Leah POV

Aunt Leah,

You’ll never guess how things have worked out since I left Pine Row. Ema and I have traveled from the Tanaisa Sea to the Northern Sea. The good news is I have managed to gain control over my magic. Bad news, I am on a lot of peoples’ shit lists. The council conceded to leave me alone though. I won’t go into detail here, but I made friends with an elf prince and his orc guard. We have been traveling together as an adventuring party since the summer. I should be close to White Rapids in about a week. Meet me there? I know it’s hard for you to get away from Savage Valley, but I hope to see you soon.

Love, Rory

Snow falls slowly onto the white plains of the farmlands around White Rapids. My nerves were frayed as I clanked my claws along the window frame, waiting to see her black curls come up the road. Her letter lay next to me. I have read it so many times that I could recite it from memory. It was barely spring when I last saw her when her first real adventure started. Her crazy powers spilled out when a greedy dark elf tried to kill us. Just another day in the life of an adventurer.

“Leah, you are driving me crazy with that damn tapping,” Elias whined as he sat quietly on the couch reading his book.

“Eli, come on. Don’t bother the pregnant woman,” Myrra nagged Elias as she entered the room. She carried a tray of tea into the room and sat it on the coffee table between Elias and me. Myrra made me a cup to distract me from the window.

After the trial, Myrra bought herself a ranch on the edge of town, so we could meet her without all the eyes at the guild. Elias has been staying at the ranch tending to the land in between his missions from the guild and me. Things have been quiet since Rory and Emalynn disappeared from Desfyra. I got a letter from her last week that she would visit me in White Rapids today. Officially, the Gleaca Council claims to have eliminated the hybrid threat to Gleaca when Grand Fairy Flora visited Desfyra last month.

Rory had been right about it being hard for me to leave the valley. Axel was furious when I told him I was leaving. I am a very pregnant she wolf, and my mate has been paranoid for the last two months. The only reason I am here is because I agreed to bring him with me. He’s asleep upstairs since all we have been doing is waiting for our girls to show up. I look down at the diary that I have kept hidden for years away from everyone because I need to wait for Rory to be old enough to handle it. It’s her father’s diary, and today’s the day I return it to her.

“How’s Athyra and Eriz doing with their community service?” Elias asked.

Myrra sat next to him, leaning into him. Elias has been working with her to move past her trauma around men. So far, it seems to be working cause I feel like Myrra and the old man are always touching. It almost makes me vomit. I appreciate what he’s doing for her, but this constant need for contact has become gross. Is that how Axel and I are? Poor people around us suffer from our romance crap. Pregnancy hasn’t made me the most optimistic person.

“Annoyed. I have them patrolling Merchant’s Road for any trash or travelers in distress. Athyra said she would rather watch paint dry,” Myrra giggled.

“You could have her paint something and watch it dry like she desires. I think Pete’s barn could use a new coat of paint.” Elias jests, but I know he would be the first one to pull up a chair to watch the dragon girl suffer through her community service.

I sip on my tea when I feel the little turd rolling around in my stomach kick my ribs. “Damn it, natus. Be nice to your mother!” I yell at the brat in my gut.

Just then, the door opens revealing Rory in her natural form with a snow-white Emalynn behind her. I thought Elias told me they were both redheads now. Instead, I am greeted by a confident Rory who appears comfortable in her own skin. She rushes to me, but she stops when she sees my swollen belly. Tears stream down her eyes as she slowly approaches me.

“Aunt Leah!” She cried, hugging me tightly. “You're a mom.”

“Yes, and I blame you!” I whine as I crush in a much-needed hug. “This happened at the safe house.”

Rory just laughs through her tears. She sounds a little different. Not as shy or reserved as she was before she left us. Her hair has gotten so long that my fingers get tangled in her curls. There’s no hint of depression or gloominess about her anymore. I can only imagine the shit she had to go through to face her inner demons like that. She did it on her own like Elias said she would. I am glad, but why did the stupid old man have to be right?

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Emalynn is squeezed between Myrra and Elias while Rory is cuddling me and my oversized belly. The girls captivate us with their tales of their adventures. I had known they faced Athyra in battle, but I didn’t know Rory was the famous ‘Red Lady’ who freed the slaves of N’ila. Centipedes, a mountain lion, a fairy librarian, a pirate, and the battle royale were all battles Rory rattled off each fight as another milestone of her journey.

“What happened after the battle royale?” Elias questioned the girls. He was fully enthralled in their tale.

“Silas, the elf prince, had the orc, Braxton, and I prepared a ship to leave in the middle of the night before the battle royale happened. Silas brought a very beaten-up Rory back to the ship, and we set sail. We followed the rivers through Desfyra toward Kanna. Then, we sailed through Mauve’s Forest and up to the Port of Creekmont, and here, we sit.” Emalynn explained. “Rory recovered. We have added two young adventurers to our party that we rescued from the slavers. Otherwise, Silas has a ship and crew at his command.”

Everyone nodded along. To think the girls would end up traveling around Gleaca with a prince… I am impressed. Everyone’s laughing and giggling, but we all know the girls are hiding the hardest parts from us. Emalynn’s matured so much that I wonder what forced her to change. What moment melted away her need to bounce about the room with excitement?

“The biggest surprise we have for you isn’t mine to share,” Rory gives Ema a telling glance and the girl’s cheeks blush a bright red.

“What? Did get a tattoo?” Myrra jokes when an elf and orc walk through the door.

A regal-looking young elf man with hair as long as Rory’s knocks on the door as they enter. A giant, green wall of an orc fills the room. “The prince and his bodyguard, I presume.”

“Yes, that would be us, ma’am.” The princeling elf answers. “My name is Silas, and this is my best friend, Braxton.”

“Was this the surprise?” Myrra asks as Elias invites the men to sit on the opposite couch. They remove their jackets when I notice something strange on the orc’s shoulder.

“No,” Rory smirks at Emalynn.

Red cheeks of embarrassment, the orc has his eyes glued to Ema in such a sweet sickening way, weird mark on the shoulder… “Shit! Eamlynn’s mated to the orc!”

“What!” Myrra and Elias shout. Emalynn sinks between them into a red puddle beneath their stares. Both of them start tearing into her and her orc mate about making such a huge life decision at a young age.

“I am impressed you figured it out, Aunt Leah,” Rory giggled.

I take the opportunity to give her the diary her father left behind. Rory stares at me speechless. It took time for me to explain that her parents had asked me to keep it hidden until she was an adult. There wasn’t time before she left the safe house to give her the diary. Tears begin streaming down her face again as she hugs the brown, leather book in her arms. We start talking about her father.

“I don’t know how much he told you, but he wasn’t from Gleaca originally.”

“What?” Rory looks at me stunned.

“Yeah, he was from Mermia if I remember right. I imagine it could be confirmed in the diary. Since you have access to a ship, you could go see where he grew up.” I don’t suggest her traveling lightly. If I could keep her with me in the Savage Valley, I would, but Gkeaca still isn’t safe for her. Not really. A trip to learn about her father would be a good way to keep her away from the Kingdom of Solis.

Silas cuts in. “Maybe, there might be copies of Ramire’s work with your dad’s family.”

Rory gives a slow nod. It seems to be a lot for her to take in, so I pull her in for a cuddle hug. “No one will make you do something you don’t want to do.”

“Rory was engaged to Silas for almost a week!” Ema yells out, trying to get the attention of her and Braxton.

It feels like my mind is about to explode from that information. “Umm. Context somebody?”

“My sister tried to bargain with Rory to marry me because she needs an heir to her throne.” Silas offers his explanation, but I feel even more confused.

“Why?”

“Is it the fertility curse in Desfyra that caused your engagement?” Elias said. He reminds me of the old tale of the king who cursed his whole kingdom for an heir. I think all Desfyran elves are cursed with fertility issues.

“Yes,” Silas confirms. “Rory is the only woman who appears to be able to have a child with me according to the compatibility test.”

Yeah, that doesn’t make me feel any better. “So, the queen wanted to use you, causing you two to be engaged?”

“More or less. Yeah.” Rory answers.

“Well, that was bullshit,” I growl. “No one messes with my girl like that.”

Emalynn begins letting other tales of people trying to control Rory, and I feel myself wanting to burst. Why? Even when Rory wears her human skin, people are after her. It was nauseating hearing Emalynn’s accounts of those who wanted to control her. “You should leave Gleaca. This place isn’t ready to accept you without someone holding your leash. Go to Mermia. They don’t have this stupid hybrid law there.”

Rory looked at me with love and sadness in her expression. “I-”

Suddenly, a girl named Athyra came rushing into the door. Her scales told me she was the dragon that brawled with Rory. “Myrra!” She looked around the room to see a bunch of beast folk lounging about Myrra’s home. “Damn, you guys are lucky that it was me who came here.” She turned back toward Myrra to finish her message. “You have to return to the guild. Now.”

“Calm yourself, Athyra. What’s the hurry?” Myrra tried to settle the frantic dragon.

“Someone attacked the Gleaca Council! The fairy lady and that weird elf guy are dead!”

“Well, that sounds like your cue to leave, Rory.” I can’t hide my tears here. “You need to leave for your own safety. All of you.”

“Leah’s right,” I hear my mate declare from the staircase. “It was Grand Fairy Flora who protected you. With her dead, you need to leave Gleaca.”

“But, I-”

“Rory,” I hold her face in my palm. “We will be fine. You will meet your cousin and return home one day. Right now, you need to live.”

Rory hugs me hard. “I love you.”

“We all love you,” I responded.

Within minutes, the girls are gone just as quickly as they returned. Axel and I make plans to leave as Elias and Myrra head to the guild. I know we will all be together again someday. Love binds us all.