Chapter 36
Rowan
“So, I leave for one day, and you manage to shake up the entire horde?” Griffin laughed, sinking into an armchair next to me.
I had taken a seat on the porch, looking out into the woodland as the sun set. I was bone-weary and wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed, but that meant going upstairs, which felt like too much effort.
“Don’t.” I giggled, swatting at him playfully, but the move had no real energy behind it. Although it had been two days since Jenkins had been exiled, I had been so busy tending to Rory, I hadn’t found time to tell my best friend what had happened.
Hell, I hadn't even had time to come to terms with what happened myself.
“One day, Rowan. The one day I agreed to show the Henderson boys how to get to the waterfall south of us, and by the time I get back, I discover Jenkins has been evicted from the horde, and you’re apparently here to stay?”
I chewed on my lip. My declaration that I was staying had been slightly in the heat of the moment, but deep down, I knew there was no chance I was leaving until the horde had a good healer, even if that scared the living daylights out of me.
Maybe there was a small part of me that also wanted to stay near the clan. As much as I hated to admit it, I was kind of getting used to their presence.
“Bastian protected me from Jenkins,” I muttered. “I feel like I'm in the twilight zone.”
“Of course he'd protect you. He's your mate.”
I raised a brow at him. “You and I both know he’s given me more than enough reason to worry.” Sinking deeper into the chair, I stared at the wooden porch floor. “Did you hear what Jenkins did?”
Griffin nodded. “That fucker should have his throat ripped out. Hurting an innocent child to prove a point? Also that scarf you’re wearing is doing nothing to hide the bruise on your throat.”
“He’s the worst kind of creature. I’m glad he left,” I admitted, ignoring the bit about the scarf.
The bruising wasn’t bad at all, I just didn’t want anyone worrying over it, so concealing it was the best option.
“Otherwise, I would constantly be looking over my shoulder, waiting for him to attack me.
It's bad enough that I don’t know who tried to kill me; I don't really want to add another enemy to the mix.”
“Do you feel safe? I heard Bastian nearly lost his mind when Jenkins attacked you.”
“I expected that from Nix, but Bastian was a surprise. I’m sure he still hates me.”
“I don’t think it’s possible for him to hate you. Nature, mate bonds, and all that jazz.”
I looked around the cozy porch, at the handmade quilts and the mismatched furniture. “As crazy as it sounds, I really do feel safe here. It sort of feels like home. Maybe not a forever home, but a just-for-now kind of home.”
“Hopefully, in time, we can convince you to make it your forever home. I may be a little biased, but I think this place is pretty damn wonderful.”
I hummed. Even though I wasn’t going to say it out loud, I suspected there was a strong chance of that happening.
“When I came here a few weeks ago, I only intended to heal Rory and then leave. Now I’m tied to this horde in a way I can't even explain. Four potential mates and a horde that desperately needs my talents.”
“Will you at least take a day off?” he asked with a laugh. He knew full well I was busy for the foreseeable.
“Everyone is worried now that Doc has left. I think I’m going to have my work cut out for me for the next few weeks. I don’t mind. I like helping them.”
Griffin nodded. “They’re good people, and they deserve a good healer.”
“Yesterday, I didn’t see any patients. I just wanted to focus on Rory, but tomorrow, that all changes.”
“They’ll be banging down your door.”
“Nina has stepped in as my temporary receptionist. She’s been filling my calendar with back-to-back appointments. She’s being very strict with my time. Honestly, I kind of adore her for it.”
“Maybe you can convince her to keep helping you out. I’m sure she would be happy to. Hell, I think half the horde would jump in to help you if you asked.”
“I don’t want to take their appreciation for granted. The work is just starting, but I plan to do my best for them.”
“You don’t regret coming here?” Griffin asked.
“I don’t. But you know you owe me so much candy for this,” I pointed out. “I was on my way south before you called. Do you realize how amazing the food is down there? I’m missing out on that!”
“I’ll order some gumbo first thing in the morning.”
My hand drifted down to my stomach, running over the ragged skin under my T-shirt.
“Why do I feel like we haven’t heard the end of Jenkins?” I said after a moment.
“Because he’s the dragon equivalent of a severe case of jock itch that just keeps coming back.”
“As a healer, I’m not going to ask how you know about recurring jock itch.”
“No, you shouldn’t. You will never be able to look at me the same way again.” He laughed. “How is Rory? Is he going to be okay?”
“I think so. He’s back in the clinic, which, naturally, he hates, but we should be able to get the medication Jenkins gave him out of his system pretty quickly. He was sitting up, talking, and eating after twenty-four hours.”
“You know Ma will make him all his favorite foods when he comes home. Once he gets a slice of her chocolate fudge cake, his second visit to the clinic will be a distant memory.”
“I suppose he’s got that to look forward to. Maybe I should ask Ma for a cake to help me forget the last few days.”
“You know she would bake you a hundred. She loves you more than she loves her own child. And, with any luck, maybe there’ll be more babies running around here soon enough.”
I hummed. “Hopefully, the damage caused by Jenkins isn’t permanent. I just wish I understood why. We know he did it on purpose, but not the motivation behind it.”
“If he ever rears his head again, we will get it out of him, one way or another.” His grin made it clear he would very much enjoy getting information out of him.
“I hate not knowing.”
“There’s nothing we can do about it now. Do you want to grab some dinner?” he asked, turning his body to face me more fully.
“No, I’m exhausted. I think I’ll go straight to my room.” I stood up, stretching, then grabbed the cozy blanket I had been sitting under.
“I was going to mention the blanket. Where did that come from?” Griffin asked with a smile, crossing his legs playfully.
“A gift from a patient.” Since the day I had seen my first patient here, the gifts had been coming. Homemade treats, trinkets, and beautifully crafted items, like blankets and sweaters.
I was used to gifts as a healer, but these felt that much more special. Each item solidified my connection to the horde. After only a few short weeks, I could already feel my ties to them increasing. The idea of leaving was getting harder and harder.
“Go get some sleep, Rowan. Something tells me you’ll have a busy day tomorrow, full of patients.”
My smile widened, hugging the blanket to my chest. “Just the way I like it.”