Page 88 of The Dragons’ Eternal Mate

My mate groaned, throwing her head back with an exaggerated sigh. “She’s going so over the top with this.”

I shrugged. “The horde wants to celebrate Orsen’s victory, even though it’s been a few weeks. They want something official. Though I think Ma is also using it as a sort of mating dinner for us.”

Rowan grimaced, her nose scrunching. “She keeps asking me about grandbabies. I’ve told her eventually, but she’s acting like every day of waiting is painful. But I’m not about to squeeze out a kid without planning everything.”

I turned down the corners of my mouth. “Celia is going to pop any day now. Surely that will keep her distracted.”

“I can only hope.” Rowan’s brow furrowed as she looked up at me again. “Do you think she and Tanner will come tonight?”

“Possibly. They’ve been slowly integrating themselves back into horde life now Tanner has been pardoned. I still don’t know how you convinced the others to do that, by the way.”

Rowan smirked at me, her eyes sparkling. “I have my ways.”

“And you accuse me of being perverted…”

Rowan shrugged, chuckling. “If it works, it works. It also helps that they love me and respect my opinions.”

“That too. Though I must admit, I am getting more and more amused by the objects you’re choosing to throw at Tanner. The cast-iron skillet was pretty gnarly.”

“In my defense, my scars were itching that day, so I was extra irritable.”

She didn’t need to defend herself, not to me, of all people. Rowan was good-natured and saw the best in Tanner, even though I still wanted to throttle the bastard on a regular basis. She’d convinced us that it wasn’t his fault. As much as I could see her reasoning, I still didn’t like it.

So, Tanner had been pardoned. He still hadn’t found a job that worked for him yet. He would never be an enforcer again, but there were only so many cabins that needed work.

“I think every decision you make is golden, mate,” I whispered, pushing off the wall and putting my arm around her to pull her closer to me. Rowan huffed, a playful sound, but melted into me nonetheless.

“But I suppose you’re right. Let’s go get changed. I can’t prolong the inevitable indefinitely.”

Laughing, I scooped her up against me, and we walked back to the den hand in hand.

“Dear gods, she’s actually lost her mind,” Rowan whispered when we made it back to the den.

I chuckled, throwing an arm around her again. “That horde dinner we had when Luca visited was nothing. She threw that together in twenty-four hours. Did you really think Ma wasn’t going to go all out for her son’s mating? After he defeated Byron, and Cyrus is gone. Come on, cutie, you had to be expecting something.”

Ma had been planning this event like a military operation. There were schedules for all the horde members, lists of everything we needed to bring in, plans for the day’s events, and so many shopping trips. Thankfully, I had managed to stay out of it mostly, other than being told to move a few heavy items.

The den, the courtyard, and the clearings around it had been transformed.

Twinkling fairy lights dripped from the branches, a gentle glow that made the place appear ethereal and soft. The flora and fauna had been heightened, with more plants and flowers brought in to fill every corner and draped over every entryway. It looked wild and alive, no two arrangements the same, which added a whimsical vibe to the scene.

Or at least, that was the word Ma had used. To me, our home looked like something out of that old Shakespeare movie about the fairies. I wasn’t complaining, though.

“Do you want to go back to the woods and hide?” Rowan asked in a dramatic whisper.

“Alone time in the woods with my mate?” I perked up, grinning brightly. “Count me in!”

Just as I went to grab her hand and drag her away, however, Ma appeared, beaming wildly.

“Rowan! There you are! I’ve been looking for you.” She pulled her into a hug, squeezing tightly before pulling back and glancing at us. “You two need to get changed.”

I chuckled, shooting Rowan a sympathetic smile. “We were just on our way to go do that.”

“Well… don’t take too long! We have guests!”

Twenty minutes later, we were changed, downstairs, and mingling, despite numerous protests from my less-than-enthused mate.

“You really know how to make a splash, you know that, right?” Luca asked as he swept Rowan into a hug.