Part 6 (2/2)

Rafe had left then and joined his friends on the other side of the unpacked crates. The approval and disgust in all of their eyes had sent Nikki running away to cry alone in a corner.

The next two years had been h.e.l.l, but she'd found a way to ignore their looks and whispers and work with the humans. She'd never sought out Rafe Hartley ever again.

Of course, she'd dreamed about him. More than she'd ever admitted to anyone. With Rafe being her true mate, it all made more sense now.

Fate was one messed-up b.i.t.c.h.

Or, was she?

Rafe's voice filled the room and Nikki snapped back to the present. ”I had yet to learn how to trust a dragon-s.h.i.+fter. Then when you and your team saved my unit's lives, my worldview changed.” His voice lowered to a whisper. ”The damage had been done by that point. But I vowed never to hurt you again.”

Nikki wanted to believe Rafe's words, but there was too much she didn't know.

Searching his eyes, she asked, ”So, instead, you agree to impregnate me and want to raise the child on your own? You should've been honest with me from the first day you set foot on Stonefire. How can I trust you when you kept such a big secret from me?”

Rafe raised an eyebrow. ”And you haven't kept secrets from me?”

”I didn't mean for my adoption plans to be a secret. Dr. Sid was supposed to tell you. I know you can't understand, but when an inner dragon goes into a mate-claim frenzy, all a dragon-s.h.i.+fter's energy goes into either trying to contain their beast or jumping their mate.”

Rafe scooted a few inches toward her. ”Then at least tell me why you want to give up the child.”

Nikki didn't have to tell Rafe anything. By every law concerning dragons and humans in the UK, the child was hers and only hers. Rafe had no legal claim.

Her dragon finally roused from her sleep. Talk with him. That will make everything better.

He hasn't even apologized for being an a.r.s.ehole back in Afghanistan. Why should I tell him anything?

Because he risked his freedom and maybe even his life by staying here. Actions speak louder than words.

Studying Rafe's green eyes, Nikki hated to admit her beast had a point.

Still, she wanted to know something before she answered Rafe's question. ”Tell me one more thing, first. Why do you want a child so badly?”

He raised his brows. ”Is it really that surprising?”

”Rafe, be serious. If you want the truth from me, then I want the truth from you first. Consider it a sort of apology for stomping on my heart when I was young.”

Regret flashed in his eyes. ”I'm truly sorry, Nikki. I was stupid and unprofessional. For reasons I never understood before, hurting you has lingered on my conscious more than any other act. And I haven't exactly been a b.l.o.o.d.y saint up until now.”

Her dragon was smug. He apologized. I might even call that groveling.

Ignoring her beast, Nikki repeated, ”Why do you want a child so badly?”

With a sigh, Rafe ran a hand through his hair. ”I never thought I wanted one. I'm thirty-four years old and have survived most of my adult life alone.

”But then when Bram asked if I wanted to partic.i.p.ate in the frenzy or not, I kept seeing a mental picture of a four-year-old little girl. She was you and me together. So stubborn and brave. In a split second, a yearning in my heart I'd never realized was there opened up.” His gaze intensified. ”I wanted a family to care for and protect.”

With a grunt, her beast chimed in. He tells the truth. I feel it.

Right, because you're a b.l.o.o.d.y lie detector.

It's one of my many talents.

Resisting an eye roll, Nikki remained silent a second. Rafe leaned forward and lightly touched the back of her hand. Even when torn on her future, Rafe's caress was a brand on her skin.

The only question was whether there could ever be more to them than mere attraction.

Her dragon spoke up. You'll never know if you don't talk to him.

Meeting Rafe's gaze again, she finally answered his question from earlier. ”The reason I want to give the baby up for adoption is because I'm not the kind of female who can give up her career to stay home and change nappies.”

Her dragon chimed in. That's not the only reason.

Shut it. He doesn't need to know the rest.

Rafe interrupted her dragon's reply. ”Who says you have to? There are plenty of women who have children and keep their careers.”

”Maybe humans can get away with it,” Nikki grumbled. ”But the elder dragon-s.h.i.+fters frown on the practice. They look the other way at Melanie and Evie because they're human and might die in childbirth. Me, on the other hand, if I had one child and kept it, they would expect me to devote myself to having ten children. They wouldn't stop nagging until I did as expected. Adoption might be the only way for them to leave me alone.”

”f.u.c.k that,” Rafe spit out. ”For the past six months, you've done nothing but prove how you can take care of yourself. Sometimes even going overboard a bit. Why in this one area of life are you so ready to resign to others' expectations?”

Her dragon interjected, He's right. You know he is.

But he doesn't know the whole truth.

Then tell him.

Looking into Rafe's gaze, Nikki debated telling him. But deep down, she knew that if she told Rafe, she might start hoping for something she couldn't have-a future with a human male.

”Do I need to pin you to the ground again to get a straight answer?” Rafe asked.

And cue Rafe ruining any tender thoughts she might have about him.

Nikki narrowed her eyes. ”I'd like to see you try.”

”Since I'd rather not have your father come out here, see me, and break my neck, I'll save my ninja skills for later. For now, just b.l.o.o.d.y tell me why you are so concerned about the old timers in the clan?”

What the h.e.l.l. I owe my baby daddy this much, I suppose. ”Nikola Gray is more famous for the circ.u.mstances of her birth than her actions. I've become a d.a.m.n symbol, and I can't seem to shake it off. Not even devoting my life to protecting the clan has changed that. Many of the older clan members believe if the first child of a sacrifice has as many children as possible, Stonefire will repopulate and become stronger than ever before.”

Rafe blinked. ”That's ridiculous.”

”I agree. But what if you doing something for the members of your team meant they would be hopeful for the future? Would you dismiss it so casually? No, of course not. Going through the frenzy means I add to the clan, then I can signal I'm not going to be a baby machine by giving up the child to a couple who wants one. After that, I can focus on finally proving I'm much more than a walking uterus by continuing to work as a Protector.”

<script>