Chapter Forty-Two

Chapter Forty-Two

Just a bit more…

When Lauren and Daxter walked back into the courtyard—she wasn't surprised to see the others had exchanged the wedding dresses they wore for a hot minute—for jeans. She had done the same.

The music was going and Makayla was on the dance floor teaching Falcon and a handful of aliens how to do the Texas Two-Step. Lauren wanted to dance too, but first, she needed food. Like really needed food. She didn't wind her way to the tables, but headed right for the BBQ pit Makayla had set up yesterday. They'd smoked several types of meat and had a grill going. She wasn't interested in the salads and fixings. She wanted meat.

When she loaded her plate, she followed Daxter to the center tables where Kaitlyn and Tallie were sitting. Lauren sat by her cousin and started to eat. She wasn't paying attention to what they had to say. All she could focus on was the food. A few moments in, when the dragon-child size hole in her stomach was just a little satisfied, she looked up to find Kait was watching her every move. Frowning, she asked, "What?"

Kait looked at her plate, and Lauren dropped her gaze to see that she was almost done. She looked back up at her cousin, who continued to watch her. "What is going on?" she demanded.

But her cousin just smiled tightly and didn't answer. Kait shifted her gaze to Daxter and asked, "Can you explain that?"

Her new husband ducked his head and sighed. When he looked up, he took Lauren's hand in his and gently said, "One of the side effects of carrying a dragon child is that your appetite will change. For the first few months, you will crave raw meat."

Lauren frowned at him. "What are you talking about? I don't…" Then it dawned on her. It explained the bones she often found on the floor beside the bed. She looked down at her plate and realized that the meat she chose… had been raw. And she devoured it. Pulling her hand away from Daxter, she placed it over her stomach. Afraid she might get sick. She waited a minute and realized that no, she felt ok. In fact, she felt good. Really good.

Looking up, she met Kaitlyn's gaze. Her cousin looked worried. Lauren shook her head. "It's okay." She shifted her focus to Daxter. "Where has the meat been coming from?" But she thought she already knew that answer.

Taking her hand again, Daxter said, "I would do anything for you. Even keep you from discovering this side of the new you." He held up a hand. "I know. I have to stop hiding things from you. You need to know what is going on with your body. In the beginning, I thought the best way to handle the baby's needs would be to go hunting when you fell asleep each night. I would kill, skin, and sometimes debone a creature and put the fresh meat beside you as you slept. In a dream state, you consumed the raw meat without being aware."

Lauren didn't say anything for long minutes, thinking of what this meant for her. She took a deep breath and then looked around the courtyard at Makayla dancing and laughing with Falcon. She smiled, thinking of all the friends they'd made since the day she and Kaitlyn were captured.

Shifting in her seat, she looked at Kaitlyn. "We're going to be okay. No matter what happens, we've got each other and the loves of our life. We're going to be okay."

Kaitlyn laughed and stood, holding on to Viktal. "We sure are. Come on, Little Bit . Let's show our men how to dance!"

And so they did.

THE END!