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“If it gives us even five minutes with her to say goodbye, it would be worth it,” Nadiv said, and Jermon felt the same way.
“I’ll talk to Palani. He’s still here, and so is Kean.” Emma got up and headed over to the Hightower brothers.
“I hope you realize how lucky you are to have her,” Jermon said to his brother.
“Trust me, I’m well aware she’s way out of my league… Yet, somehow, she loves me, and it’s the biggest miracle ever. I don’t know what I did to deserve her, but I’m praying to the gods every day I’ll be worthy of her.”
Nadiv really had changed, but then again, they all had. They’d come a long way from the spoiled, self-centered boys they had been and had grown into men. “I could say the same thing about Erwan. How he still talks to us after what we did to him…?” Jermon’s voice broke.
Harley opened their eyes as if they sensed Jermon’s distress, and their tiny little claws popped out of the sling, searching for Jermon’s finger. As soon as he touched them, they grabbed it and held it tightly. After a few seconds, their eyes drifted shut again, and they fell right back to sleep, still clutching Jermon’s index finger.
“Are they developing the same way as the other three?” Nadiv asked.
“So far, we’re not seeing any differences beyond the expected. Zayden is the biggest and strongest, but that makes sense because he’s the oldest. Xander is right on his heels. Olivia is much smaller, but she’s an omega, so there’s that. And Harley is right in the middle. Not as small as their sister but not as big as their brothers either. We have no idea what to make of it.”
Nadiv frowned. “It’s almost as if… But that can’t be.”
“Almost as if what?”
“As if they’re a beta. Like with the wolves. The betas are right between their alphas and their omegas.”
A beta. How had that thought never occurred to Jermon? “But dragons don’t have betas.”
“Pure dragons don’t. But your kids have wolf blood in them. They’re dragons, but that wolf DNA had to manifest somewhere.”
Holy crap. Nadiv was right. Wouldn’t it make sense if Riordan’s wolf DNA had created a beta dragon? That was the most logical explanation so far. “But what about their gender?”
“Yeah, that one, I don’t know. Maybe they’re like Lev, only in their gender, and have both? I’ve never heard of it, but there’s never been a beta dragon either, so whatever. We’ll call it magic.”
Emma returned. “Palani agreed it was worth a try. He said he’d head back to the Hayes pack and ask everyone to come.”
Now, all they could do was wait for everyone else to arrive. And in the meantime, he could talk to his mates about what Nadiv had said.
They reacted as stunned as Jermon had been.
“A beta?” Wilmer scratched his chin. “Why didn’t we ever think of that?”
“Right? That’s what I said to Nadiv.”
Riordan reached into the sling Jermon was wearing and lifted Harley out. The hatchling woke up, blinked a few times, then curled up on Riordan’s hand again and fell right back asleep. “Are you a beta? Is that what we’re missing?”
“It makes sense,” Wilmer said. “Though it doesn’t explain their gender.”
“No, but it could be that something went differently there as well because of the mix of wolf and dragon DNA. I have no clue. I mean, human non-shifter babies can be born intersex, so maybe that’s what happened? We’ll find out when they first shift to their human form.”
“Not that it matters,” Riordan said, as always quick to come to Harley’s defense. He was fiercely protective of their hatchlings, and Jermon loved him even more for it. He’d shown remarkable resilience and flexibility, adapting to every change that had come their way. And Wilmer was so calm and steady, like the rock they all built on. Jermon couldn’t have picked better mates.
“It matters in the sense that a label can help Harley find their identity. It’s hard not to belong anywhere, and I think it makes things a little easier if there’s at least a label for what they are. They’d still be different, but it would have a name,” Wilmer said.
Jermon sensed Lidon before he saw him, like this tingling of power that grew stronger and stronger. They all turned their heads as he walked in, Hakon in his arms and his mates on his heels. More of his pack followed, carrying tables, chairs, blankets, and food. A few omegas created a large playpen where the kids could play together, throwing in a massive stack of toys. Half an hour later, the barn was crammed full, yet everyone spoke with dimmed voices, the kind of reverence one would expect at a wake or a funeral.
“It’s time to bring in the queen,” Emma said.
Jermon took off the sling and handed Olivia over to Riordan, who still had Harley as well. Zayden and Xander were safe with Wilmer.
Jermon walked out with Nadiv, and Enar was already outside, waiting for them in his truck. Few words were spoken as they made the short drive to the clinic and walked over to her room.
“Nothing has changed.” Valdis looked exhausted. He had their mom’s frail hand in his, holding it tenderly.
