If Charlotte had been surprised by the cheek kiss, she was stunned by lean, lethal-looking Bael throwing his muscled arms around her shoulders and hugging her like his life depended on it. “Oh, thank goodness!”

Dragons were possessive and dangerously protective of pregnant mates. And yet, this man was … hugging her?

“I’m just so glad you’re here,” Bael said, still hugging Charlotte. “She’s got a giant metal egg inside her. Please help.”

Jillian shook her head, bemused. “Bael’s a little overwhelmed by the idea of how the egg is going to get out.”

“We’ll figure that out just as soon as possible,” Charlotte promised him, turning to Jillian. “You’re my ‘priority case,’ according to Ms. Hiyashi.”

“Because I’m a League employee?” Jillian asked, frowning.

“No, because we don’t have any dragon-phoenix pregnancies on record … and Ms. Hiyashi really likes you,” Charlotte said. “She knows how hard you’ve been working and wants to make sure you’re taken care of.”

“Aw, I’m still getting used to the idea that she knows my name,” Jillian sighed, her eyes getting misty.

Charlotte chuckled. “Well, obviously, you’re pretty busy right now, but how soon would you like to have an exam? I’m assuming you’re having a honeymoon of some sort?”

Jillian sniffed and waved her hand in front of her eyes to ward off the oncoming tears. “Yes, I won’t be able to help you acclimate to your new job as I will be on a brief honeymoon, in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, that Bael will not give anyone coordinates for, in fear that people will track us down and tell us all about their problems.”

“It tends to happen a lot,” Bael muttered, having finally let go of Charlotte.

Jillian added, “Followed by being sequestered until I give birth.”

“Well, I’ll be with you the whole time, so at least you won’t be lonely! This is my cell phone number. If you have problems at all, you call me. Doesn’t matter how minor you think it is, or how silly you feel, you call me.”

Jillian wrapped her arms around Charlotte’s shoulders. “Thank you. You seem nice, I almost hate to tell you that the ‘confinement’ will be in a cave in the middle of nowhere, also in a place Bael will not provide coordinates for.

Charlotte snickered. “I once helped a Yeti give birth inside a glacier. I can handle it.”

“In the meantime, Dr. Carmody will be able to answer all of your questions and help you figure out a patient list,” Jillian said. “To be honest, we don’t know how long we’re going to need you. With all the people coupling up lately, it would seem like it could be a while. The baby betting pool on Sonja vs. Dani has been vicious.”

“That offends a lot of my sensibilities,” Sonja muttered.