EIGHT
Nana glanced at Tor and shook her head. “Something's wrong.”
Tor wasn't sure why the older woman had woken him up in the middle of the night, but her cryptic talk wasn't telling him much. “What do you mean?”
“Someone is coming.”
He yawned. “It's kind of late for anyone to be showing up here.”
“They're coming from Karthasias Elo. More of our people are coming. They've been dying over there.” She met his gaze, her older wiser one filled with sadness. “They need to mate. Though that planet is a lot more advanced when it comes to technology, there are no mates.”
Tor had no idea what to think. This was good. More of their people meant they would be able to flourish and thrive as a species. No longer would the Drachen be the only ones on earth from his home planet.
“This is good. More is better for all.”
She gave a soft shake of her head. “It will mean a big war. One that nobody is ready for. Especially not him.”
“Who?”
“Ker.”
Tor's heart stopped. He remembered clearly how Nana had told them last conversation that someone might have to sacrifice themselves. His heart argued that his brother wasn't going anywhere, but he still curled his hands into fists. “I will protect him.”
She smiled weakly. “You can't. More than you know is at work here, Tor. Decisions will need to be made by those affected.”
“He's my brother.”
“You can't save everyone.”
He'd damn well try. That was his baby brother. And though Ker had been the one joking when Tor first mated Morgan, he'd seen the change in him the past few years. Ker had grown to care for the schoolteacher Morgan told him about. That brought out his alpha side, something natural when a Drachen fell in love.
“He can't die. He's found a woman he loves.”
Nana's eyes filled with tears. “That won't matter.”
Tor wanted to break something. He paced his office and then squatted in front of the elder. “Tell me how I can help him.”
She brushed his long hair away from his face like she'd done when he was a child. Like she did with his children. “He has to give up everything.”
“What does this have to do with our people showing up?”
“Ker will have to choose.”
He bit back a growl. This was going nowhere. “Will he find his mate?”
She nodded, the tears finally falling down her wrinkled cheeks. “Yes. And it will be the end of him as we know him.”
* * *
Tor hated to wake his wife, but there was no sleeping after that conversation. When he got to his bedroom, he found Morgan sitting up in bed with a book.
“I left you sleeping,” he admonished. “Why are you up?”
She grinned and pointed at her belly. “Someone had to push on my bladder. So now I'm hungry and tired. Plus, I could sense you needed me. What's up?”
“I'll make you something to eat,” he told her.
She started to get up from the bed but he rushed over and picked her up. “What are you doing?”
She laughed and slapped him on the shoulder. “I want to come with you to the kitchen. This way I can eat the minute you're done.”
“I'll carry you,” he said. When she let him, he raised his brows at her. “Not going to argue that you can walk?”
She yawned and dropped her head into the curve of his neck. “Nah. I'm sleepy and tired. Knock yourself out, He-Man.”
Once they were in the kitchen, he sat her on one of the chairs. With this pregnancy, Morgan wanted to eat pancakes and French toast all day long. There was already pancake batter in the fridge ready to be used. He'd come to learn that his gorgeous mate had strange craving with each of their children. Thankfully, this time there was no ice cream covered pickles. That one was hard for him to look at.
“What's going on?” she asked, shoving her hand into the cookie jar at the center of the table.
“Nana says Ker is in danger.”
Morgan chewed the cookie quietly before nodding. “I thought I got that feeling too. I was hoping he'd find his mate by now.”
“What about this teacher?”
She shook her head. “I don't see her at all in my mind. I do know he's going to get the mark.”
Tor frowned. “I thought your mom or you only got visuals of female mates getting their mark?”
She shrugged. “This is new. We aren't experts here and we don't have a guidebook. We're going based on visions and feelings, Tor. And my feelings about what's going on with Ker are scary at best. I want him to be mated ASAP so he's protected but I don't see that happening.”
“So how do we protect him?”
She rose to her feet and walked to the stove, curling an arm around his side. “We can't.”
Nana stepped into the kitchen. “There you are, Morgan. Do you have a minute?”
She pulled away from him. “Sure, Nana. What’s wrong.” She took a chair at the table again. Tor immediately picked up on the worry coming off Nana.
“Seems to be the night for bad dreams,” Nana said.
He glanced at Morgan. “Besides Ker,” he said, “what else are seeing?”
“How old is your first born?” Nana asked.
He felt and smelled the fear overflowing his mate. Morgan answered, “Noah is three.”
Nana nodded. “What are the ages of the others?”
Morgan’s hands shook. Tor covered hers with his. “Nana, why are you asking about the babies?” he asked.
“It’s nothing to be too concerned about. Yet,” Nana said. “It’s just dreams and they don’t always warn; sometimes they just remind.”
“Well, what did your dream remind you of concerning Noah?” Morgan asked, fear making her tongue sharp.
Nana sighed. “On our home planet, Xilos Vardis, toddlers usually had their first shift around two years.”
Morgan jumped up from her chair, terror in her eyes. “Our son’s three. What does that mean? Is something wrong with him?”
Nana glanced at Tor with a grimace. “You’re not comforting your mate too well, big shot.”
Tor frowned back at her. “Our mates aren’t like they used to be, Nana. Morgan is a strong woman and doesn’t like to be coddled.” He quickly added, “Too much.” He remembered the hot baths, foot rubs, and breakfasts in bed when she was ready to pop with the babies.
“Sorry,” Morgan said as she returned to sitting, “please continue.”
“How old are the others?” Nana asked again.
Morgan sighed. “Our Emma is two. Callie and Cole, Clacher’s children, are just over two and one. And Avery and Jae’s Rylee is close to one.”
Nana furrowed her brows for a moment, then said, “As your mates are different, as Tor says, perhaps the children are different also. Maybe they will shifter at a later age.”
“Maybe seeing that Morgan isn’t a dragon, the shift will be at a later time than children of two dragons,” Tor said.
“That very well could be. Sounds logical,” Nana agreed.
“Is there a chance Noah won’t be able to shift at all?” Morgan’s hands began shaking again.
“There is a chance, but it’s not likely,” Nana assured her. “The Drachen dragons are very powerful, very strong. All offspring have been shifters for centuries.”
Morgan finally relaxed in her chair. “So, everything could be just fine?”
Nana patted her hand. “I’m sure it is. As long as he doesn’t shift without me here.”