Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

Runa

A whisper on the wind caught my attention. Something was happening with Nathan. I almost got up to check on what, but Liv’s scream of pain drew my focus back to her. Whatever was happening, I couldn’t be part of it. I was needed here. I could only hope that Nathan was okay.

“Breathe,” I demanded, setting my hand on her forehead. A quick sweep of my magic told me she was fine. The pain was peaking, which I knew was because she was crowning soon. Thankfully, the little sweeps of magic weren’t hurting me. I couldn’t manage much more, but it helped to know what I was dealing with.

“Go fuck yourself,” Liv snarled.

I shot her a dry look. It wasn’t the first angry comment I’d gotten from a birthing mother. The pain made them irrational. I didn’t take it personally, and I didn't let her get to me.

“If you don’t breathe, I’m making you take that potion. You’re still responsible for the babe’s oxygen until they make it to air. You need to breathe so your baby can get what they need.”

That got her to listen, and she took a few deep breaths. She was still glaring at me, but that was neither here nor there. She could glare at me until it was all over if she wanted. As long as she did as she was told and breathed.

Her belly tightened with another contraction and I urged her to push, counting out the seconds for her. Her face was flushed, the bright purple hair plastered to her forehead with sweat. Her mate held back one of her legs, his eyes locked worriedly on his mate. He’d been a joy to deal with when I first arrived, snarling and soaking the room with his dominance. I gave him tasks to keep him distracted, but Liv wasn’t the only one sweating thanks to him.

Suddenly the anger on Liv’s face disappeared and she started shaking her head, her voice choking on a sob. “I can’t! I can’t!”

“Yes, you can,” I insisted. This part was normal. It always happened right before the final push. “Deep breath in, then push. Hard. Harder. That’s it. Keep going.”

Once the head came out, it only took one more big push to get the baby out. I immediately laid the little girl on her mother’s chest, grabbing a towel to rub the little thing clean. A loud wail filled the room and both parents burst into tears.

“Runa…”

I looked over my shoulder at Link. He looked worriedly over his shoulder, then back to me. I sighed heavily.

“Get Talia. She’s been part of this before. I need her to wait for the placenta to be born.”

He nodded and hurried to call for her while I did a quick check of Liv’s baby.

“Healthy and happy. Hold her close and if you feel the need to push again, do it. The placenta can take some time, but it needs to come out eventually.”

“Go,” Liv insisted, that strength and determination coming back to her now that the hard part was over. “We’ve got this.”

Dipping my chin once, I headed back to the second bedroom, where Rhea was struggling to cope. Her progress was slower than Liv’s and she looked pale. I put my hand on her belly, my eyes closed as I examined her. What I found made me suck in a breath.

“What is it?” Link demanded, hovering at my side. I almost didn’t want to answer him.

“The baby’s heartbeat is slowing. They’re in distress.”

“Can’t you do something?” he asked, holding Rhea’s hand as he pleaded with me.

I shook my head slowly.

“Please, Runa! I know you don’t like us, but–”

“It’s not about you!” I snapped, shoving to my feet. I’d kept the truth away from them, because it shouldn’t have mattered. I could assist with births without magic. But I couldn’t lie to him now.

“I don’t have the magic. I depleted myself saving Andrew. I haven’t had it for months.”

Pain and heartache overtook his features and I had to shut my eyes to block it out. I didn't know what to do. Healing was in my blood. I would give up my life to save others. But if I used my magic to save Rhea, I wouldn’t just be risking myself. I pressed my hand to the small swell of my belly. The spirits told me to care for the seedling. But there were two lives on the line if I did. There had to be another way.

The windows rattled with a strong gust of wind. Whipping my head up, I raced for it, throwing it open. The gust blasted through the room, giving me the answers I sought. I jerked around, barking at Link. “Pick her up. We need to go to the lake. Now!”

He looked confused, and I could tell he wanted to argue with me, but this was the only way we could save her. I needed more than just me. I needed the magic of the spirits. They were the only ones who could help me save her.

“Now, Link!”

He picked her up when I threw the blankets aside, carrying his lethargic mate out of the trailer and following me to the well treaded trail the crew had created from visiting the lake so often. The wind blew heavily at our backs, urging us on, and I heard the trees rustle as they trembled from the force. I was surprised Nathan didn’t follow, but I didn’t have time to question it. We reached the lake in record time, and I pointed at the banks, telling Link, “Set her down there. Like you had been in the trailer.”

“Isn’t this unsanitary?” he demanded, eyeing the water.

I rolled my eyes. “Potions can handle that risk. But I don’t have the power to help her on my own. Let the spirits guide her. Sit down.”

He did as bid, sitting in the water with Rhea in his lap. She groaned and her face scrunched a little, but she didn't open her eyes yet.

Kneeling in front of them both, I put my hand on her belly and closed my eyes, murmuring to the spirits under my breath. “Spirits who guide us, your children need your help. Give us the strength to get the babe to air.”

The water, which had been only a few inches deep around Rhea’s waist, swelled, and Link let out a startled shout. I ignored him, keeping my hand on Rhea as I continued to beg for help. Then, using as little magic as I could, I pushed forward Rhea’s labor. With the help of the spirits, we would get her and her baby through this.

Hopefully.

Nathan

There were six of us that went hunting for Finch and his crew. Aiden, Ethan, Corey, Jackson, and one flight shifter, Jack. He was a low level dominant, but we needed a flight shifter with us in case my old partner tried to run like last time. The rest stayed behind to watch over the crew.

Stalking through the trees, I scented the air for my old unit. We started at the compound, since that was where he was supposed to come for me, heading past Runa’s cottage and the partially finished home I was building for her with my dad.

I had no idea which way I needed to go. I thought maybe down the mountain, since they’d have to come up from the road, but a stirring in the wind made me stop and wait. Runa had been patient with my initial disbelief of the element spirits, but after living with her for a month, I knew better than to question it. I was tossed on my ass one too many times to ignore the truth.

I still couldn’t hear it, despite her telling me I could if I just listened hard enough, but I understood enough to know it was pushing me in another direction. I turned, following the flow of the wind through the trees and farther north. There was a lot of territory between the compound and the north edge, but maybe they thought if they snuck in that way, they would be less likely to be caught.

They should’ve thought about not alienating their own people first. It didn’t matter which direction they came from if we were getting information from inside their unit.

The wind shifted suddenly, but not to guide me away. This time, it brought scents on the wind. Familiar scents. Finch and four others from my unit. The wind even brought a bit of their conversation as they discussed best how to get me out.

“He’s paranoid. Just make enough noise and he’ll come to us,” Bart insisted.

“What about the dragon? If we make too much noise, we’ll draw him to us too,” Lance pointed out.

“Enough,” Finch snapped. “We go in as we always have. The dragon isn’t above the law. He’ll accept that Nathan needs to be put down to protect our secret or he’ll be put down as well. He’s not the first dragon we’ve gone up against. Do you have the serum?”

Aiden stiffened beside me. He was the only one not shifted. He wouldn’t be able to pull off stealthy in full dragon form.

“Yeah. Might not even run into him, though. Devon said Nate went into town, right? They should be able to nab him.”

Edging closer, I took stock of the situation. They were all armed to the teeth, waiting for word from Devon. No campfire, nothing to draw attention to themselves. They knew how to wait. They were good at it. We couldn’t get any closer without them hearing us, and I hesitated to keep going. What if it was a trap? If they were just drawing us into the clearing so they could take us all out. Devon could’ve–

A hand rested on my back and Aiden spoke so quietly, I almost didn’t hear him. “I’ll go in first. I’m not their target and they won’t shoot immediately. Use the distraction to your advantage.”

I shot him an incredulous look, but because I was already shifted, I couldn’t argue with him. He strode away, marching straight for the clearing with unwavering confidence. The unit heard him coming and scrambled to their feet, but they hesitated when Aiden stepped into the clearing.

“Who are you?” Finch demanded.

“I believe I should be asking that question,” Aiden said smoothly. “You’re the ones who are on my property.”

A large part of me wanted to chase after Aiden, to have his back like he had mine, but I would only put him at risk if I did that. Instead, I led the crew around the clearing, thanking the wind for keeping us upwind so they wouldn’t catch my scent.

“We’re here seeking an unstable shifter. He is putting our existence at risk. We will leave your territory as soon as he has been dealt with.”

“Dealt with?” Aiden asked casually. “Has he done something to draw human attention?”

I could hear the annoyance in Finch’s tone when he replied. “Not yet. But his behavior is erratic. It’s better to handle him sooner rather than let him reach the point of risking our secret.”

Aiden hummed, and I could feel the air vibrating even from across the clearing. I ignored it and crept closer, keeping my eyes locked on their weapons. I’d hoped we could deal with them before they even reached for the guns, but now they were on edge facing Aiden.

“So let me understand this correctly. This shifter you seek has yet to threaten humans or even come close to risking our exposure, and yet you intend on killing him anyway. Have you considered that it’s your behavior that is the problem, not his?”

Finch scoffed, stepping closer. He didn’t see Aiden as enough of a threat to cower. “We’re sanctioned by the government. We do our jobs so shifters like you can live in peace. Mind your business, dragon. Unless you want to be added to that list.”

“Is that right?”

The unit behind Finch adjusted uneasily. Even they knew how stupid it was to threaten a dragon.

Finch lifted his weapon, pointing it at Aiden. “That’s right. Now turn around and walk away. This doesn’t concern you.”

Aiden shook his head slowly, chiding them. “That’s where you’re wrong. That shifter you’re targeting is my grandson. I’m well within my right to protect my family. And from what I’ve been told, you aren’t even supposed to be here. Your unit is supposed to be returning to base. Isn’t that right?”

I cocked my head. I hadn’t known that. And from the looks of the guys surrounding Finch, they didn’t either. They were disregarding an order to be here, and that put their careers at risk. Not all of them were okay with that.

“Finch?” Oakley questioned with a frown.

“Shut up,” Finch snapped back, glaring at Aiden. “This mission isn’t over. We were ordered to return to base after we finished our mission.”

“And was Nathan truly your mission? Or did you add him to your little list yourself?” Aiden blinked slowly, not waiting for Finch’s reply. “You see yourselves as the grim reapers. Coming to take the lives of those you deem unworthy of living. That’s not who you truly are, though. Do you know what running around killing innocent shifters makes you?”

He eyed each of them, and I could feel the discomfort coming off of them. Especially when Aiden answered his own question. “Murderers. Serial killers. Shifters who need to be put down.”

A low growl escaped me and I stepped into the clearing. My tiger and I were on the same page now. Put down the dangerous shifters that risked our way of life.

Two spun around, pointing their weapons at me, and I saw the blood drain from Oakley’s face when he realized who was stalking him.

Aiden put up a hand to stall me. He tipped his head like he was listening and a slow smile spread across his face.

“It seems I’m not the only person who sees you that way. I believe your comrades have called in your sister unit. It’s your turn to face the consequences of your actions.”