by Lia Davis
A flash of her mother’s face entered Mac’s mind. She shook it off. Now wasn’t the time to break down. She had work to do.
“Shhh.” Mac shifted her weight to hold the child more securely. “Your mama will be here soon.” She looked at Luke. “Is she injured?”
“She has a cut or scrape on her side.” Luke unzipped his coat, then laid it on the chair by the door. “I thought she should be checked out before going home.”
“Definitely. I’ll examine her now. Thank goodness she’s okay.”
Luke nodded. “I’ll go call her parents.”
“Thank you. My address book is on the kitchen counter.” Mac set Elisipie down on the exam table. Even though the child was small, she was heavy in Mac’s arms. Then again, she wasn’t used to carrying kids around. “I bet your mom and dad will be here before I even get done.”
Elisipie hunched, shivering. “I want my mama,” she whispered.
“I’ll give you a lollipop when we’re done. Will that make you happy?” Mac patted the child’s hands.
Elisipie nodded. Most of the village kids were familiar with her office, and it warmed her heart that they weren’t afraid of coming for treatment.
Mac slipped Elisipie’s coat off and set it on the chair. Dirt smeared the sleeves, and the fabric on the back was tattered. What had she been through? Mac closed her eyes to settle her emotions. No need to scare the child. If this was the same beast who’d taken her mother so many years ago, what had happened? Had he let Elisipie go or had she escaped? And how did Luke find her?
So many questions whirled in her mind.
“The beast hurt me.” Elisipie’s face streaked with tears. “Luke found me and helped me. He brought me home.”
Mac wiped the wet streaks from Elisipie’s cheeks. “You’re safe now.”
Mac wanted to promise the beast would never hurt anyone again, but she hadn’t a clue how to stop him. Or if it could be stopped. She put her hands on Elisipie’s knees. The child trembled under her touch, which made Mac’s frown deepen. Elisipie was probably hungry and exhausted, too.
“Mama.” A big tear rolled down Elisipie’s cheek.
“She’ll be here soon, I promise.” Mac touched her cheek, wiping the wetness with one finger. “Where are you hurt?”
Elisipie pointed to her side and took a shaky breath. “Right here.”
Mac helped her slip off her shirt and lie back on the table. Three long marks marred the little girl’s skin, like something sharp had raked across her side. Crusted blood covered the gashes, and the area around them was blue and green from bruising. Despite her training, Mac couldn’t help but wince. Nothing got to her as much as an injured child.
What had happened? What had caused the wounds?
“You poor thing. I’m going to make it feel better.”
Elisipie nodded and closed her eyes.
“I need to clean your wounds, okay? It’s going to feel cold, but I need to wash the germs off.”
“Okay.” Elisipie sniffled. “I’m scared.”
“You’re safe now.” Luke broke his silence from the where he stood by the door.
Elisipie glanced at Luke and her eyes widened.
Mac watched the two. So Luke was Elisipie’s hero now. Good. But the man still had some questions to answer.
Trying to keep her features neutral for the girl’s sake, Mac dabbed at the cuts gently, cleaning off the dried blood so she could see if she needed stitches. The cuts were parallel. Three of them, the same length. What could’ve caused them? The beast? She shuddered.
The beast killed. This had to be something else. Maybe she’d gotten caught in branches while running away. She sucked in her lower lip and wiped the dirt from around the cut closest to Elisipie’s back.
“Don’t be afraid. It’s just a special cleaner for cuts. It won’t hurt you, I promise.”
“I’m scared he’s coming back.” Elisipie gripped the paper on the exam table. “He’s mean.”
Mac focused on cleaning the cut. “Luke? He’s not mean. He’s a good guy.”
Elisipie shook her head. “No, not him. The dragon. I’m scared of the silver dragon.”
Mac stepped back to grab more cleaning pads. If she weren’t a doctor, she’d swear her heart was pounding in her throat. It had to be the same beast—just as she feared. Silver, huge, and a helluva scary creature for a child to see.
She should know. She’d seen it fly off with her mother in its grip.
Mac concentrated on keeping her voice level. She couldn’t let the child hear the fright. Elisipie had been terrorized enough. “The beast won’t hurt you again. We’ll protect you.”
Elisipie raised up on one elbow. “He said he was going to kill us all. And he meant it.”
“Guess who’s here?” Luke peeked into the exam room after letting Elisipie’s mom in. With his supernatural hearing, he’d heard her on the porch a moment before she’d knocked.
Mac tossed some trash in the can and Elisipie sucked on a lollipop. She must be okay.
“Who?” Elisipie asked, popping the lollipop out of her mouth for a moment.
Her mouth was blue from the candy, and a smile replaced her earlier frown. She’d settled down quickly.
Thank the gods. Relief flooded Luke’s system. At least she wasn’t scared of him.
“Oh baby, I’m so glad you’re okay.” Elisipie’s mom patted Luke on the arm. “Excuse me.”
Luke moved aside so she could get into the small exam room, and the woman dashed straight to the child and pulled her into her arms.
“Mama.”
“I was so worried.” A sob shook her voice and she held her daughter in a tight hug.
“Me, too, Mama.” Elisipie’s little hands wrapped around her mother’s neck and held on tightly.
Elisipie’s father was out searching when he got the call, and now he was heading home. The whole family would be reunited by evening.
“She’s okay,” Mac said. “No stitches. Nothing broken. Just scrapes and bruises I patched up. Thanks to Luke here, she’s safe. He’s the hero.”
Mac beamed a smile at him and Luke’s dragon went nuts. Luke tried to calm him down before anything embarrassing happened. He clung to the doorframe, feeling the heat rise in his cheeks.
The woman turned. “Thank you so much for saving her. I don’t know what I would’ve done if…something had happened to her.”
“I’m glad I found her,” he murmured. Good damn thing the silver dragon gave her up. Luke probably couldn’t have defeated him alone, and the day could’ve had a much sadder ending.
Elisipie’s mom grabbed him in a bear hug, her body wracked with sobs. “You rescued my baby. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”
“You don’t owe me anything.” Luke hugged her back, offering comfort. He may not have been born Inuit, but these people were like his extended family. “I’m glad she’s okay.”
Mac’s eyes lit up with happiness and her face glowed. It was a great ending to a difficult day.
“Can I take her home? Her father will be back from the search any time now. I’d like to be there when he walks in the door.”
“Sure.” Mac washed her hands in the small sink. “She’s ready to go. If you notice anything off, let me know and I’ll come by to check on her. But I think she’s fine. Change the bandages on her side tomorrow, and report anything unusual to me.”
“I want to go home.” Elisipie lifted her head from her mom’s shoulder and touched her cheek. “Let’s go home, Mama.”
“Let’s go.” Her mother moved to the door. “Thank you, Dr. Mac. See you tomorrow. Right now, I just want to hug my baby.”
“I understand.” Mac dried her hands. “Keep her inside.”
The woman called from the hallway. “You don’t have to worry about that. She’s not going outside alone any time soon. Not while that beast is on the loose.”
Luke nodded. “Good plan. See you tomorrow.”
“Bye, Luke,” Elisipie calle
d.
“Bye, sweetie. See you soon.” He smiled. The child was so cute, she almost made him want one of his own.
The dragon within perked up at the thought. Luke pushed him back. Not happening.
The front door closed, and Luke released a sigh he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.
“Want some coffee?” Mac flipped off the exam room light and brushed past Luke, her smile gone.
“Sure.” He followed her down the hall to the kitchen. “I’d love some.”
Mac didn’t look at him but busied herself with preparing the coffeemaker and setting out cups. Annoyance and confusion swept through her scent. She added water to the machine and flipped it on. It sputtered and spit as it began to brew.
“Cream or sugar?” She took the cream out of the refrigerator and set it beside the sink.
“Black is fine.” He leaned against the kitchen counter. The space was small but efficient, and the aroma of fresh coffee was already wafting through the air, teasing his nose with the promise of caffeine. Exhaustion crept into his psyche and he rubbed his eyes.
He’d sleep well tonight.
Mac turned to face him, holding the sugar bowl. “You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, Luke.” She set the sugar on the counter beside the cream and put her hands on her hips.
He perked up. He’d not seen this side of Mac. Usually, she was even tempered and happy. Even when sad, she was soft. No, this was hard Mac in front of him. What was she upset about?
“What do you mean?” he asked. “What do I need to explain?”
“You know exactly what I mean. How did you find Elisipie by yourself? She said she was on the mountain. Where exactly did you find her? And what the hell were you doing on the mountain alone to begin with? We were planning to go back out searching together.”
Her tone had raised as she spoke, and for once in his life, Snow actually felt defensive. He didn’t want Mac mad at him. He didn’t like the third degree—especially when he wasn’t in a position to tell her everything. Some things had to remain secret. DSD, for one.
“I was…hiking. And I came across Elisipie in the snow. She said a beast had dropped her and left, so I rushed her home. I didn’t stop to analyze why or how.”
“Umm hmm.”
Gods, he hated lying to her. But the truth would hurt her more. He was already upset with himself that he hadn’t killed the ice dragon when he’d had the chance. The bastard had gotten in his head and Luke had allowed the weakness. Having Mac mad at him made things even worse.
His dragon shot flames through his mind, sending a searing pain across his temples. Luke tried to ignore it.
“What do you mean by that?” He watched her facial expression but it didn’t change.
She kept a firm, yet unreadable gaze focused on him.
“You want me to believe that you were out for a stroll in the largest state in the United States, and you happened to find the missing child that many teams of rescuers hadn’t been able to locate? No one else spotted her. No teams of rescuers with dogs, no helicopters, no one—well, until you happened to hike by.” Mac poured coffee into the two cups. Her hand trembled.
Luke fought the urge to touch her, comfort her. Instead, he reached for his cup. He couldn’t tell her the whole truth, not now. With an angry ice dragon kidnapping children, it was no time to tell his mate—not even a mate he never intended to claim—that he was an ice dragon, too. Hell, there might not ever be a time to tell her. She’d be hurt, upset. He couldn’t do that to her. As long as Elisipie didn’t tell anyone, the secret was safe.
He cleared his throat. “I was in the woods, in the mountains, and I found her. Isn’t that what’s important?”
She stirred sugar and cream into her coffee and set her mouth in a line. “No, because I can’t believe that story. Tell me the truth, Luke.”
He paused, torn. He sipped at his hot drink to delay answering her. What the hell could he tell her that wouldn’t upset her more? If she knew he was a dragon, she’d freak out. If she knew he’d seen the ice beast, she’d be pissed. And if she knew he’d let the ice dragon escape… There was no telling how upset she’d be.
The doorbell rang, and he nearly jumped out of his skin. Even his dragon jumped. Damn, he was more on edge that he’d thought. Mac rushed out of the kitchen to get to the door, and Luke set his coffee down and followed. Whoever it was, they’d just saved him, given him a little bit more time to avoid telling Mac the truth.
Mac pulled the door open just as Luke got to the living room, and he heard Muktuk’s voice.
“Where’s Luke?” The elder pushed into the room, his heavy coat covered in freshly fallen snow. “I need to thank him for saving Elisipie.”
Mac stepped aside and gestured to Luke, the frown still on her face even though she greeted her grandfather with a kiss on the cheek before closing the door.
“No need to thank me. I happened upon her and brought her home, that’s all.” Luke shoved his hand into his jeans pockets.
“Oh come on, you can spin a better story than that.” Muktuk chuckled. Luke had suspected the elder knew more about Luke than the old man let on. Yet Muktuk never pushed for the truth or treated him any differently than the rest of the villagers.
Mac shut the door. “Apparently, he can’t.”
Muktuk chuckled again and slipped off his hat, coat, and gloves, then set them on the chair by the door. “Seems like it’s colder and snowier than usual. Figures we’d have bad weather when we had a search to perform.”
“Don’t worry about it, Papa. It does seem like we are in for a rough winter.” Mac motioned him to sit.
Luke sat on the edge of the sofa and Muktuk joined him. Mac stood, arms crossed. She was still upset. He hoped she’d relax and focus on the fact the child was safe. Or channel her irritation into helping hunt down and slay the ice dragon.
On second thought, he didn’t want Mac anywhere near the beast. Especially if his nightmare was a look into the future mixed with his past. She could be in danger.
DSD was coming to help take down the dragon before it could hurt anyone else. Once the beast was dead, Mac could go back to her daily routine without stressing over the dragon.
“I talked to Elisipie’s parents. They are so happy. I’m not sure they really thought we’d find her alive.” Muktuk clasped his hands. “I’m not sure I believed it, either.”
“Thank the gods she’s alive,” Luke said. “We got lucky.”
The elder lifted his gaze at Luke. “I’m not sure how much luck is involved. Finding her was nothing short of a miracle.”
“That’s what I said.” Mac jutted her chin forward, deepening her frown. “Had to be a miracle to simply happen upon her—in the vast wilderness around the village. Would be like locating a seal tooth in an ocean.”
Luke shrugged. “I’m just glad I found her. No matter the circumstances.”
Mac glared.
“Agreed! The whole village wants to celebrate. In fact, Elisipie’s parents want to have a welcome-home potluck dinner at the community center. Think you two can make it?” Muktuk rose and crossed the living room to Mac. He unfolded her arms and held her hands in his. “Go easy on Luke. We’ve all been blessed with a miracle today. Accept that.”
Mac seemed to relax as she hugged her grandfather. “I miss Mama.”
Her words were so soft Luke almost didn’t hear them. Thanks to his dragon senses, he did, though, and his heart ached for her loss.
“Me, too, baby.” Muktuk kissed her forehead and stepped out of the embrace. “So you coming to celebrate the miracle?”
“Probably. As long as I’m in town. When are you going to do it?” Mac sighed and glanced at Luke. He couldn’t help but to smile, and she rolled her eyes.
He was sure she wasn’t done grilling him about the rescue. He’d have to distract her with other things to avoid revealing the truth for now.
Muktuk nodded. “Great. It’ll be tomorrow night. Six o’clock. Bring a dish to share.”
“I’ll be there,” Luke said, standing. “I’m exhausted, so I need to get home. I’ll see you both tomorrow.”
“You’ve had a long day.” The elder stuck his hand out. “Get some rest, and thank you again.”
Luke shook his hand. “No problem. When I get home, I’m going to fall into bed and sleep until tomorrow afternoon. But I’ll be at the potluck.”
“Great. Safe journey.” Muktuk grabbed his gloves and coat. “I’ve got to get home, too. Make some calls to let everyone know about the potluck. I wanted to thank you in person.”
“Really, it was nothing. It’s what I do.” Luke grabbed his coat and slipped it on. He’d almost forgotten it in his haste to get out of the house before Mac questioned him further. He zipped the coat. He’d probably shift and let his dragon get him home more quickly, but he’d have to get out of sight of the village first.
Mac followed him to the door. “You still owe me an explanation.”
“We’ll talk tomorrow. I’ll see you at the potluck.” Luke ducked out onto the front porch, the cold air seizing his lungs.
“I’ll be there.” Mac shut the door.
Luke headed home, his mind racing with thoughts of Mac, Elisipie, the dragon and his DSD team. Had they finally met their match? And what the hell was he going to tell Mac?
Chapter Eight
Luke placed four packages of caribou meat into his backpack. He’d not slept as late as he’d thought he would and had gone hunting to clear his mind before the potluck. Finding the ice dragon wasn’t going to be easy, but an afternoon of being in the wilderness alone gave him time to re-center himself.
He carried the backpack outside and locked his front door.
He hadn’t known what to bring to the potluck. Anything he cooked wouldn’t stay warm in the three-mile snowmobile ride to the village, so he opted to bring fresh meat.
Two of the packs would be enough for the party. The other two would go in Mac’s freezer, or maybe Yutu’s.
