Then she left, and Alistair's heart rate ticked up. After so long, he was finally going to see Kiyana again. He hoped it wouldn't be awkward.
But even if it was,
he'd start over and work toward getting back to where they'd been.
The door opened, revealing Kiyana's dark eyes and curly hair. The second her eyes met his, he forgot about his worry and all the bloody awful things that had transpired over the past three months.
His true mate was here, and the world felt brighter.
Aye, it was poetic but true. He murmured, "Kiyana."
She smiled, and Alistair felt stronger than he had for days. Each step she took toward him happened in slow motion, but she finally reached his side. He took her hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it. Inhaling her scent—the one that had visited him so many times in his dreams—he froze. It wasn't just her scent. No, it was his, too.
Which meant only one thing.
Meeting her gaze, he asked, "Is it true? Are you pregnant?"
As soon as the words were out, he felt a stirring in the back of his mind. It seemed he might learn about both his child and the state of his dragon before too much longer.
~~~
Kiyana didn't remember the walk to Alistair's room. But as she laid her eyes on his pale face and a body much leaner than it'd been before, her heart squeezed. Her strong, healthy dragonman looked weak.
But then his gaze found hers and the happiness in his mismatched eyes washed away her concerns. Alistair had a difficult recovery ahead of him, but he was still here. And all she wanted to do was rush to him and jump into his arms.
However, Layla had warned about taking the initial meeting slowly. Only once the doctor was certain Alistair's dragon wouldn't act up would she leave them alone.
Making her feet work, she crossed the room, never taking her gaze from Alistair's. When she finally reached him, and he took her hand, a jolt of electricity raced up her arm at his touch. And then he kissed her hand, and she sighed in happiness. His touch made most of her anxiety and fears melt away.
However, Alistair looked up at her with curiosity, his pupils flashing for a split second. "Is it true? Are you pregnant?"
Before she could answer, Layla was there and demanded, "Is your dragon awake? Is he acting up?"
Alistair never looked away as he answered, "He's there, but he hasn't said anything. Now, if you don't mind, I want to know if my mate is pregnant."
Kiyana jumped in. "Future mate, remember?"
Worry crossed his face, and Kiyana felt three inches tall. She didn't want to toy with Alistair, only tease him.
It seemed teasing would only become natural again with time.
She quickly continued, "Don't worry, I'm not retreating. I'm still here, aren't I?"
He never released her hand. "And is there a bairn?"
Unsure of how to say it, she nodded.
Alistair kissed her hand again and closed his eyes. "Thank you, Kiyana. I know it must've been hell, but thank you. I'll be the best father in the world, aye? I vow it."
She should be happy, but anger shot through her. "Me going through hell? We almost lost you, Alistair, and more than once. You nearly died for the chance to maybe have a child. Just be glad you didn't die because I would've brought you back to kill you myself."
He met her gaze again. "I'm still here, aye?"
She couldn't help but smile at him echoing her own words. "I think going forward, we need to work on communication. Since there are no longer restrictions on me seeing you, we should do fine."
Layla chimed in. "I'm still determining that, to be fair."
Frowning, Kiyana finally looked away from Alistair to the female doctor. "What do you mean?"