Chapter 37
AURA
I didn’t think I’d be this nervous. I’ve faced wild wolves and bears, rogue dragons in their ritual chambers, hunger and cold, and even the fear of my own magic breaking loose. But flying over Blackwood Forest again makes my palms sweat and my stomach twist in ways I can’t blame on childbirth.
This forest holds both the hardest and the most beautiful moments of my life.
It took my innocence. It gave me my daughter.
It almost killed me. It tied me to my dragon mates.
It offered me a second chance and a happy future.
The emotions war within me as Kelan flies ahead, and Ronyn keeps me close, his red wings slicing through the wind.
I let the rhythm of flying calm me and the rush of air cool the warmth under my skin.
Darial stayed behind with the eggs. Knowing he’s there to protect our children gives me focus.
It’s been so sweet watching all my dragons settle into their fatherly roles since I gave birth.
He’s curled around them now, golden fire glowing softly, humming to them in that gentle voice he uses when he thinks no one can hear.
My dragon babies are safe.
Today is about something else.
We land in the clearing in front of the wolves’ cabin as the sun sinks low.
Ronyn touches down first, his claws digging into the ground before he shifts.
His bones shorten, wings pull back, and scales fade into skin and runes.
Heat rushes through him before he stands, fully human, his breath misting in the cool air.
I gaze on in awe that doesn’t subside with time.
Kelan lands a moment later, shifting from dragon to his strong human form. He straightens first, tall, and dark, his black hair brushing his collar. Ronyn rolls his shoulders, his temper still close to the surface even now.
They stand on either side of me, to protect rather than intimidate. I hand them their black cloths to tie around their waists before the cabin door opens.
Nixon steps out first, broad-shouldered and alert. Reed and Finn move to stand beside him, protective rather than openly hostile. The air is tense, which I understand given the situation.
“What brings dragons back to our doorstep?” Nixon asks evenly.
His gaze flicks between Kelan and Ronyn before settling on me. There is no gratitude in his eyes now, only caution.
And why wouldn’t there be? Dragon power changes everything.
“We’re not here to threaten your home,” I say quickly, stepping slightly forward. “I promise.”
Reed’s jaw tightens. “Then why are you here?”
My throat dries. This is harder than fighting enemies in the sky.
“I gave birth,” I blurt, unsure where to start.
Silence falls heavily between us. Ronyn’s hand settles lightly at the small of my back. Kelan remains still as stone.
“I gave birth to three dragon eggs,” I continue, trying to keep my voice calm and hold pride and fear in check.
Finn exhales slowly. Nixon’s eyes narrow.
“And that concerns us, how?” Nixon asks.
I swallow. “They are Ahya’s half-siblings.”
The wolves exchange a glance.
“Please don’t think that I’m here to take her. I won’t. She belongs here with you. With Scarlet. With her pack. I know that.”
The cabin door opens wider, and Scarlet steps out.
She looks tired but fierce, her red hair braided over one shoulder, and Ahya balanced on her hip. My heart stutters at the sight of my daughter.
She’s grown. Her curls are wilder and her eyes are bright and curious. When she notices me, she lifts her small hand, and in that moment, everything else fades away. The noise, the tension, and the past all disappear.
“I came to thank her,” I say softly, my voice thickening. “She showed Darial what I couldn’t. She led them to me. If she hadn’t…” I shake my head. “I might still be there. The other dragons might have killed my children.”
Scarlet studies me carefully. “You’re not here to change your mind?”
“No.” The word is immediate. Certain. “I'm where I’m meant to be. So is she.”
Ahya wiggles in Scarlet’s arms and reaches toward me again.
Scarlet hesitates.
Kelan steps slightly forward, undeniably powerful. “We mean no harm,” he says evenly. “We honor your claim. We won’t challenge it.”
Ronyn nods once. “We’re here to support our mate, not disrupt your pack.”
Scarlet searches my face one last time, then slowly steps closer.
She transfers Ahya into my arms.
As soon as my daughter’s weight settles against me, a warm brightness fills my bones. Our connection washes away all the pain her birth left inside me.
Ahya’s small hand presses against my collarbone. Then she pats my cheek. Her fingers trail over the column of my throat and settle over my heart.
Magic stirs. It’s a warm light flickers between us, unseen by the wolves but clear to the dragons behind me. Her awareness touches mine, curious and unafraid.
“You’re strong,” I whisper to her. “And brave. You saved me.”
She giggles.
Scarlet watches, wary but holding back.
“I don’t want to replace anyone,” I say quietly, looking up at her. “You’re her mother. You and your mates are her home.”
Scarlet’s jaw tightens slightly, but she nods.
“But she has magic in her veins,” I continue. “It connects her to me. She’ll need guidance one day.”
Nixon crosses his arms. “What are you asking?”
“I’m asking to be… something in her life.”
Scarlet studies me.
“A guardian,” I say. “A goddess-mother if you’ll allow it. Someone she can come to when her magic stirs or when she has questions you cannot answer. Someone who will protect her, always. And for her to be a sister to her dragon siblings.”
Silence stretches.
Ahya presses her palm against my cheek again, then reaches back toward Scarlet, perfectly content.
I kiss her forehead. “She was born from magic with the power to unite the shifters of the earth. I was born from magic to bring back the dragons of the sky.” I tilt my head to the clouds above, and Ahya does too, reaching her hands up.
When she touches me again, I see images of a glowing future edged with gold. A red-haired woman runs with two bear shifter men, and behind them, three dragons partly shifted. There’s a scarlet-haired girl, a golden-haired girl, and a dark-haired boy, their wings spread and scales shining.
I look at her, stunned and so happy I can hardly breathe.
“Ahya,” I gasp. “Thank you.”
She smiles which plumps her perfect round, pink cheeks. I press a kiss to her skin, breathing her in.
She is my flesh and blood. She is my pain and sacrifice. She is my magic and the future that will keep the shifters of Blackwood Forest strong and united for generations.
I stroke her hair gently before returning her to Scarlet’s arms. She goes happily, leaning her head close to her momma’s neck and resting there. It’s a bittersweet moment to look on my child, happy in the life I released her into.
“Thank you,” I say. “For taking care of her when I couldn’t. For loving her. It’s clear that she’s happy and home.”
“You won’t try to take her?” she asks quietly, needing to confirm despite my assurances.
“No,” I swear. “I won’t.”
“And your dragons?”
Kelan’s voice is firm. “We wouldn’t wound our mate by violating her will.”
Ronyn’s gaze burns fiercely. “Your daughter is safe where she is, and we will always be on hand to ensure her safety.”
Scarlet looks at Nixon. He studies me for a long moment, then nods once.
“She stays here,” Nixon says. “But you can visit. As a goddess-mother, or whatever you called it. Children need love, and the more love the better. You will always be welcome here to contribute to Ahya’s life.”
Relief floods me so quickly, my knees nearly buckle. Ronyn’s hand tightens at my back, supporting me before I fall.
“Thank you,” I breathe.
Ahya waves at me from Scarlet’s arms.
I wave back, smiling through tears.
As Kelan and Ronyn stand beside me and get ready to shift back into their dragon forms, I realize something inside me has changed. The ache is still there—I’m sure I’ll always feel it when I leave her—but the guilt is gone.
I’m leaving her safe in a life I couldn’t give her, with people who will help her become the best wolf-bear shifter she can be. I’m expanding her world, knowing I’ll still be part of it and our bond will remain strong.
When I take to the sky with my dragon mates, I look back once at the small cabin nestled in the trees.
Scarlet stands in the doorway, Nixon behind her, Ahya in her arms, waving at the dragons overhead.
Two families now; one wolf, one dragon.
And somewhere between them, a little girl with magic in her veins, watched over and loved by all.