Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

His mom was dying.

Jermon had refused to let the thought in, but he no longer had that luxury. She was dying right before their eyes, and if he didn’t face that reality, he’d regret it forever. She hadn’t gained consciousness since they’d brought her to the ranch, and Enar and Maz had said from the start that every hour she stayed unconscious dimmed her chances of recovering.

It had been forty-eight hours, and the gods only knew how long she’d been out of it when they’d found her. No, this was the end.

But slipping into the everlasting realm like that was so unworthy of who she was, of her powerful magical abilities. Was there nothing that could be done to revive her, even for a moment? That way, they could at least say goodbye.

“I don’t know,” Emma said when he asked her. Valdis was sitting with their mom, and Jermon, Nadiv, and Emma were hanging out in the meeting barn like everyone else. “But to be fair, I also haven’t given it much thought.”

“I wish Erwan were here,” Nadiv said. “If she passes before he gets back…”

Jermon sighed as he rocked Olivia and Harley, both fast asleep in the sling. “He’ll never forgive himself.”

His brother nodded. “But we have no way of letting him know. Sivney has been calling their cell phones every hour, but nothing is going through.”

They sat in silence, each lost in their thoughts.

“It feels like a wake, having the whole pack here,” Nadiv said. “Even though she’s not dead.”

“More like a vigil, then,” Jermon said. “It’s interesting, though, that everyone feels so strongly they should be here, even the wolves.”

Emma sat up straight. “The wolves…”

Jermon frowned. “Yeah, the wolves are here too.”

“The wolves are the key. We need the True Alpha. If we want to wake your mom before she passes, we need both packs, including Lidon. The combined power will be enough…and we might even be able to connect with Erwan and send him a signal.”

Nadiv’s eyes lit up. “You think so?”

“There’s a reason everyone senses they need to be here. The pack is strongest when it’s united, and Erwan needs his clan. So if we’re all in the same place and combine our magic, we can create a boost that will wake her.”

“Will it save her?” Nadiv asked, hope flickering in his eyes.

“No, baby. I’m sorry.” Emma took his hand and pressed a kiss to it. “Not unless the gods decide to bless us with another miracle, like they did with Palani.”

Jermon had heard about that, how Palani had died and had come back to life again. A miracle, for sure, and not one that was likely to happen again.

“I’m not sure she’d want it.” Jermon had wondered about that a lot, sitting by her side. Would she want to be saved or healed or whatever you called it? He doubted it. “She’s not old for a dragon, but…it kinda feels like she’s done. I don’t know how to explain it, but it seems that her mission, the reason she was here, is complete. Like she wants that rest now. The gods know her life has been hard.”

Nadiv wiped away a tear. “Maybe it’s selfish to want to keep her a little longer, also because…” He looked at Emma, whose hand he was still holding.

“You can tell them,” she said softly.

“Emma is pregnant. She’s carrying five eggs.”

Jermon widened his eyes. He’d had no idea they were even considering kids. Not that he was stupid enough to mention that. “Five? Gods, that is amazing! I’m so happy for you guys.”

“Thank you. She still refuses to marry me, though,” Nadiv said with a sigh.

“Damn straight. I’ll marry you when you prove you’ve become the man I need you to be. I’m done fucking around.”

How could you not love that woman? She was fearless and amazing and exactly what Nadiv needed. “Good for you. You gotta have standards.”

“I sure do.” But her eyes softened as she looked at Nadiv. “He’s changed so much already. Enough for me to trust him to be a responsible dad.”

“He has.” Jermon watched his younger brother with pride. “And I know he’ll rise to the occasion and be the best dad ever. You’re gonna need it, trust me. Having five hatchlings is gonna be…” He shook his head, laughing as he looked down on two of his own. “It’s the bravest, craziest, most intense thing you’ll ever do in your life.”

“I wish Mom could’ve met them,” Nadiv said. “Your kids and mine. She would’ve made a fantastic grandma.”

“Aye, she would have.” Jermon swallowed away the wave of sadness. “You think we should try it, uniting both packs? See if that’s enough to wake Mom?”

“We’d need to bring her too,” Emma said. “She has to be at the center of the power.”

“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.

“We’re gonna bring her to the meeting barn,” Jermon said. “Everyone has gathered there, including the Hayes pack and the True Alpha. We want to see if the boost of power can awaken her.”

Valdis sat up straight. “You think that could save her?”

Jermon shook his head. “She’s dying, Valdis. Nothing we do will change that. But we do hope she’ll wake so we can say our goodbyes. And maybe we can somehow send a signal to Erwan.”

A quiet sob escaped from Valdis’s lips. “If she could see him before she passes, that would mean the world to her. He’s her favorite.”

Funny how once upon a time, that statement would’ve angered Jermon, but now he only felt gratitude someone had been there for Erwan. “We’ll do what we can, but he’s on the other side of the world, so I don’t know if he’ll be able to make it in time.”

They wrapped his mom in blankets, lifted her, and carried her to the truck. The ride back was much slower to keep her as comfortable as possible.

“You carry her in,” Nadiv said to Jermon. “You’re the second oldest.”

So Jermon did, cradling her as gently as he’d done his kids. She weighed so little, probably not even ninety pounds. The barn grew silent when they walked to the center, where a cot had been placed. Jermon carefully lowered her and made sure she was all tucked in. She looked peaceful, her face pale and sunken, but a hint of a smile played on her lips.

Jermon knelt next to her, and so did Nadiv and Valdis. People were coming forward and forming a circle around them. Fallon and Emma, with Finlay and Ross behind them as boosters. Frick and Jorah, both healers. Ian and Gael, to send energy into her. And Oliver, probably to detect if what they were doing was working and, if not, what they should change.

On the other end of the circle stood the wolves: Lidon and his three mates, plus Grayson, who was their storyteller, and Sivney. Lidon held his oldest, Hakon, who was watching with quiet eyes that mirrored his dad’s.

“We have gathered to honor Queen Grian and ease her passage into the eternal realms,” Emma said. “We’re grateful all of you have shown up, and we are here as one pack, one clan, one unity. This would have pleased our forefathers, King Laoch the Great and Høfding Olaf, who formed the pact that forever linked our destinies.”

“The wolves are honored to stand by your side once again, as we have done so many times in the past,” Grayson said. “And we humbly beseech the earth and moon to bestow her blessing upon us.”

A ripple of energy wove through the barn, and a few people gasped.

“Glaoch suas an tine,” Emma said softly. Call up the fire.

All the dragons whispered their spells except for Fallon, who stood tall as if he sucked it all in. Seconds later, Jermon felt the pull on his magic, and he released it freely, sending it to whoever needed it.

Fallon didn’t move for a good twenty seconds, not even his lips, and only then did he close his eyes and stretch out his hands over Jermon’s mom. “Dúisigh,” he said with a powerful voice. Wake up.

Almost instantly, his mom stirred.

“Mom,” Jermon said with a sob. “Mom, it’s me, Jermon. And Valdis and Nadiv are here as well.”

She blinked and opened her eyes. Her eyes were slow to focus, but when they did, a smile spread across her lips. “Oh, my boys… My sweet boys…”

They took turns leaning in for a kiss and a careful embrace. To feel his mom’s arms around him meant more than Jermon could say.

“You’re with us now, Mom. You’re safe,” Nadiv said, tears streaming down his face.

“Aye, I am.” She took a deep breath. “I don’t have long.”

She knew herself, then. Thank the gods, Jermon wouldn’t have to break the news to her. “We had to use magic to wake you.”

“I felt it call to me. And I sense…” She turned her head, searching. “Aye, the True Alpha.”

Lidon took a step closer and knelt next to her with his son by his side. “It’s an honor to meet you, Queen Grian.” He took the trembling hand she reached out.

“The honor is mine, alpha. To see the dragons and wolves are once again united… Aye, that will comfort me as I depart this earth.”

“Your sons are a credit to you and a blessing to our packs,” Lidon said.

“Thank you.” She nodded at Hakon. “The future True Alpha.”

A gasp traveled through the barn.

“My name is Hakon,” Hakon said in his bright little voice.

“Aye, and a beautiful name it is. My name is Grian.”

“Are you old, Grian?” Hakon asked, and despite everything, Jermon smiled. Leave it to kids to ask the direct questions.

“Much, much older than you.”

“Are you sad you’re dying?”

She stretched out her hand and cupped Hakon’s cheek. “I’m sad to leave my sons, but no, it will be a blessing. One day, when the time has come for you, you’ll understand that. But you’ll live a long, full life, my child. You’ll find three mates of your own, just like your dads, and you’ll have a house full of children. But best of all, your reign will bring peace. The wolves and the dragons will become one, and the world will be better for it.”

Lidon’s eyes had filled with tears. “Thank you, Queen Grian. I will treasure those words forever.”

He wasn’t the only one who had grown emotional. Everyone in the barn had watched the interaction with bated breath, and more than a few people were crying.

She turned her attention back to her sons. “Call Erwan.”

“Mom, we can’t. We tried, but his phone isn’t working.”

“Phone? Use your magic, son.”

“I don’t know how.”

“I do. Hold my hand, all three of you. You too, my daughter,” she said to Emma. As soon as Emma touched her, the queen’s eyes lit up. “Oh, what wonderful news.”

Of course she’d sensed the eggs.

“Close your eyes and find each other’s fire, the way you did when you woke me.”

They did as she told them, and the threads connecting them rippled inside Jermon.

“Feel that strong thread, the thickest one? That’s Erwan. Follow it, Jermon. Trust your magic. Your powers are so much stronger than you know.”

He traced the thread in his mind like he was unraveling a knot, trying to find the beginning of one of the threads so he could pull it. Time seemed to stop, and everything faded like he was suspended in time and space. All he could see was that thread, and he didn’t let go, even though he grew more and more tired. His energy would get a boost, and then he’d drain it again, only to get another bump. That had to be the others.

Wait, there it was! He’d found the end of the thread. He’d reached Erwan. Shit, he’d forgotten to ask what he should do next. But if he let go now, he might not be able to connect again. No, he had to do this himself.

He focused and sent his last energy to the end of the thread.

Mom is dying. Come home.