THIRTY
Inside the warm and cozy living room of the cabin, Jae and Avery served hot cocoa and coffee to those gathered around the fire keeping warm.
She was formally introduced to Nana, the woman she and Hannah had heard in their heads, and Tor. There was also a Wytt Stronglove, who Hannah hadn’t taken her eyes off since he saved both of them from the death wave earlier. There was so much heat between those two, Avery was having a hard time even looking their way. It was clear to everyone there that Hannah had found her mate.
Avery glanced at Ker and he shrugged with a smile. Neither she nor Hannah were his mate. But she felt confident his time would come.
“Come sit with me, love,” Jae said in her mind.
She turned to him and took his hand where he drew her close and set her on his lap. And being right there, she had to look at his mark again. Her fingers lifted the short sleeve of his shirt covering his bicep. Curled up over his muscle, just like on her lower back, was a sleeping dragon. He smiled and batted her hand away.
“You know you’re in trouble for never telling me you got your mark when you did.” Jae raised a brow at her.
She did know and she hoped to pay dearly for it that night in bed. Her face heated at her thoughts. She was glad no one else knew what she was thinking. She looked around and Nana winked at her. Oh, shit. The older woman was amazing.
“Tor,” Avery asked since she was the only one who didn’t know what happened, except for Hannah who didn’t seem to care, “how did you guys get rid of all the Noir? There were hundreds of them.
The oldest brother laughed. “Ask Nana. I don’t know how to do the death wave.” Avery heard those two words mentioned outside. Everyone’s attention was riveted on the old lady.
Nana chuckled. “As you boys know, only elders have the power needed to create the wave. It comes from many years of controlling and working with the fire element within your dragon.”
“What does it do, Nana? Is it like shooting a flame thrower at them?” Avery asked.
“No,” she said. “It’s more like dropping a bomb. My dragon is the center and it creates an intense heat energy that radiates bursts of heat that incinerates almost anything around. Of course, it doesn’t hurt our dragons, but it does the weaker ones. It’s been our major defense from the Noir for many years. That’s one reason they hunt us elders so intensely.”
That explained how each dragon vanished as ash into thin air. “Was all the Noir clan here, do you think?” Avery asked.
“That would be nice to think,” Tor said, “but as you probably saw, when they sensed the big attack coming, a lot got away. Those that didn’t were destroyed. Still, I know Sayeh has a lot more at his command.”
“Do all Drachen mates have powers like Avery and I?” Hannah looked away from her new mate for the first time in forever. “I couldn’t tell how much of what happened against the witch was me and how much was Avery.”
Nana’s brows pulled down. “Did you see a light come from within you to attack her darkness?” she asked.
“I did,” Hannah said in deep thought. “But I remember thinking Avery’s light was thicker, brighter. Like she had extra powers.”
Nana held her hands out to Avery. “Come, child. Touch me.”
Avery hesitated, worried that something might be wrong with her. Jae nudged her. She got up and crossed the floor. Kneeling in front of the old woman, she took her hands.
Nana closed her eyes. To Avery, this woman seemed more like a witch than the one outside. Her aura seemed larger than life. Nana nodded.
“Yes, I see,” she said. “You have new life growing inside you.”
Avery frowned. “I what?”
Nana patted her hand. “You’re having a baby.”
She gasped, her gaze swinging back to Jae, who looked as shocked as she was.
Tor and Ker chuckled and shook their heads. “Callie and Noah did the same thing.”
“What?” Avery asked.
Nana patted her hand. “Drachen babies sense danger and can shield themselves from anyone knowing of their existence until they feel safe.”
Avery stood up, her universe now completely changed. Forever. Not only was she Jae’s mate. They were having a baby. She went back to his lap where he immediately wrapped his arms around her, placing his hands on her belly. Their baby was growing in there. In her.
“I love you,” she said. “You gave me life and I didn’t even realize I wasn’t living.”
“You’ve made me feel more than I have in all my years alive.”
Nana then turned a stink eye to Tor. “How did the witch find this place? It’s one of your safe houses, yes?”
Jae and Ker suddenly found the floor interesting. Tor looked at them. “Jae?”
“Now it’s great to be the youngest,” Ker said and stretched out in his chair. Jae recalled the avalanche and surmised the Noir followed them after that. He didn’t even think of that being a possibility, he was so worried about Avery’s health.
Hannah giggled and slid off her mate’s lap. She snagged his hand and led them out the front door. Everyone looked around at each other. A second later, Hannah stuck her head back in.
“Um, we’ll back in later. Don’t wait up or anything,” she said.
“Sure thing,” Avery said. As soon as the door closed, she turned to Nana. “Who is he? Where did he come from? And why couldn’t he have been here a week ago?”
Jae and Ker laughed. It had been a stressful week.
Nana rocked back in her chair, a laugh in her throat. “Newton is something else. I am so happy for him. On the planet we were on, he was miserable. The females thought he was too serious and he had no attraction to anyone. When I told him that Earth was known for medical advancement and research, he jumped at the opportunity to come with me. If the dragon had his way, he’d find a cure to every disease known to the universe. He cares so much for life.”
Avery sat back with a smile. “I have to say that so far, fate has got all the mates right.”