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  Dragon's Baby

  Last Dragon Series Book 2

  By:

  Ella Hart

  Table of Contents:

  Chapter One: The New Normal

  Chapter Two: Good News Jitters

  Chapter Three: The New Neighbor

  Chapter Four: A Short Storm

  Chapter Five: Going Downhill

  Chapter Six: Extra Trying

  Chapter Seven: Arrival

  Chapter Eight: A New Territory

  Chapter Nine: Panic Attack

  Chapter Ten: New Father Worries

  Copyright © 2017 by Ella Hart

  All rights reserved.

  In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited, and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.

  Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.

  Chapter One: The New Normal

  Cobalt looked over to Paulina with a smile. For two years, they had lived in peace. No one had come to bother them. No one had uncovered his secret. For two years, it had been absolute bliss, and nothing could have put a damper on his happiness.

  They had been out by the pool today, and enjoyed having it all to themselves. With Fall fast approaching, few people used the pool anymore – they’d rather be in the hot tub.

  The cold water was never an issue for Cobalt. As a dragon, he kept warm easily. A dip in the cool water helped him stay at an optimal temperature in the summer, a habit that he carried into the early Fall. The one time he’d gotten into a hot tub, he hadn’t enjoyed it at all. It had made him feel ill. Too warm. Just too warm.

  “How are you feeling today, love?” Paulina broke the hour-long silence they had been enjoying together. The hotel had had a lull of customers for a couple of days, leaving them and the remaining guests to enjoy all of the amenities with some left to spare.

  “Much better than I have been lately. A dip was what I needed.” Due to his odd body temperature, they used air conditioning much more than they did heaters. They didn’t need heat when he was in the room. His warmth radiated through it, and she had even noticed the difference when he had begun to feel ill. It had been much too warm in the room. Even for her.

  She smiled. He couldn’t help but feel elated. They had gotten married the year before, a blissful event he’d never expected to have so close to puberty. Most dragons didn’t mate until they were 5,000 years old – maybe 4,500 if they were lucky. To mate at just 4,027 years old... and to a human at that, it simply amazed him. If his family were alive, they would be laughing at him.

  Then again, mainly his father would be laughing at him. When the humans had first come across them, they had wanted to eat them. His father never thought they’d amount to the society that they had become today. To be a part of the future he had never thought possible blew Cobalt’s mind away.

  “Do you think you’ll be able to take up a job soon? A better job, I mean?” Paulina changed the topic as he hoisted himself out of the pool. With the deep end only reaching seven feet, it wasn’t that hard.

  He bit his lip. That was something he’d not thought about. He wouldn’t be able to do so until long after Paulina passed away. She was already twenty-four. While that wasn’t incredibly old for a dragon, it was over a fifth of the life expectancy of a human. At twenty-four, Cobalt had been no bigger than the palm of his mother’s paw when in dragon size –.

  He cast a quick glance around the pool yard to see if there was anyone to overhear him. The only other person was the janitor, and he had his headphones on as he swept the little terrace by the hot tub.

  “The truth is, honey, that... that you’ll be dead before I can take on a steady job. It’s the way dragons age; there’s nothing I can do about it.” He kept his voice quiet anyway. He couldn’t risk the chance that the janitor may overhear him. Two years of blissful peace hadn’t done anything to calm his nerves about being found out.

  “You know I shift once a month, honey. There would be no way I could take a week off work every month and still keep a job.”

  “Oh...” She sounded disappointed. Shortly after they had moved to the hotel, she had gotten a job as a bellhop and a cook. She was overworked, but it meant that they were able to have free meals and a lower rent every month If he was honest with himself, he knew that she only kept the jobs to have those benefits, since he couldn’t get a steady job to support them. Sometimes he sold lemonade or cookies in front of the lobby when they needed extra money – which was all the time – but he couldn’t do more than that.

  “I know. I’m sorry, Paulina, but that’s how it is. I wish I could do something more for us.” He habitually scratched at his ever-present patch of scales. After she had caught him doing it the first time, he’d had to explain why he did it. Scales itched when he was in human form.

  “Cobalt. You’re doing it again.” She took his hand gently to stop his scratching. “You’re going to hurt yourself doing that so often.” She took his other hand in hers as well. Her grip was light and soft, but it helped.

  “I know,” he sighed. “It’s a habit. You know that.” He made no excuses. She laughed a little and kissed his nose. She always knew how to elicit a blush when he felt least like blushing. At least she knew him well enough to do that.

  “I’m aware it’s a habit, but wasn’t it because of this habit that we had to take you to the hospital last year?” She gave him a look. He knew this look well; he got it a lot from her. It meant that he was in trouble. Again. Or she was reminding him of trouble he’d gotten into in the past, as it was in this case.

  “Yes...” He sheepishly admitted. He knew she was right.

  Before the topic could progress any further, the janitor came over to them.

  “I hate to interrupt your conversation, but I’m getting ready to give the pool deck a good clean-down. Could you two wrap up, if you don’t mind?” His tone was friendly. They had grown accustomed to seeing one another around the premises. Cobalt couldn’t remember his name, but a quick glance at his name tag quickly fixed that.

  “Of course, Joshua. We were getting ready to leave anyway. Right, Cobalt?” Paulina spoke up before he could say anything. He nodded, not ready to give her the satisfaction of correcting him in public. She’d done that multiple times already that day.

  “Well, all right then. Have a good day.” The janitor smiled and walked away. Cobalt turned to his wife.

  “Was that really necessary?” He didn’t want to tell her about what was going on in his head. Had she done that just to get him alone? If so, it was a smart move. It’d worked. He was ready to go inside anyway, actually.

  “Yes. Come on. I want to show you something.” She tugged on his hand gently and began to walk away. Her loose grip would have made it easy for Cobalt to decline and stay in the pool area for a little longer, but he knew that would have been counterproductive.

  He sighed inwardly and followed his wife up to their suite so they could shower and change into some fresh clothes. He had no choice but to tolerate the chlorine smell clinging to him until it was his turn to get into the shower.

  The last few years had taught him that he had a fair amount of time to kill during this time, as she would not be done anytime soon. It was a wonder there was any hot water left for him most of the time, he thought with a smile. Responding to the low rumbles from his stomach, he took a few minutes to make lunch. He especially talented in the kitchen, but there were a few dishes that he had mastered over the years. Grilled cheese was one of his specialties, and he made sure that he treated Pauline to it often. He smiled a little and flipped the sandwich o
ver.

  Sometimes he burnt them, but more often than not, he only got them a little browner than he had intended to have them. They still tasted great, and she never seemed to mind.

  Paulina came out from the bathroom, in her fluffy white bathrobe. She kissed his cheek gently and rested her hand on his lower back.

  “Are you cooking for me, sweetheart?” She sounded surprised, and blushed as he nodded.

  “Yes, I am. I love you, so why shouldn’t I cook for you?” He smiled a little as he said this. He couldn’t help but wonder at what she had wanted to show him, but that could wait until they had eaten.

  “That’s a valid point.” She smiled at him. “There is something I want to show you, though. It’s kind of urgent. Can we go right after we eat?” She voiced exactly what he had just been thinking. He nodded slowly as he flipped another sandwich over. Whatever it was, the fact that she had used the word urgent made him curious. She hated that word. She absolutely hated it.

  “I love you. Of course, we can.” He lifted the sandwiches off the pan and placed them on two plates, handing one to his wife. She sat down, and he followed her to the table. They ate in a comfortable silence, with him finishing a little before her – as usual.

  She took hers a little slower, but soon finished as well. Then, she took his hand in hers. He stood up from his seat at the dining room table.

  “Where are we going?” He wasn’t fond of following blindly. Doing so in the past had led to his being hurt, blinded and even betrayed. As much as he trusted Paulina, there was a part of him that he wasn’t sure would ever be able to fully trust again.

  “Just to another room in the hotel. I promise, it’s not as bad as I made it sound in the pool lounge.” She took in a deep breath, and then kissed his cheek. “It’s not as bad as it seems. It’s actually a good surprise. Or, at least, I hope it’s a good surprise.” She didn’t seem incredibly happy or sure, but that was okay with him. It only meant that they would be able to get through it quicker. That he’d know what was going on soon enough.

  “I hope you’re right, Paulina.” She’d given him a couple of surprises over the years that hadn’t ended so well.

  “Me too.” She smiled at him, and then walked with him towards a small room on the south side of the hotel. He wondered why they didn’t spend more time there, as the southside faced the sun in the evening, when it was warmest. She placed her hand on a door knob, and slowly turned it.

  Paulina pushed the door open. It took him a moment to realize that what he was seeing in front of him was real.

  Chapter Two: Good News Jitters

  Sitting on a table in front of him was a small red dollhouse. One of the rooms had a little crib, with a small baby doll inside it. A female doll that looked slightly like Paulina stood by the crib. A stuffed dragon – light blue and larger than the dollhouse room itself – sat outside the dollhouse.

  He gradually noticed a small card in the paws of the dragon, and carefully picked it up. His heart was pounding.

  There were only a few words on it, but the gravity of the words struck him deeply.

  ‘I’m pregnant.’

  He looked over to her with wonderment in his eyes, and she nodded. “Really? You’re pregnant?”

  “Went to the doctor and confirmed it yesterday. I’m pregnant, Cobalt.” She took his hand softly. “I’m not sure if it’s going to be an egg or a live birth, though. Do you happen to know what the answer to that question is?”

  “I do believe you’ll have a live birth, since you’re human. Typically, the species of the woman determines what kind of birth we’ll have. Since the woman in almost all the relationships I’m aware of have been dragon shifters as well, it’s always been eggs.” He shrugged. “It’s honestly an oddball. I could be completely wrong.” He kissed her cheek softly as he put the card down. “But I’ll be here every step of the way. And if it is an egg, I can take care of it while you’re at work.”

  “But what if it’s not an egg? Would you be able to take care of it either way?” She sounded worried. He sighed. He was well aware of the tactics companies liked to use to keep their employees in top shape, including discrimination against pregnant and new mothers. He had seen it happen before.

  “I’ll try to, but I don’t know if I can help for long until the baby is older. Most of what I can do is when the child is older. If you wouldn’t mind letting me bottle feed... I could make it work earlier.”

  “I just want what’s best for the baby at this point, Cobalt. If that means bottle feeding so we can provide for him or her, that’s okay.” She smiled at him, then pulled away and picked up the baby doll. “I realize this doll is a girl, but we could be having a boy or a girl. Or both. I don’t know.”

  “Do you know when we’ll know what gender we’re having? If it’s not an egg, I mean. If we’re having an egg, it’ll come and we won’t know until the egg hatches.” He smiled at her softly.

  “Three months or so is usually when we get to know what gender we’re having.” She smiled. “I hope we’re not having an egg.” He couldn’t help but laugh a little, feeling quite the opposite.

  “Well, if it’s an egg, it will finish forming in three or four months.” He patted her belly softly. “Then you’ll lay it in your sleep, and you won’t know until you wake the next morning. If that’s what happens, I can take care of the egg until it hatches, and even after that. In dragon culture, it’s usually the father that takes care of the babies.”

  “Really?” She seemed surprised by this. He nodded.

  “That’s cool. How do you know what to do?”

  “I watched my dad take care of my siblings when we were younger. I used to help him sometimes.” He looked down a little. He’d watched his father get killed by the hunters, and it hadn’t been a pleasant sight.

  “What do you mean, Cobalt?” She put her hand on his shoulder. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. I’m okay.” He smiled a little. It was painful to remember his father’s death, but even more painful to remember that he’d been unable to help him.

  “Good.” She smiled. “Now that you know, are you okay with the surprise? Are you happy?”

  “Yes. I’m really happy with this surprise.” He kissed her cheek again. “This is a good surprise. A wonderful surprise.” A smile spread across his face. The news surprised him in a way that he hadn’t thought would be possible after some of the things that had happened in his lifetime.

  “Good. I’m glad it didn’t freak you out.” She smiled back. “But seriously... the father does all the child care?”

  “Yes. I realize it’s a little odd to hear that, but it’s how dragons work. We’re very familial in that way. Female dragons are also larger, making them a good size for hunting and defending the clan. Males can pitch in if they have to, but typically we don’t need to. The female dragons are amazing.” He had been saddened to see how humans objectified and demeaned women throughout history. He was actually a member of the small group of men that fought alongside the suffragettes in the 1900s.

  “No. I think it’s really cool that the dragons do that.” She smiled at him. “I love you, by the way.” She kissed his cheek.

  Cobalt blushed a little. She didn’t usually catch him off-guard often with a kiss, but she did this time around. He turned his head to catch her lips, and pressed against them softly with his. A giggle escaped her lips, and she pulled away.

  “You sneaky little dragon.” She tapped his nose softly. “I love you.”

  “I love you too.” He smiled at her. “There’s a lot we can do tonight if you want to, honey. Maybe sit in bed and watch a movie?” She laughed again. There was a lot that made her laugh, but this was almost too much. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones.

  “Why am I so giggly?” She wondered aloud and he couldn’t hide his amusement.

  “When a dragon is pregnant, she is typically rather giggly for three or four months. It has to do with how the egg forms, I believe.” He smiled at her. “I thin
k we’re having an egg.”

  “You think so?” She suddenly sounded apprehensive. However, she didn’t stay that way for long. “That might explain why the ultrasound looked odd. It looked as though there was a giant oval in my body, not a baby.”

  “Don’t worry. If you show me the picture, I can tell you if it is an egg or not.” He took her hand softly. “I’ve seen a lot of eggs in my time.” He kissed the back of her hand softly.

  They began to walk back to their room.

  “All right. I have them in my nightstand; I’ll pull them out and show you. I wasn’t going to until I was sure what was going on, but the picture was confusing me – and the doctors. They almost declared me in need of surgery. I said I wanted to talk to you first.” She held his hand a little tighter than he thought she should have. “I just wanted to know if it was possible I could be having an egg instead of a live-birth.”

  “Good thing you decided to talk with me first. I knew it was possible, but I didn’t think it would happen.” He smiled a little, shifting his hand in hers slightly to make the grip more comfortable. She slapped his shoulder lightly with her free hand.

  “Hey! What was that for?”

  “Nothing. Just because I could.” She smiled at him slyly.

  “You and your ‘just because I can’ things.” He sighed playfully, shaking his head. The fact that she’d almost given him a heart attack made him wonder if she really had meant to surprise him so badly that he would freak out. The happy news made him curious about what the doctors had told her. “So... what exactly did the doctors tell you about the egg?”

  “They thought it was cancer. They scheduled me for a biopsy later next week, but I’m afraid that it really is an egg instead of cancer. If they want a biopsy, would it harm the egg?” She furrowed her brows as she spoke. There wasn’t a lot of hope in her eyes.

  “At this point, yes. It is most likely to crack the egg and kill the child.” He sighed. “If you don’t have an egg in about two months, you can go have a biopsy, but I want to wait this out. Just in case. We’ve waited two years for this.” He pressed his lips to her knuckles again. “Just wait a couple of months, please. Can we do that?”