Chapter 10 #2
Nodding, I thought about meeting her for the first time.
Kiki had found me when I was injured. She’d nursed me back to health.
I had been found by several members of their horde while they patrolled, and they had taken me to her.
Once I was better, she started teaching me everything she knew.
I’d been stuck in her hut recovering for weeks, so I supposed it was normal to be interested in what she did, and I took to it quickly.
At first, I had been convinced she was hurting me. Every time she had changed my bandages or put a fresh poultice on my skin, the sheer agony made me think I was going to die.
I guessed, back then, there had been a damn good chance that I would die.
Kiki never gave up on me, though. Every day, she sat by my bedside, changing my bandages, talking to me through the pain.
Sometimes she’d discussed her work, sometimes her family.
Either way, the one-sided conversation had helped me focus on something other than the horrific pain of my midsection being torn in half by dragon fire.
“Apparently, several members of the Southern Dust Lands Horde found me under an outcropping of rowan trees,” I explained. “For a while, she called me the Gift from the Rowans. I think she expected me to choose my own name, but after a while, it just felt right.”
“Look, no matter what your past is, your name suits you now. I’m not about to call you Emmeline.” Griffin’s nose crinkled.
“You know, I—”
But the door opened, and I turned to see an imposing stranger filling the frame.
Long, dark hair—so dark it was almost pitch-black—hovered over his shoulders.
It matched the scruff on his face and his dark brown, laser-focused eyes.
The hairs on the back of my neck prickled.
I tensed, sitting straighter on the bed as the man stared at me, unblinking.
“Emmeline,” he whispered. That voice, deep and grumbly. My chest constricted and everything in me wanted to lurch forward, like there was an invisible string puling me towards the stranger.
“Nope,” I said simply, with one shake of my head, forcing myself to stay in place. “My name is Rowan.”
I could have explained, but I was exhausted and the Alphas could all communicate like big boys if they wanted to.
He looked at me while the seconds ticked away, raking his gaze down my entire body, taking everything in. The guy stared at me so intently, it felt like he was trying to memorize every curve of my face, the path of every hair that fell from the top of my head.
“Rowan, this is Bastian,” Griffin finally said. “One of the Alphas.”
“Ah, I see,” I muttered, my eyes going to the floor. “Could you maybe stop staring at me?”
“You just vanished.” There was outrage in Bastian’s voice, the anger that masked deep-rooted pain.
“Apparently, she did,” I countered, still not looking up as the Alpha’s stare burned into me.
“You really have no memory of us?”
“No.” My hand reached out instinctively for Griffin, who took it.
As much as I wanted to keep staring at the floor until this guy left, I couldn’t keep from glancing at him.
When I did, my chest pinched hard. There was no mistaking the way Bastian’s eyes darkened, the rage and pain swelling behind those irises as he zeroed in on our joined hands.
I couldn’t be the cause of another fight, but I felt so unsteady, so overstimulated, and tired.
I needed something to ground me, and Griff was the only one I trusted right now to do it.
Safety first, however.
After letting go of Griff’s hand, I turned toward Bastian, unwilling to back down just because this guy was some big-shot Alpha. But looking into his eyes had been a mistake.
I could get lost in those depths. It was stupidly cliché, but there was something about Bastian that made my stomach turn uncomfortably—a familiarity I didn’t want to recognize. And it didn’t help that there was no denying how attractive he was, the intensity rolling off him in waves.
Looking at Griffin, I plastered a smile on my face, ever the professional. “Okay, I’m going to get you some more herbs in the morning, but the best thing you can do for now is rest, all right?”
He pouted, grumbling, “I can try.”
Rolling my eyes, I nodded, patting his leg.
Griffin had never sat still for a day in his life, as far as I knew.
He was always up and moving whenever I saw him.
There had been days when I’d been totally exhausted, wanting to collapse in my little cot in Kiki’s healing tent, while he’d been bouncing around, ready to go.
“Can I stay in here with you?” I whispered. The room looked similar to his, only a bit smaller.
“I’ll go back to my room with you. It’s got better locks and all your stuff. Plus, the bedding is clean. This room smells like stale scales.”
I chuckled at his exaggerated grimace.
“You are not leaving this room,” Ma said sternly, suddenly walking into the room. “Hello, Bash, dear.” She patted the Alpha’s cheek before turning her attention to Griffin.
“You are going to stay right there where I can keep an eye on you without having to go up the stairs. My poor hips… Anyway, Rowan will be safe in your room. I’ll take her there myself.”
Nerves flared, and I shook my head at her. “I’m not sure—”
“Well, I’m sure,” Ma refuted, crossing her arms. “If I let Griffin out of this room, he’s only going to injure himself further. And I know my boys won’t bother you. Right? Also, I’ve already gone in there and cleaned up the worst of the mess.”
Ma glared at Bastian, who immediately ducked his chin, raising his hands in surrender for good measure. It was damn impressive to see her ordering him around, all of them, really, and I remembered what Griff had said about her being the real boss around here.
Before I could say anything else, Ma grabbed my hand and started dragging me down the hallway as she called out, “You heard the doctor, Griffin! You rest. Let’s get you back to the room, dear. You could use the rest too.”
When I looked behind me, Bastian stood in the hallway just outside of Griffin’s door. Another massive dragon stood a few feet down the hall; the fourth Alpha, I had to assume.
“The other Alphas…” I trailed off.
Ma glanced at me knowingly. “Bastian and Greylen. Yes, I imagine they want to talk to you. But I think we can all agree you could use a little more rest and a breather before dealing with them.”
“Are they all so… intense?”
She hummed, bobbing her head as we walked. “Also pigheaded and brutish, but they’re family. And they’re more loyal than anyone else.”
In a few seconds, we were at the door to Griffin's room. Ma opened it for me, practically shooing me inside. When I turned to face her, opening my mouth to say something, she raised a hand.
“None of that for now. You need to rest. We can deal with all this dragon-mate business in the morning.” She stepped forward, wrapping me in a huge hug before hurrying to the door, already closing it behind her.
“I’ll have a nice breakfast ready for you.
Relax, dear. And… don’t rush to judge them.
I know the boys can be a lot sometimes, but they have good hearts. I promise. Rest up!”
And then I was alone in the room, staring at the door.