by Julia Mills
“No, that’s the part I was getting to.” She took a deep breath. “He was unconscious when we found him and carried him to their Clinic and then he was semi-conscious and calling for me but something happened. He stopped breathing. That was four hours ago and I’m still waiting to see if he’s even alive.”
“What are you waiting for?”
Marrok sounded irritated, so Olivia popped right back, “Because the big yellow sign on the door says authorized personnel only and I’m not authorized. What the hell else am I supposed to be doing?”
Listening through her frustration, Olivia heard her brother take a deep inhale wait several seconds then let it out. She imagined him sitting at his huge oak desk, leaned back in his mahogany leather chair with his dirty old boots crossed on his desk, a frown on his face and his brows furrowed as he counted to ten to keep from snarling at her. When he did speak, his tone was lower than usual with a tinge of his wolf riding the tone. “You use the connection, the bond, you share with your mate to see how he is, help him, lend him your strength and that of your wolf. If you scented him and he spoke into your mind, your connection is strong… use it. I don’t know how dragons recognize their mates or how all that works for their species but for ours, you know damn good and well you have rounded third and are heading to home.”
Hating that he’d used a sports analogy when discussing her future, Olivia let it slide and conceded, “Okay, I know you’re right. I have no good excuse except… well… I really didn’t think this was how it would all go down or that I would find my mate before you found yours. I was depending on you to blaze the trail, just the way you always have.” She stopped to have a mini pity party complete with a ‘hrmph’ and a pout, then added, “Guess I better…”
“Please… mo mac tire beag, come to me…”
“What the fuck?” Marrock bellowed.
“My thoughts exactly,” Olivia growled. “Welcome to my world.” Jumping to her feet and racing towards the Clinic’s entrance, she added, “Oh yeah and meet your new brother-in-law.”
Chapter Five
Running through the doors and down the hall, Olivia came to a screeching halt when she reached Ellie and William, who stopped talking and looked up at her in surprise.
“Hey, I was just about to come find you. Our patient is calling for you, again.” William patted her arm. “It was touch and go but he’s a fighter and for the most part we had to just let his dragon do the healing. I do have him hooked up to an IV with fluids and one with antibiotics that I know will cause no harm but other than that, dragon physiology is out of my realm of knowledge.”
The doctor stopped, slid his eyes towards Ellie and after her slight nod, he looked back at Olivia. “Before you go in, I want to prepare you for the way he looks. After washing away all the dirt, grime, and mud, I was surprised to find extensive scarring from at least seventy-five, eighty years ago, all the way to what appears to be just a few months back.” He gave her arm a little squeeze. “I think some of them will heal now that he’s no longer being abused or tortured or whatever…” His words trailed off as he took a deep breath. “I just didn’t want you to go in there unprepared.”
Nodding, she thanked him then added, “I just really wanna know why he’s calling me and if I can help get him back to his people.”
It was only a little white lie but one that stung her tongue and made Ellie’s brow furrow and her lips purse.
Guess, she’s not buying my story either…
“What did your brother say?” Ellie asked, looking straight into Olivia’s eyes.
“Just that he would contact the dragons who’d helped him and tell them what was going on.” So, he might not of said those exact words but she knew Marrok and there was no doubt in her mind he was already making contact with the Guardsmen.
Turning to go see her dragon, Olivia added, “I’ll call him back as soon as I’m done here and see what he’s found out.”
Not waiting for Ellie’s answer, Olivia followed William through the mysterious double doors. Antiseptic and the smell of illness assaulted her senses. It was weird, like she’d crossed some threshold from the land of wellness to the depths of the sick and afflicted. Shaking it off and telling her wolf to calm down for the hundredth time, Olivia barely held back her gasp as William moved the curtain aside and revealed the man they’d unearthed almost a day before.
Slowly walking to his bedside, Olivia took in the long angry slash that started under his left eye, dissected his cheek and disappeared under the edge of his strong jawline. Her eyes continued to the mosaic of tiny white lines that covered the side of his neck, blanketed his shoulder becoming little more than shadows on his bicep. Being a paranormal, she had rarely seen scars except on her human friends. The only thing she knew of that would hurt any shifter to the extent the man before her had obviously been injured was repeated and unrelenting use of silver.
Goose bumps rose on her arms at the mere thought of the pain he must’ve endured. In another world, staring at the dragon, Olivia jumped and squealed when William said, “There is even more scarring on his torso and legs,” as he gripped the edge of the blanket.
Throwing her hands in the air, Olivia stammered, “No…no need for show and tell. I believe you.”
Looking a bit embarrassed but laughing it off, William chuckled, “Oh sorry, I sometimes forget myself.” He laid the blanket back over the dragon’s chest and added, “Other than the scars, I only found a few open wounds that we’ve treated. His biggest problem is silver poisoning, coupled with severe dehydration and malnutrition.”
Olivia’s eyes were once again glued to the dragon’s face as William stood back from the bed while continuing to give her the rundown of the dragon’s condition. “Since I now have first-hand experience of how strong his dragon magic is, I admit to being shocked at his condition. The only other thing I am considering is that black magic was used in his torture… very strong, very deadly black magic used in abundance, along with the silver.”
He stepped forward, reached under the blanket and uncovered the dragon’s foot, motioning for Olivia to come to the end of the bed. Once she was there, he pointed at the small perfectly round circles that covered nearly every inch of the bottom of his feet. “From the healing pattern and the color, the skin was initially damaged at least seventy or seventy-five years ago and then reinjured every time they started to heal.”
William pointed to the largest wound, right in the middle of the dragon’s arch, outlining it with the capped tip of his pen. “See the dark grey?”
Olivia nodded.
“Under our black light, it glowed. It’s remnants of silver…like the dust, literally embedded in the skin.” He shook his head. “It had to have been placed there with some kind of horrible mysticism for his dragon magic not to have forced it from his system.”
Looking back to her dragon’s face, Olivia couldn’t help but be drawn to him. Even in rest, he had a commanding presence and an aura that proved he was as loving and caring as he was strong and courageous. The auburn wolf within her soul howled in response to the feeling the dragon stirred in Olivia’s heart. She only wished he would open his eyes and speak so that she might know who he was.
“You use the connection, the bond, you share with your mate to see how he is, help him, lend him your strength and that of your wolf.” Marrok’s words echoed through her mind just before William said, “I have other patients to check on and I’ll let Ellie know you’re gonna stay in here for a bit.” He patted her shoulder. “Just holler if you need me.”
Looking at the doctor, she smiled and nodded, immediately turning back to her dragon and walking to his side. Waiting until William had left the cubicle and pulled the curtain closed before laying her hand over her dragon’s, Olivia shivered at the electricity of their connection skittering up her arm, down her spine and landing in her womb, as it spread warmth throughout her body.
Tamping down her arousal, Olivia groaned to herself, “What the hell? Chill hor
mones…so, not the time.”
Several deep breaths later, under control and focused on helping her dragon heal, the she-wolf let her eyes slide shut and searched her heart and soul for the bond she shared with the man she believed to be her mate. Delving deep within herself, Olivia was beginning to doubt what she’d been feeling when she finally saw a bright white glow. One she knew for certain had not been there before. One that emanated love and acceptance, loyalty and commitment along with a devotion that seemed almost unfathomable.
In her mind’s eye, she moved closer, summoned not only the magic given to her by the Universe but also her wolf’s and began to slowly pour that enchantment into her connection to her dragon. She knew the precise moment her charm met his. Not only did the nails on her hand extend with the claws of her beast but she saw the image of his dragon, red and majestic superimposed over his face coupled with a keen awareness in the beast’s eyes that said he missed nothing and was always prepared for battle.
Her Alpha wolf, the strong auburn lupine with an iron will and immeasurable strength, lowered her muzzle and bowed to her mate. All doubt whether the man in the bed was Olivia’s Fated Mate fled. There was absolutely no one, other than Marrok, that her wolf would submit to.
Threading her fingers through her dragon’s, Olivia sat in the chair behind her and focused more of her life force into her mate. She prayed to the Heavens that he would be okay and asked the Goddess of All to lend any aid She could to the benefit of his healing.
Memories she knew were not her own began to materialize in her mind. She saw a young boy with long red hair running through a pasture with other boys chasing a gaggle of little girls who giggled and ran just fast enough to stay out of reach. From their clothing and their speech, she knew it was at least a hundred years, if not more, in the past.
The boy leading the pack, the tallest and most handsome, whose smile complete with dimples rivaled the shine of the sun, had a twinkle in the depths of his violet eyes, promising he was always up to mischief but would never intentionally cause anyone any harm. The scene changed and she saw a man, the young boy from the previous memory now grown, on horseback, carrying a sword and shield, following others into battle.
Before the clash of steel, the vision again changed and Olivia found herself in a deep dank hole in the ground where water dripped down the stone walls leaving dark trails of mud and muck. The only window was at least twenty-feet off the ground, covered with grease and grime, providing minimal light and adding to the hopelessness that seemed to permeate the air.
The new perspective meant she was living as he had, no longer a spectator. The stench of death and despair stung her nose, as she gagged and her mouth filled with bile. The silver cuffs around her wrists and ankles burnt her flesh while blood flowed from the wounds created by the tight chain collar that dug into her neck. Olivia shifted her eyes from side-to-side where her shackles kept her suspended from large hooks that jutted from the wall to find herself alone in a small circular tower she immediately knew had been his prison.
In a flash, her perspective changed. She was no longer the prisoner but again an observer, watching her dragon as two men dressed in armor, imprinted with a crest Olivia had never seen before, entered the room and immediately began to kick and punch her mate. There had been no provocation, no warning, not even any questions asked. They simply walked in and began to pummel him. It was barbarous and broke her heart.
Tears flowed down Olivia’s cheeks as she cried for the abuse to stop. It didn’t matter that it had occurred in the past, that the damage was already done. She only wanted it to stop and to find a way to save the man who was quickly becoming the most important person in her world.
The scene changed again and this time she was watching the dragon, now an emaciated and battered version of the man she’d seen being beaten, running through a forest. His route was convoluted. He was careful not to disturb even a leaf of the overgrown foliage, stopping only when there was no doubt he’d lost those pursuing him. Ducking into a hole in the ground covered with the rotting trunk of an old tree, the Guardsman covered himself with fallen leaves and dared not even breathe.
Olivia had expected to feel fear, or maybe a sense of relief that he was finally free. Instead, she was overwhelmed with his rage, a need for revenge and unparalleled hate for those he thought of as the ‘Fiach Dubh’. The words spoken in Gaelic sounded so familiar that it took less than a minute for her to remember they meant Ravens which then made sense of the crest she’d seen on the men’s armor in the previous memory. It felt significant, like something she had been told or maybe studied at one time, but between lending her power to her dragon and the barrage of emotions she was experiencing, it was difficult to focus.
As if he’d heard her thoughts or somehow knew her strength was waning, Olivia’s mate’s voice drifted through her mind, “Thank you, mo mac tire beag for your help and your care, but you have given enough.”
She felt him block the flow of her magic to which her wolf immediately responded and answered his request with a whimper of acknowledgment. Suddenly so tired, she couldn’t even open her eyes to see if he was awake, Olivia was shocked to feel the softness of his blanket under her cheek and the soft caress of his calloused fingers on her cheek.
“But, you…”
“It is not important. We will talk when you wake. We both need our rest. Sleep, mo stór, regain your strength…”
Unable to resist the allure of her mate’s request, Olivia sighed as she fell asleep, feeling more complete than she could ever remember.
Chapter Six
Olivia awoke with a start as she heard Ellie’s voice from the hall. “Well, how the hell long has she been in there? Are you sure she’s okay? Maybe he’s hurt her. We know nothing about this man.”
Jumping to her feet, Olivia straightened her long auburn ponytail, patted her face to bring color to her cheeks and took a deep breath just as the curvy blonde she-wolf burst into the room, stopped short and said, “Are you okay? I can’t believe no one even came to check on you.”
Shoving the bag at Olivia, Ellie sounded miffed as she sighed, “Here’s your leftovers. You left them in the waiting room.”
Taking the bag, Olivia quickly apologized, “Oh shit, Ellie, I’m sorry. I swear I’d lose my head if it wasn’t attached.” Opening the bag, she pulled an oatmeal raisin cookie from a Ziploc bag, took a huge bite and moaned, “Oh my goddess, this is the best cookie I’ve ever eaten.”
It was apparently the best thing she could’ve said to diffuse Ellie’s anger without even knowing it. The blonde’s face brightened with a huge smile as she gushed, “No way? Really? Thank you so much. It was my mom’s recipe but I made them. I was hoping they were good.” Her tense, upright stance relaxed as she chuckled, “My brothers and Caleb all said they were good, but I swear they would eat shit on a shingle if they were hungry enough.” Looking at the man still unconscious in the bed, Ellie added, “How’s he doing? Any change?”
Not wanting to give anything away, Olivia looked down at her mate, noticed his scars and abrasions looked less angry, healing nicely and answered, “Yeah, he appears to be getting better. William said his dragon magic is strong.” She nodded. “Looks like he was right.”
She felt bad for keeping secrets but just wasn’t ready to admit that the injured dragon was her mate or that she’d helped him heal. Looking at the clock on the wall, Olivia was shocked to see she’d been asleep for over an hour and was glad Ellie appeared to be accepting her answers without her usual skepticism.
“Any word from your brother?” It seemed Ellie was back to interrogating but at least her tone had softened and she was no longer looking at Olivia’s dragon like he was an escaped mental patient or worse, a mass murderer.
“No, nothing yet.” Olivia pulled her phone from her pocket, found a text from Star and a missed call from Finn then shoved it back into her pocket. “I know he said it may take a bit to get a hold of the dragons he’d met, so I’m just waiting.
”
Biting the inside of her cheek, Ellie kept her eye on the man in the bed and walked forward. Olivia held her breath, wondering what her new friend was up to. If there was one thing she’d learned in the time she’d spent with the Wolfe’s, it was that they were a perceptive lot and not ones to hold back.
Watching as Ellie leaned over the dragon, narrowed her eyes, turned her head one way and then the other and finally, sniffed the air, Olivia exhaled as the blonde looked up and said, “It’s the damndest thing, but I’d swear he smells like this old derelict chapel on the far side of our land.” She walked to the end of his bed. “I haven’t been there for years but I’ll never forget the smell of evil and hate. We found traces of sulfur and brimstone the last time and Dad forbade anyone going near it. There were stories about some crazy bunch of monks turned warriors who tried to eradicate all paranormals about a century or so ago.” Her southern twang was a bit more pronounced when she added, “I wonder if he was hiding out there. Maybe I should ask Dad to send some of the Trackers out to see if there are any clues.”
Olivia was almost positive the chapel Ellie was talking about was the place she’d seen in her dragon’s memories… where he’d been tortured. It just seemed like too much of a coincidence not to be the same place. However, in the vision, it had seemed like his stone cell was partially underground, like the dirty little window had been at ground level. She tried to think of a way to ask Ellie if the old building had a basement or a dungeon without the other woman getting suspicious, but came up short on ideas then William appeared and the conversation changed course.
“How are we doing in here?” The doctor asked as he moved to the dragon’s bedside and began to take his vitals while a nurse followed behind with bags to change the IVs.