Page 79 of The Dragons' Healing Mate

Griff chuckled, turning me to face him. “Well, anyone with eyes can see that. Rowan, I know you’re terrified, but you’ve built a home here. Whether you meant to or not, it has happened. With every patient you saw and every friendship you developed, you’ve turned this place into your home. And it’s here to welcome you. Your past won’t change that. The Alphas aren’t the only ones who love you.”

Tears gathered in my eyes, quickly spilling over as I roughly wiped them away with the back of my hand. “I-I just need to see it. Even if I don’t remember… I need to close that door, once and for all.”

“In that case, I’ll pack a bag. We can be on the road in the next hour,” Griffin said, nodding. “I’ve got your back. Always.”

“Thank you,” I whispered. The tears were flowing freely now, and I let Griff pull me into a hug.

“Are you going to tell them?” he asked, his voice so close to my ear.

“I don’t know.” My voice cracked in the quiet of the room.

“Either you or Ihaveto,” he stated in a reasonable tone. “We both know they’ll freak out if you vanish, especially after what you guys got up to last night.”

“I should be able to just up and leave if I want to,” I growled, unsure why I felt so defensive. “That’s the way it’s always been.”

Griffin chuckled, pulling me back to look at me. “That’s because you’ve never set down roots. No one in your life really had that ‘important’ role. Sure, we’ve been friends for ages. But that’s just it. I’m your friend. They’reyourmates. That means a lot more.”

“I didn’t put down any roots here. They grew around me, anchoring me to this place, to this horde. I didn’t consciously choose it. Or them.”

Sighing, Griffin met my eyes hard. “If you knew what happened all those years ago and knew you were safe, would it change things?”

“I think it would changeeverything,” I said, sitting on the bed, him quickly joining me. “My feelings for them are so intense, and I know it’s the mate bond. Only, there’s something holding us back, particularly with Bastian. It’s something to do with my past. Until I confront it, I don’t think I can move forward.”

“And if youdon’tremember anything?” Griff raised his brows at me.

“Well, that’ll mean something, too. But I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.”

“Do you want me to talk to them?” he offered.

“No.” I shook my head. “I can’t tell them the truth about where I’m going. They’ll freak out and worry. I’ll tell them I’m going to help someone in a nearby horde. That it’s just a few days’ healing trip, and I’ll be back.”

“Do you think they’ll believe that?”

Nodding, I tried to ignore the growing tension in my gut. “We’ll take my SUV.”

“Rowan, I-I don’t like it. You should tell them the truth.”

I leaned back, blowing out an exhale. “They’d want to come. I don’t think I can do this with them hovering around. I need to see what I remember on my own. Withnooutside influence.”

Griffin sighed. “That makes sense. I’m here for you, Ro. I mean it. You say jump, I say how high.”

I squeezed Griffin’s hand. Standing, I wiped the last of my tears away, ready as I’d ever be to do this. “Okay, I need to pack.Can you fuel up my SUV? It’s a long drive.” “Sure, we can be there and back in a few days,” he nodded.

“A few days?”

He grinned sheepishly. “Yeah. I may have been exaggerating when I told you it was a three-day drive. It’s like half that. I just didn’t want you panicking, thinking the cabin was close…”

“Griff!” I swatted at him. I wasn’t going to admit it, but I couldn’t fault his logic. When he’d first told me about the cabin, I was ready to run for the hills. “Go do useful things!”

“Road trip!” Griff shouted happily, standing and throwing his arms in the air like an excited toddler. I could tell he was putting on a show, and just like always, I really appreciated it.

Orsen was outside, helping a few dragons pick up trash and clean after the activities of the previous night. The horde had stayed up celebrating half the night.

“Hey,” I greeted.

His face lit up at the sight of me, and he didn’t hesitate, pulling me into a hug and kissing me.

“Morning,” he replied.