Page 9 of The Dragons' Healing Mate

She directed that last part to Orsen, who just rolled his eyes, giving her a curt nod.

“Nix and I will fly next to them,” I offered, yanking my clanmate up to me, who bobbed his head with a dopey grin. “We’ll make sure that you and Colin get back there safely.”

“Thank you,” Colin whispered, his head lowered to me in a show of respect.

It didn’t really matter what the rest of us thought; Rowan believed him, believed they needed help. Not only was she an Alpha with all the prescribed powers, but she was our mate. And both Orsen and Bastian needed to come to terms with the fact that meant we’d do anything for her,includingputting our own shit on the back burner.

“Ugh, let’s go, then.” Orsen shot Colin a look, his eyes narrowed. “I expect you to prove your dedication to the horde at every fucking turn. Understood?”

Colin inclined his head. “Of course. Truly, we are incredibly grateful.”

“Yeah, don’t thank us just yet.” Orsen proceeded to the door, pulling his shirt over his head so it wouldn’t tear when he shifted. “I haven’t decided what punishment you’ll be getting. Actually,” he turned back to us, “Nix, you walk back with Rowan. I want to keep an eye on this guy.”

With that, he stormed out. The air shifted, and a heartbeat later the silence cracked open with the combined roars of him and Bastian overhead as they met in the sky. The room descended into quiet, and I sighed.

Yeah, this is going to be real fucking fun.

Rowan

Nix had been more than happy to comply with Orsen’s order.

He strolled with me through the woodland quietly, watching me fuss over the baby.

“You seem happy,” he commented.

“Babies make me happy. So cute and small.” I sighed. “Plus, this guy is a fighter.”

“He is, isn’t he? Also, I like the move you pulled back there. The whole ‘I’m an Alpha, too’ thing.”

I groaned. “Did I go too far?”

Nix shook his head. “Not at all. In fact, I think you went just far enough. You are going to make an excellent Alpha.”

“I don’t know about that.”

“I do.” He beamed, looking between me and the baby as I focused on the path to avoid any loose branches that could trip me up. “You care, but you don’t let people push you around—including us.”

His hand rested on my lower back, gently guiding me. After an hour of walking, my arms ached, but there was no way I was going to hand the baby over. Allison had trusted me with her child, and I took that seriously.

Eventually, we made it back to the den, where several enforcers, Nina, and Ma were waiting for us. Just as we entered the courtyard, we were joined by everyone else who had flown. They must have been hovering, watching over us to make sure we got back safely, otherwise they would have been back in a fraction of the time it took us.

Walking over to Allison, who was in her mate’s arms, I could see the anxiety melt off her face as I handed her the baby.

“Rowan!” Griff shouted, running up to me and pulling me into a hug. “You scared the crap out of me.”

“I’m fine,” I assured him, doing my best to look sincere.

His hair was a mess, and his eyes were wide. He had been worried about me.

“Never again,” he muttered, pulling himself together.

“You’re just mad you had to run around, looking for me.” I chuckled, lightening the mood.

“Totally,” he agreed, kissing the top of my head. A few of the Alphas growled, but he just leveled them with a glare before turning his attention elsewhere.

“We have… visitors?” Ma asked from nearby, taking in the scene. We’d come up to the back door that led into the kitchen and were now squarely inherdomain.

“No.” I shook my head, turning away from the new parents with a smile, utterly avoiding the glare I could feel on the back of my head, courtesy of Orsen. “Allison and Colin are going to be living here with us. They’re in a bit of a bind with the new baby and all. Would you help get them settled in? I imagine there’s a spare?—”