I didn’t know who the hell that purple dragon was, or where they were taking my mate, but my dragon was raging as we chased after them. I calmed myself with the reminder that the purple dragon had helped save us by knocking Orris out of the sky, so they couldn’t be an enemy.

Still, not knowing was driving me crazy. My thoughts were too scattered and my energy was too depleted from the fight to channel my thoughts toward them, and they didn’t seem interested in reaching out to me.

Perhaps because of Nathan’s condition—I felt his pain through our linked souls, and I knew that there was something wrong. If the purple dragon was spiriting Nathan away to help, then we’d have no problem, but if they were trying to prolong his suffering, they would know my fury.

Who else had touch with their draconian roots? Nathan was the exception, due to his upbringing. The other alphas and omegas scattered across the globe likely didn’t know who they really were. Only our group had insider knowledge about their heritage.

And there it was—our group. My mind clicked over the possibilities, and I realized that the purple dragon was likely a dragoness. I hadn’t heard that Vivian was in touch with her dragon, but Nana was a closed book.

I prayed that my reasoning was sound, and that the purple dragoness was Nana. The last thing we needed was for a new adversary to make herself known.

The purple dragoness bypassed the burning compound and led us straight to the state park where Mama Vee and the clan had set up camp. She landed right in the middle of them, gently laying my boy on a worn chaise lounger that was set up outside Mama’s rig.

Once he was settled, she reached out with an elegant claw and grabbed a red silk robe that hung handily off the back end of Mama’s rig before disappearing behind it.

The clan were still filtering in, their battle at the compound over now. Mama came charging up on Pappy’s back and slid off to race over and kneel beside my boy before I’d even managed to land and shift myself. Pappy shifted and disappeared into their mobile home, presumably to get dressed.

“Aw, hell.” Mama Vee took one look at Nathan before she glanced over her shoulder, searching for the closest member of her family. “Beepee, baby! Run on in and grab some clothes fer the dragons, hon. They’s gon make all the menfolk feel cheated if they’s standin’ about in their altogether.”

While Beepee ran off to do her bidding, Mama Vee took a good look at Nathan while I came and knelt at his side. Mama Vee patted his hand.

“Don’t ya worry none, Natty boy. I’ll git yer pappy ta mix up some horn tea fer ya—the extry strong blend that’ll help with them pains.” She turned and hollered at the RV. “Ernie, fix our Natty boy up some o’ my good stuff, y’hear me?”

“Mama… it’s too soon,” Nathan gasped. He clutched his stomach as another pain hit him. It echoed through our connection, letting me feel its depth.

Even if it hadn’t, I knew that Nathan was suffering—he didn’t even wince at all the noise going on around him. Sana came over to help, but Mama waved him off.

“Y’all go on an’ take care of healin’ yer men and any of ours what needs it. Mama can handle a simple birthin’.”

Nana came popping around from behind the RV just then, wrapped in the red silk robe. “Listen to Mama, boys. She and I can handle a simple birth—you go get patched up. That was a hell of a battle out there.” Nana tossed a towel at my head. “Here, cover up your bits, doll, then go get healed and cleaned up before you meet your son.”

Sana fluttered his lashes jokingly and simpered, “Come on, Daddy, let’s get you all fixed up so you can get back over there to your angel boy.”

I ignored everyone’s tittering and followed my unfunny friend over to the campfire. Beepee came up and tossed us all some sweatpants. “Couldn’t find shirts yet, but these will get you decent.”

Blaze and Cory were standing there with crossed arms and bemused expressions, taking in the bustling crowd of returning fighters. Adrenaline was running high as they all sat around in small clusters, reliving the excitement of the night.

As I pulled on my borrowed sweatpants, I looked over at Sana. “I need the truth, my friend… do you think my son will be okay? He’s almost a month early. If it was the stress from the battle that caused this, I don’t think I’ll be able to forgive myself. You should have seen him though, Sana. Nathan and Nana showed up right as Orris had the upper hand and saved us in the harrowing moment where Cory and I were out of options.”

Cory, who’d made his way over, nodded in agreement. “His little mate attacked our enemy from behind, distracting him before blasting his underbelly with flame. Then, while Orris was in pain from that, Nana came in from the other side with a surprise attack and kicked him in the head.”

Sana raised a brow. “Is that why Orris had the head wound? And here I’d wondered which of you lucky dogs got that one in.”

Blaze grinned proudly. “Nana owed him a swift kick after he had Sam kidnapped last year, wouldn’t you all agree? And how fitting is it that proud, dragons-are-the-master-race Orris was taken down by a hybrid omega and a hybrid dragoness? I wish we would have known before he died… I would have loved to have seen his face when he heard that one. And I would have made sure to tell him, trust me.”

Pappy joined us. “Excuse me, fellers. Mama wants y’all ta have some of our horn tea. It’ll fix what ails ya, sure as shootin’.”

Sana turned him down—he was already mostly healed by his own powers. I also reluctantly turned it aside, as I didn’t want to risk a moonshine incident when my angel was about to give birth. Sana came over to help me finish healing while Cory hesitantly reached for a cup.

“Pappy Ernie, I’d be honored to try your home remedy,” Cory said gallantly, putting on his best statesman voice. Blaze, never one to be left out, shot Cory a serious side-eye, then smiled uneasily and reached for a cup of his own.

Pappy went on his way after they’d both been served, distributing more of his potion to members of his clan while Blaze and Cory gulped theirs down.

By the time Sana was done healing me, Cory and Blaze were stretching and flexing in amazed relief.

“That shit really works! I feel one hundred percent better, and maybe even a few years younger,” Blaze bragged as he held up a fist and flexed again to show off his muscles.

Cory shook his head at Blaze, but shrugged. “It really did work miraculously well. I haven’t felt this great since that time the phoenix shared his tears with me after that long minotaur debacle. No offense, Sana, but this concoction works even better than your blood gift. Whatever Mama Vee’s trick is, it works.”

I heard loud, nearly hysterical giggling just then, and looked over to see Nathan almost falling off the lounger while Mama Vee fussed at him to hold still.

By the sounds of it, she had plans to deliver our son in the traditional draconian way—through incision rather than natural delivery. At the sound of that, I glanced at Sana with a silent plea for help before I quickly made my way back to my boy’s side.

“What’s so funny, angel?” I smiled at him in adoration as I knelt down beside him. He was too cute right now, giggling and reaching to try and pull me down for a sloppy kiss despite the gravity of the situation.

His eyes were glazed, not so much with pain as they were with… I turned to Mama, my voice heavy with suspicion. “Mama Vee? Why does my angel boy look drunk?”

Mama shrugged carelessly. “Ain’t no nevermind, honey. Ain’t no liquor in him, I can promise ya that. Natty boy just ain’t used ta such a high concentration of horn powder, tha’s all. He ain’t feelin’ the pain no more, ya gotta give me that much.”

I looked back down at my giggling boy. He was still reaching for me with grabby hands, total adoration on his face. I flicked my gaze back to Mama Vee.

“Are you sure he was given the right potion? And that whatever was in it won’t hurt the baby? It’s not that I don’t trust you, just… well, look at him.”

Sana took the opportunity to diplomatically step in. “Mama Vee? Why don’t you see what you can do to calm down our worried father-to-be? I’ll go ahead and deliver your grandson.”

“That there’s a good idea, baby. I ain’t never been much fer surgery anyhow. Caint stand the sight of blood.” Mama Vee patted Sana’s shoulder and stepped out of his way to talk to me.

“Now, listen. I know’s yer worried ‘bout our Natty, but he’s jes fine, honey. Ain’t nuthin’ on Earth more natural than the powder from a unicorn’s horn. And the power y’all git from it is healin’ and helps git rid o’ pain. Jes ask yer friends there.”

Mama Vee turned to include Brick and Cory who had come a little closer. They stayed back far enough so as not to watch while Sana extended a claw and prepared to slice into Nathan’s rounded belly, but near enough to talk to Mama Vee.

I moved around to hold Nathan’s shoulders so he wouldn’t wiggle in his inebriated state and do injury to himself while Sana delivered our son. I bent to kiss his temple and reassure him while also watching Sana work.

All the while, I kept an ear on Mama’s conversation with my brothers. It was… far more chaotic than the moment needed to be.

I bit my lip to hold back a laugh when I heard Cory speak. “So this horn tea you’ve given us is actually made from the essence of your horns? How do you get that? Is it ground up from ones who’ve passed on, or do you lose and regenerate your horns? Forgive me for my ignorance, ma’am. It’s shameful that I don’t know such a simple fact about your people’s biology.”

Mama Vee hooted out a loud laugh, making Nathan cringe even while in the throes of his bliss. When she’d calmed down, her laughter still lingered in her voice.

“Nuh-uh, silly boy. Horn powder comes from filin’ ‘em down every so oft’n. Ain’t no diff’rent than clippin’ toenails, really… ‘cept fer the fact that we save the shavin’s fer the horn powder. The strong stuff, like what we gave y’all and my Natty boy, now that come direct from me an’ Pappy’s horns. We’s older and got strong magic in us. That makes ours more pow’rful.”

Sana paused, moments away from making the incision, and exchanged a look of sheer amusement with me. I glanced over to see that Blaze was about three shades lighter than normal and slightly green.

Cory held his composure and spoke hesitantly, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You mean to say that we just drank your version of toenail clippings?”

Blaze started to gag, but I ignored him and turned back just in time to see Sana lifting our son free from Nathan’s womb. I tuned out the sound of Blaze retching while Nana held forth a clean towel and took the baby from Sana.

He was small and wrinkled, a kind of pinkish-red that made me nervous until he opened his little mouth and let out a cry. Nathan, who still seemed dazed, grinned. He sucked in a breath and laughed.

“Get over here, big man. Time to cut your son’s cord,” Sana said with a smile, holding out a section of the baby’s umbilical cord that he’d pinched between his fingers. I extended a claw and proudly sliced it free of my son, then watched as Sana knotted the cord and Nana began bundling the baby up.

I faintly heard Mama Vee tut at Cory and Blaze. “Y’all silly ol’ dragons ain’t got a lick o’ sense. Now y’all hush and let me git ta my granbaby.”

Mama Vee moved over to take the placenta and cord from Sana, muttering something about this being useful to have on hand once she’d dried it out, while Sana bent to heal Nathan’s incision. Nana laid our son on Nathan’s chest, who was suddenly sober now that he had our baby in his arms.

My head was spinning from everything that had and still was happening tonight, but I blocked it all out and focused on my little family. Heart brimming over with love, I knelt to kiss Nathan on the forehead and admired our son. I stroked a fingertip over our baby’s tiny hand and smiled at my mate.

“What shall we name him, angel boy? I don’t believe we ever decided on that one.”

Nathan’s eyes were as tear-filled as my own. “I want to name him Brock. That’s just a bit different from your name, yet just as unique.”

Mama Vee answered before I could get a word in. “That thar’s a fine name, Natty boy. ‘Specially sense the youngin will pro’bly have his pappy’s skills with rocks and such.”

“I agree—that’s a perfectly fitting name,” Sam said as he stepped out of the RV and winked at me. He had a bottle of water in his hand, and he walked over to give it to Blaze, who, by the sound of things, had finally stopped puking.

Blaze’s voice, though weak, made it to my ears when Sam approached. “There you are, Sparky. I was beginning to worry. I knew you were okay after the compound, because I could feel your heartsong. Did you know Nathan had planned to defy Brick’s wishes and follow us here? And why didn’t I know that Nana could shift into a gorgeous purple dragoness? You’d better not tell me that she and Vivian brought our babies here while we were engaged in battle. You know what?” He sighed. “… Nevermind all that. Just get over here and give me a kiss. I’m glad to see you, babe. I need to focus on what matters—that we all got out of that alive.”

Sam, who looked like he wanted nothing to do with Blaze’s dirty mouth, was in the midst of reluctantly admitting that the human guards and Vivian were watching all the children back at home when Cory interrupted.

“Excuse me, Sam, but now I’m curious about Emery. Where, pray tell, is my mate? Did he sneak out here with Nathan?”

The door to the RV opened a notch, and Cory moved over there in a flash. “Emery? Are you in there? Get out here, heartsong. I’m not even upset—I just want to hold you right now.”

We all watched as the door flew open and Emery came falling out. Nathan snorted as Cory quickly caught his mate before he fell. Cory hugged him to his chest. “I should be mad that you all followed us, but I’m so happy to see you that I really don’t care about all that right now.”

Nathan turned and looked up at me with a contrite smile, his cheeks flushed and eyes dancing. “Am I in trouble, Daddy? I mean, I did save you…”

“We’ll talk about you disobeying a direct order another time, angel boy. Right now, I’m on the same page as Cory. I’m just glad you’re here, and that I’m alive and was able to be with you through Brock’s birth.”

Nathan hummed happily, hugging our son to his chest. He pressed a kiss to his tiny brow while I gently wrapped my arms around them both.

My heartsong was here, our son had been born, Orris had been defeated, and I was surrounded by friends and family. What more could I want? We’d saved what was left of our culture and prevented the destruction of humanity.

All that was left was to enjoy the new life I’d found and relish the downtime. And after what we’d been through? I was more than ready for it.