Sacrificed to the Dragon (Stonefire Dragons 1)

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?”