Chapter Ten
Ivo smiled as he watched Vitki roll out of bed and stumble into the bathroom. He wanted to shout for joy that the man was here.Still here. He had been here for two days. They had pretty much locked themselves in Ivo’s chambers, using the small kitchenette to cook and the living room to sit and talk and learn everything there was to know about each other.
They had used every surface in the place to claim each other in as many ways as possible. They had even come up with a few positions Ivo hadn’t thought possible. His dragon had pretty much stayed quiet after that first time.
Ivo still found that a little odd. He remembered feeling a burning deep in his belly. It had started out small and grown until his entire body felt as if it were going up in flames, except it didn’t hurt.
There had come a time when he felt as if there was another entity inhabiting his body, but yet not. It was as though his dragon was its own separate being and still him at the same time. Ivo had been terrified until he got his first real taste of Vitki, and then it no longer mattered. He had just been along for the ride as his dragon took what it wanted, what they both wanted.
Now, Ivo would gladly give in to his dragon if it meant keeping Vitki.
Ivo sat up when he heard a retching noise from the bathroom. “Vitki?”
When he heard the noise again, Ivo jumped out of bed and raced to the bathroom. He was shocked to find Vitki hunched over the toilet, spewing.
Oh god, had someone poisoned him?
The danger was still present even if they had locked themselves in Ivo’s quarters. They had blocked the fireplace entrance so they would know if someone tried to enter, but what about the secret passages they didn’t know about? Could someone have gotten in and put poison in their food?
“Vitki?” Ivo winced when the man looked up at him with pained eyes. He quickly grabbed a washcloth and wet it, then filled a glass with water. He carried both over to Vitki. Kneeling next to him, he held the glass out. “Rinse and spit, baby.”
Ivo was glad Vitki didn’t argue with him. Of course, it looked as if the man didn’t have the strength to argue. Once Vitki was done rinsing his mouth, Ivo wiped his face down with the wet washcloth. He reached up and flushed the toilet. No sense in smelling that.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m dying.”
Ivo prayed he didn’t mean that literally.
Vitki groaned before sliding down to the floor, his head coming to rest in Ivo’s lap. He wrapped an arm around Ivo’s back, holding him close as if he thought Ivo might try and escape.
As if. Ivo was right where he wanted to be.
Ivo stretched his legs out on either side of Vitki to give the man more room. Once Vitki was settled, Ivo brushed his fingers through the man’s short hair. “What’s wrong, handsome? Did you eat something that didn’t agree with you or something?”
“You did this to me.”
“Wha— I wouldn’t—”
Vitki grabbed Ivo’s hand and placed it on his neck. Ivo frowned as his fingers encountered something that felt bumpy. He leaned down to get a closer look. Green, scaly. “What is that?”
“It’s a dragon ring.”
“A what?”
“Once the dragon ring is fully formed all the way around my throat, I will give birth to the next royal heir to the throne, your child.”
“Wait, you—” Ivo burst out laughing, knowing Vitki had to be pulling his leg. “Okay, really, what’s wrong?”
“I’m serious, Ivo.”
“You’re a man, Vitki. Men do not give birth.”
“Men don’t turn into dragons either, but we do.”
Ivo thought for half a second…and then he shook his head. “No, that’s not possible.”
“For the average person, maybe. Even for the average dragon, that might be true, but there is nothing average about you. There is a legend that says those of royal blood can impregnate their mates, male or female, to ensure the royal line continues. When you claimed me a couple of days ago, you mated me. And at some point between then and now, especially with all of the sex we’ve been having, you knocked me up.”
