Gregor resisted the urge to take Cassidy’s shoulders, tell her he wasn’t going to bloody leave her, and then kiss her to show her how much he meant it.
However, the lass was clearly spooked. While his dragon may argue and fight him, Gregor had no idea what it would be like to have a crazy, uncontrollable presence in his head. Only after he ensured Cassidy’s sanity and the woman could be persuaded to think of more than the present, then would he pursue her with full force.
His beast spoke up. Then hurry up and help her. I don’t like waiting to claim what’s ours.
She hasn’t said that she is ours yet, dragon.
She will be.
Have some patience. If you had been a prisoner for twenty years, unable to talk with me, you’d be crazy, too.
His beast huffed. I wish I could talk to her dragon. I would have it all sorted in a matter of minutes.
Rather than argue the ridiculous point, Gregor finally answered Cassidy, “I’ll go back to Scotland when it’s necessary.”
Relief flashed in her eyes, and he wanted to growl. What his doctor didn’t know was that he may return to Scotland, but he’d bloody well come back.
Cassidy nodded. “Good. Now that’s sorted, tell me what you used to put my dragon to sleep.”
“I’m not sure if I should reveal my secrets.”
“Gregor, just tell me.”
“All right, all right. I used a variation of the dragon-slumber drug, but reduced the dose.” She frowned, but he continued before she could speak. “And no, I didn’t use a needle. I applied it to my lips. I supposed you can say it’s a reversal of the Sleeping Beauty story—my kiss put you to sleep rather than awaken you.”
“Clever. Our last kiss was at least a memorable one. I’m sure tales will develop around it if the teenagers get wind of it.”
His dragon snarled at the thought of never kissing Cassidy again, but thankfully the door opened and prevented Gregor from dealing with his beast. Ginny’s head popped in. “I thought I heard voices. How’s our patient doing?”
Cassidy answered, “Let’s not do this, Ginny. Just tell Bram I’m awake. I want to know what comes next.”
Ginny tsked. “You’re going to get well, of course. Keep up with the negative thoughts and I’ll withhold your dessert from your meals.”
Gregor said in a loud whisper, “Don’t worry, I can sneak something in.”
Ginny walked up to him and lightly smacked the side of his head. “You’re a guest in my surgery. Remember that.”
Cassidy snorted, and Gregor couldn’t help but grin at his doctor. With her dragon out of the picture for the moment, it was almost as if they could all forget what was looming on the horizon.
But then he remembered that Cassidy had maybe a day before her dragon would wake up. He couldn’t afford to waste time. He looked to Ginny. “Ask Tristan to come. I want him to start working with Cassidy straight away.”
Ginny’s gaze darted to Cassidy. “Sid has barely been awake two minutes. I think she should rest, first.”
Cassidy shook her head. “I actually agree with Gregor. While I was lucky enough for you all to bring me back this time, I may not be so lucky next time. I need all of the help I can get.”
“Fine,” Ginny replied. “Although I’m going to chat with Tristan first, to make sure he doesn’t bring his twins with him. Those two cause more trouble than five teenage dragon-shifters and I’m not about to chase them around the surgery.”
Sid bit her lip a second before nodding. “Good luck. Jack and Annabel have been glued to his side recently. It may be more trouble than it’s worth to force them apart.”
Ginny muttered something as she left. When the door clicked shut, Sid smiled. “I almost hope he does bring them. I could do with a distraction.”
Gregor leaned forward a few inches and searched her eyes. “Are you in pain? You need to keep me in the bloody loop or I can’t help you.”
“While my mind is a bit raw from the recent escapade with my dragon, it’s manageable. It’s just that…”
Her voice trailed off and Gregor took her hand. When she didn’t pull away, hope bloomed in his chest. “Tell me, lass. I can keep a secret.”
Fear flashed in her eyes. “If my dragon takes control again, I want you to restrain me and keep me sedated as long as it takes to either help me or allow the DDA to take me away.”
“No one is taking you away.”
“Gregor, please. I’ve spent so many years keeping the clan healthy and alive that it would tear me apart if I ended up harming any more of them. As it is, what I did today with pushing people out of the way, especially Nikki, will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
While he had hope he would never need to do anything, he nodded. “I promise you. But only if you’ve reached the point of no return. You’re going to fight with everything you have, Cassidy Jackson. Because if you don’t, then you’ll have to deal with me.”
“Oh? Am I supposed to be afraid?”
He growled. “I’ve been Mr. Nice Doctor up until now. But if you need pushing and prodding, I’m going to push you hard. I never give up on a patient until death claims them. You’re one of my patients now, so be forewarned.”
“I’m almost tempted to see what Mr. Tough Doctor looks like. You Scottish dragons always act as if you’re jolly and enjoying life, but I think you have your moments like we do.”
“Oh, I’m not denying that claim.” He almost mentioned mates but caught himself in time. “But laughing along the way makes life more enjoyable. Maybe with enough interaction with my clan, your clan will learn that lesson.”
She frowned. “Don’t criticize my clan. Remember, Stonefire is the one who put their necks out and pushed for change. If not for us, you wouldn’t be here, your leader wouldn’t have a mate, and you wouldn’t be able to sell your naked wood carvings to humans.”
“I don’t have any naked carvings,” he growled.
“Maybe I’ll ask Arabella to find out for sure.”
The amusement dancing in her eyes made him smile. “If you can tease me, you must not be doing that poorly.”
“I don’t know how much time I have left, so I’m trying to make the most of it.”
Leaning forward, he caressed her cheek. Cassidy’s breath hitched. He waited, giving her time to pull away.
When she didn’t, he dared to speak up again. “Then let me give you one last proper kiss. I don’t want you to remember me drugging you unconscious.” She hesitated, so he added, “There’s nothing on my lips if you’re worried. I cleaned them right after I got back. They are pure Gregor Innes.”
His dragon growled. Hurry up and kiss her.
No. This is her decision.
But she wants us. I can hear her heart racing.
Cassidy murmured, “Just one kiss,” before leaning forward to meet his lips.
~~~
Rationally, Sid knew she should push Gregor away and avoid any sort of contact. As it were, just holding his hand kept her grounded and calmer than she would’ve imagined she’d be. Hell, she’d been teasing the man about naked carvings. Given the enormity of what loomed, she should be focused on winning against her dragon.
Yet as he leaned close and asked for a kiss, she remembered the warmth of his skin and the sweet taste of his mouth. If she had just one more kiss, she could take her time to memorize every detail slowly so when he returned to Lochguard, Sid could bring up the memory and cling to it. Sid didn’t think she’d want any male after Gregor, so she needed to make a memory to last a lifetime.
Trying not to think of how much Gregor invaded her thoughts, she gave her answer and kissed the Scottish dragonman.
She’d barely reveled in the warmth of his lips before his hot tongue swept into her mouth. Wrapping an arm around his back, Sid leaned in and gasped at the contact of her breasts against his hard chest.
Gregor moved until he was on the bed and hauled her into his lap. His hard cock between her legs should’ve set off warning bells, but Sid didn’t
care. This was the last kiss she’d have with her Scot, and she was determined to make it good enough to sustain her forever, through all of the hard times ahead.
His large hands moved to her bum and rocked her against him. She gasped, and Gregor took the kiss deeper. The ache between her legs intensified and her nipples tingled. Every nerve ending was sensitive to even the slightest movement. No male had ever set her body on fire like this before.
All she wanted to do was to strip Gregor and ride him like in her dragon’s vision from earlier. She had no doubt his skill at kissing was just a glimpse of what he could do with his hands and mouth on her body.
Gregor released her lips and kissed down the side of her neck. Sid moaned as he nipped her skin. She was barely aware of him untying her hospital gown and slipping it off one shoulder to expose her breast. Arching her back in invitation, Gregor took her nipple and sucked hard.
Threading her fingers through his hair, she rubbed against his cock.
However, before she could suggest for him to strip, someone knocked at the door. The sound brought reality crashing back, and Gregor released her nipple.
Looking away from Gregor, Sid scrambled off his lap to the far side of the bed and pulled her gown back into place. She’d come far too close to making a horrible mistake. Gregor was strong, but he might not be able to resist the mate-claim frenzy once it started, especially once her dragon woke up and took control.
“Cassidy—” Gregor began, but Tristan MacLeod’s voice boomed from outside the door.
“Hurry up and answer the bloody door. My children are waiting for me at home.”
Chapter Ten
Gregor’s dragon snarled. Challenge the male and chase him away. Cassidy is ours. She wants us. We need to finish what we started.
Gregor clenched his fingers. No. She’s not ready and would resent us forever if we pushed her.
She doesn’t need much pushing. She was happy enough rubbing against our cock.
Tristan’s voice boomed from the other side of the door again. “Last chance to let me in or I’m leaving.”
Remembering how much Cassidy needed Tristan’s help, he moved to the door. He glanced to make sure his doctor was decent before opening the door. Gregor eyed the dragon-shifter teacher he’d seen on Lochguard before. “Tristan MacLeod.”
Tristan grunted before pushing past Gregor to stand at Cassidy’s side. “All I was told was that you needed my help, but I’m not sure what I can do.”
Gregor opened his mouth to castigate the male’s surly tone, but Cassidy beat him to it. “Tristan MacLeod, if not for me, you wouldn’t have your mate today. All I ask is for you to cut the alpha bullshit and teach me how to control my dragon.”
Tristan crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. “Sorry, Sid. My twins have tested my patience lately. Don’t tell Melanie how I snapped.”
Cassidy raised her brows. “That depends if you actually try to help me and act at least somewhat friendly to Dr. Innes. We need him.”
Tristan glanced over at Gregor. “Since he’s not shacking up with my sister like the bloody Scottish clan leader, I’ll try, but I can’t make any promises.”
It was on the tip of Gregor’s tongue to tease Tristan about Arabella, but he decided Cassidy’s well-being took precedence. “Then let’s cut to the chase. We have a little less than a day before Cassidy’s dragon stirs. The beast is unstable and she needs to learn how to rein it in.”
The corner of Tristan’s mouth ticked up. “Well, I agree that Cassidy is strong, but I’m not sure even you can manage it in a day, Doc.”
“I’m going to try,” Cassidy stated.
Tristan shrugged. “Fine. But it’s hard to do anything without the beast actually awake.”
Gregor growled. “Do what you can.”
Tristan studied him a second before his pupils flashed. The Stonefire dragonman finally replied, “I will for Sid’s sake, not because you want to fuck her.”
Cassidy narrowed her eyes. “Tristan.”
“Does he deny it?” Gregor couldn’t bring himself to lie, so he said nothing. Tristan smiled. “I thought so.” He looked to Cassidy again. “If you want any chance of succeeding, you need to be 100 percent honest with me, Sid. Otherwise, anything I say will be a waste of time.” Sid finally bobbed her head and Tristan’s brown eyes met his again. “And you need to cut the protective bullshit. I’m happily mated, and while I’m not sure a Scot is worthy of our doc, you have no competition from me.”
Gregor’s dragon spoke up. I believe him.
Nice of you to ignore all the insults.
Challenging him on everything takes time away from helping Cassidy. Are you really going to let your pride get in the way?
Gregor grunted. “Fine. So, let’s get started.”
Tristan motioned with one hand. “Wait outside. Sid doesn’t need any distractions.”
Gregor nearly blurted how Cassidy was his patient, but as he met his doctor’s eyes, he could see her saying she’d be all right. Regardless of Tristan MacLeod’s rough manner, Cassidy trusted Tristan and Gregor trusted her.
His dragon huffed. About time.
Gregor spoke aloud, “I’ll check on my patients and come back in an hour or two.” He sent Tristan a piercing stare. “But if anything goes wrong or her condition changes, you hit the panic button and find me. Understood?”
“Fine,” Tristan muttered.
As Gregor exited the room, he wondered how the hell the surly dragonman was a teacher, let alone how he could help Cassidy. But since his dragonwoman trusted the Stonefire male, Gregor would have to do the same. As much as he wanted to hiss and chase any male away from his doctor, he knew Cassidy wouldn’t put up with it.
His dragon chimed in. Keep thinking of her and acting noble and she’ll want to mate us sooner.
We’ll see, dragon. We’ll see.
~~~
Once Sid and Tristan were alone, she sighed. “Was it really necessary to provoke him?”
“Yes. Any male who wants you had better be able to stand up for himself while also knowing when to let someone fight their own battles.”
“Someone’s become quite the philosopher.”
He grunted. “Melanie has me reading books on childrearing.”
She smiled. “Maybe I should have you come in and give talks to the other males.” When Tristan glowered, Sid decided to get down to business and changed the subject. “So, I’m ready to learn, Tristan. What’s first?”
He studied her before pulling up a chair and sitting next to her bed. “You didn’t lose your dragon until you were a teenager, so what do you remember?”
Careful not to let the memories flow, Sid answered automatically, “The basics of how to construct a simple prison. There’s no talking with her in her present state, though. When she’s not unconscious, all she thinks about is the mate-claim frenzy.”
“Did you ever consider embracing it? She might become more cooperative afterward.”
She frowned. “I’m not about to give Gregor hope and get pregnant just to appease my dragon.”
“Do you want a future?”
She blinked. “What?”
“You heard me. Do you want a future or are you giving up and preparing yourself to die?”
“I almost forgot how blunt you are.”
He shrugged. “Tiptoeing around my sister for a decade taught me a thing or two.”
“You’ve grown quite a bit, Tristan MacLeod. Thank goodness for Melanie.”
His face softened. “Yes.” Hardness returned to his eyes. “But you’re trying to distract me. From what I know about dragons, once they have an idea, they focus on it and won’t change or try to restrain themselves until that idea is addressed. It happens all the time with my students. Your situation is probably similar since you haven’t had decades to train your dragon.” His pupils flashed and he added, “Or, as my beast puts it, you haven’t had time to compile a list of compromises.”
“No, I haven’t. But surely
there’s something else we can try?”
“We can try things, but the mate-claim frenzy will most likely overpower any and all techniques you learn. You’re a novice, Sid. If you don’t accept that now, you don’t stand a chance.”
Tristan had a knack for making clan members uncomfortable, but in this instance, Sid was grateful for his honesty. “And yet, there’s no guarantee my beast will calm down once the frenzy is complete, right?”
“When it comes to dragons, there’s no guarantee about anything, except maybe for their determination regarding mates and protecting children.”
Which meant there was a chance her beast would behave at least until her child was born. That might give Sid enough time to learn how to control her dragon. It was possible for her to be a mother after all these years of accepting she’d never have the opportunity.
Wait a second. Why was she even thinking of children? She had no doubt Gregor would care for theirs if her dragon eventually took control and Sid had to be imprisoned. However, she didn’t want to hurt him and have him lose someone else. It was all too easy for Sid to imagine falling for the Scottish doctor.
Pushing aside thoughts of Gregor, she met Tristan’s eyes again. “I’ll think about it. In the meantime, I need you to teach me anything that could help.”
“Right, then we’re going to cover dragon prison basics. If you have even a crack in it, they will find a way out. So, close your eyes and tell me what you built and how.”
As Sid did what Tristan asked and described her current prison, Sid’s mind kept returning to Tristan’s suggestion about embracing the frenzy. If, and it was a big if, she convinced herself it was a viable option, she wouldn’t do it without Gregor’s consent. The trick would be in participating in the frenzy and mustering the strength to construct a wall around her heart if it didn’t calm her beast.
~~~
Gregor read the same paragraph three times before he sighed and rubbed his temples. Between scanning the medical files he’d received from Arabella and the new ones about the unknown substance from the attack on a child at Glenlough in Ireland, Gregor had enough work to keep him busy for months.
Cured by the Dragon (Stonefire British Dragons Book 8) Page 9
