our babies are trying to kill me.”

  He hated the defeated sound of her voice. Help her, his dragon said. As if he wouldn’t tear up the nearest mountain with his claws if it meant he could ease his mate’s pain.

  He smoothed her sweat-covered brow and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “Don’t you dare give up on me or our children, Melanie Hall-MacLeod. There is no bloody way I’m raising twins on my own. You’d better survive or I’ll find a way to bring you back myself just to give you an earful.”

  Her weak smile warmed his heart. “You stubborn man. How many times do I have to tell you that your will isn’t strong enough to do half of what you say.”

  He traced her cheek with his forefinger. “Well, this time I feel lucky.”

  She half-laughed, but then drew in a breath. “I thin
k another contraction is coming.”

  From the foot of the hospital-style bed, Dr. Sid spoke, “Okay, Melanie, we’re nearly there. This time I want you to push with everything you have. Another push or two should do it.”

  Melanie shook her head. “I’ve been pushing for so long, Sid, and I can’t keep doing this. I’m too tired.”

  Help her, his dragon repeated. If they didn’t help her find her strength, they would lose her. They couldn’t lose her. She was their mate.

  As if he didn’t know that.

  Tristan kept his worry bottled up inside him, however, and did what Melanie needed—he prodded her. “Come on, my little human. Are you really going to allow two tiny dragon-shifters to best you? You’re months away from finishing your book. If you give up, it’s much more than me whining about taking care of twins.” He turned Melanie’s face toward his, forcing her to look him in the eye. “It’s even more than I will miss you and mourn you for the rest of my life, love. If you ever want your children to grow up in a world where humans might not be afraid of them, you need to live.”

  For a second, she said nothing. Then Melanie drawled, “Lay it on thick, why don’t you.”

  Good. Their human hadn’t lost her spark. She would live. She must live.

  He pushed his dragon to the back of his mind to focus on his mate. “Grip my hand as hard as you like, but push with everything you have.”

  His mate took a deep breath and then nodded first to him and then to the doctor. She was definitely tired. Energy-filled Melanie would’ve made a remark about him trying to push an orange out of his cock to see how that felt.

  In about thirty seconds, Melanie’s contraction hit and she started screaming again. It took everything Tristan had to keep his dragon from snarling and taking over.

  Sid said, “Good, good. I see the head.” The doctor looked up. “Do you need one contraction to rest or do you want to push harder and get the baby out?”

  Melanie panted as the contraction ended. “A break. Please.”

  The exhaustion in her voice went straight to his heart.

  She’d been in labor for about thirty hours. Tristan hoped it would be over soon. His mate needed to rest.

  He wiped her brow with a cool cloth and whispered, “Nearly there, love. Do you think the boy or the girl will come first?”

  She glared at him, and he was glad to see a shadow of her normal spirit. She spat out, “I don’t fucking care which one. Just get it out of me.”

  He grinned and she narrowed her eyes further at him a second before her next contraction hit. She yelled and Tristan did his best to comfort her. When it finally ended, she whispered, “I’m pushing on the next one or I won’t be able to do it.”

  He nodded. “You can do it, my brave little human.”

  She closed her eyes for about ninety seconds until the next contraction hit. Then she opened them as the doctor said, “Push!”

  His mate gripped his hand as she screamed and after a few seconds, Sid smiled and looked up. “Your first child is a boy.”

  The nurse at Sid’s side helped Sid before raising their baby so they could see his chubby little face.

  Tristan had a son.

  He was pink and tiny, and both the man and beast wanted nothing more than to hold him. But as the nurse nodded and took him away, he turned back to Melanie and kissed her. “Good job, my little mate. We have a son.”

  Melanie looked happy despite her exhaustion. “I’m glad.”

  Then another contraction hit and Sid said, “I know you’re tempted, but don’t push right now, Mel. I need to check the second baby’s position.”

  Melanie gritted her teeth and clenched his hand. His dragon roared at the amount of pain she was in. Watching her suffer and not being able to do a damn thing about it tore apart both the man and the dragon.

  Unlike with human children, dragon-shifter babies often died if the mother received any type of anesthetic, which ruled out both epidurals and C-sections. His human hadn’t had a choice but to deliver naturally or risk losing both of their children.

  And given her personality, she hadn’t hesitated two seconds before agreeing to the natural birth despite the risk to her own health.

  So far her blood pressure and toxin levels were within normal range, but that could change any moment.

  No. She was his mate. She wouldn’t die.

  He continued to caress Melanie’s cheek as the doctor prodded her protruding belly. When Sid cursed, Tristan’s dragon stood at attention. “What is it?” he demanded.

  “The second baby’s breech. I had hoped she’d turn around after her brother came out, but apparently she’s being stubborn. I need to try turning her since it’s easier than delivering breech. Whatever you do, Melanie, do not push. Don’t do it.”

  Melanie nodded and clenched her jaw. Tristan laid his forehead against hers and whispered, “Hold on, my strong, beautiful human. We’re halfway there.”

  She let out a hiss. “You do this to me again and I will cut off your cock, Tristan MacLeod. Two children had better be enough.”

  He would rather cut off his dick than suffer through this again, wondering each second whether she would live or die.

  But right now, he pushed aside his fears. His mate needed humor more than anything. “We’re about to have two smaller copies of you. I don’t think I could handle any more mini-Melanies running around.”

  She was about to scold him but he grinned and she gave a weak laugh. “An army of Melanies. That would definitely keep you on your toes.”

  “And knowing your stubbornness, you’d say screw the odds and have more girls.”

  Melanie smiled but then winced at whatever the doctor was doing to try to turn the baby. He kissed his beautiful mate. “To distract you, let’s try to agree on a name for our son since we still haven’t decided on one yet.”

  And much like they had done for the past three months, they argued about baby names.

  ~~~

  An hour later, Melanie was pretty sure she was going to die.

  She kept falling asleep for a few seconds and waking back up again. The contractions kept coming, but the doctor kept telling her to wait. Then the nurse’s expression as she checked the monitor next to her kept getting worse with each passing minute.

  If it weren’t for Tristan, she might’ve given up half an hour ago. But as he continued to caress her brow, her cheek, and her jaw, his fingers gave her the strength she didn’t think she had.

  However, she was getting close to her limit. She wondered if Caitriona Belmont had felt the same way right before she’d died in childbirth four months ago.

  No. She wouldn’t think of her friend’s death right now. Melanie wanted to live for Tristan, for their children, and most of all, for herself.

  After riding out another contraction and seeing the growing worry on the nurse’s face, she decided to fuck it. If she was going to die, she wanted to know the truth. Her voice was weak to her own ears when she asked, “The nurse looks worried. What’s wrong?” She glanced to Dr. Sid. “And don’t lie to me.”

  Sid replied, “Your blood pressure is rising and thanks to birthing one baby and not the other, the level of dragon-shifter toxins in your blood is getting higher than I’d like.”

  She vaguely remembered being told that when under stress or duress, dragon-shifter babies in utero could release a toxin that she would absorb. In dragon-shifters, it caused mild nausea. In humans, it could kill them.

  No doubt her little girl was stressed because of the long labor and at losing her womb-mate. She’d been alone for nearly an hour now.

  Tristan squeezed her hand and said to the doctor, “You haven’t been able turn the baby. Can’t you deliver it breech?”

  Sid looked grim. “Yes, it’s looking like you daughter is being stubborn. I wonder where she gets that from.”

  Melanie managed enough energy to smile and said, “Her father” at the same time Tristan said, “Her mother.”

  She glanced a
t Tristan and took strength from the love shining in his eyes. She squeezed her mate’s hand and said, “This is just the beginning. You know they’re going to be little hellions, right?”

  “As long as you’re there to help me, I don’t care how much trouble they are.”

  She so very much wanted to be there, but if she couldn’t push out her daughter soon, she knew she may not make it.

  Sid moved down between her legs again and said, “I’m going to help the baby along. What I’m about to do may be uncomfortable.”

  Before she could reply, she felt something in her vagina and Mel clenched her teeth. She could swear it was the doctor’s hand.

  Tristan murmured into her ear until the doctor said, “Okay, on this next contraction, we’re going to work together. Don’t push right away, but do it when I say push.”

  She nodded and gripped Tristan’s hand even tighter. She breathed in and out, in and out. Then the contraction hit her and she screamed.

  “Don’t push yet!”

  She hurt so badly and every instinct in her body told her to push. Tears flowed down her cheeks and she was vaguely aware of Tristan caressing her cheek.

  “Push!”

  And Melanie let out a yell as she pushed as hard as she could. When she finally felt the baby slip out of her body and let out a cry, she glanced to Tristan before the world went black.

  ~~~

  Tristan heard their daughter’s first cry and was about to kiss his mate when Melanie’s hand went slack.

  Both the man and beast yelled, “No. No, no, no.”

  He glanced to the monitor and saw a weak heart rate moments before it went flat.

  He squeezed Melanie’s hand. “Love, wake up.” He looked to Dr. Sid. “Help her.”

  Sid and the nurses were already in action. Sid came to his side of the bed and pushed him away. “Leave the room, Tristan.”

  His inner dragon growled. “I won’t leave her.”

  Sid gave him a commanding glare. “I don’t have time for your alpha protective bullshit. Get out or let Melanie die. Take your choice.”