Chapter 29
Rowan
“Come on, Doc. You’re going to have to get some sleep, or you’re going to keel over,” Nix said, pulling me into his arms before picking me up bridal style. My entire body was soft and pliable, thanks to the overwhelming exhaustion that had hit me after the mind-blowing orgasm.
Orsen gently cupped my face, despite me being in Nix’s arms. “I need to see to the horde, let them know I’m okay… but I don’t want to leave.”
“Go.” I smiled serenely at him. “It’s okay—they’re probably worried about you.”
His torn expression was sweet, so I leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. “Go be Alpha. I need a nap.” I giggled lightly.
The concern melted off his face, and he kissed my lips with almost painful softness before stepping back and turning to leave.
“Maybe take a dunk in the river first?” Nix suggested.
Orsen nodded, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. The fucker liked that he stank of sex, no doubt.
“I will,” he assured us before jogging out of the clearing.
Nix grinned down at me. “Okay, Doc, time for that nap.”
What Nix and I had done was damn amazing, but Orsen was highly skilled in that department, and a small, misbehaving part of my brain was already wondering if a repeat was possible.
“Don’t call me Doc,” I grumbled into his very firm, very naked chest.
“What would you prefer?” he asked casually, walking through the woodland with me in his arms, like it was a normal day, and I was lighter than a bag of feathers.
“I’m a healer, not a doctor,” I explained, tired. It didn’t matter that other dragons had called me Doc in the past. After meeting Jenkins and seeing how obsessed he was with that title, the moniker had lost its appeal. Healer felt right in a way Doc didn’t.
Even though my face was pressed into Nix’s chest, I could feel his head bobbing. From my position, all I could smell was him. A combination of earthy sweat, smoke, and rain. If I could have bottled it, I would have.
Then again, Nix would have happily let me inhale it from the source any time I wanted.
“That makes sense. Doctors go to medical school and learn absolutely nothing that helps heal dragons, whereas healers are taught by people who know what they’re doing.”
“Not people, legends,” I pointed out, thinking of my beloved Kiki.
“I don’t think even the word legend is good enough for that woman,” he agreed thoughtfully. “Is there any way we can posthumously give her a sainthood?”
I snorted. “I mean, I’m sure she would appreciate it.”
I nuzzled into his chest, too tired to think about what my behavior indicated.
I had just had Orson’s tongue in my pussy; a little bit of carrying and cuddling meant nothing after that.
And if I was painfully honest, I was too exhausted to walk back to the den.
Adding a mind-blowing orgasm to my already sleep-deprived state made for one tired healer.
It didn’t help that my work felt never-ending. Usually, I’d get a lot more downtime.
If I decided to stick around, I was going to have to ensure I took at least one day off a week. Otherwise, I would run myself into the ground in less than a month.
Usually, when the thought of staying with the horde crossed my mind, there was a flutter of panic deep in my chest, the question of my past tugging at the corners of my mind, rekindling old fears. But as Nix carried me through the forest, all I felt was warmth. It was comforting, like home.
Could they be my home?
Would it be so terrible?
“You’d better not let anyone see me,” I grumbled sleepily. While my mind was torn on their clan, I was certain I wanted no other dragons to see me being carried back to my room half-naked by Nix, who just so happened to also be half-naked.
“I happen to quite like my nuts. And I know for a fact that if I paraded you through the horde right now, you would take one of those very sharp-looking scalpels to them. Tempting as it is to publicly claim you in your current state.”
“You’re right. I would,” I replied, but my words were softened by my sleepy, slurring voice. I needed some serious shut-eye, but I had patients coming to the clinic the next morning who would need attention.
Fuck my life.
It felt like seconds between leaving the clearing and re-entering my room. It was probably a lot longer, but as I was half asleep, I didn’t have the best perception in my post-orgasmic haze.
“Come on, let’s get you to bed,” Nix suggested, placing me in the blankets I had pulled back earlier when I’d rushed out to check on Orsen’s wing.
“What if I’m not sleepy?” I said, but the meaning of my words was somewhat tarnished by the fact that I yawned in the middle of them.
“Clearly, you’re wide awake and full of energy.
” He laughed, grabbing a few extra blankets and throwing them over me.
“We need to get you a space heater in here.” He said the last part more to himself than to me, but I still hummed in agreement.
Sometimes, the nights were bitterly cold, and a space heater wouldn’t go amiss.
Usually, I just piled on blankets and hoped for the best.
The fact that Nix was thinking about my comfort made my insides a little mushy. The sweet golden retriever of an Alpha was carving a space for himself in my heart, and I was starting to worry that I wouldn’t be able to walk away.
Not that I wanted to.
“My mind is awake, but my body isn’t,” I muttered, fighting the lethargy weighing my limbs down.
The bed dipped as Nix lay beside me, propping his head on his elbow and watching over me. His blond curls were even messier than normal, which made sense, considering what we had just done.
“Well, that is awfully rude of your body, isn’t it?”
“Blame your stupid clanmate,” I mumbled sleepily.
Nix was quiet for a moment. If I had the energy, I would have opened my eyes.
“Do you regret it?” he finally asked in a soft voice.
Keeping my eyes closed, I turned and wiggled toward him, so my face was pressed against his chest. As if automatically, his arms wrapped around me, pulling me closer to the firm planes of his muscled chest.
“Ask me in the morning. I’m too tired to care right now.”
The truth was, I wasn’t sure. The emotions swirling around my sleep-addled mind were confusing. On the one hand, I was happy; on the other, I was terrified.
“I guess that means we did a good job. Clans have one thing right: teamwork is where it’s at.”
“Maybe I’m just not used to having a player two, in general, let alone a player three,” I said.
“That shouldn’t make me happy, but it does.
You belong with us. I’m going to spend the rest of my days convincing you of that.
Did you happen to know that orgasms are very persuasive?
Also, I don’t know if I was clear, but my clan and I are going to be your only player twos.
Even if you choose to leave, I’ll be sticking to your ass like a barnacle. ”
I hummed in agreement. “I can see that. I’m in quite an amenable mood.”
“Do you still want to stab Bastian?”
“I said amenable, not psychotic. Of course, I still want to stab him,” I grumbled, shifting so I was pressed against him even more.
My head jiggled as he laughed. For a moment, we just lay there, enjoying each other’s company. My entire body felt heavy with exhaustion, and I wanted nothing more than to rest.
“Do you want me to leave?” he asked after a moment.
Did I? It was a fine line between keeping my distance and letting them in, and I felt like I was starting to toe it.
My hands clenched, keeping him close. “You can stay for a bit,” I offered. “I’ve got to be up early. There are some patients coming to the clinic.”
“You really are amazing, you know that?” he whispered.
“I try my best.” I chuckled sleepily, my mind going fuzzy as sleep finally started to claim me.
His whispered words were the last thing I heard. “Sleep, Ro.”
“A little birdie told me you had a good time at the flight last night,” Griffin said as he sat down next to me at breakfast, a large grin plastered on his face.
I had woken up alone. A small part of me had been disappointed that Nix wasn’t there. But when I had reached out and touched his side of the bed, it had been warm, so he’d probably only left a few minutes prior.
In a move highly unlike me, I had slept like the dead—no nightmares or tossing and turning. Usually, I would need a little herbal help to sleep that deeply.
“Shut up right now, or this fork is going in unspeakable places.” I brandished my utensil at him. My face heated as the realization dawned that someone must have seen what happened between Orsen, Nix, and me for it to have gotten back to Griffin. “Who told you?”
“Nix. Who else? That boy is acting like the proudest peacock to ever have a feather.”
I groaned. Of course it was him who’d spilled the beans. Did that Alpha even know what a secret was?
“It’s my fault for encouraging him, really,” I said, spearing a bite of pancake. After my activities last night, I found myself wanting a heartier breakfast.
Griffin cocked his head to the side. He hadn’t shaved in a few days and was starting to look a little more ragged than usual, but then again, the feral, wild woodland man look suited him.
If I forgot to brush my hair, I would look homeless, whereas when Griffin did it, he looked tousled and handsome.
It really wasn’t fair.
“I think this is good for you. Despite all this stress you’re going through, you look good, Ro. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there’s something about your smile that feels so much more genuine now.”
Hearing that from my best friend hit a little too close to home. My chest tightened as I shook my head, taking a bite of pancake and swiftly changing the subject.
“Be that as it may, I have a busy day. Are you coming with me to the clinic?” Someone usually came with me to help manage the horde members filtering in and out throughout the day.
He nodded. “Nix wanted to keep you company, unfortunately, he had some horde business he had to take care of, so he asked me to keep you company.”
My eyes narrowed at my friend. “Did he use the phrase ‘keep me company’ or ‘babysit’?”
Griffin widened his eyes innocently. “Aren’t those the same thing?”
His smile stumbled when, a second later, he was forced to duck as the piece of pancake I was eating was flung directly at his face. Thankfully, there wasn’t anyone looking to judge me for throwing my food like a toddler, but Griffin knew how to push my buttons.
The Alphas—Bastian excluded—had seemingly decided that I needed company whenever I worked. I would have been angrier at it… except I did like the company.
“Keep this up, and you’re going to lose your spot as my favorite,” I joked.
“Well, if the rumors are true about last night, I would assume I’m no longer the favorite because I don’t blow your mind that way…”
“Griffin!” I gasped.
“Anyway, are you done?” he asked, picking up my plate. “We have a busy day of healing ahead of us!”