She’d apologized.
“Must be the human in you,” he said.
“What?”
“Dragons don’t apologize. Not willingly.”
Hadyn crossed her arms, staring him down. “Must make for quite the grudge fest.”
“More like ostriches with our heads in the sand,” a raspy feminine voice sounded from across the room.
They both turned to find Lyndi standing there, Levi behind her, grinning.
Hadyn frowned, glancing between Lyndi and Rune, clearly trying to place how she knew her.
Rune leaned closer. “They came to the accident to help me wipe memories, then she flew you here after you passed out.”
Her brow cleared quickly. “Oh yes. I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you.”
Lyndi crossed the room to shake her hand. “Nice to formally meet you. I’m Lyndi.”
As she moved, several boys ranging in ages from around ten to maybe as old as twenty followed in behind her, like little ducklings waddling after mama. They lined up around her in a half circle. Very protective in an adorable sort of way.
Hadyn buttoned her lips, clearly trying not to laugh out loud as she shook Lyndi’s hand. “And who are these…err…fine men?” she asked.
The littlest—Marin’s—chest puffed out a bit.
Lyndi’s face softened. “These are my boys. I give abandoned and orphaned young dragons a home and a family to help anchor them for when they learn to shift.”
Given the way Hadyn did a double take, he could see she wanted to ask questions, but didn’t have time to ask before Lyndi was turning to the man she’d walked in with. “And this is my mate, Levi.”
Hadyn glanced between them even as she shook his hand as well. “Mate? I could have sworn you weren’t gold last night.”
Lyndi and Levi exchanged a small smile. “I am female born,” Lyndi explained. “A red dragon to start.”
Hadyn’s own smile seemed forced, unusually tight, and Rune would bet big that she was trying not to argue with them about how dragons worked. “I didn’t know a female born could be mated, beyond a sort of civil union type situation,” was all she said.
“Or have a baby?” Lyndi asked. She smoothed a hand over the growing swell of her belly, glowing with happiness. “We didn’t either until both happened.”
“Wow.”
Rune swallowed a chuckle. Hadyn stunned to near silence was a novelty. His reaction had been about the same when he’d found out.
“I’m glad to see you back on your feet,” Lyndi said, linking her arm with Hadyn’s and ushering her back down the hallway to the men still in the kitchen. “Have you met Vilsinn yet?”
“The cave troll?” Hadyn asked. “I met him this morning.”
Lyndi had brought Vilsinn back with her after he’d helped protect her orphans when the Alaz attacked…when the Huracáns had killed those fuckers. Hadyn had had time to go down into the caves where Vilsinn preferred to be? When had she left him? Only Rune couldn’t growl about it again. She’d already apologized. So he tried not to bite his tongue off staying quiet.
They all grabbed seats around the massive picnic-style table. Levi pulled Lyndi close after helping her sit. He’d been that way for months, according to the rest of the team any time Rune called for a check in. Ever since they’d discovered she was pregnant. That he’d let her fly out last night at all was a damn miracle.
“How’s the arm?” Levi asked.
They all glanced at the fresh white dressing wrapped around Hadyn’s lower arm and elbow. “Whoever stitched me up did an excellent job,” she said.
“Thanks.” Another feminine voice joined from the direction of the door, and they turned to find two more coming in.
Out of respect for Finn’s position as Alpha—the true Alpha, despite the Alliance naming Drake to the role—Rune stood. “Finn and Delaney Conleth, meet Hadyn Reece.”
Finn didn’t crack a smile as he nodded at Hadyn, but he didn’t scowl either, so Rune counted that as a welcome. The man never changed. Except for the style of clothing, he looked the same as the day they’d come to this land with his perpetual layer of stubble. Rune used to tease him that look was to protect his paler skin from the sun. Dark hair worn short on the sides and longer on top and striking blue eyes of his clan. His old friend didn’t turn those eyes to Rune much, though. Not anymore.
Delaney, meanwhile, moved around the table to give Hadyn a hug. “Welcome to Huracán country,” she said. “We need more women around here to balance out all the testosterone.”
Finn had lucked out with his mate. Slender but with fantastic curves and long, lightly tanned legs currently on display in shorts, Delaney’s dove-gray eyes reflected her kindness and her strength.
Hadyn chuckled.
Then Delaney, her sandy-brown hair caught up in a ponytail, glowered suddenly and plonked her hands on her hips. “What happened to someone else taking over breakfast? You guys know I have to be at the winery today.”
Hadyn glanced at him, eyebrows raised, but Delaney caught it. “I run a winery close by,” she explained. “It used to be Sera’s, but after she mated Aidan, I took over.”
“I see,” Hadyn said, though he had no trouble interpreting her expression as, “Dragon shifters run a winery?”
“Are…err…Sera and Aidan coming too?”
Delaney’s wrinkled nose was enough of an answer. “Actually,” she said, “they and their son Blake are hiding with Rune’s people. Long story.”
Rune couldn’t stop himself—he grinned. “You should see that kid shift,” he told the others. “Fastest draw in the west.”
Hadyn cocked her head at him this time, expression almost accusatory, and Rune lifted an eyebrow right back. When exactly was he supposed to have told her about all that?
She opened her mouth but cut herself off when Drake and Cami made an appearance. Drake, as usual, positioned himself well away from everyone else. Cami, however, bounced right around the table to where Hadyn and Delaney stood, her dark eyes twinkling as she took in the newcomer. “Oh, you must be the girl who came in with Rune,” she said. “I used to be one of the mates he kept safe until I found the frowner over there.” She hitched a thumb in Drake’s direction. “Now I’m happily mated, but we should swap Rune stories.”
Hadyn’s amusement was aimed directly at him. “Oh, I think I’m going to like your friends.”
Rune passed a hand over his face, trying to find patience.