Flames of Fury

~5 years later~

Magnolia

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Ro snaps at me but does his best to keep his tone in check.

“Getting dressed for the wedding? Why?” I don’t bother looking at him, I just continue wrapping my dress around my swollen stomach and tying it with the matching sash.

“Mags, you’re going to pop any minute. Get back in bed.”

“You know this isn’t my first rodeo right? It’s not even my second. I think I can manage sitting on a bench for thirty minutes, eating dinner, and letting you sweep me back to bed at the end of the night.” I walk towards him as I speak, placing my hands on his firm pecs when I reach him and pecking a chaste kiss on his cheek.

He’s never been good at telling me no. Actually, that’s not true. He tells me no all the time, I just simply don’t listen.

Varian sidles up next to Ro, drapes an arm over his brother’s shoulder and uses his other to pull me towards him. “If you’re going then you’re staying within arm’s reach of Ember.”

My expression flatlines, “I’m not doing that to my best friend on her wedding day.”

Ro grunts his frustration. “This conversation is moot. You’re not going.”

“You want to throw down over this? I’m going. You can hold open every door and feed me my dinner bite by bite, but I am going to Ember and Xander’s wedding.”

Ro’s heat flares while Varian looks at me with wicked delight. He loves when Ro and I stand off, it’s as good as the chase for him.

“Worst case scenario I can have Incandis teleport me to woods and you can deliver her like you did the twins.”

I’m surprised when it’s Varian who scoffs, “fucking unlikely. Not after what you went through with Rhys.”

My eyes roll of their own accord, I couldn’t stop it even if I wanted to. “Rhys is all dragon, there was bound to be a little smoke and fire.”

There was a perpetual blanket of flames that coated my skin while I labored with Rhys, which would flare with every contraction.

The doctors worried over how the heat would affect the baby if it turned out he didn’t have fire resistance. No matter how many cooling blankets they wrapped me in, no matter how many ice baths I took, the flames never went out. It wasn’t until Rhys was in my arms that the flames finally dissipated.

“And what if she’s the same, Princess?” Ro says as he palms my firm belly with his large hand. “We just want you to be safe and healthy. Both of you.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” I place my hand over Ro’s on my stomach in an attempt to calm his nerves.

His mouth opens with words of opposition at the ready on his tongue, but he stops himself and he and Varian both alert like bloodhounds to some sound or smell that I can’t perceive.

An infectious grin works its way across both of their faces just before the door flies open and three tiny bodies come bounding into our room.

“Daddies!” Calla squeals and runs straight into Varian’s arms.

Ro runs towards the door and scoops up Cole and Rhys in his arms, our five and three year olds giggling uncontrollably as Ro blows raspberries on their cheeks.

“Who let you little monsters out of your cages, hmm?” Ro asks the boys between giggle fits.

“That would be me, sorry!” Kat says from the doorway as she huffs and puffs dramatically as if she’s winded from chasing them around.

“Hey Mags,” Kat coos, “how’s my little niece doing in there today? Is today the day, little lady?” She addresses my belly directly, holding onto my pregnant stomach with both hands.

“Kat,” Ro scolds her and shoots her a clear do-not-touch look.

“What? I’m just excited to meet my niece…and for her to meet her cousin.”

I catch her meaning a full three seconds before her brothers do. My face splits in a wide grin as I look at my brother for confirmation.

“No way! You’re pregnant?” I say and Kat nods her head frantically, tears prickling at the corners of her eyes.

“My Gods, congratulations!” I hug her as tightly as I can then release her so her brothers can hug her and shake hands with Incandis.

My brother hugs me next, carefully restraining himself so he doesn’t accidentally crush me in his excitement. “Thanks Mags. How are you feeling?”

“I feel like a planet—“

“You’re a goddess,” Varian interrupts my self deprecation.

“— but otherwise I feel good. I’m ready for her to be here. I can’t get a read on her, she’s felt so different than the twins and Rhys did.”

“All the more reason to stay in bed and rest.” Ro reaffirms his original position on the matter.

“D, ignore Ro. Let’s go before we’re late.”

Incandis looks back and forth between me and my mates, hesitant to get in the middle of a lover’s quarrel.

“For fuck’s sake, I’m fine! Bring us down, Queen’s orders.” I’m growing more impatient by the second.

***

The ceremony was exquisite and the entire grove was in attendance to bear witness to two amazing people finding their sparks.

The fact that they’re my best friends was only one of the reasons why I was so adamant to attend their ceremony. But the real reason was because I wanted to surprise them and bestow them with the Queen’s Blessing.

It’s one of the highest honors anyone in our colony can receive. I can only remember one time where my mother honored someone with her blessing — it’s a rarity indeed. The honoree has usually served the colony or the queen, herself, in an exceptional fashion meriting such recognition.

Xander has watched over me since the day I was born. He was my friend, companion, and confidant, and now he’s still my friend but is also the head of my Guard. He saved Ro’s life five years ago, and has served them as he serves me ever since.

And Ember. Life has never been the same since meeting Ember. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, she saved my entire family. She saved me from the Hollow, she saved Ro and Varian during the war, and she is overly attentive to me during all of my pregnancies. Not to mention how she seamlessly inserted herself into the colony, everyone loved her immediately.

Needless to say, the colony is thrilled that they’re finally married.

Currently everyone is on the dance floor wearing smiles of ecstasy, joy reverberates through the pack bond as dragons and wolves alike celebrate these two amazing people.

Incandis is chasing Cole and Calla around the room while Kat rocks a sleeping Rhys in her arms. She’ll make an amazing mother.

Xander is laughing and speaking animatedly with my mates as Ember makes her way over to where I’m sitting.

I attempt to stand up so I can greet her properly but she protests, “no, Mags. Please don’t get up.” She takes a seat in front of me and grabs my hands.

“I can’t thank you enough,” she begins and already the words are being forced out as she chokes back tears. “You tell me all the time that I saved you from the Hollow, but as cliche as it is, you’re the one who saved me. You gave me another chance at life, you restored my ability to trust people, my life has meaning because of you.”

Tears are streaming down both of our faces now, “not cool Ember, fucking hormones have me all weepy and shit.” She and I both laugh through our tears. I’ll allow her to be sentimental with me on her wedding day but tomorrow it’s back to business. I love her to death, but gushing praise as always made me uncomfortable — even if it is coming from my wing woman.

She gracefully wipes away her tears and starts digging through the pockets in her wedding gown. “I wanted to surprise you. I know it’s not the ‘thank-you’ that Xander and the Alphas give each other,” she pauses to grin at me with a sly smirk, “but I hope it will suffice for now.”

She hands me an unassuming white envelope and walks away to drag Xander away from my mates. Ro and Varian instantly make their way over to me. Ro stands behind me with his hands on the back of my chair while Varian takes the seat in front of me that Ember left vacant.

“What were you two laughing with Xander about?” I ask them as I busy myself with ripping open the envelope.

“Just making a bet on how soon before he gets Ember pregnant.”

I turn my body to look up at Ro, “oh? What are your bets?”

Ro leans down and kisses me behind the ear before whispering, “I bet that he’ll knock her up tonight.” Chills run through my body pebbling my nipples beneath my dress at the feel of his hot breath on my neck and sultry voice in my ear.

“I say she’s already pregnant. She’s glowing, not a drink all night, loose fitting gown…what’s that?” Varian nods towards the papers in my hands.

“Ember gave it to me,” I say absentmindedly as I try to read the contents of the letter. “Holy shit.”

“What?” Ro snatches the papers from my hands, overly protective Alpha mode activated.

“Ember did some blood work on the baby early this time.” I place my hand over my stomach and rub over where I can feel her kicking against me, nervous for how they’ll react. “She’s a hybrid.”

Varian’s brows furrow as he stands and steals the papers from his brother, “what does that mean?”

“It means she’ll have a wolf, and she’ll be a dragon shifter.” I say softly, unsure of how to gauge their reactions just yet.

“It means she’ll have a difficult life, she’ll be the only one of her kind here.” Ro says not unkindly, but as a father concerned for the happiness and well-being of his daughter.

“It means,” I huff as I stand up to face them, snatching the papers back from Varian, “that she’ll be special.” I look down at my belly and rub my hands over it again, “she’ll be extraordinary.”

Ro and Varian sandwich me in between their warm, hard bodies, purring at me to relax me and to apologize for suggesting that she’ll be anything but loved. “Of course she will be, Princess.” Ro says.

Varian captures my lips in a tender kiss, meets my blazing eyes and says, “just like her mom.”

~THE END~