Page 41 of The Dragons' Healing Mate

“Sorry, I don’t mean to come on strong.”

“N-no, it’s not that,” I told her. “I’ve just never had a mother.”

Ma’s face fell, pity taking over. “Oh, Rowan…” She took a step forward, embracing me, her warm scent a comforting blanket. “You know, you should talk to your mates—they may know more about who you were before.”

Did I want to know about my past? Did I have a family that was missing me? I had done my best to banish those thoughts over the last few years.

“Did I have parents?” I asked in a soft voice.

Ma rubbed her hands on my upper arms in a comforting gesture. “You had a mother, who, from my understanding, you were close to. When you went missing, the boys kept an eye on her. Unfortunately, she passed a few years ago.”

My eyes filled with tears, grieving for a woman I hadn’t even met. “Oh… She died, thinking I was dead?”

“She would have been ecstatic to see you today. So proud of you.”

The heavy pit in my stomach grew. “How do you know that?”

“Because any mother would be proud of you. Rowan, you are smart, strong, and resilient. You’ve literally come back from the brink of death. Any mother would be ecstatic to have you in their family. I know I am.”

I swallowed, my throat tight with emotion. “Thank you, Ma.”

“Now, enough of this. I was asking about laundry, and it turned into…”

“Actually, I was going to ask whether there’s anywhere nearby where I can buy some more clothes? I’ve ruined a few of my T-shirts, so I only have two left. I can’t keep stealing them off Griffin, because Bastian gets grumpy, so I need a few of my own.”

Ma paused, turning to look at me, a thoughtful expression on her face. “I’ve been meaning to go into town: how about you and Nina come with me? I know she needs a few things. We can make a girls’ day of it. You could do with a few hours off.”

“There’s so much to do, though.”

“The clinic and the horde will survive if you take the morning off.”

Ma was already pulling out her phone, holding it up to her ear. “Hey, sweetheart, want to come with me and Rowan for a shopping trip? Yeah. Uh-huh. Brilliant! See you soon!”

She hung up, beaming at me. “Nina will be here in just a moment! She seemed more than eager. Now, more bacon?”

Twenty minutes later, Nina joined us, vibrating at the prospect of a shopping trip.

“Which car shall we take? Should we borrow one of the Alphas’? Mine’s pretty run-down and probably won’t make it to town. There are too many of us to fit in Nix’s truck, though.” Nina spoke around a mouthful of bacon. The moment she had entered the kitchen, she had made a beeline for it, plucking a piece off the plate and popping it in her mouth.

“Who’s talking about my truck?” Nix asked, walking into the room.

“We’re going clothes shopping,” I explained with a smile.

“Good luck,” he said, looking at me. “These women treat shopping like a sport.”

“I think I’ll survive.” I chuckled. “We were just discussing whose vehicle to take.”

Nix’s brow rose. “You could always take Bastian’s car. That thing is giant.”

“Actually, can we take my car?” I asked. “It’s been sitting still for so long, a short trip would do it good”

“That sounds like an excellent plan,” Ma said, beaming at me. “Can I drive? It’s been a while, and I kind of miss it.”

I didn’t even think twice before nodding.

“I knew you had a nice car, but I had no idea it wasthisnice.” Nina whistled as she slid into the back seat of my SUV, Ma taking the driver’s seat.

“I have to drive this thing across the country, so I decided I needed to invest in a good vehicle. Also, it’s notthatgood. It’s five years old, been in several scrapes and bumps,andthe seats are starting to wear out.”