Cassidy remained silent. He wondered if she’d actually open up to him or not. Just as he was about to speak, her low, detached voice filled the room. “I was fourteen years old. My dad and younger brother, Wyatt, and I had taken a trip to the White Cliffs of Dover. Back then, Clan Skyhunter had been neutral to us and the DDA had granted permission for the trip.” She glanced at him. “And if you think Cassidy and Wyatt are strange names for British dragon-shifter children, then you’re right. But Dad had a thing for the old American Wild West and Mum gave in to his choices.”
Gregor wanted to tease her for probably being named after Butch Cassidy, but he merely nodded. She continued, “Any of the cliffs on the coast were one of the few places humans liked to see dragons flying. Probably because dragons diving over the sea ensured they weren’t threatening villages, or at least that’s the way they thought.
“Even though I was promised the first go by Dad, Wyatt was so excited to dive off the cliffs that we agreed to go together. I wasn’t exactly thrilled to be flying with my ten-year-old brother in front of all of the young dragonmen around, but it was together or nothing.
“I jumped at the end of Dad’s countdown, but Wyatt hesitated. I flapped my wings and rode the currents back up. I was quite the tormenting sister in those days, and twirled and flipped in front of Wyatt to show off. Finally, he jumped, but as he dove downward, a large piece of the cliff slid off and landed on his wing. In the blink of an eye, he was sinking into the water.”
Cassidy closed her eyes, and Gregor knew she was twenty-four years in the past, watching her brother possibly sink to his death. Touching her arm, he kept his voice low as he asked, “What happened next?”
She shook her head and opened her eyes, but kept her gaze averted. “I dove after him. As soon as Wyatt hit the icy waters, the shock forced a shift back into his human form. He was too young to shift back under the circumstances and he sunk quickly.
“However, as I hit the water, I kept hold of my dragon inside my mind and forced her to keep us in dragon form. If I’d been a little older, I could’ve controlled my shifting without such force. But at fourteen, finesse was the farthest thing from my mind. I fought my dragon inside my head as well as the chill of the Channel, and pushed my muscles to swim toward my brother.”
Taking Cassidy’s hand, he squeezed. She finally met his gaze again and answered the question in his eyes. “I wasn’t able to save Wyatt. By the time I reached him, he was unconscious. As I fought my way back to the water’s surface, his heart stopped beating. Even when I surfaced, Dad was there to take him back to land. But it was too late.”
“I’m sorry, Cassidy. I truly am.”
She nodded in acknowledgment. “It might be more than twenty years since it happened, but in my mind, the memories are as fresh as if it happened yesterday.” She paused, and then added, “That whole incident is the reason I became a doctor. If a dragon-shifter doctor had been on-site, Wyatt might’ve survived.”
~~~
As Gregor rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, the pounding in her head eased. They might have sworn off each other as mates, but she was grateful for his touch.
Not only his touch but his near silence.
Wyatt’s death was the one thing in Sid’s life she wished she could change. She would even take the lack of an inner dragon all over again if it meant her younger brother would still be alive.
But what had happened to Wyatt was only part of the story. If she wanted Gregor to know the full truth and attempt to help her, she needed to get out the rest.
Taking a deep breath, she moved her gaze to her hand engulfed in Gregor’s large one and forced herself to finish. “As you may have guessed, my story didn’t end there. Once Dad carried Wyatt up to the top of the cliff, I finally lost control of my dragon and she thrashed at the water’s surface. Every time she tried to jump up, I roared and tried to restrain her again. I knew that if my dragon went rogue, flew up, and started attacking the humans, I would be shot down.”
Gregor never ceased his caresses on her hand. The pounding had disappeared in her mind. Daring to look up, she saw curiosity in his eyes.
It was as if he truly wanted to hear it all so he could help her.
If things were different, and Sid had her dragon and Gregor hadn’t already refused her, Sid might’ve considered giving the male a chance. Of course, wishing for someone didn’t make it so.
Sid couldn’t change the circumstances, but if Gregor could help her stop her episodes, she might actually have a chance at living her life.
“My dragon and I kept fighting. Soon, I started flashing between human and dragon. Even when Dad scooped me up, he had to be careful because some of my limbs would grow, or my tail would extend. He finally placed me on the ground. The other dragon-shifters in the area had formed a circle and extended their wings to shield my dad and me from view. If the humans had seen a flashing dragon, panic would’ve broken out and they might’ve tried to kill me.
“Dad could do nothing but keep me in place until the nearest dragon-shifter doctor arrived and sedated me. I fell unconscious and woke up in a hospital bed. My limbs were flashing more erratically and one doctor gave me the dragon-slumber drug. When it didn’t work, he gave another dose and then another until I remained in my human form.” She met his gray eyes. “After that, my dragon never returned.”
For one long minute, Gregor said nothing. Sharing her past had sapped her energy and her patience, so Sid said, “Well? That’s everything. Usually, you talk as much as any of the Scottish dragons I’ve worked with. Why the silence now?”
The corner of his mouth ticked up. “I’m thinking.”
“Care to share those thoughts? Because if you’re waiting for me to plead or offer money for them, you’ll be waiting a long time.”
“Did your attack also affect your patience?” She flipped him off, and Gregor chuckled. “I’m enjoying this side of Dr. Cassidy Jackson. However, just a warning, lass. If you’re going to salute me every time I tease you, your fingers will be so tired you soon won’t be able to move them.”
Sid, the dragonwoman who could keep her wits about her during a twelve-hour surgery, stuck out her tongue.
Gregor’s laugh echoed inside the small room and she couldn’t help but smile. It’d been more years than she liked to admit since she’d made anyone laugh.
The Scottish dragonman finally spoke again. “Thanks for that, Cassidy. Once you’re well, I’m going to have to repay the favor.”
“Do you ever make any sense?”
“Oh, come on, now. You’re clever. You can figure it out.”
“Just because I can doesn’t mean I want to waste the time,” she pointed out.
Gregor reached out and took a small section of her long hair and rubbed it between his fingers. “Maybe it’s having your hair down that lets out this more playful and lively side of you.” His intense gaze met hers and Sid’s heart skipped a beat. “You’ll keep it down until you recover, doctor’s orders.”
His words broke the moment. “I’m starting to think all of this power is going to your head.”
“Aye, well, at least you didn’t argue back. That’s progress.” She tried to reply, but he cut her off. “You need to rest, so I’m going to do a quick examination, watch you drink some water, and let you sleep. And before you ask me, I’ve already seen some of your patients. Samira and Nikki’s pregnancies are on target and I plan to hunt down Bram shortly after this.”
“Good luck with that. I’ve known Bram my whole life and can barely get him to allow a check-up.”
Gregor flexed his arm. “I keep in shape for a reason. I’ve had to tackle a clan leader or two in the past.”
Sid snorted. “I’d pay to see that.”
“Oh? Maybe I’ll get someone to record it and I can use it as a reward for compliance.”
“Do you bargain with all of your patients?”
Gregor leaned close until his breath tickled her cheek. “No, only you.” He tuck
ed hair behind her ear. “You require a special touch, Cassidy.”
As they stared into one another’s eyes, Cassidy itched to stroke Gregor’s lightly whiskered cheek.
She might touch patients every day, but it would be different with Gregor; he wasn’t her patient. She would also enjoy it and think of where else she could stroke him.
Gregor’s eyes darted to her lips and he immediately pulled back. His distance shouldn’t sting, especially since Sid couldn’t afford to let a mate-claim frenzy happen, but she desperately wanted more time with the teasing Scot.
More than anyone, he helped her to forget her past and her shortcomings.
Clearing his throat, Gregor picked up her chart and moved to the door. “I’ll check on you later today and do your exam then. I’m going to trust you to drink some water on your own.”
Rather than focus on what she couldn’t have, Sid would enjoy what she could with the Scot before he left. “You can tell me how it goes with Bram, too. If you come back with two black eyes, I just might laugh.”
“Laughing at a male’s wounds isn’t kind.”
She tilted her head. “Well, you’re the one who has confidence in spades, so you shouldn’t be worried.”
He stood a little taller. “I’m not worried.”
“Good, then I look forward to the video.”
Shaking his head, Gregor clicked the door shut behind him.
Silence stretched and Sid quickly drank a cup of water before laying back down. Despite her exhaustion, she stared wide-eyed at the ceiling. For the first time in her life, she hated the quiet.
The next few days were going to be the longest of her thirty-eight years on the planet. Each day might entice her more to kiss Gregor and deal with the consequences later.
No. If it were only herself, she might be tempted. However, the frenzy would mean a child and Sid wasn’t about to be the cause of someone’s pain and tragedy again. Her parents gave their lives to try to heal Sid. No one else would suffer because of her.
The sooner Sid recovered, the sooner she could show Gregor his attempts to help her were useless. She’d briefly fallen for his confidence and determination, but Sid’s pessimism was back in full force.
Once she could send him back to Lochguard, she could quietly accept her fate of going insane and slowly die alone.
~~~
Gregor finally tracked down Bram’s whereabouts at his cottage. Yet as he knocked, it was the human female, Evie, who answered the door. After giving him a quick once-over, she smiled. “You’ll do nicely.”
“Er, what for?”
She waved a hand. “Never mind. But I’m glad you’re here. I need you to check over my stubborn mate before he tries to sneak out the back door.”
“Ah, but you see, I have Ginny stationed out back.”
Ginny was Stonefire’s oldest, toughest nurse.
Evie laughed. “Good. She and Sid are usually the only ones who can handle him. Let’s see how you do.”
Evie walked and Gregor followed. Judging by what little he knew of Evie and her connections to the DDA, she might be an ally when it came to Cassidy. Gregor couldn’t be the only dragon-shifter who suspected the DDA conducted research and kept the results confidential.
His dragon spoke up. We don’t need an ally. She would’ve let us kiss her earlier.
She might have, but I caught myself. It’s not going to happen, dragon.
His inner beast huffed. Just because Bridget died in childbirth doesn’t mean it’ll happen again. Cassidy is a much stronger female. After all, she survived more than twenty years without a dragon.
Being mentally strong isn’t the same as physically strong. Besides, she’s too thin. Any child of ours would kill her.
Evie stopping in front of a door caught his attention. “Bram will resist, but”—she opened the door and stared at her mate across the room—“if he ever wants to share my bed again, he’s going to sit through your exam.”
Bram sat at his desk. Across from him was Stonefire’s head Protector, Kai Sutherland, who had visited Lochguard a few times in the past.
Bram sighed. “I’ve told you, love. I’m fine. It was just a muscle spasm.”
Evie crossed her arms over her chest. “Any pain in your left arm could be something vastly more serious, Bram, especially when combined with chest pain.” Her voice softened. “Think of Murray and Eleanor.”
Gregor half-expected Evie to produce a giant photograph of her children to complete the guilt trip, but she didn’t.
Kai spoke up. “You’d better listen, Bram. Evie is as stubborn as Jane, and I could easily imagine her tying you up and locking you away until she deemed you healthy.”
Gregor couldn’t help but add, “If it’s tying up you want to do, it all sounds a bit kinky. Should I leave and come back later?”
Bram met his gaze and growled. “If I’m going to sit through an exam, it’s going to be without your commentary.”
Gregor took a few steps toward Bram’s desk. “I’m afraid that’s part of my treatment. You’ll get used to it.”
Evie cut off Bram’s reply. “Kai, you should leave. And on the way out, ask Ginny to watch the door.”
Bram raised his brows. “You brought Ginny?” Gregor nodded and the corner of Bram’s mouth ticked up. “Clever dragonman.”
Laying down his medical bag, Gregor opened it and replied, “Aye, well, if I had a second doctor, I would’ve brought them. It’s strange that you don’t already have a junior doctor in training.”
“Now you’re going to tell me how to run my clan?”
“When it comes to medical practices, aye, I just might.”
“I can take a lot of crap, but Sid is a fine doctor. Don’t criticize her. She made the call about needing one or not.”
Gregor held up his stethoscope. “Cassidy is a fantastic doctor. I have my suspicions about why she didn’t take on a junior doctor until recently, but that’s none of your concern.”
Evie grinned. “So Sid’s opened up to you already? That’s brilliant.”
“Evie,” Bram warned.
She waved a hand in dismissal. “We’ll discuss this later, although you won’t be able to dissuade me. I’ve waited a long time to help Sid and I’m going to give 120 percent. I owe her my life.”
Gregor looked at the pair. “Cryptic couple conversations. You could just wait five minutes and hash it out then to not make your guest uncomfortable.”
Bram was about to reply when Gregor lifted up the other dragonman’s shirt. Without another word, he quickly placed the stethoscope over Bram’s heart. “Shush. You can scold me later.”
Ignoring the loud grunt, Gregor focused on Bram’s heartbeat. The rhythm was steady.
Standing, Gregor pointed to Bram’s shirt. “Take it off and let me take your blood pressure. Since you don’t have an arrhythmia, I bet it’s stress.” He raised his brows. “Given all the shouting you’ve done at me in such a short time, I’m surprised you haven’t had a heart attack years before now.”
Evie moved to Bram’s side and yanked off his shirt. “Bram needs a holiday, but refuses to take even a day off.”
Bram’s voice softened when he answered his mate, “I will as soon as I can secure the clan, love.”
“You’ll be taking time off sooner rather than later. I’ll make sure of it.” As Gregor wrapped the cuff around Bram’s arm, he added, “And then I’m going to visit your head Protector as well. You Stonefire lot are workaholics.”
“Just finish the exam,” Bram muttered. “And let’s hope Sid heals soon.”
“Well, until then, you’ll have to deal with me.” After placing the stethoscope, Gregor pumped up the cuff. “Now, shut it. I need to listen.”
“Use your dragon-shifter hearing,” Bram stated.
Gregor ignored him and thankfully the clan leader kept quiet.
The Stonefire Dragons were going to take a special touch. All of them liked to argue more than Gregor was accustomed to. It explained Arabella
MacLeod, the former Stonefire dragon-shifter female mated to Lochguard’s leader, and her tendency to be contrary.
His dragon spoke up. All the more reason to woo Cassidy. Stonefire listens to her. If we were her mate, the English dragons would listen to us, too.
That’s a rather complex way of getting patients to listen to us.
You’re the one being difficult. I’m just trying to find logical ways to convince you to kiss Cassidy.
Gregor ignored his dragon to focus on the systolic and diastolic readings.
Finishing up, Gregor removed his equipment. “Your blood pressure is extremely high. If you don’t get it down, you will have a heart attack. I’m going to draw some blood as well, to make sure it’s not something more serious.”
Evie wrapped her arm around Bram’s shoulders. “I told you.” She met Gregor’s eyes. “What will help the most, Dr. Innes?”
Gregor tightened a tourniquet around Bram’s bicep and took out a blood draw kit from his bag. “Reducing your workload and therefore your stress is what will help most. And if you’re like any clan leader I’ve met before, you probably don’t exercise as much as you should.”
Bram grunted. “I don’t have the bloody time to do that. My clan’s safety is the most important thing. Going for a swim in a lake comes somewhere toward the bottom of the list.”
Gregor raised his brows as he removed the protective plastic from the needle and blood collection tube. “I would hope your clan’s safety is first, given you’re clan leader and all.” Bram glared and Gregor stopped teasing. “Learn to delegate, then. You can maybe take on an understudy.”
Evie asked, “Is that done? A clan leader taking a deputy leader? I truly don’t know.”
“Aye, it’s been done in the past,” Bram answered. “But as our numbers decreased over the centuries, the practice stopped.”
Gregor found the vein and stuck in the needle before attaching the tube. To his credit, Bram didn’t so much as grunt. “Those born from the early years of the sacrifice system are more than old enough to help. You should start looking there.”
Cured by the Dragon (Stonefire British Dragons Book 8) Page 3
