Page 92 of The Dragons’ Eternal Mate

“I-It’s just a flash,” Rowan insisted. “It probably means nothing. I may never get my memory back.”

Orsen pulled her into his arms, not caring who was watching. “We don’t care if you never regain your memories. Would it be nice? Sure. But, at the end of the day, we love you. The woman who came to a horde she didn’t know to heal a child.”

“One who’s slapped a dragon many times her size…” Bastian pointed out with a grin.

“That same dragon also acts like a lapdog, so he’s harmless,” Rowan pointed out. “All growl and no bite.”

Bastian laughed, a deep belly laugh. At that moment, it struck me how little I had heard the sound over the last few years. My chest squeezed, warmth flowing through me. We’d been so broken, so cut off from who we were. With the danger over, at least the most pressing danger, life was growing through the cracks again.

It felt… incredible.

In a flash, Bastian’s stare darkened. He stepped in behind Rowan, his lips hovering over her ear as she said, “There’s plenty of marks on you that show just how well we all bite, mate. If you want a reminder, though, I’ll happily show you tonight.”

Rowan’s face flushed, and she struggled to meet his eyes.

“Once the guests leave,” I said, shoving Bastian lightly on the shoulder.

“Fine,” he huffed, rolling his eyes dramatically. “It’s a date.”

Rowan - One Year Later

Ayear of peace.

I could scarcely believe it.

For one long, blissfully glorious year, we had been at peace. North Oak was growing by the day, and we’d had several babies born in the last few months alone. It was such a change from the dour reality that had been imposed on the people here by that quack Jenkins. Not a moment went by that I wasn’t a little tickled that he’d been killed by his own incompetence

It really made me believe in karma.

Sitting in my clinic, which was quiet between patients, I smiled to myself. I picked up the phone and dialed a familiar contact, who I’d been meaning to reach out to.

“Well, aren’t I blessed? A call from the healing Alpha of North Oak?” Griffin gasped dramatically on the other end, and I chuckled, thrilled to hear his voice.

“Hey, you,” I greeted warmly. “How’s things going up there?”

Griffin had been helping run what used to be Birch Creek for a while now. Best of all, he’d taken to it like a duck to water, and I was genuinely thrilled for him. The opportunity had allowed his Alpha skills to shine, and the dragons there were in the best, most capable hands with him at the helm.

“It’s… going.” He chuckled. I could picture him shrugging with that nonchalant tone. “Actually, the guides you’ve been making have been fucking amazing.”

The guides.

What had been intended as a pet project had morphed into a large-scale operation that was benefiting several hordes now.

Once everything had calmed down, my clan and I started truly looking at how we could help our newly increased horde population. I had trained Nina, who quickly became an excellent healer. With her at the clinic, my workload had decreased significantly, and I was able to take a step back, which allowed me to enjoy my time instead of being constantly worked to the bone.

It’d been particularly appreciated by the guys, who ate up every chance they could to shower me with attention when they weren’t working themselves.

We regularly got requests from neighboring hordes for medical help. We went whenever we could, but that wasn’t as often as they needed, of course. It dawned on me around the fourth or fifth trip to a horde several hours away that a lot of the assistance they needed was pretty basic—at least, for me.

Which was how I came about compiling the guides. Originally, I’d planned to simply put together some pamphlets, with basic healing information for dragons, and distribute them to the hordes who needed something they could turn to and learn from whenever something came up.

Somehow, in time, that had warped into me writing several books on healing and getting copies printed and distributed to every horde we came into contact with. It wasn’t complex stuff, just the best poultices to stave off infections or ways to reduce pain and such, but I’d heard how much they’d helped quite a few times.

It was small, but had a massive impact. I was on my fourth book now, researching carefully. Everything I’d put on those pages had to be just right, so I triple-checked my methods with other healers—and Kiki’s notes.

The compendium of works was being used to train more healers, creating people who were essential to the health and wellness of a horde. I was proud, and it meant a lot to know the work was keeping other hordes from being subjected to the mistreatment Jenkins had inflicted on North Oak.

“I’m glad to hear it.” I smiled, my mind traveling to a distant memory. “Do you remember that dingy place we stayed at in Washington?”