The Dragon’s Chance by Jessie Donovan
Epilogue
A Little Over a Year Later
Sylvia watched as Connor dished out the last of the special meal they'd made into a large dish, and she directed her other four older children to carry all of the plates and bowls filled with food outside.
As she was extremely pregnant with her seventh—and final since Jake was getting a vasectomy—child, no one would let her do anything. Which had been nice at first, but it had grown to ridiculous proportions.
Her dragon laughed. You know they're just worried about you.
I know, but I'm a pro at this by now. You think they'd trust me.
They do. But Jake missed the time we were pregnant with Sophie, and I think he's making up for it.
Sylvia suspected it as well, which was the only reason she didn't let her temper loose more often. Just another two months and this will be over. As much as I love my children, I look forward to the never being pregnant again part.
Her beast laughed just as Jake walked in, pulled her close, and kissed her. "Talking with your dragon about me behind my back?"
Her lips twitched. "Aye, maybe."
He kissed her and then lightly smacked her bum. "You know she always ends up on my side, though."
She raised an eyebrow. "Not always."
He grinned. "I know. She wants me to always walk around without any clothes on. But that's one I'm standing firm on."
Her beast grumbled and Sylvia laughed. "She'll wear you down eventually."
He opened his mouth to reply, but their unborn wee one did a tumble and kicked. Since Jake was up against her belly, he felt it and put his hand over the spot. "Are you trying to tell your mom and dad to cut it out? If so, you're going to be doing that your whole life."
Sylvia placed her hand over his. Even though dragon-shifters traditionally waited until the birth to find out the gender, Jake had worn her down, eager to prepare for his second child. She said, "No doubt she'll team up with her sister and create a united front against us."
"If I can handle my five stepchildren, plus a few of their mates, as well as our daughter, I think I can handle one more."
"Aye, maybe. But there could be another mate to add to the crowd before long, given how Ian keeps avoiding your niece above everyone else."
Jake frowned. "Are you sure he didn't say if she's his true mate or not?"
She shook her head. "Ian's the quiet one and keeps more to himself. And believe me, if Emma can't get it out of him, no one can. Not even being his twin is enough to crack him."
Jake grunted. "Well, I'll just watch the pair closely. This is only the second time my nieces and nephew have really interacted with dragon-shifters—not since our wedding—and not all of them are as comfortable as I am. Maybe she's merely avoiding him."
Sylvia leaned against him. "They'll be fine, I'm sure. Speaking of which, we should go outside to join them and the others. After spending the day hiking and swimming, I'm sure everyone's famished. And when my children are hungry, they pick fights. And I'd rather save us all from that."
Jake chuckled before turning her toward him again and cupping her cheek. "In a minute. I need a little taste of my mate before dealing with that crowd again."
She smiled as he took her lips in a deep, searching kiss, making her moan and grip onto him. Her belly made it harder to kiss him like this, but they somehow managed.
And as Jake lay claim to her mouth, showing her that he loved her even more than before, Sylvia sighed and wondered for the thousandth time how she'd been lucky to find love twice in her life.
But then Jake turned their kiss into a bit more, whisking her to a side room and making her come with his fingers, and she simply embraced her happiness with the one-night stand that had ended up stealing her heart forever.
* * *
Thank you for reading! I hope you loved Jake and Sylvia. The next story in the Lochguard Highland Dragons series will be The Dragon’s Memory, about Logan Lamont and Emma MacAllister. When Logan pushes Emma out of the way of a rockslide, he’s hit in the head and falls into the lake. While he survives, he wakes up with no memory of who is and doesn’t remember any of the people on Lochguard. As Emma realizes how much Logan truly means to her and how she’s taken him for granted, trouble stirs. Will she be able to fight for the best friend she now sees as more? Or will Emma have to sacrifice everything in order to protect her clan?
Click to preorder THE DRAGON’S MEMORY now on Amazon US(Click here for Amazon UK / Amazon AU / Amazon CA / Amazon DE), out May 5, 2022.
The next book in the overall reading order is Stonefire Dragons #14, Trusting the Dragon. Hudson Wells never thought another female would capture his attention, but from the first meeting with Sarah, when he helped to find her lost son, he felt a pull toward her. When only a marriage of convenience can help protect her, he agrees. Now he’s determined to win her trust and her heart for a second chance at love…
Preorder TRUSTING THE DRAGON on Amazon US(click here for Amazon UK / Amazon AU / Amazon CA / Amazon DE) to see what happens on January 20, 2022!
Curious about the American dragon-shifters living near Lake Tahoe that you met in this story? Victoria Lewis enters the dragon lottery on a whim and never imagined a tall, sexy dragonman picking her out of a room full of women. Little did she know, she's Jose Santos's true mate and he'll do anything to have her…
Order THE DRAGON'S CHOICE on Amazon US(click here for Amazon UK / Amazon AU / Amazon CA / Amazon DE) to see what happens on Clan PineRock.
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