I started to rise, to speak my alpha's name, but as if he could read my mind, he shot me a quelling look and I sank into my seat. I knew what Torion would do next, knew that he wouldn't stand for the doctor's claims or any plan that might sacrifice me in exchange for an heir. And while I wasn't sure if my owndesires matched his, there was a small warmth in my chest at understanding thatIwas Torion's priority.
The voices outside of the door were muffled, although the doctor's began to rise with irritation, and Torion's interruptions were quick and heavy. Footsteps receded, and I could hear only my own heartbeat in my ears and the slow inhale and exhale of my breath for a moment. Then the door opened again, and the ambient noise of the keep outside my office bubbled the world back to life.
Torion's head was shaking before I could so much as open my mouth. "I'm not having a doctor attend you when his practice leans more towards butchery than healing. Catherine Eames gave birth tofoursons. And those sons’ omegas have all successfully given birth to more sons. I bet you anything she'll know more about the matter than that doctor knows about his own balls."
My lips twitched, and my heart ached. "Come sit with me," I said.
Torion's eyes narrowed. "Not if you're going to try and convince me that the doctor was in any way right."
I shrugged and tried to sound playful. "You must admit even you said my muscles were stiff." Torion scowled at me, and I sighed. "Torion, even if I make it to the birthing?—"
"Brigid, please," he said, the hard stone of his voice starting to crack.
"Dragon births are dangerous. You may have to make a choice?—"
"I have already made it, but I'm not sure you're prepared to hear it," Torion bit out, crossing the stone floor and hitting the bench hard, wrapping his arms around me.
"—or the worst may happen and we get no choice at all," I continued, closing my eyes and pressing my face to his chest.
"I…I can't let that happen, little witch," Torion whispered, his head bowing over mine and lips brushing over my hair. "Damn it, I never should've brought that man here."
I knew these were realities we might have to face eventually, and only if I'd managed tokeepthe babe alive longer than I had before. But I found my arms wrapping around Torion's chest, found myself clinging to him like he was my anchor, and that reliance didn't scare me for once. I had greater battles to fight than my feelings for Torion now.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
TORION
“Is that…" Brigid trailed off, her finger pointed skyward as a flash of light bounced off the scales of a brilliant amber and fire dragon.
"Yes," I said, grinning. "Yes, that's them now. And that is Omega Cadogan."
I turned my head to watch Brigid's jaw part, eyes wide in disbelief as the dragons grew in their approaching flight, the sea green of Mairwen's colors clearing from the sky, wings beating in slow strokes to keep pace with her smaller mate.
It'd been almost two weeks since I left Ronson and his omega cleaning up after the challenge issued against Ronson. The prisoners I'd kept for him had remained sullen and resigned to their fate, which relieved me. I'd almost sent them back to Ronson after returning to the keep and facing the perilous reality of Brigid's pregnancy once more.
It didn't seem right that my omega spent her time soothing me, rather than the other way around. Brigid's almost martyr-like calm made me slightly ill, as if I were experiencing her nausea in sympathy. I wanted to see her fight for herself, not stoically accept the risk of her fate, but it was my role to be her warrior now. If only I knew how these battles might be won.Brigid had begged me to wait a little longer to call for Omega Eames, and I'd relented. We were not yet three months into her pregnancy. There was time yet.
And there was the mystery of Mairwen Cadogan's new status as a dragon to unravel now too. I hoped my friends came with answers, and I prayed to the old dragons that some of those answers might help Brigid.
"Incredible," Brigid gasped as the ground rumbled with the dragons’ landing.
Their transformations made the air rush forward, and I shielded Brigid from the wind with my wing as the magnificent bright beast shrunk down into the statuesque but comparatively tiny woman with amber gold wings. Mairwen patted her hair and dress, then turned and said something to Ronson that had him throwing his head back and laughing loudly. It was almost as shocking to see the somber and serious alpha smile as it was to see a woman with wings. Well, no, not really, but it was still surprising to see my old friend so merry, smile at the ready and eyes on his omega.
The pair approached us, and Brigid's hand squeezed around mine as the hooks of their wings that brushed one another linked together.
"You've been busy, I see," Brigid greeted the pair, her smile wide but still wobbly with shock.
Mairwen's answering smile was sheepish, but I thought she stood proudly with her wings at her back and her alpha at her side.
"How has the Isle been taking the news?" I asked. I'd had a missive from Seamus about the initial announcement going as well as could be expected, even with Ronson tossing aside the old choosing ceremony tradition.
"Surprisingly well," Ronson said, and Mairwen winced. "We know there's resistance at the very least, but we've had nooutright defiance yet. I think it helps that Mairwen's dragon is absolutely terrifying to the betas."
"We might be more in danger of some of the young women demanding their own wings," Mairwen said, and she looked a bit proud of that announcement.
My eyebrows rose. "So you know the cause then?"
The couple glanced at one another and then our surroundings. It was busy outside of the keep, and I'd given my staff warning of what they might expect to see upon Mairwen's arrival, but many were certainly staring, slowing their progress across the yard to have a better look.
