‘‘Jim!’’ Aisling snapped, grabbing up a magazine and leaning over to whap the demon. She gasped instead, dropping the magazine and grabbing at her belly. Instantly, Drake, who was seated at the other end of the table, was at her side, kneeling next to her.

‘‘Kincsem, are you all right?’’

‘‘I’m fine; it’s just a muscle twinge.’’

Gabriel, who had been standing behind me, his hand warm on my back, moved around me to Aisling’s other side. He put a hand on her belly. ‘‘What did it feel like? Have you had any other pain this morning?’’

A completely irrational desire to yank him away from her washed over me, a desire I stomped upon as firmly as possible. I may still be struggling with the depth of feelings I felt for Gabriel, but I was not going to let jealousy get the better of me.

‘‘Stop touching my mate!’’ Drake demanded, scowling at Gabriel’s hand on Aisling’s very pregnant stomach.

I wholly approved of Drake’s demand.

‘‘I am a healer,’’ Gabriel answered, squatting next to Aisling. He pressed gently on different parts of her belly. ‘‘If she is in labor, I can help her with the pain.’’

I moved over to stand directly behind him, nudging him with my knee.

‘‘Guys, I’m not in labor. I just moved too quickly, OK?’’ Aisling said.

‘‘Take your hands off her,’’ Drake said in a low voice that sounded very much like a growl.

Jim sucked in its breath, sitting up to watch.

‘‘I’m not hurting her,’’ Gabriel answered, bending over her belly as he continued to gently prod her. ‘‘I’m simply trying to ascertain if she’s in labor or not. Aisling, is the pain sharp or dull?’’

The door opened, and Gabriel’s two bodyguards, Tipene and Maata, entered. Behind them came one of Drake’s men, a thick-necked, redheaded man named István. The latter picked up on Gabriel’s question.

‘‘Aisling is in pain? She is having the baby?’’

‘‘I should examine you more fully,’’ Gabriel said, smiling at Aisling as he took her hand. ‘‘Do not worry, Aisling. I have delivered many dragons over the centuries. My mother is a very good midwife and has taught me well.’’

Drake snatched up her other hand. ‘‘You will not examine my mate any further! We have an excellent green-dragon midwife who is attending her. Now, get away from her before I have you removed!’’

Aisling looked perfectly fine to me. She rolled her eyes, casting a pleading look skyward. I might not have experience in this area, but it was clear to me that she was not in labor. I shot a glare at Gabriel, grinding my teeth just a little at the stupidity of what was normally such a bright man, my fingers itching to pry his hand from Aisling’s.

‘‘I will tell you once more—remove your hands from her!’’ Drake’s voice got even more menacing.

‘‘Gabriel, I think she would know if she was in labor,’’ I said, nudging the dragon of my dreams a bit more forcefully.

‘‘A voice of reason at last,’’ Aisling said, giving me a smile. ‘‘Guys, I’m not—’’

István turned in the doorway and bellowed out of it. ‘‘Pál! Call the midwife! Aisling is in labor! I will call Nora and Rene. They wish to be here, yes? Should I boil water?’’

He evidently asked the last bit of Maata, who, as the female member of Gabriel’s attendants, was obviously expected to know the answer. Maata looked surprised. ‘‘Would it make you feel better to boil water?’’ she asked.

István nodded his head vigorously. ‘‘It is done, is it not? The boiling of water? It is important. I saw it in a movie.’’

‘‘Then, by all means, boil water,’’ she answered.

István nodded again, announced to the room in general, ‘‘I boil water!’’ and rushed out to suit action to word.

Pál, the second of Drake’s two redheaded bodyguards, slammed into István as he was leaving, scattering apologies as he dashed into the room, a cell phone in his hand. ‘‘The midwife’s phone is busy!’’ he said, offering the phone to Drake as proof.

‘‘Oh, man, if there’s going to be baby juice and blood and guck, I’m getting out of here,’’ Jim said, sidling around the clutch of people that surrounded Aisling. ‘‘I’m going to Amelie’s to be with Cecile. Someone tell me when it’s all over.’’

‘‘Hello, can anyone hear me? I’m not in labor!’’ Aisling said.

‘‘What should I do?’’ Pál asked Drake, shaking the phone at him. ‘‘It is busy! Busy! How can it be busy?’’

A little wisp of smoke escaped Drake’s nose as he glared at the phone. ‘‘It should not be busy. Go fetch her. There is no business she can have as important as this.’’

Pál didn’t stop to answer; he just bolted from the room.

‘‘Oh, for the love of Pete! I’m not in pain! And unless dragons have some sort of painless labor, a notion your mother vehemently says is false, then I’m not having the baby,’’ Aisling said, but was drowned out by Maata asking if Gabriel needed help at the same time Tipene offered to take over midwife phone duty.

Gabriel stood, putting one arm behind Aisling, obviously about to lift her out of the chair.

‘‘I will take you upstairs to your room and examine you. You could be further along than you think.’’

‘‘Gabriel,’’ Drake said in a low, mean voice, his eyes narrow slits of emerald. I had the feeling he was a cat about to pounce.

Aisling looked at me. ‘‘How do you feel about violence against your loved ones?’’

I eyed a nearby silver coffee carafe. It looked heavy enough to dent even the densest of dragon skulls. ‘‘I’m starting to see the appeal of it.’’

‘‘I completely under—oh!’’ Aisling hunched forward again as Gabriel slid his arm under her legs.

Drake exploded, slamming Gabriel up against the wall, snarling something that sounded vicious, his arm against Gabriel’s windpipe.

Maata and Tipene were instantly at his side but at a gesture from Gabriel backed away.