Sacrificed to the Dragon (Stonefire Dragons 1)

Clearly, he was still alive, and now in human form, which meant he was no longer in danger of dying. Yet he had no bloody idea what had happened between then and now. Maybe Melanie could tell him.

He moved his arm and opened his eyes more slowly this time to adjust to the light. Then he looked up into the face of his beautiful human. The way the light played along her cheeks and highlighted the red glints in her hair took his breath away. “Melanie.”

His voice sounded more like a choke than his usual calm, deep voice. But before he could ask for water, Melanie threw her upper body against his and hugged him tightly.

A little too tight. Pain seared through his shoulder, and despite the surge of joy at her touch and warmth, he couldn’t help but say, “Ouch.”

“Oh, sorry!” She released him and moved away. His dragon growled at that, but Melanie then moved to stroke his forehead and both the man and beast settled down. His female smiled and said, “I would tease you about being a big man baby when it comes to pain, but I’m beyond happy that you’re awake. You’ve been out for nearly a week, Tristan, and everyone was starting to think you wouldn’t wake up.”

The pain in his injured shoulder subsided as she continued to stroke his skin. He leaned into the caress of her fingers on his forehead and said, “But you never gave up, did you?”

A tear rolled down her cheek and he wished he had the strength to reach up and wipe it away.

Melanie shook her head as she rubbed away her tears. “No, of course not. If you haven’t learned by now how stubborn I can be, then you never will.”

His smile ruined his words. “You bloody stubborn ox.”

She laughed and leaned down to kiss his lips. She lingered and he found the strength to raise his hand and cup her cheek. “Melanie.”

“Yes?”

As they stared into one another’s eyes, Tristan wondered what would’ve happened to him if Melanie Hall hadn’t entered his life.

It wasn’t just the fact she was giving him the chance to be a father or that the wound he’d received from the dragon hunters might’ve killed him without her coaxing and calming his dragon enough to let the healers help him.

There was also finding out the truth about Arabella and making him realize his sister needed more help than he’d offered.

And, most of all, Melanie Hall had convinced him that not all humans were bad. Yes, bastards like the Carlisle hunters deserved his hatred and scorn, but the average person deserved a chance. Some, such as his human, were downright amazing.

Before he could stop himself from asking the question burning in his mind, he said, “Why did you put up with me, Melanie? I was a right bastard to you. And as much as I recoil at the thought of another male touching you, I am honest enough to admit that you deserve a man better than me.”

She frowned down at him. “That is your opinion. Do you want to hear mine?”

Yes, his dragon screamed. Let her talk. Don’t try to push her away. We love her.

Rather than think on his dragon’s use of “love” again, he nodded. Melanie sat on the edge of his bed and said, “You’re partially right. You were a bastard.” He opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it. “No, it’s my turn to talk.”

He shut his mouth and fought a smile at her bossy tone. The short, fragile human wasn’t afraid to order him around, and both halves of him liked that. A lot.

Seeing that he was keeping quiet, Melanie sat up and continued, “But you were a bastard out of pain. Once I saw you interacting with the children, I knew there was a good man inside of you, buried beneath your animosity and anger. And since we were already tied together because of the baby, I decided it was worth fighting to see if I could help you. Your child will be half human, and I couldn’t—and still can’t—stomach the thought of you hating that part of him or her.”

This time he wasn’t about to allow her to think that of him. He said, “I could never hate our child because it will always be half you.”

Her hand found his and squeezed. “Oh, Tristan.”

He really should say more, but fancy, pretty words were not his forte.

His dragon-half, however, was pushing him to say more. Tell her. We should claim her. Never let her leave.

Tristan didn’t want Melanie to leave. Even if, for some reason, she didn’t survive childbirth, he didn’t think he could ever care as much for someone again as he did for Melanie Hall. Her stubbornness, determination, and love had won him over. Completely.

But just as he wrestled the nerve to say something, there was a knock on the door. Melanie quickly rubbed her eyes and said, “Come in.”

Tristan had expected a doctor or maybe Bram. But it was neither.

His sister Arabella was standing in the doorway.

~~~