"The female is not afraid." Zarek suddenly whispered.
The word caught Roxy offguard before she could finally understand what he meant.
"She feels safe. Because of that, her body is going to welcome and not fight him." Her satisfied gaze stared hard at Vorian and Elara, who sat awkwardly on a stone, brushing shoulders often, blush creeping up their cheeks
It made Roxy gag at the sight. She was never a fan of PDA.
She looked away and then grabbed Zarek's hand, placing it on her belly. This gesture immediately made Zarek perk up, his scales standing on end in fright.
"Just like I did," she said softly, a faint smile tugging on her lips.
Zarek stiffened. He looked down at her. "You... you were not afraid?"
"I was terrified," Roxy laughed. "You're a giant, fire-breathing lizard. I don't even know how the heck you fit inside me. But..." She squeezed his hand. "You let me cook. You let me yell out. You gave me your bed. You made me feel safe, in your own weird way."
[TheWorldbuildingGod gives you a knowing look, TheMotheroftheWorld understands TheWorldbuildingGod.]
Roxy ignored them. Love isn't something that can just fall from the sky.
Zarek was tongue-tied. He looked at the bonfire, then back at his mate.
All he knew was that he woke up from his deep slumber and found a beautiful female sleeping beside him, and had the strong urge to keep her once he sensed his seed in her.
The gears in his mind were turning, grinding away the traditions of his tribe.
"Cortisol," Zarek rumbled, testing the strange word she had used earlier. "The enemy of the heir."
Roxy nodded, pleased with his memory.
"Exactly," Roxy said. "Happy wife, happy life. Happy life, many babies."
[TheMotheroftheWorld nodds, saying it's important for two mates to bond.]
Zarek hummed, a deep vibration in his chest. He slid down from his seat position until he was behind her, wrapping his massive arms around her.
"Then I must ensure... zero cortisol," Zark murmured into her ear.
He nuzzled her neck, his tongue darting out to taste the sensitive spot behind her ear, loving the smell of milk on her.
"Zarek," Roxy warned, though she leaned into his touch. "We are in public! They will see!"
Zarek growled in complaint, "They are busy," nodding toward the fire.
Doesn't mean you should fuck me, goddamnit!
Zarek still respected her wishes; he whisked her into his arms and started towards his own private cave.
Roxy felt the familiar heat pool in her stomach.
[Ding!]
[Affection +5%! Target has accepted the 'Soft Approach']
[Warning: Target is now experiencing High Arousal due to 'Romantic Atmosphere']
Which meant I was fucking cooked.
"You just want to try out the courting thing, don't you?" Roxy teased, turning her head to look at him. Zarek smirked. It was a beautiful expression that tugged at her heartstrings.
"You said it was very important." He replied with a shrug.
"Doesn't mean you should mate with me." She countered, but her heart was brimming with excitement, and Zarek knew perfectly well and was using that fact against her.
As he carried her back, Roxy looked back at the valley.
It was quiet. It was peaceful. And for the first time in a thousand years, at least that's what she was betting was the time frame, it was full of love.
Welp, at least I could leave soon, she thought, resting her head on Zarek's shoulder.
****
Three days after the courting party, the atmosphere in the Dragon Valley was weird.
It wasn't the usual heavy, depressive silence of a dying race. It was filled with that jittery energy that said something was going on. Male warriors were seen carrying extra portions of meat to the female caves.
Females were seen smiling, their cheeks flushed, watching out for their dressings and how they looked, just the way Roxy taught them.
Roxy Bell sat on a rock overlooking the potato field, munching on some dried meat. Her ankles were swollen to the size of tree trunks, and her back felt like someone had replaced her spine with a rusty hinge.
Damn, I didn't realize pregnancy could be this stressful and painful, fucking hell, it feels like I was being split in half.
"Pregnancy glows," Roxy muttered, wiping grease from her lip. "My ass. I feel like a bloated whale stranded on a beach."
[TheMotheroftheWorld coos, telling you that you are glowing with the light of creation.]
Shut up. If I glow, it's because of the sweat. It's a thousand degrees in this valley.
She fanned herself.
Zarek was nearby, supervising the construction of a new stone granary. He wasn't doing much supervising so much as glaring at any rock that dared to be the wrong shape until it crumbled out of fear.
She giggled. He was really like a big baby.
Except her mind flashed to last night, and she shivered. He was definitely not a big baby.
[TheSassyGoddess laughs at you and winks.]
"My Queen!"
Roxy looked up. It was Lyra.
The female dragon was hauling a massive basket of river stones for the granary on her shoulder. She looked different. She wasn't scowling; she had obviously accepted her fate and even learned to accept Roxy.
But today, she looked pale.
"Lyra?" Roxy asked, shifting her weight. "You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Lyra set the basket down, swaying slightly but still able to steady herself. "I am fine, My Queen. Just feeling a little dizzy from the heat."
"Take a break," Roxy commanded, feeling something was off. "Hydrate. We aren't going anywhere."
"I must finish," Lyra insisted, picking her basket up. She hadn't even taken two steps forward when her eyes rolled back in her head.
The basket crashed to the ground, stones spilling everywhere. Lyra collapsed, hitting the dirt with a thud. Roxy, who watched, couldn't do anything else but scream.
But before she could scream, a shocked male voice beat her to it, filled with urgency!
"Lyra!"
It was Malcor.
He dropped his shovel and scrambled over the rocks, moving faster than his old bones should have allowed. He knelt beside his daughter, gathering her limp head into his lap.
"Lyra! Wake up!" Malcor's voice cracked, high and terrified. He turned his gaze to Roxy, his grief instantly morphing into blame.
Roxy narrowed her eyes, already knowing what he was going to say next.
"You!" Malcor spat, pointing a trembling claw at her. "You did this! You worked her bones! You did this!"
Roxy pointed at herself, blanking out.
What the fuck would I do with your daughter?
[TheStoryWeaver raises an eyebrow. Drama, Drama, Drama!]
Not now!
"She's not dead, you old bat," Roxy snapped. She waddled over as fast as she could, kneeling in the dirt beside Lyra. "Move."
"Do not touch her!" Malcor snarled, baring his teeth.
Zarek let out a low, warning growl after flying to chaos. "Malcor. Back. Down."
Roxy ignored them. She placed her hand on Lyra's neck. There was a pulse. It was fast, fluttering, at least that meant Lyra was still alive.
System, scan her. Now. Is it heatstroke? Exhaustion?
[Initializing Medical Scan...]
[Target: Lyra (Dragon Feale)]
[Vitals: High Heart Rate. Low Blood Pressure. Morning sickness: Severe.]