Theodore: Xavier’s Hatchlings ― Paranormal Dragon Shifter Romance

by Kathi S. Barton

  Putting his own name on one of the cards had worked for a few years. He’d gotten some really fun stuff. Then some old bitty had noticed his name, and he’d been barred from getting anything. Even his kid had been taken off the list. His wife had been powerful mad at him for getting Pem knocked off the list too.

  When he was finally called to see the doctor, the doctor took one look at the bite marks and told him he couldn’t do anything. That they’d been made by a wolf. Patrick asked him what that had to do with anything.

  “Well, you were bitten by an alpha, a wolf in charge of his pack. The only way these will stop bleeding and seal up is for the alpha to forgive you for your transgressions. Meaning you have to tell him you’re sorry for doing whatever he caught you at to have bitten you. You have to mean it too.” Patrick told him that was the stupidest thing he’d ever heard. “That’s the way it works. I’m sorry.”

  “Are you sorry enough that you can just slap something on them so that I can get into the shelter tonight? Miss Picky Butt said that with me bleeding, I can’t stay there. Something about a path being made up or something.” He told him that it would continue to bleed. “So? I just need to get someplace to sleep tonight, and I’ll find the alpha tomorrow. It’s been a stressful day for me.”

  After having his ass numbed up, the nurse cleaned the wound up for him. Using her phone, she took a picture of his ass cheeks and showed it to him. Damn, but they’d gotten him good. Leaving the clinic, he was feeling pretty good. One thing in his life had gone according to plan.

  As soon as he was in front of the shelter, he knew he was going to be finding himself someplace else to sleep tonight. The fucking place closed the doors at seven. According to the clock on the town square that had been there since he’d been a kid, it was five after.

  “Mother fuck.”

  He pounded on the door, knowing someone had to be in there. But no one came out to let him in. Patrick was going to have to have a word with someone about this shit, just as soon as he could figure out who. Damn it all to fuck and back. He didn’t want to sleep outdoors.

  Poor Patrick. You’re having a shitty night, aren’t you? He looked around to find the person making fun of him. When I bit you earlier tonight, I got a bit of your blood. Now I can talk to you anytime I want. You should know better than to try and steal from the Mannings. They’ve given me permission to do whatever I want to you. Isn’t that just great? I decided I’m going to play with you a bit before I have to crush you. And trust me when I tell you, I plan on making your last days on this earth a very difficult time for you.

  “You need to come and fix my ass. It’s hurting again now that that shit has worn off.” The man just laughed. “There isn’t a damned thing funny about biting a man in the butt area. Didn’t your momma teach you not to bite?”

  No. She was a very big supporter of biting whoever I wanted when they screwed around with me. Now that I’m alpha, I can tell you that biting someone that needs it gives me all kinds of perks. Like with you sharing your blood with me, I’m able to make you dance like a puppet. Patrick actually felt his legs tingle with the need to do just what he’d said to him. Dance, Patrick.

  Patrick was still dancing around like a damned fool several hours later. The police had run him in too. While he’d been trying to make his legs and arms stop moving, he’d broken the front glass out of the store. They were telling him it was breaking and entering. No matter how many times he told them he’d not entered, they still ran him in. During the rest of the night, he danced to a tune that he didn’t hear. Christ, he was going to murder him, someone. And soon too.

  ~*~

  “I tell you, it was the funniest thing I’d ever seen in all my life. And I’ve seen some pretty funny shit too.” George could hardly contain himself as he was telling the story of seeing Patrick dancing down the sidewalk. Theo was laughing with him because he was having such a good time telling the story. “He must not have a bit of tone in his head because whatever he was dancing to, it looked like he didn’t get the beat down. Christ, it was all I could do to breathe while watching the moron.”

  “Peter called here and told me what he’d done. I would have gone out to see him too, but I was stuck here with my lovely wife.” Pem smiled at him. “I’m glad he’s safely behind bars now. If he keeps pissing people off, we won’t have to worry about him getting into the house. Someone will murder him for being stupid.”

  Finn and Rachel were coming over for dinner tonight. George had stopped by the house to tell them what he’d found out about Patrick, and he was staying too. The others all had things they were taking care of but said they’d be by later for dessert. There had better be some leftovers, too, Dover had told him.

  Rachel came back into the living room after she’d been called away for a phone call. “That was the doctor’s office that was to look at Sandra. He said she’s fit to stand trial. He did recommend to her that she shouldn’t be her own attorney, but that has nothing to do with him. Doctor Bing gave her a clean bill of health and sent her back to jail.” Theo explained some of what was going on with Sandra to Pem the other day, so she was up to speed. Austin asked how she was related to them. “My sister-in-law. Or she was. She was married to my brother for a little while. They’ve since divorced, but because she didn’t say he could leave her, then they’re still married as far as she’s concerned—whatever. She’s off her noodle. When we reopen Merkle’s Mark, I think we should have one of the officers let it slip. Just to see what she has to say about it.”

  They were all still laughing at their families when they were called to dinner. The doorbell rang just as Theo was walking by it, and he told Samson, their new butler, that he’d get it. There was a woman standing at the door looking at the driveway when Theo asked her if she needed help.

  “I’m here to find Doctor Black. She’s Army. I was told she lives here with someone by the name of Manning.” He said that was him. “Is Doctor Black here? I mean, this is what I was told, but some people think it’s really funny to send people on a wild goose chase. Did you know you have wolves on your land?”

  “I do. They’re the local pack. You must not have ill intent in your heart, or you would never have gotten by them. Do you know Doctor Black?” She said they’d served together in the service. “All right. Come on in, and I’ll get her for you.”

  “Thanks. Do you suppose I could have a glass of water and a couple of aspirin? I have a fucking killer of a headache.” He stood at the doorway to the dining room and told Pem she had a visitor. He could have gotten her a glass of water and whatever else she needed, but he didn’t move. As soon as Pem came around the doorway to the dining room, the other woman’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. “I knew you’d be in some cushy house with your feet propped up. How the hell have you been?”

  The two women hugged, and he made his way to the kitchen to ask for another plate to be put at the table. While he waited, he grabbed some aspirin and a small glass of water for the stranger. When he returned to the dining room, Pem was telling everyone who the woman was.

  “This is Doctor Jamie Darkhouse. She was my go-to anesthesiologist when we worked together overseas. She’s really good at her job too.” Jamie shook hands with everyone at the table and sat down next to Pem when George moved down a seat. “The last time I saw you, you were having some trouble with Pecker Head.”

  “Yes. He got his comeuppance right before I came home. I’m here to see to some things, then head back to my place to live out the rest of my days, I guess. I’m not going to be able to re-up, but that’s neither here nor there.” Theo watched the two of them and could tell that they were very good together. They didn’t go as far as finishing sentences, but he could tell they would work very tightly together. Jamie was telling them about the last few days that Pem was on duty. “She’d been shot up to fuck and back. The idiot that operated on her said that he was going to leave one of the bullets in
her to keep her from taking his job. He should have known I’d say something to someone. Anyway, he was discharged a few days after Pem here got her walking papers. By the way, I heard what Doctor Shivas did to you. A lot of women are singing your praises right about now.”

  “He made a pass at me, an unwanted one, and then told me he could get me some drugs to help with the depression. He also told me that depression wasn’t real and that I was only doing it for show. I dislocated his arm when he touched me and sent him to the floor.” Jamie laughed and said how they’d had to put it back in its place, and she’d been there. “I bet he milked that for all he was worth too.”

  “You know it.” Jamie looked around the table. “Christ, you guys are huge. I’m sure you’ve heard that before. But damn, I’m also thinking that none of you are human. Maybe some more of the wolves running around?”

  “Dragon.” She nodded, and he watched her face. When she smiled at him, he had a feeling that whatever came out of her mouth now would be forever funny to them. “You don’t have a problem with us being dragons, do you?”

  “No. But I was thinking about the old saying about a bear shitting in the woods. I’m guessing when you guys do, you leave quite a pile. I haven’t any idea where that thought came from, but there you have it.” She put out her hand, and before he took it, he told her that she might get a zap from him. “That’s all right, Theo. I’m not long for this world anyway, so you go ahead and zap me all you want.”

  As soon as he put his hand around hers, he could feel it. Not only was she not long for this world, but it was happening sooner than even the doctors knew. He told her he was sorry. After waving him off, he asked her what she was doing hanging around there.

  “My sister. She’s been in a nursing home since she was hurt when my parents were. I turned over my share of her insurance so that she’d continue to have care. Two weeks ago, I was informed that her money was all gone and that I’d have to see about taking her on my own. I can’t, so that is where I’m headed in the morning.” He asked her if she had a place to stay. “I’m staying at my parents’ home. Well, it’s mine, but I’m going to be staying there.”

  “Holy shit. You’re Jamie Darkhouse.” She nodded at George. “Let me rephrase that. You’re part of the Darkhouse family that lives right outside of town. In the large mansion there.”

  “Yes. Mansion it is, but worth nothing. It was in poor repair even before they were both killed. Now it’s an eyesore. The town wants to buy it, but I just can’t bring myself to let it go. I will soon enough, but it’s just that I spent a great many holidays there growing up with my family. Not always good ones, mind you, but we had a few of them.” Pem asked her what she meant by letting it go soon; she’d said something like that three times now. Jamie looked at him before she answered. “I have a rare blood disease attacking my body. While it’s doing that, it’s shutting down my major organs one at a time. The doctor said I have a few months left, but I bet if you asked Theo here, he’d have a better count. Don’t you?”

  “You have less than three weeks if that.” She nodded and looked at Pem. “I can help you, Jamie. I’d be glad to help you out with this.”

  “Naw. I don’t have much to go on for any more. I mean, my death will pay off my sister’s bill and pay for me to be burned up, and that’s it. I’m worth more to her dead than alive.” Theo asked if her sister would think that. “She hasn’t any idea who I am. Who anyone is, for that matter. She was in the same car accident that killed my parents. Massive head injury that caused her to be without oxygen for too long. She can get up and move around, but she doesn’t talk, feed herself, or even know how to dress herself. Walking is about it. Only, they told me, because she was just learning that when she was hurt.”

  “I’m so sorry.” He watched as Pem hugged the other woman. Touching his fingers to her back, he sent as much magic as he could to her without her knowledge. Pem kissed him on the mouth when they separated. “No matter, you’ll stay here until we figure things out. I won’t take no for an answer. Also, I want to look into the money with your sister. You told me about that once. How there was an investment firm to watch over her money. I’m going to get to the bottom of that too.”

  “She’s always been like that. Never leaving any stone uncovered.” Theo handed a bowl of mashed potatoes to Jamie to touch her. She was already getting better. “I lost my favorite pen once. Three weeks later, she brings it to me, telling me she finally chased it down. I didn’t tell her then that I’d already bought one to replace it. She might well have hit me with it.”

  The rest of the main meal was like that. Laughter was all over the place. Theo also noticed that Finn made it a point to touch the young woman too. Even George, who wasn’t a dragon, gave her a little of what he had. Theo would bet in no time, Jamie was going to get a clean bill of health. Then perhaps she could help him talk Pem into being head of surgery at the new hospital. They’d make a hell of a team if they would work together. Finn nodded at his other brothers when the meal was being cleared away for dessert.

  Chapter 8

  Jamie watched Dover as he moved behind her. Then when he shook his head at Finn, she stood up. This shit was getting on her last nerve. He’d been the third brother to move behind her and sniff. The fuckers were treating her like a nasty dog.

  Pushing the big man to the wall, she grabbed his, what turned out to be an impressive handful of balls and squeezed them tightly. The look of pain on his face was just what she was going for.

  “What the fuck are you looking for?” He glanced at his brother, and she squeezed just a little more. Smiling at him, knowing that her eyes did not reflect her being in a good mood, she asked him again. “I’m talking to you, not him right now. Why are you fuckers going behind me and sniffing me like a mangy dog?”

  “You’d be a bitch, not a dog.” She gave his balls a hard yank. “Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. I was trying for humor. I don’t think you’re going to be in any better of a mood when I tell you what— All right. Yes. To the point. Finn told us to do it.”

  Finn was moving out of the room when she pulled a knife from her boot and threw it toward him. The sharp blade was still vibrating when she told him to stop. When she moved across the room, Finn turned to look at the knife then at her when she did the same to him. Only instead of using her hand to his manly parts, another knife had him standing still.

  “Honey, she has a knife to my cock and balls.”

  Jamie didn’t turn to see what Rachel might be doing. For all she knew, the women could have been holding a gun toward her. But right now, Jamie wanted answers.

  “Rachel, honey, she’s going to cut them off.”

  “I’m impressed that she understood that you were fucking with her livelihood. I told you, several times, not to do this. To be straightforward to her and to tell her. But oh no. Not Finn Manning. You had to be all stealthy, didn’t you?” Jamie could hear the humor in Rachel’s voice when she asked Pem for some more whipped cream on her pie. “The next time I tell you something, it might well help you to listen to me. Women aren’t as dumb, nor as unobservant, as you and the rest of your brothers think we are.”

  “She’s right, you know.” Finn nodded. “You’re an idiot if you think for one second you can pull shit like sniffing me like I’m some tasty stew, and think I’d not understand that you’re feeling me out for a part of this family. You fucker, did you even think to wonder what one of your brothers would do if they were stuck with a mate that only had weeks to live?”

  “You don’t. I mean, you might well have had only weeks. But you have more now. Not immortality like you’d get for your—to the point.” She had tilted the knife, so it was cutting a little deeper into his flesh. “Yes. Can’t you be straightforward a little too?”

  “No. This is making a point that I think you’re going to remember for a very long time. You will won’t you? Think about me cutting off your balls and dick, i
mpressive as it is when you think to pull the same shit with other women.” She smiled at him then. “You know, being an immortal without a dick will be pretty boring for you, don’t you think? I mean, that does seem to be the only thing you’re using to think with.”

  “I’m sorry.” She asked him what he was sorry for. “Right now? Well, I’d have to say everything I’ve done since I was hatched. But mostly, right at this second, that I’d assumed having you healed would be a good thing.”

  She asked him if he’d healed her. It was Theo that answered her.

  “We all have had a part in making sure you’re around for a little while longer. If you’d let my brother go, we can sit here and have a nice talk. Or not. I don’t really care so long as you understand that his dragon will come out soon if he feels threatened for too much longer.” She looked at Finn and saw him there, the dragon in his eyes. “Jamie?”

  “I’m okay now. I just was embarrassed in thinking that you were thinking I stank.” She put her knives back after moving away from Finn. “I’m sorry. So, I can assume that since the other three shook their heads, I’m not a family member. How many more sniffs should I expect now? The next time you have something going on behind my back, you’d be safer to just tell me about it.”

  “I will. And just one more. Milo isn’t in town just yet. I promise the rest of them will keep you in the loop from now on as well. And you are a part of this family. Since the moment you came here and fit in with us, you are a family member. You’re not immortal—we didn’t want to go that far—but your cancer isn’t nearly as consuming as it had been. As it is, you’ll still die, but you have more time to hang out with us.” Jamie sat down and took her best friend’s hand into hers. Pem had always been her friend. She’d only just realized how much the other woman had come to mean to her. “Would you like to be immortal? There will be magic as well. I don’t know what it would entail. Pem can work with you on it if you’d like. You’ll not die, not ever. You won’t gain weight, have cancer ever again, nor will you be able to get anything else. There is one more brother. Milo. He’s away at the moment working on a project for our parents. He has skills that can get them anything they need that the rest of them can’t get.”