Page 8 of The Dragons' Healing Mate

“He had good reason!” Rowan continued to tug on his arm. Bastian and I exchanged a look while Nix rushed over to Orsen’s other side.

“There was nogoodreason to kidnap our mate,” he barked in response, glaring at Rowan in disbelief, his hands still fisted in Colin’s shirt.

The poor guy held his hands up; he wasn’t risking saying anything. While I’d been just as furious as Orsen, I had to admit my perspective had changed. People did crazy things to care for their mates. I would have done the same for Rowan in a heartbeat.

“Both of them could have died, Orsen. They needed help, and no one was listening.” Colin’s eyes flared wide as Rowan spoke, confirmation of how desperate everything had been turning him green. “Goddamn it, Orsen. Look at yourself. You’re being just as rash.”

The asshole finally faltered as Bastian and I stalked closer. We both had the unspoken understanding to pull him away if he didn’t calm the fuck down. Even though Bastian was generally acting like he was less attached to Rowan than the rest of us, he still knew homicide without cause would be bad for us.

Then again, in my opinion, there wasplentyof cause.

“You were gone, Rowan.Again.” We could all hear the pain in Orsen’s voice; even his anger wasn’t enough to hide it.

“Technically speaking… I’m an Alpha of North Oak, aren’t I?” Rowan asked in a sweet voice, trying to defuse the tension.

Orsen didn’t answer. He wasn’t even looking at her. I stepped up, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Yeah. Being mated to the Alphas makes you one, with all the associated power.”

For some reason, I had never considered that before today, and apparently, neither had my clanmates judging by the shocked glances they gave one another. Though I supposed I shouldn’t have been so surprised. That stipulation hardly ever got used. We’d been running things without our mate for so long.

A slow smile spread across Rowan’s face. “In that case, I want toofficiallyoffer this family sanctuary.”

“You can’t do that,” Bastian growled. He shot me a look, but I shook my head.

Rowan had mentioned something about it during the birth, but we had all been highly distracted. I understood why the guy had done it, and frankly, weallwould have done the same if it had been Rowan.

I was onherside.

Colin looked between us: Orsen’s hand still gripping his shirt while his mate lay in the bed, staring at the scene in disbelief, her child clutched in her arms.

“I think I can.” Rowan shrugged, that innate confidence in her shining through. “Let’s be real, he’snota threat. He was justdesperate. And I, for one, don’t want to leave a new mother and a baby to fend for themselves out here. I understand that we can’t make it seem like it’sacceptableto take the horde’s healer, but we can come up with a different way to handle that. I mean, there has to be something in the horde’s law for extenuating circumstances. What about putting Colin to work in the house? He’ll have to work off his debt, so to speak.”

“Work off his debt? Are you fucking serious?” Bastian glared at Rowan, his jaw tense. I hovered behind him, putting a hand on his shoulder so he didn’t get any bright ideas.

“Please try to see this rationally,” she countered. “I know you’re all upset that I was taken, but it wasn’t with malicious intent. They needed a healer to save their child. They had been petitioning your hordefor weeks, but you guys have been so distracted with my return, you never saw it…”

Rowan pleaded, no exaggeration on her face. Just the honest truth that the couple had done the only thing they could think of. I glanced at Nix. He was already on board because it was something Rowan suggested, her lapdog forevermore, but he also seemed to get the desperation, though the lugheads were still having a hard time putting two and two together.

Jesus, you’d think they shared half a brain cell between them.Pot, meet kettle.

Shifting closer to Orsen, Rowan tugged on his arm again, and he looked down at her as she met his gaze head-on. There was no challenge in her stare this time, just that look you gave someone when you were desperately asking for something.

“Please, Orsen.” She paused, blinking slowly. “For me.”

That’ll do it.

Reluctantly, Orsen relaxed, grumbling as he dropped his hold on Colin. The dragon rushed over to Allison, who immediately clutched at him, tears smearing into her mate’sshirt. They’d certainly been through an eventful forty-eight hours.

Orsen reached out, pulling Rowan into his chest. The relief that hit him at the touch was clearly bone deep. His entire body sagged as she wrapped her arms around him.

“I can’t fucking believe this,” Bastian quipped, rolling his eyes as he beelined for the door and stormed out. “We’re far from done discussing this.”

The words echoed as the cabin door closed behind him. He’d only go to the den, so it wasn’t a huge deal to rush after him. And yeah, we’d have to discuss a lot of things once we all got back. But if I were honest with myself, I was just glad we were returning together. Rowan going missing like that had fucked with all our heads, and I, for one, was ready to get her home where I could keep an eye on her.

“We’ll need to be careful with Allison. Traveling right now, she’ll need someone to carry her.” Rowan gathered up the supplies from the bed, putting everything back in the bag that Bastian had brought for her. “And the baby will need to be kept warm. No flying for that one.”

“Will you take him, then?” Allison asked, her brows raised as she sent nervous glances at the Alphas around her. “Colin can carry me, but…”

“I’ll take him. Don’t worry,” Rowan soothed Allison, with an easy smile and a light grip on her forearm. “And we’ll all meet up at the house, so we can get you settled in. Won’t we?”