Page 56 of Destined Paranormals: Volume One

I wondered if it were truly that easy. I closed my eyes, Reinhold in my arms and Aleric’s wrapped around me. They reopened moments later when the bedroom door was flung open, and Ferdinand stood there in nothing but his trousers.

“Ferdinand, I warned you to leave them be. They are bonding with their son.”

I passed Reinhold to Aleric, then patted my mate’s leg.

“Take him to the alpha, Aleric. I need a rest.” I sighed, slid down the bed more, then rolled over and let sleep claim me. It had been many days since I was able to get comfortable. Now that I no longer had our son in my stomach, I felt lighter, and my dragon and I both sighed as we got the rest we needed.

“Careful now. The melting snow is a bit slippery,” Aleric told me as he tightened his hold around my waist.

I was beginning to rethink my request to leave the cottage. But Reinhold was two weeks old now, and I had not set foot outside our cottage even once. My dragon and I were more than ready to get some fresh air for a change.

Because we had not been back to the waterfall since we left, I had asked Aleric if we could take a walk over to see it. My mate was wonderful, and after a bit of reassurance that our son would be okay and I was perfectly capable of making the walk, he agreed.

I heard the waterfall before we could see it. When we made it to the trees that surrounded the edge of the gorge, Aleric held on to my hand tighter. The snow here had drifted, making it thigh-high in places.

“Are you still okay to go on? Should I carry you?”

“I will never say no to that, but I am fine. This is not that bad.”

We walked for a few more minutes, me staying behind Aleric and following the trail he was making in the snow.

We finally made it to the edge, and I sighed. There it was. It was amazing to think that there was a little hiding spot behind the waterfall. You could not see it unless you were flying in front of it, and I was still amazed that Aleric had found it at all. I would love to come here when the snow melted and have a picnic with my mate. We could enjoy a meal and remember the time we’d spent inside that hidden cave. I glanced down at the covered head of our sleeping son. He had been conceived in that cave. I’d been claimed by the alpha standing beside me there. It would always be a treasured place for me.

It was peaceful here, if not a bit lonely. “Do you think we will know what our purpose here is during our lifetime?” I asked suddenly.

Aleric nodded slowly. “I hope so. I believe that whatever is going to transpire is bigger than both of us. It will be important to those that come after us.” Aleric looked down at the bundle in my arms. “To our son. If we should have more, our sons. I believe they will be part of whatever it is that is going to transpire.”

“I don’t pretend to know what is going on, but I am ready to do what I can to help.”

Aleric wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his side. “Me either. I often wonder if I had stayed in Germany, would I have found you sooner? Would things be different? Father is the one who had the dream to come here. He’d been guided here, and Da came with. I had nothing left for me in Germany, so I followed. But what if I’d stayed? Could I have saved you all? Your village?”

I laid my head against my mate. “It does not matter, nor does it do any good to think about what could have happened. I am here with you. Fate saw to that. It will always be painful to think about those that were killed. It wasn’t right. They did not deserve such a fate, but there is nothing we can do that will bring them back. Please don’t be hard on yourself about it.”

I stared at the waterfall, wondering if we would ever have a chance to visit our cave again. It would not be needed as an escape any longer as Claude had finished our cottage for us the evening he and the others had arrived. Our family went from four to eight in only a matter of months. It would be growing by another in another month when Elias had their firstborn. We were all in agreement: he was having a little dragon, and Claude had confirmed it with his magic. Just as he’d said he knew I was only having one, despite the large size of my stomach.

“What now?” I asked.

“Now we continue to build a life. We know and experience love. We make sure we have a full and rewarding life while we wait to find out why we are here. Someday, it will all be clear. I fully believe that,” Aleric said.

I saw a shimmer in the air between us and the setting sun, but it was gone when I blinked and tried to focus on it. I figured it was simply a reflection of the light.

We looked out over the gorge at the setting sun. Reinhold started to fuss, and when I moved his blanket away from his face, he quieted. Yes, this was all new, and so much was still uncertain, but I had my mate, a strong, healthy son, and a new family. I could not ask for more.