Damon nodded in agreement. “No one’s ever going to get him out of that cave. And it’s too late for him. He missed his chance to find his mate. He’ll never have anything but work for distraction.”
“He’s got audiobooks now,” Liana argued. “Ginny told me that he’s listening to two or three books a week now.”
“And that after he told us for years that he doesn’t want any of the scary human technology near him.” Timothy chuckled. “Still, I’m glad that he’s enjoying life as much as he can.”
The tiny infant in Naomi’s arms made a small sound, and a moment later, all thoughts of the chimera were forgotten. Instead, Chiara watched in amusement how the group of powerful dragon shifters gathered around Naomi in delight, oohing and aahing over the newborn dragon shifter.
“Have you finally decided on a name?” Jared asked.
Naomi nodded.
“Well?” Gregory demanded eagerly.
“It’s your party,” Naomi said, giving Chiara an apologetic look. “I don’t want to—”
“I don’t mind. Really.” Chiara’s heart filled with warmth when she saw Naomi relax.
It was true—technically, this was some sort of mixed housewarming and wedding party. But she already had her mate by her side, she had her dad back with her, and her mate had found his own parents.
There’d been so many blessings bestowed upon them that she’d be blissfully happy even without this party.
She didn’t need to be the center of attention for every single minute today. What she’d wanted was exactly this: all of their friends here with them. A day to finally relax, show off what they’d done to the house, and celebrate the fact that they were all here together. That they were all family.
And that included the latest addition.
“Jayden Drago,” Naomi said earnestly and pressed a kiss to his tiny head. Then she looked up, beaming. “What do you think?”
“That’s lovely,” Marianne said. She was looking down at Jayden with a mix of wistfulness and excitement.
Chiara knew what she was thinking: that she’d missed way too much of her own baby’s life.
But also that there’d be time enough to spoil her grandkids in a million ways to make up for all that lost time.
“It’s a beautiful name,” Chiara agreed.
Jared’s arm came around her waist. His lips brushed her ear, making her smile, and then he nudged her a little.
Together, they made their way over to a group of flowering bushes.
“Everything okay?” she asked him when he drew her into his arms there, half-hidden behind a thicket of white, fragrant flowers.
Light fell down on them through the leaves of the tree that grew above, painting spots of green and gold onto his face. Light was shining from his eyes as well—as if his body couldn’t quite contain the passion and the fierce courage of the heart within.
“I just wanted a moment.” He reached into his shirt, and then he pulled the amulet free which he’d worn for as long as she knew him. Even now, it was shining with light.
It was the only thing he’d had of his parents. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how much it must mean to him.
“I want you to have it,” he said earnestly. “I’m not a dragon. We griffins don’t care about piles of gold—not more than the next person, at least. But this—it would mean a lot to me to know that you’re wearing this.”
She thought about arguing with him. She couldn’t even imagine him without the amulet he’d worn for so long. But through the mate bond, she could feel his determination and his love.
He really meant it.
“You’re my family now,” he said. “Just as much as they are.”
“We’re family.” She couldn’t hold back a smile as she looked over to where her dad and Jared’s parents stood, united by their gushing over the tiny dragonet in Naomi’s arms—and their desire for a grandkid of their own.
They really were a family now. All of them.