Asche now developed several moods.

The mood for today was ominous.

He snapped at my every touch and he even hissed at me like a snake. Am I doing something wrong? Ever since the day before yesterday when he locked himself into the bathroom, he's been in a foul, negative mood.

If I opened my lips to ask him a question, he'd snap and turn away from me. Every passing day made me feel weary. My affections were for naught. For every bundle of roses I bought, he tossed them in the trash bin. Every kiss, he rebuffed, every touch, swatted away. How much longer must I take his cold rejection? It's killing me softly.

He's swollen with my child and my dragon's protective desires are taking effect. His inner desire to claim and mark what's his is grower stronger as Asche gets further into his pregnancy. What he doesn't understand is that there's another half of me that possesses savage desires and he won't take no for an answer.

To further complicate the situation to a serious point, I'll be going into heat in the next three days. Gods help him, for it lasts a week. A dragon's heat cannot be avoided nor suppressed. The urge is so strong that we lose ourselves the entire duration of it. To keep Asche safe, I'll have to lock myself away. I don't desire anybody else but him and if I can't have him, I'd rather my cock catch cobwebs from celibacy than to lay with another lover.

"Baby, can't I just feel you, I have no lewd intentions." I pleaded, pivoting closer to Asche in the bed.

"Are you deaf? I said no. I'm not in the mood." He grumbled, inching away from me, giving me the view of his back.

I sighed and my heart shattered further. A frown formed on my lips and I chanced tucking a stray lock behind his ear and kissing his shoulder, determined to wiggle my way into his heart.

"Is it because you consider me hideous?" I asked, my frown deepening at that thought.

He pshawed and mumbled something under his breath that my supernatural hearing caught immediately.

"So if it isn't my looks, then what is it?" I asked softly, temporarily appeased by his denial.

"Why the hell do you care?" He spun to face me, our noses almost touching, his eyes flashing with anger, then he turned away again, gripping the sheets tight.

"Because you gave me a reason to live on. You're my mate Asche, whether you accept it or not, it's what the fates decided and I accepted it with open arms. I can't live on without you, you have no idea what it'll do to me. All I'm asking for is a chance to love you. Please, I'm aching inside." I wrapped my arm around his chest and inhaled the crook of his shoulders, sighing in pleasure.

I felt him tremble under my touch as silence cloaked the atmosphere.

It was almost half a minute before he spoke, "I'll only cause you misery. I'm a damaged man through and through."

His self-loathing comment made my heartache and I held him tighter against me. I peppered kisses along his shoulder, "I like a challenge. I never said I wanted a perfect lover or a mate. I'm complicated myself and I'm willing to help you get through this. We're in this together baby, let me in and I'll wash away all your sorrows. Just let me in Asche." I whispered in his ear, snaking my hand tenderly around his throat, kissing him softly on the delicate spot.

"I'll scorch you with my flames of passion," It was barely a whisper.

He trembled, the heat of his flush spreading along his ears. "I'm broken," He almost whimpered.

"The floodgates of my pleasure will fill you with joyous rapture," I licked along his throat and nibbled his jawline. "I'm not like the humans who've betrayed you. Trust me, Asche. I can love you until tears of joy fill your eyes, none of agony will ever fill them anymore. Let me in, Asche."

"Please don't make me do this," He begged, clenching the sheets tighter, keeping his eyes averted on the sheets.

"I'm not forcing you." I suckled on his throat, eliciting a low moan from his lips. "The choice is yours. Are you going to condemn yourself as well as every potential partner that crosses your path? Or are you going to embrace the chance to experience what true love is? You only live once, baby and you deserve better my beautiful little human."

I heard him release a soft gasp at my words.

I gently turned him to face me and took him in my arms. He clutched me as I cradled him and stroked his hair.

"I don't want to be here." He spoke into my chest.

I nodded in understanding. "Where do you want to go?" I asked, threading my hand through his feathery soft hair.

He snuggled closer to me, inhaling my scent through my shirt. "A place where I can raise my child properly."

"Our child," I corrected subtly.

"Whatever," He sniffed, fighting back tears. "I don't want my child to walk the same path I did. I refuse to allow him or her to suffer as I did. I want better for them."

I kissed his eyelid, "And they shall have better and more. As long as there's breath in my body, our child will need for nothing. Neither will you. Even if--if you decide not to be with me, I'll be there for you regardless. You're a part of me now, body and soul. Someday you'll come to understand that."

He tilted his head up to study me with watery eyes. "I don't understand," He gripped my shirt tighter. "How can you love someone like me? What about me are you attracted to? I'm confused and it's driving me crazy!"

"Calm down, baby. There's no need to get stressed about it. What you need to know is that it was unexpected and the first time I laid eyes on you, I already made up in my mind to make you mine, your sassy attitude and all. There's something about you that sets my world on fire and despite your flaws, I see a man that's open his heart to many and has now closed it to all. You intrigue me and I'm hoping we can take this one step at a time and get to know each other more."

"I'm a prostitute." He deadpanned.

"Was a prostitute," I tapped a chiding finger on his nose.

"I never told you I stopped selling my ass," He gave me a droll stare with a shrug.

"When last did you?" I quirked a brow.

A slow grin peeled on his lips and he scoffed. "After you knocked me up, I didn't have a chance to."

I found myself smiling. Good because I didn't want to burn someone anyway. No man will be shoving his genitals where our child lies. Any man what does that will be a dead man.

But Asche did not need to know that so I kept my thoughts to myself.

What he needed to know was that in the next few days I'd become a libido-driven beast.

I swallowed hard.

This isn't going to be easy.