Dallas

by Catherine Lievens

  “Come in, Clea,” Dallas said. “I’d ask you to step into my office, but I’m not sure we’d all fit in there, at least not comfortably.”

  Clea smiled and pointed at one of the beds in the room. “I can sit there. It’s not a problem.”

  “Please.”

  Hamilton wasn’t going to be the only one standing there like an idiot, so when Dallas settled on the bed in front of Clea, he jumped up next to him. He made sure there was enough distance between them so they didn’t touch because this looked like a professional call, then he waited. He wasn’t sure who Clea was and why he was there, or even if Dallas planned to explain who he was, so silence was probably the best option.

  Dallas gestured toward him. “This is Hamilton. He’s my mate.”

  Clea’s eyes widened, and he smiled. “I’m Clea.”

  Hamilton nodded at him then waited for Dallas and Clea to get to business. Clea didn’t lose time.

  “Zach told me you wanted to talk to me,” he said to Dallas.

  “Yes. You probably know the infirmary is ready to open. In fact, I’ve already treated my first patient this morning.”

  “The entire pack knows that, yes.”

  “Jago has agreed to help me when I need it, but I’d like to have someone more permanent, someone who would come in every day and who would be at hand when there’s an emergency. No matter how good I am, I can’t do everything on my own, and having a Nix nurse or doctor would be perfect.”

  Clea bit on his lower lip. “So you want to ask me if I’d work here?”

  “Yes.”

  “Look, I can help when you need me, but I don’t really want to work here. I’m just not the right person for the job.”

  “You’re an enforcer.”

  Clea shrugged, and something passed on his face. Hamilton couldn’t read the expression, but he thought it looked like wistfulness and maybe a little pain. “Not right now. The situation is a little complicated, but I’m on break. Don’t know when I’ll be able to go back, or even if I’ll be able to go back at all.”

  Dallas leaned forward. “Are you hurt?”

  “No, no. Nothing like that. I just met my mate during the last battle, and things have been bumpy. He’s, well. Strong-headed, and we didn’t meet in the best of ways. I didn’t really have to step down from work, but I didn’t think it would make things easier with Christian. You know how much we have to travel, even those of us who are based with the council members.”

  Dallas leaned back, his shoulders more relaxed. Hamilton put a hand on the one closest to him and massaged it, and Dallas looked at him gratefully before turning back to Clea. “I understand not everyone is made for healing, but I’d really like to have a Nix working with me here. It would make things easier and safer. Can you think of anyone who would want the job? Any of your friends?”

  “Have you tried the hospital?”

  Dallas shook his head. “Not yet, and it’ll be my last resort. I don’t want to take people away from there. It’s the only hospital that accepts paranormal creatures right now.”

  “I could ask my cousin. He’s been working with the tribe’s healer, but I know he doesn’t really want to stay with the tribe, not now that he knows there’s more out there. He stayed because he’s learning, but that’s all.”

  “That would be good. You can trust him?”

  “Of course I can. He’s family.”

  Hamilton snorted, and both Clea and Dallas looked at him. “Doesn’t mean anything,” he said without giving more explanations. He couldn’t help but think of Morin and his father, though.

  “I know that,” Clea answered. “Believe me, I’ve seen more than enough families torn apart by their own members. The paranormal world isn’t a nice one, not most of the time. You’re lucky Dallas is your mate and that he belongs to the pack. It could have been much worse.”

  Hamilton wanted to know more, but this wasn’t the right time, so he nodded and kept his mouth shut.

  Clea turned back to Dallas. “Like I said, I know I can trust him. Our tribe is a nice one, not like a lot of the other tribes or packs out there. It’s a bit like the pack, actually, although it’s much smaller. But anyway, Sei and I grew up together. We’re more like brothers than cousins, really. We were born only a few months apart. It was hard leaving him behind when I became an enforcer, but he’s only a shimmer away.”

  Dallas nodded. “All right. Tell him to come by whenever he wants. I’ll tell Kameron that I’m expecting him so he won’t have a problem if someone sees him around.”

  Clea jumped down from the bed. “Will do. Do you need anything else? Because if you don’t, then I need to—”

  The door burst open, and Hamilton almost fell off the bed. He managed to straighten and reached for Dallas. He wasn’t sure why—maybe to protect him, although with what he now knew about shifters, there was a pretty good chance Dallas could defend himself better than Hamilton could. It was instinct, though, but Dallas didn’t even seem to notice.

  He was already off the bed and running toward the door, leaving Hamilton behind. Hamilton didn’t know what was happening, but he followed anyway, just in case. He probably wouldn’t be of any use, but that didn’t mean he’d stay behind.

  A guy hovered at the entrance of the infirmary, another guy in his arms, bride style. This guy was unconscious, and blood dripped from his wrists, so much that it was pooling on the floor.

  The guy holding the bleeding guy looked at Dallas with wide eyes. “Help him.”

  Dallas pointed at the closest bed. “Put him down. What happened?”

  Dallas was all business, and Hamilton stepped back, leaving his boyfriend—mate—the space to work.

  “I don’t know,” the guy said as he put his charge down on the bed Dallas had indicated. Both Dallas and Clea crowded the bed, already hard at work checking the unconscious guy’s wrists.

  “He slit his wrist,” Clea said.

  “Yes,” Dallas agreed. “Can you slow the blood flow?”

  “I can heal him.”

  “Completely?”

  “I’m not sure. I’ve never really been good at healing. Should have listened to Sei when he ranted about his lessons with the healer.”

  In spite of what Clea was saying, he still gently put a hand on the unconscious man’s wrist and closed his eyes. His hand glowed, and Hamilton watched with wide eyes. He couldn’t see what was happening to the wound, but when Clea moved his hand away, looked down, and nodded, he somehow knew Clea had healed the guy.

  Dallas gestured at Clea to move around the bed, and Clea obeyed the silent order while Dallas took his place and cleaned up the man’s healed wrist. Hamilton stepped closer, curious to see more, but the guy who’d brought the wounded man in didn’t look too steady on his feet. Hamilton sighed and walked closer, making sure the guy could see he wasn’t going to hurt him. “Why don’t you come sit down?” he asked.

  The guy looked at him, then back at the wounded guy on the bed. He obviously didn’t want to go anywhere.

  “Come on,” Hamilton insisted. “You can sit on the next bed, or in the chair, although I’m not sure you won’t be in Dallas’ way if you choose the chair.”

  He hesitated, but the guy wasn’t budging. He wasn’t even looking away from the guy on the bed, and Hamilton wondered if maybe they were boyfriends. They didn’t seem to be brothers—the guy on the bed was slight, short, and blond while the guy who’d brought him in was tall with short brown hair and built like a warrior. It wouldn’t be the first time Hamilton met related people that looked so different from each other, though.

  He put a hand on the guy’s arm, tensing when the guy moved, but since he wasn’t being punched, he decided he could push his luck. He gently tried to steer the guy toward the bed he’d indicated before, and after a few tries, the guy finally moved.

  Hamilton helped him sit on the bed. “Are you hurt too?” he asked. The guy’s sweater was dirty with what was probably
blood, but Hamilton couldn’t see any tears in the fabric or wounds.

  “No. I... it’s his blood.”

  “All right. I’m Hamilton, by the way.”

  The guy finally looked at him. “Alexander. You can call me Alex.”

  “And who’s the guy on the bed?”

  “Nuallan.”

  Hamilton grabbed what he needed to clean Alex up. His sweater was probably ruined, but his hands were also dirty. “Is Nuallan your friend?” he asked, trying to distract Alex.

  “No. He’s my prisoner.”

  Chapter Five

  Dallas checked Nuallan again. He should be waking up soon. He’d lost a lot of blood though, and he needed to rest, even though a week had passed.

  The wounds on Nuallan’s wrist were healed. Clea had managed to fully heal them, but he’d said his cousin would probably be a better bet when it came to the scars. He’d also said there was nothing to worry about when Nuallan was still spending most of his time sleeping, and that he’d fully wake up when his body and mind felt ready for it. Dallas wasn’t sure what to make of it, but he’d done his best to make Nuallan comfortable ever since he’d arrived in the infirmary, making sure he drank and ate every time he woke up.

  He took Nuallan’s wrist in his hands and checked the cuts, but there was nothing more to see than what he’d seen the last time he’d checked. He didn’t have anything better to do anyway. Hamilton was packing. since he’d be leaving the following day. Dallas should probably spend their remaining time together with him, but he didn’t want to look too clingy. He’d been independent all his life. He wasn’t about to stop now, not matter how much he’d miss his mate.

  He put Nuallan’s hand down. There was nothing he could do for Nuallan but make sure he was comfortable and ate regularly. He berated himself for thinking too much about Hamilton. He was going to be away for just over a week, not forever. They’d be together again after that, and Hamilton would move into the small apartment Kameron had built for Dallas next to the infirmary with Dallas. They’d already made the decision, and spending Christmas apart wouldn’t change anything.

  There was a soft knock at the door, and Dallas turned, hoping it was Hamilton. It wasn’t, and he sighed in dismay. “Yes?”

  The man at the door looked around the room. “My cousin told me to come here and talk to Dallas.”

  “I’m Dallas. You’re Sei?”

  The man nodded, his blond hair sliding in front of his face. “Yes. Is that the man who hurt himself last week?” he asked, gesturing at the bed.

  “Yes.”

  “Can I?”

  Dallas took a step sideways, leaving Sei the space he needed. Sei came closer and leaned over the bed. He smelled of wood and snow, and Dallas wondered if his tribe lived in the forest. How did they cope with the winter weather? It couldn’t be fun, especially since he was wearing simple leather pants and a shirt.

  “Clea healed this?” Sei asked.

  “Yes.”

  “He did a good job for someone who isn’t trained.”

  “He said you’d take care of the scars.”

  “I will.”

  Sei put his hand on the scar on Nuallan’s wrist. It glowed, and Dallas wasn’t surprised that when Sei let go a few seconds later, the scar was almost completely healed. There was still a faint pink line, but that was all.

  “I’ll heal him again tomorrow. I want him to wake up before I continue,” Sei said before putting down Nuallan’s hand and taking the other one. He healed that one, too, then put it down and turned to Dallas. “What happened to him?”

  Dallas gestured toward his office. “We can go sit and talk.”

  Sei followed him. They left the door open, just in case, but Dallas didn’t expect anyone to come in and disturb them. He sat behind his desk and Sei sat in front of him in the only chair.

  “What did Clea tell you?” he asked.

  “He said the pack was looking for a nurse. That the pack’s healer needed help, and that he was looking for a nurse.”

  “I am. As you can see, the infirmary is new. I don’t expect much trouble, but with what’s happening, I can’t be sure. I want to have someone here who can heal any wounded that comes in, even if I can’t. I’m not a Nix. I can do a lot of things, but healing on the spot isn’t one of them. If Clea hadn’t been here when Nuallan came in... ”

  “He would have died,” Sei finished Dallas’ sentence.

  “Maybe. He’d lost a lot of blood. We don’t know exactly how much time had passed between Nuallan cutting his wrists and Alexander finding him. He was on the brink of death, though.”

  “Why did he do it?”

  Dallas shook his head. “He refused to tell anyone.”

  “Are you going to let him go once he’s better? Won’t he try again?”

  “Are you going to take the job and work with me?”

  Sei pressed his lips together and nodded. “Yes, if you want me to. I’m ready to go through a trial period if you want me to.”

  “Two weeks? Although I don’t know how many patients we’ll have, since Christmas is this week. You’ll probably want to spend it with your family.”

  “We don’t celebrate Christmas, so I don’t have problems moving here as soon as you want me to.”

  Dallas didn’t know if he could trust Sei yet, but Clea trusted him, and Clea was an enforcer. He wouldn’t trust Sei if he didn’t have a good reason to. “We can make sure Nuallan won’t hurt himself again by checking his cell thoroughly before locking him in again,” he finally said, knowing Sei would have even more questions now.

  “He’s a prisoner?” Sei didn’t look surprised.

  “He tried to kill our alpha.”

  “Why keep him alive then? Why heal him and let him stay here?”

  “Kameron isn’t that kind of alpha. He’ll give anyone a second chance, even though Nuallan has refused to talk to him for now. He doesn’t want to explain himself or why he did what he did.”

  “But you think there’s a reason behind it.”

  “Kameron does, yes.” And Dallas thought the alpha was right. He’d talked to Nuallan before Nuallan tried to kill himself, albeit briefly. Kameron had asked him to check Nuallan’s health, and while Nuallan had refused to talk to Dallas, Dallas had been able to observe him.

  Nuallan had been nervous. He’d fidgeted the entire time and had looked around the room as if he expected someone to jump out and hurt him. He’d never looked at Dallas, though, not even when Dallas had had to touch him. Nuallan had always kept his eyes downcast. He’d been too nervous to be a trained killer, and with what Dallas knew about shifter and paranormal groups, Nuallan had probably been forced into trying to kill Kameron.

  “I’m surprised your alpha hasn’t done anything more than locking Nuallan up,” Sei said.

  “You’re not the only one. You know Kameron is also a council member, right?”

  “Of course.”

  “Some people think he should be harder, but it’s not in him. He’s a nice guy, and he just wants everyone to be happy. Not to the point where he wouldn’t do anything to defend the pack or his mate, of course. Those things are more important to him than his own life.”

  “Why didn’t he do more to Nuallan then? You said Nuallan tried to kill him.”

  “I think he saw something in Nuallan. Besides, the council is against any violence when it comes to punishment. Too many people have suffered from it. The only punishment the council has now is jail time.”

  “I thought the council had its own jail.”

  “It does. I don’t know why Kameron decided to keep Nuallan here, but I’m glad he did. I don’t know if anyone would have noticed what Nuallan had done to himself if he’d been in the council jail.”

  “Who saved him?”

  “His guard, well, one of them. Alexander and the others spend hours with Nuallan. He went to get them food, and when he came back, he found Nuallan and brought him here.”
<
br />   Sei looked around. There wasn’t much to see, not in Dallas’ office. The room was small, so there was only a desk, two chairs, and a small bookcase in it. Sei seemed to see something Dallas didn’t, though, because he looked at him and smiled.

  “I think I’m going to like it here.”

  “I hope so. I need the help, and you seem to know what you’re doing.”

  “I’ve been learning healing with our tribe healer for years. I was supposed to take her place after she dies.”

  “And who would now that you left?”

  Sei shrugged. “She’s young enough to live another hundred years, and the tribe doesn’t really need a second healer. I don’t want to be the help for most of my life.”

  “That’s fine with me. Why don’t we go up to the alpha’s house? You can meet Kameron and choose a room.”

  * * * *

  Hamilton pushed the last sweater into his bag and looked around the room. It still looked lived in, but all the things he could see were Dallas’.

  He hated the idea of leaving Dallas for Christmas. No matter how recently they’d met, Hamilton felt drawn to Dallas, and he’d really wanted to spend Christmas with him, with the man with whom he’d spent the rest of his life. He’d tried to convince Dallas he’d stay, but Dallas had pointed out that they’d have the rest of their lives to spend time together and that maybe Hamilton should tell his family about him face to face rather than on the phone.

  That meant Hamilton would be shimmered to Texas by a Nix. He’d thought maybe Nysys would do it, but the pride was having trouble with the hunters, so he’d let go of that idea. He didn’t particularly want to be shimmered to the Sahara Desert anyway. There were more than enough Nix in the pack to help him out so it wouldn’t be a problem.

  “Almost done?”

  Startled, Hamilton turned to the door. Dallas was there, looking at him. “I thought you had to be at the infirmary,” he said.