Hidden Fate

21

Yeah, that plan hadn’t worked. If anything, I’d made the situation worse.

“You took all the dragons and kidnapped her because you wanted her for your own.” Katla shook her head, taking a few steps away from Thorn and bumping into her mate. “And now you’re going to take all our dragons.”

Smoke trickled from Thorn’s nose as his pupils slitted.

“Son,” Vlad whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You have to remember that Drake will twist the story in his favor and pit others against you.”

“Not everyone is privy to what you did for my son,” Theron added, trying to ease the tension.

Saphira snorted and rolled her eyes, not bothering to hide her disgust. “If that were the case, do you think he would’ve been sitting here in the living room when you arrived? Or standing here now, letting you run your mouth? Seriously?”

I mashed my lips together to hold in my laugh. Leave it to her to spell out their stupidity.

“Maybe he just got here.” Katla crossed her arms, but her words lacked conviction. “He hasn’t started.”

“Thorn and Everly”—Edna gestured at us—“are the only reason that Emily and your grandson are alive.”

Some of Thorn’s anger ebbed. Though Edna is backing us, you need to be ready to go. We can’t risk someone bringing the warriors here. Not after everything we’ve been through.

I hated that he was right. I wanted to keep an eye on Emily a little while longer, but we’d already stayed too long, especially since Edna had informed us that the warriors were heading this way. Further, Edna had set the strict condition yesterday that we needed to leave by dawn.

“Grandson?” Katla whispered dreamily.

Beaming, Edna nodded. “Yes. You have a grandson.”

Glancing at Volos, Katla touched her chest. “How did they prevent a different story from happening?”

Mindy appeared at the threshold between the kitchen and the hallway. “Thorn changed Emily. She’s a dragon now, and because of that, her body could handle the birth.”

“As things were, Emily was struggling with the labor. Everly came in, knowing what needed to be done.” Edna smiled and rubbed a hand down her face. “I’ve helped deliver a baby before, but I’ve never handled a birth with such complications. Things would have ended differently if they hadn’t answered my desperate call…even after I told them they couldn’t stay in the safe house.”

Surprise filtered through our connection.

“Wait.” Volos’s face scrunched. “Is that the real reason you ran us out of here earlier? Emily was near death, and you asked these people to come and didn’t tell us anything until it was over?”

“No.” Edna cut a hand in the air. “When I asked you to leave, it was before Emily took a turn for the worse. Emily said she needed silence so she could concentrate. She was in so much pain, and her labor wasn’t progressing. It wasn’t until her body started to shut down that I called Theron and begged for Thorn to come.”

Katla’s bottom lip quivered. “We heard Mikah yelling last night, and we tried calling so many times. No one answered, but thankfully, Mikah texted us, saying the labor was progressing and Emily was doing better. We waited as long as we could stand before coming here. We were so scared that something horrible happened and that’s why we weren’t hearing from anyone.”

“That’s my fault.” I could tell the past several hours had been hard on them. “I wanted to monitor Emily’s heartbeat. Even though she was changed into a dragon shifter, her pulse wasn’t strong. I didn’t want her to be more stimulated until I was comfortable she was out of danger.”

Volos’s breath caught. “Is she still in danger?”

In a way, this was my dream—to be the person who told family members that their loved one was all right and going to survive. It had been the message I’d prayed to hear about my mom so many times, and though it had never come, the doctors had been amazing until the end. But this was the kind of news every doctor hoped to give. “She’s fine and going to make a full recovery.”

The couple hugged each other as Katla whimpered, “Oh, thank gods.”

Something warm coursed through our bond, and I glanced at Thorn to find a proud grin on his face. He connected, You really are meant to be a doctor. You’re glowing. Then something dampened the warmth. And because of me, you might never get to become one.

I despised how he always put the burden on his shoulders and never anyone else’s. No, it’s because of Drake, remember? And being with you, well…life has changed, and new priorities have emerged. I opened myself up more to our connection, wanting him to feel the magnitude of my truth.

“None of this was Everly’s fault. I took the coward’s way out, not wanting to call and tell you not to come.” Edna frowned. “If that had been Mindy, there’s no way in hell I wouldn’t have headed over. I just thought it might be easier to inform you after Everly gave me the okay. That was the wrong call. I should’ve realized you would’ve heard Mikah last night and needed a good update. I was so preoccupied that the thought didn’t occur to me, and I’m sorry for that.”

The door to the bedroom creaked open, and Mikah stuck his head into the hallway. My heart pounded until I noticed his smile and the baby swaddled in blankets in his arms. He tiptoed out and quietly shut the door behind him.

All the hurt and anger vanished from Katla’s and Volos’s eyes, which twinkled with excitement. Even Thorn’s emotions became light and happy as all of us focused on the new life.

Katla took a tentative step forward. “Is that him?”

My cheeks hurt, and I realized I was smiling. I’d never been part of something like this before, and my heart felt full to bursting. Moments like these were why I’d wanted to become a doctor—knowing that in some small way, I’d made a positive impact in someone’s life. And the icing on the cake was that Thorn was here, seeing what his magic had done. Yes, I may have helped with the labor, but if it wasn’t for your magic—what only you can do—Emily and the baby would’ve died. If that’s not proof that your magic isn’t a curse, I don’t know what is. None of us had surgical experience, and many people didn’t realize there was an art to a C-section. You had to cut precisely in order for the child to survive.