His dragon grumbled, I want to hurt whoever is on the other side of the door for interrupting. She might've been about to say yes and finally given us a chance.
Hush, dragon. Not now.
Layla stated for the person to enter, and the tall, blond form of one of Lochguard's nurses—Logan Lamont—appeared in the doorway. "Here you are. It's Aimee King. She's having an episode again, and Arabella needs your help. They're both at the cottage next to Finn and Ara's place."
Layla's entire body went on alert. "I'll be right there. Gather the usual supplies, and I'll meet you at the cottage."
With a nod, Logan closed the door. Layla quickly opened a drawer, picked up a set of keys, and handed them to him. "Install what you need to in my place. I need to help Aimee."
He took the keys and did his best to hide any disappointment. "Aye, I'll do that. And whilst I'll get it all sorted, I'll find you later to explain how they work."
With a curt nod, Layla hurried to her doctor's bag, picked it up, and left the room.
Chase curled his fingers over the keys. He was fairly certain he'd convinced Layla that he was worth noticing. The trick would be to ensure she didn't try to pretend this evening had never happened.
His dragon huffed. Aye, well, we'll find her tomorrow and remind her, which means we'll have to corner Layla in her home. Once we're alone, we can try again.
Aye, you're right. Tomorrow can't come soon enough.
Exiting the office, Chase gathered his remaining tools and left the surgery. At least he'd have some time in Layla's home. Not that he'd go snooping around, but her scent would be everywhere, which should help calm both man and beast for a wee while until they could see her again.
Chapter Three
As Layla half ran toward Aimee King's temporary cottage, she slowly packed away the moment she'd just had with Chase.
Every word about her, and his wanting her, had rung with truth. And he acted far more mature than any twenty-two-year-old should.
Her dragon spoke up. His father abandoned him a couple of years ago, and he's had to help his mother with her grief. That would do it.
Maybe. But I sense he's holding something back, something important.
But before she could replay her conversation with the male in question, she reached the correct cottage and knocked on the door. It instantly opened to reveal Holly MacKenzie, one of the human females mated to a Lochguard dragonman. And more importantly, Holly was one of Layla's part-time nurses.
Holly rushed her inside. "It's worse this time, Layla. I think she's reliving some of the worst of her torture."
Layla ignored the constricting of her heart. Aimee King was from Clan Skyhunter, in the South of England. While her brother was now one of the co-leaders of the clan, the old ruler had gone to extreme measures to keep his power for as long as he could manage it. As a result, Aimee had been one of many who'd been tossed into prison, their dragons silenced and then tortured if they didn't plead their loyalty. While many of the older clan members had survived and were slowly moving on, Aimee had only been eighteen at the time, not even fully mature by dragon standards.
As a result, Aimee's trauma had been more severe.
Layla replied to Holly, "Giving her a light, mostly dragon-friendly sedative is risky. We'll have to try and force the herbal tea down her throat to calm her down and allow her to sleep."
Layla had worked with the doctors on Stonefire to develop the tea. Something similar had been given to Arabella when she'd been younger and had been dealing with her own PTSD from being set on fire by dragon hunters in her teenage years.
Holly bobbed her head. "I have the hot water ready and waiting. Give the order, and I'll ensure she takes it myself."
"No, Logan should be the one to do it. Dragon-shifters are stronger than humans, as much as I'm sure you didn't wish it sometimes. Besides, we can't have the mother of the two future peacemakers of our kind hurt by a random punch or kick."
Holly rolled her eyes. "Not you, too. The twins will be wee troublemakers given their father, aye. But nothing more."
Holly had twin females, which was extremely rare amongst dragon-shifters. Even though Layla didn't quite believe in the legends of how twin females brought periodic peace to their kind, teasing the human mother often helped with stress and tension. And keeping her staff somewhat relaxed was one of the many aspects of Layla's job.
The sound of growls and something hitting the wall grew louder as they reached the doorway of one of the bedrooms.
Inside, a dark-haired female stood in a corner, growling and banging against the walls with her palms.
It was Aimee.
About five feet away from the troubled lass stood Arabella, the mate of Lochguard's clan leader and the main person in charge of taking care of Aimee.
Layla slowed her pace as she entered the room, careful to keep her distance from the unstable female. Layla whispered to Arabella, "Has anything worked to help calm her down?"
Arabella kept her eyes fixed on Aimee as she answered, "The video of my daughter in dragon form helped at first, her little squeaky roars stopping Aimee from shredding the bed with her nails. But as soon as the video ended, Aimee jumped into the corner, started her current actions, and nothing has worked to calm her down."
Layla bobbed her head. All inner dragons acted on instinct, and even in her dragon's silent form, the need to calm down for a young must've coursed through Aimee, which was why the video had been used before.
A real child's presence might be even more effective. However, Layla wasn't about to bring any child close to Aimee in her current state, no matter how calming it might be.
She said to Holly, "Find Logan so we can give her the tea."
Trusting the human to carry out her order, Layla focused all of her attention on Aimee. She waited for the younger female to meet her gaze. Once she did, Layla threaded dominance into her voice while still being gentle. "Aimee, I know you can hear me, aye? My accent alone tells you I'm not from Skyhunter. None of the males who hurt you are here, nor will they be able to get to you."
It didn't always work, but Aimee tended to respond more positively to dominant females than males. In a few beats, Aimee looked away as her hands dropped to her side, finally still.
Layla chanced a step forward, but the other female growled, so she stayed put. "Everyone here only wants to help you, lass. Can you tell us what happened? If there's anything in my power to do, I'll do it to help you, Aimee. But you need to talk with us first."
The female kept her gaze on the floor, and Layla waited patiently.
Aimee had only started talking in bits and pieces over the last few weeks. A huge improvement over her previous state, when she hadn't said a word, but it still wasn't enough for Layla or Arabella to really discover the root cause of all her terrors and nightmares. Bad dreams or PTSD were one thing. But if it were her dragon flashing horrifying thoughts and visions, that was another.
No. Layla wouldn't think of that outcome just yet because it could mean silencing Aimee's dragon for good to prevent her from turning rogue.
And Layla would do anything to prevent Aimee's dragon from going rogue. Those who couldn't control their inner beasts were usually hunted down and killed by the human government.
She felt her dragon stir in her mind but remained quiet. Her inner beast knew better than to make Layla's pupils change and send Aimee into yet another hysterical state—they'd all learned that lesson early on.
After a full minute, Layla asked gently, "Was it a nightmare?"
Aimee shook her head only a fraction, but it was enough. So Layla continued, "Bad memories?"
Aimee's fingers curled into fists, and she nodded as a tear rolled down her cheek.
Layla wanted nothing more than to go over and hug the lass, but she held back. Touching Aimee would only make things worse.
So instead, she continued speaking gently, needing to ask at least one more question even if it would cause the lass a wee bit of distress. "A
nd did your dragon talk to you or try to make you feel even worse?"
Aimee tensed in the corner of the room, and Layla held her breath. The next minute or so would tell her if Aimee was indeed improving or not. Because if she went silent, curled up into a ball, and shut everyone out again, then the lass wouldn't be much better than when she'd first arrived.
While it was Layla's job to do no harm, that little provision might be temporarily forgotten if she ever came face-to-face with the bastards who'd hurt Aimee King.
Finally, Aimee spoke, her voice no more than a murmur, "No, no dragon. She's still silent."
Layla inwardly let out a sigh of relief. She had at least another day of thinking positive thoughts concerning Aimee's future.
She replied, "Thank you, Aimee." From the corner of her eye, Layla noticed Logan in the doorway holding a mug. She continued, "You remember Logan, aye? He's brought a special tea for you, one that helps you sleep without nightmares." Aimee's eyes widened, but Layla hurriedly said, "The tea won't harm you. I promise. Watch."
Layla crossed the floor to the door, took the mug from Logan, and went back to the spot where she'd been standing. She quickly took a drink of the hot, bitter tea. "See? It'll only help you relax. Nothing more."
Aimee's gaze darted to Logan and away. The lass had trouble with most males and had learned to tolerate Logan if necessary. However, she would grow even more reserved if he entered.
Sort of a catch-22 since Layla sometimes needed a male dragon-shifter's strength to keep Aimee from hurting herself.
Focusing solely on the troubled lass, Layla offered the mug. "If you drink it yourself, then Logan can stay over there. He'll only come in if you resist."
One second passed, and then another. Finally, Aimee rushed over, took the mug, and went back to her corner.
She quietly drank the tea, and Layla motioned Logan and Holly away from the door, and they closed it after themselves. Once it was only her and Arabella with the lass, Layla spoke again. "You'll feel sleepy soon enough. Do you want me or Ara to help you to bed?"
Aimee didn't hesitate. "Ara."
"Aye, then I'll leave you two alone." She went to the door but paused before opening it. "Unless there's anything else you want to tell me, Aimee?"
Every time Layla asked the question, she hoped for an answer.
However, Aimee shook her head and finished off her tea. Taking her cue, Layla left the two females alone and went toward the kitchen.
Her dragon finally spoke up. She's not worse. That's something.
I know. I just wish she'd see the psychologist.
Dragon-shifter psychologists were even rarer than doctors. There were only two in the entire UK, and neither were from Lochguard.
And for whatever reason, Aimee had only warmed up to dragon-shifters who lived on Lochguard.
Her dragon replied, We and Ara are doing our best. And Aimee is better. Take joy in the progress she's made so far and accept that not even you can perform miracles, no matter how hard you try to make them happen.
Layla grunted but didn't reply as she entered the kitchen. Holly and Logan had cleaned up the room, as well as refreshed the necessary medical supplies needed for almost any emergency with Aimee.
Holly was the first to speak. "You calmed her down, which is a relief. I hate having to force her to do anything."
Logan offered Layla a cup of black tea, and she gratefully took it. After a sip of the hot, slightly bitter liquid, she replied, "All we can do is take it one day at a time. Although if she keeps talking and revealing more bit by bit, it may give me more clues in how to treat her."
Holly asked, "Have Sid and Gregor found out anything from the other doctors?"
Sid and Gregor, Stonefire's main doctors and a mated pair, were trying to create a worldwide sharing and networking database for dragon-shifter doctors. Layla often asked about their progress, hoping to use some of their methods to one day reach out to human doctors as well. "No, not yet. But they'll keep trying. Don't worry."
They chatted a bit about clan news until Arabella appeared in the kitchen. Without preamble, she said, "I want Aimee to meet Freya."
Freya was Arabella's wee daughter. Layla blinked. "What?"
Arabella shrugged. "It's not such a strange suggestion. After all, the video works well with Aimee, and I think the real thing might help her even more. With Freya around, she might even start talking more. We won't know until we try."
Freya wasn't even a year old and had started shifting into a dragon much earlier than usual. As a result, she was the darling of the entire clan, but none more so than to her father. Layla replied, "Finn will never allow it, aye? And I'm not about to suggest it to him."
Arabella waved a hand in dismissal. "I'll convince him to do it, even if it takes a day or two. He knows I'd never intentionally put Freya in harm's way. And his entire job is to help the clan, just like you, Layla, albeit in different ways. Even if Aimee is merely a foster, that doesn't matter to Finn. Anyone here is his responsibility, end of story."
Layla sighed as she put her mug on the counter. "Aye, I well know that, Ara. But seeing Freya in her dragon form up close may trigger Aimee's beast, and we have no idea how she'll act once she finally comes out."
Holly spoke up. "Then let Aimee see wee Freya from the window first. That way, everything can be contained and monitored. If it goes well, then we can try closer distances until we're confident she can handle Freya in the same room."
Layla eyed the human female. "Not only could the situation regress Aimee at any time, it would eventually endanger Freya."
Holly shrugged. "Everything would be done quite carefully. And we won't know if interacting with Freya will help Aimee or not. Besides, as I heard it, Arabella needed unusual methods herself to fully come out of her shell. Being cautious with Aimee has helped a wee bit, but videos of Freya in her dragon form are the only things that have worked every time, without fail. It's worth a shot."
As Layla glanced between Arabella and Holly, mulling their suggestion, her dragon spoke up. At least try it through the window. If the experience does have a negative impact, it's better to do it now than months down the line, when it would erase any other kind of progress.
Layla resisted a mental growl. I hate guessing and not knowing what will happen. Give me someone in an operating theater, or a sick child, and I know what to do. But the situation with Aimee? I could ruin her life forever with one misstep.
Her dragon huffed. Stop it. We're helping. Bloody hell, she started talking for the first time since she was released from the Skyhunter prison. That in and of itself is a huge step and probably one of the greatest tools going forward. I think we can help heal her even more.
Arabella said, "Well? What does your dragon say?"
Layla looked at the other female askance and muttered, "Of course she's on your side. She almost always is."
Arabella nodded with a smile. "Right, then I'll get to work on Finn. We can wait for one of Aimee's better days to try it."
"Am I even needed here?" Layla drawled.
Holly snorted. "Aye, of course you are. This is a team effort." Before Layla could reply, the human walked up and gently pushed her toward the door. "And whilst we usually love your company, go home. You need some sleep. I know you've been awake for more than a day, Layla. Take care of yourself. Me, Logan, and the others will hold down the fort for a wee while."
At the mention of tiredness, Layla's entire body felt heavy, and any desire to fight it evaporated. Her nursing and support staff were some of the few who knew just how much Layla worked day in and day out. "Just for a bit, to refresh my mind. But make sure to call me if anything comes up, and I mean anything."
"Of course," Holly stated. She pointed toward the exit. "Now, go."
The human only ever ordered Layla around when she needed to rest. And she wasn't going to argue. "Aye, well, I'll see you later."
As she left the cottage, she headed in the direction of the surgery. She was too tired to de
al with Chase, so she'd use the room inside the surgery with a bed she'd set up for whenever she needed it.
Her dragon growled. Coward.
Ignoring her beast, she somehow made it to the bed, lay down, and instantly fell asleep.
Chapter Four
After installing the necessary equipment in her cottage, Chase had waited for Layla to return. But when she didn't show up for over an hour past finishing the work, he'd gone home to sleep.
And even though the next morning he'd sent a text message asking Layla when she'd like him to come over and explain how the equipment worked, he still hadn't heard back several days later.
She had to be avoiding him.
His dragon spoke up. She's always busy. She'll contact us when she's ready.
Such patience from you is a surprise, given how you acted a few nights ago.
It's easier to be patient when Layla isn't right in front of us. Her scent is addicting and makes rational thought go to the wayside.
Which means I'll have to be the adult between the two of us when we finally do see her again.
His beast huffed. I'm an adult, too. And more often than you are, as a matter of fact.
Before Chase could reply, he reached his mum's cottage. It was the weekly dinner night he and his brother—and now Grant's mate, too—always attended if possible.
Not wanting his brother to notice something was on his mind, Chase carefully packed away thoughts of Layla. Maybe the dinner was just what he needed to forget about the female for a wee while. After all, it was fun to flirt with his sister-in-law to rile up his older brother. Grant's temper didn't emerge often, but Chase was one of the few who could tempt it out, along with Grant's mate, Faye.
So when he and Faye teamed up against Grant, it was heaven to a younger sibling trying to irritate the older one.
As usual, the front door was unlocked, and he entered the old stone cottage his mother had moved to a little over a year ago. He'd barely taken two steps inside when he heard a familiar female voice, one that wasn't his mother's but Layla's. "I really shouldn't stay, Gillian. I just wanted to stop by and give you the new prescription and check on your headaches. It's my job and pleasure to do it. There's no need to thank me with anything."
The Dragon's Pursuit (Lochguard Highland Dragons Book 7) Page 3
