Chapter 25

~Kamari~

They never were going to give me a chance. Somehow, Javall had a stake in having me gone. But by Calea's screams, she knew nothing, and I just left her there. I swallow hard with my knees to my chest. I woke up a while ago. Bandages wrapped my lower abdomen, I lay my hand against it. "Maybe he missed…"

No. Javall had meant to kill what grew inside of me. And because Dragons grew so fast, it probably already had a heartbeat. How could I know for sure? My eyes burn as I lay my head in my arms. I probably looked like a damn mess. Nye, Aneth, and Koa weren't here, but I knew they'd return. I didn't know how far away from the Kingdom we were. Nye most likely tripled it, so I wouldn't try to walk back. I meekly smile.

I press my hand against my wound. I wanted this situation to work out. My people finally believed in me and loved my Husbands, especially the little boy. "Grace of Kadea…" my voice cracks. My chest is tight, and I find it harder to breathe, and my lungs start to burn as if Oxygen isn't enough. My throat dries and feels like sandpaper with every breath.

Oh no…

Javall must have enchanted the dagger. When I clenched the ground, I noticed that the skin on my arm was starting to flake. I shudder, and my heart slams against my rib cage, fear riding through my veins. I couldn't cry out for help. The crisp sound of water nearby causes me to yearn for it like I never have before. It lures me, and I start to crawl towards it for whatever reason. An Oasis-like blue pool with a gushing waterfall comes into view. 

I waste no time crawling towards the edge and falling into the water. I don't know what made me do this; I couldn't breathe on land! And when I tried to come up for air I couldn't inhale anything. Panic sets in, my nose and throat burn like hell, and I can't help but inhale water. My body tries to fight against the invasion of liquid in my lungs. And all I can think about is one of my mates finding my dead body floating in this otherwise blessed place. 

I wait for the inevitable, and my heart pounds in my ears fast. Then it slows, but it doesn't stop. I feel the slightest movement in my lower abdomen. My hand moves there, and something bumps my hand. My heart spikes. I tear off my bandages, and there's no scar from the dagger; instead, there is a shimmer of teal. It takes me a moment to realize I'm breathing underwater. 

My whelps alive…

My tears add to the water as I wrap my arms around myself. A couple of pulses sent through the water from my lower abdomen startle me, and I watch as my abdomen grows. I look up towards the surface where the sun beamed cracks of light down upon me. How long have I been down here? I couldn't tell. And when my abdomen stops glowing, I feel a shift in my body. 

Air.

I swim up to the surface when my head is above water. I breathe in, feeling my lungs expand. I grip the edge of the Oasis, "Oh, Kadea's merciful Hell!" I groan as I pull myself up. My own body confused me. "Ugh," I groan again as I lay on my back, feeling a weight against my bladder. I turn, not liking the urge to pee. 

"Kamari!" Nye's voice rips through the forest. When he comes into view, followed by Koa and Aneth, I wave lazily at them, "Hi." They rush towards me. Nye helps me up. "Why did you leave?" he says through his teeth. I knew it came from a place of worry, so I wasn't going to get angry with him.

"Ask the little one," I point out, " They wanted to take me swimming. It almost drowned me. But apparently, I can breathe water when they want to, which is why my bandage is gone. They healed me." I watch as Koa kneels before me, and he places his hands on my abdomen and his ear to my flesh. 

Koa's lips curve into a warm smile, "He grows." 

"He?" A warmth spreads through my chest.

Koa smiles up at me, "My whelp grows strong." He says that weight feels like it's been lifted off my shoulders. Koa looks behind me at Nye, "I need to stay near; Kamari can't breathe water for long." I didn't have to turn around to know what kind of look Nye would give Koa. 

"She's stopped bleeding." Nye adds, "You will not be with her without me." He enforces. Koa gives Nye a soft hiss. The chill breeze makes me want to cover up, and I reach for my "coat" but realize I don't have any clothes on. "What happened to my clothes?"

Aneth says, "I used them as Bandages and made you drink medicine." My brows furrow; oh, that's right, Calea's potion. "Thank you, all of you." I was almost afraid to ask, "How bad is it?" I referred to what happened in the kingdom; I assumed they knew what I meant.

"I burned the Kingdom to ashes." Nye's words make my blood run cold. I whip my head around to him, and my heart nearly lunges out of my chest. "What?" My voice breathlessly.

His face turned from serious to a cocky half-smile, "Well, I thought about it." 

I leer at him, "Don't do that." I wasn't in the mood for Nye's dark humor. 

Aneth answers my question, "Browen will take the throne. Javall is part of it."

 I pinch my eyes closed, trying to ignore the burning in my chest. I shake my head, "He'll ruin it. Brown doesn't care about the Kingdom. He wants the title." All I could hear in my head is Veldon's voice. I knew in my soul I couldn't let Browen destroy my Kingdom, not when Veldon's blood and body lay there. 

In the condition I'm in, I can't do anything without risking my whelp's life. Sadly, I'll have to wait until he's born. I curse under my breath and try to sit, but I end up falling on my butt. "Ouch!" A sting of pain radiates up my spine, "Mmph." 

No. There is no way I could fight anyone in this shape. My husbands stared down at me with curious looks, "What? My center of gravity has shifted."

Oddly, I wasn't showing, but I could feel weight.

Nye sits behind me and pulls me into him, and the heat from his body relaxes the ache in my back, and I melt against him.

"I'm starving," I say with my eyes closed, lying against Nye's broad chest. A splash in the water gets my attention, and I notice Koa is gone. "Is he doing what I think he's doing?"

"Fishing? Yes," Aneth says, and I notice the sleek fabric he wears around his waist, unlike Koa and Nye. "I like that. Did you make it?" I ask.

Aneth smiles warmly, "Yes. I made one for Koa and Nye. They refuse to wear them—"

Nye growls, "You're mundane attributes annoy me. Get rid of them. We aren't human. Dragons do not need such things." Come to think of it, I did feel a growing hardness beneath me. 

Oh, good goddess…

I cleared my throat, "Actually, I think it would be a good idea." I turned to Nye, and he furrowed his brows at me. "You are in my domain now, darling. I make the rules, and I say no."

I purse my lips, thinking of a way to irk my stubborn husband. "Hm, okay." I wait for Koa to return, and when he does, an abundance of Fish flop onto the ground. And when he comes out, I make it a point to gaze right at his member, and I bite my finger. Koa notices me; his eyes haze, and he smirks at me. 

I giggle softly, then feel Nye's rumbling growl on my back. "You mean to provoke me into getting what you want." 

"Yes. Unless you want to gouge my eyes out." I taunt.

I feel Nye lean forward, his hot breath against my ear. "You don't need eyes to breed…" he says in a sinister tone. My jaw drops. Good goddess, I forgot how morbid Nye could get.

I lick my inner cheek. Nye had a way of pulling the raw primalness out of me. I glide my hands across his thighs, then slowly dig my nails into him. "Mm," he growls in his throat. Nye grips my hips, pulling me into him. "Deeper." His husky voice makes me shudder, and I do what he wants. 

I turn to face him, sit back on my heels, then wrap my arms around his neck. "I've missed you," I say softly as I lay my forehead against his. Nye's eyes soften, "So have I." 

"Do you mind if I wear one? I don't heat up like you do. I'd rather have something covering me." I lean into him. "Please?" I say softly.

Nye doesn't respond immediately, so I start buttering him with kisses on his neck. Nye's head falls back, and a soft moan escapes his lips. Then I nibble his ear and whisper seductively, "I'll dig my claws into your chest and ride you—Ah!' Nye gets up and strides to Aneth, "Give me your horrid clothing." He demands.

I wear a bitten smile as he snatches them from Aneth, then throws one to Koa, "Wear it, or I'll snap your neck," he growls out. I found it funny how Nye threatened Koa and Aneth with violence when I knew he would never kill them. Ever. 

When Nye approaches me, I notice a slight blush on his cheek. I can't help but take pride in that. "Here." Nye holds out the garments to me. 

I take them, "Awe, you're so sweet." I smile playfully. Nye rolls his eyes. "Just put it on Kamari. Or I'll—"

"Or you'll what?" I interrupt and lean forward, looking up at him through lowered lashes. "Spank me?" I give him a bitten-lip smile. 

"Please do." I taunt. 

Nyes' eyes hazed over, and his pursed-lip smile made my gut flutter. He chuckles darkly towards the sky, and then his icy eyes fall back on me, "You're going beg Kadea for mercy once I'm done with you." His voice makes my knees weak.

My breath catches in my throat, excitement and a pinch of fear racing through my veins. 

Oops.