All Chapters of Surrogate of the Sleeping Dragon: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Chapter 22: Distractions *Ember*Every morning I woke up and until I fell asleep at night, I couldn’t stop thinking about the embryo trying to nestle inside me like a seed trying to take root, its presence impossible to ignore. I placed a hand on my belly, anxiety twisting my insides into knots. What if something went wrong with the pregnancy? What if Kieran regretted his decision to have a child with me? My phone buzzed, startling me from my worries. Rowena's name flashed across the screen. I answered immediately, a spike of panic shooting through me. "Rowena, is everything okay?" "Just calling to check in on my favorite surrogacy mama," she said brightly. "How are you feeling?" I exhaled in relief, sinking into the cushions of one of the castle’s window seats where I’d taken up space to read."Nervous. Excited and terrified all at once," I admitted as I gazed out at the castle landscape stretching toward the horizon, sunlight dappling it in shades of emerald and go

*Ember*I sat outside in the gardens on one of the wooden benches sipping a cup of decaffeinated tea. Nola had been pushing me hard with training this morning and I just wanted to enjoy some afternoon solace on my own. I choked on my tea having a flashback to the bathroom last night after we discovered I hadn't hurt Kieran with my hands. In fact, finding out I could touch him with my bare hands was what started the whole wet and sticky situation in the shower. I had nothing to complain about though, Kieran always made sure I orgasmed too. I had heard men weren't always this attentive to their partners, and it was amazing to find that Kieran reciprocated in that department.I shook my head, trying to stop thinking about how amazing it had been last night. I stood and stretched, having enjoyed the sunshine outside. I had been getting into a routine, waking up early, studying with Nola, and practicing some fire magic. The afternoon was the perfect time for me to snuggle in the libr

*Ember*I imagined what the cannon would sound like as the boom of it shooting at us echoed in my ears. I had let my imagination run wild with this daydream and I thought I could hear Kieran shouting my name above the loud wind sailing around us. "Ember! Ember! Are you okay?" his voice called. My eyes shot open with surprise and I looked into Kieran's worried gaze.He must have been shaking my shoulders because I realized his hands were placed on either side of me as he sat haphazardly on the window seat. "Ember! You were talking in your sleep, I didn't mean to startle you," he explained, removing his hands off of my shoulders and placing them on his thighs. "I was?" I asked with a surprised tone. Perhaps my daydream was more than that… I must have started dreaming. "Maybe I fell asleep?""I think you did, you are probably tired from everything that happened this morning," Kieran said pointing toward my stomach. "Growing a baby is hard work.""I guess so," I said, feel

*Ember*"Kieran," I said, putting my book down while Kieran headed over to me and sat on the end of the lounge chair next to me. I observed him wondering why his shoulders seemed tense and his body was rigid as he sat down. Maybe he didn't sleep well. I couldn't help but reach out to grasp his arm empathizing with him since I too had been struggling to sleep lately."Ember," he said, sucking in a deep breath as my skin touched his. Did he not like it when I touched him? I had only just gotten used to the fact that I could touch him without hurting him. It would be discouraging if he didn't want me to touch him.Interrupting my thoughts, Kieran continued with a question as he looked deep into my eyes, "How are you?""Good. How are you? You don't look too good," I asked looking at him. He looked like he was going to throw up, perhaps he had been pushing himself too much lately.He gritted his teeth and gave me a tense smile. "What are you reading?"I sighed knowing he was ign

*Ember*We traveled in Kieran's car through the part of the Lockebrooke Forest that had a road. Kieran and I had finished our previous evening at Fae Fountain Tavern and early the next morning, he came to my room to wake me up for our trip to the forest. I watched as the large tree trunks passed by my window as he expertly drove around the curves and bends in the road, occasionally turning to glance at me. We had been quiet, sipping on the water in my travel cup taking it all in."Lockebrooke Forest," Kieran said with a whistle as he looked away from me and back through his windshield. "This forest must hold a lot of secrets. I'm interested to know how this Seraphina woman has survived in the woods for so long.""I know," I said, raising my eyebrows and placing my cup down. I continued speaking, uttering a question I was afraid to ask, "What do you think will happen?""I'm not sure, Ember," Kieran said with a concerned voice. "I think it's good that we prepared the others in ca