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“I heard of the injuries you received while working with the wolves. I came to make sure you weren’t dead.” Or worse off and mated off to the mutt, he added only in his head.

Rowan seemed surprised by the gesture. “I’m okay. A little banged up, but my sister was more concerned about your bite marks than the injuries from the fight.”

“Your sister?” He asked.

“Lexine is the best healer in the Eastern hemisphere.” Pride was obvious in her voice. She laid back down and patted the tiny spot next to her. When Alessandro sat, he felt the softness of her stomach along his leg. It was bizarre to feel the physical realm on the astral plane. “I would’ve gone home, but Rosario called my mom and freaked her out. Now she thinks I’m asking for death or something and insists I stay the night in the castle. I’m not sure what she’s hoping to accomplish, but most times it’s easier to just give her what she wants.”

He trailed a finger on the wounds of her shoulder. He recognized the mark of a vampire bite, and whoever had done it hadn’t taken care. “Who did this?”

He could feel the moment that tension entered Rowan’s body. “It was an accident.”

“It seems like all of your wounds were an accident.” Alessandro was about to chide her but he recognized the signs of the woman expecting punishment for what she had done.

Shoulders hunched, head bowed. How many people had already gotten onto her for her recklessness? He softened his voice, thinking about how he would approach the situation if she were one of his dragons. “People lived through today because of you.” He said, reaching out to pat her head, “But you must be gentle with yourself if you wish to continue to play the part of a hero.”

Rowan turned to face him and the smile she threw at him brightened up the entire space around her. Rowan Dahl was literally glowing at the praise. His smile was unbidden, and he doubted she could see it, but there it was, anyway.

A knock at the door took the glow away. “I’m really not supposed to have boys in here.” She whispered.

Alessandro laughed at the dismissal, but he faded out without a fight.

When he landed back in bed, he found sleep came to him much easier.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Rowan glared at the spot Alessandro had disappeared from. His laugh had been so loud her father had definitely heard it before he opened the door.

Kyron looked around the space, but once he found there was no one with her, he raised an eyebrow. “Should I even ask?”

She shook her head, “What’s up Daddy-O? I thought you were already asleep.”

He reached into the pocket of his robe, pulling out two packaged cake rolls and juice pouches.

She grinned and eagerly took one as he made himself comfortable at the foot of her bed. It took her a moment too long to realize she wouldn’t be able to open the pouch without inflicting pain on herself, and she gave it back for him to help.

With the loss of the adrenaline pumping into her, Rowan was in so much pain it hurt to even breathe. It had been pure pride to not allow the Dragon King to see her so obviously beat up.

Wordlessly, her father rolled down the packaging and inserted the straw into her pouch before putting them on her lap for easy reach.

“How much did mom scream?” He asked after swallowing his first bite.

“She didn’t.” Rowan cringed at the memory. “She talked with that really quiet voice and almost started crying like twice. I wonder exactly what Rosario said to make her act like that.”

“That doesn’t sound like the woman I know and love.”

Rowan giggled, “I wish she would’ve screamed. Maybe then I’d be in my king size bed instead of this twin. How did I ever fit in here?”

He laughed, “Once upon a time you were a kid. It’s difficult for her to see you as a grownup. Honestly, it’s difficult for her to see herself as a grownup.”

Rowan snickered. Wasn’t that the truth? There was an everlasting youth in Annabelle Dahl.

“So, you and the alpha?” Kyron raised an eyebrow.

Rowan huffed, reminded of the tabloid-like newsreels her sister had accosted her with on her hospital bed. “No, I didn’t even see any reporters around when they took that video. I thought we were in the clear. He was just giving me a hand. I was ready to pass out before we even got to the clearing where his daughter had found the robe.”

“Well, to anyone who saw it and knows even the slightest bit of mating culture, it looked suggestive, and that’s without all the bite marks all over your neck. Isn’t that a shifter thing, too?”

Rowan could feel the heat radiating off her cheeks. “That wasn’t him.”