She swore his lips twitched, but if so, it was gone before she could blink, replaced by his usual firmly closed lips.
Lips she'd painted several times, never seeming to get right the fullness of the bottom and slightly less so of the top.
Not wanting to think of what those lips could do if they were on a more agreeable male, she tilted her head in question.
Lachlan didn't sit, but finally replied, "The smaller exhibition you participated in last year was mostly a success."
Mostly was right. There had been a bomb threat at one point, and they'd had to shut it down early.
He continued, "The DDA Director wants to have a more involved project, one involving both humans and dragon-shifter artists, forming a collective of sorts."
Her heart skipped a beat. She'd dreamed of one day working side by side with other artists but always had to put the idea on hold to help out her mother and siblings.
Of course, the reasons she still had to help her family hadn't changed. Her elation faded a fraction, since it'd probably be held far away for her to attend. "Where would this collective meet?"
"The original location was a toss-up between London and Glasgow."
As she'd suspected, both places were too far away to fly to, attend a meeting, and return in a day.
She opened her mouth to say she couldn't go to those places, but Lachlan didn't give her the chance. "However, your clan leader apprised me of your responsibilities here, and how those places wouldn't be possible if you're to participate. After negotiating with Mr. Stewart, he and I have come to a deal. The collective will meet here, on Lochguard, with occasionally longer stays allowed for the visiting artists."
She blinked. "On Lochguard?"
"Aye."
She eyed his muscled arms. "I'm not sure you needed to train up to stay on with my clan. We're tied with Stonefire for friendliest dragon clan to humans in the UK."
"Since I'll be living here for a short while, conducting tours, exhibitions, and lectures with both humans and dragon-shifters, I wanted to be prepared."
"Wait, what? You're going to live here?"
Her dragon hummed. Good. Then you can study him as much as you want. And maybe even try him out once or twice, to give me some sex. It'll also help make your paintings more realistic, so it's a win-win.
Lachlan replied before she could scold her beast. "Aye, that's what I said. Come summer, I'll arrive to get everything set up and ready. The other artists will begin arriving in the autumn." Lachlan took a step forward. "You are to be my main coordinator on Lochguard. And before you say you can't do it, your clan leader is establishing a schedule for others to help out at your family's restaurant."
"In other words, I can't say no."
He raised his brows. "Why would you want to?"
She mirrored his facial expression. "Do you like for others to make decisions for you?"
He took two steps closer, and Cat did her best not to watch how his arms swung, or how his trousers pulled against his muscled thighs.
Placing his hands on the table, he leaned on them and asked, "Sometimes, aye, I do. Especially when it's clearly something that could help so many people."
And there he went making her feel selfish and about ten years old.
Because working with human artists, allowing tours, and maybe even one day bringing children together to create a mural or some such thing, would do a world of good. Treaties, contracts, and laws were one way to enact long-lasting social change. However, art and culture was another.
Her dragon grunted. Would you really say no, just because he made the decision for you?
Of course not.
Then just tell him we'll do it.
In just a second.
Cat stood, and Lachlan did the same. "If I agree to this, you promise me this is the last time you make a decision for me. We work together, you ask, and then we move forward. Maybe some people are afraid of your higher-up position with the DDA, but not me." She allowed her eyes to flash to slits and back on purpose, but to his credit, the human didn't so much as blink. "Do we have an understanding?"
Maybe some would gasp at the way she handled the human, but she'd learned from a young age with her siblings that if she didn't set boundaries early, they almost never held later.
And while she loved her siblings regardless of how out of hand they could be, this human male was unrelated. Not to mention in the grander scheme of things, she suspected he needed her more than the other way around.
Never breaking her gaze, Lachlan moved around the table to stand next to her. She hated that she had to look up to see his face. After all, he was only a human. And humans weren't supposed to be taller than her.
Okay, maybe some of them were. But she didn't want him to be because that only tempted her more.
And she couldn't be tempted. Her family, and now Aimee King, depended too much on her.
As they stared at one another, Cat's heart rate jumped. She'd never had someone focus solely on her with such intensity before.
When Lachlan finally spoke, his voice was rough. "Together, then. But remember, dragonwoman, that ultimately I am the one in charge."
She sensed a double meaning in his words, but before she could say more, he added, "I'll send over the paperwork to you later today. Reach out to my assistant if you have any questions."
With that, he exited the room in a few long strides.
Cat let out a long breath. What the bloody hell had that been all about?
And why did she want him to come back so she could match wits and find out?
Pushing the thought aside, she exited the room and headed back to her cottage. She'd deal with Lachlan MacKintosh when the time came. For now, others needed her, and Cat wasn't going to let them down.
Chapter Nineteen
Layla vaguely heard some females’ voices as she slowly woke up.
"Come on now, Faye. Wouldn't it be fantastic? To think, your daughter could mate the male born the same day as her. That'll be quite the story to tell later on."
"Mum, I'm not going to plan out Isla's future for her. So just stop it." A pause. "Right, Yasmin?"
"Aye."
It was Faye, Yasmin, and Lorna MacKenzie.
But was Chase there?
Her dragon was weak inside her head. We need to open our eyes and look around. We can do it.
It should be an easy thing to do, open her eyes. And yet it took several minutes of concentration to get them cracked even a fraction.
Maybe she could've done it sooner, but Faye and her mother continued to bicker, and Layla did her best to block it out. Concentrating in general was difficult, and she didn't want to waste energy on a pointless conversation.
She finally managed to get them open and it took a few seconds to focus. All Layla could tell was that she was in a bed inside one of the rooms of her surgery.
As she tried to make her mouth work, Yasmin gasped and her face came into view. "Layla! You're awake!"
She couldn't manage more than a groan.
Faye's head came into view. "She is. Mum, go get Chase."
Chase. Aye, she wanted to see him. Maybe he'd tell her the truth of what had happened. The others might eventually, but Layla most likely wouldn't stay awake long, and she'd probably have to ask a lot of questions to get the females to share everything.
Faye spoke again. "Can you talk, Layla?"
She finally croaked, "A little."
Faye grinned. "You'll be fine, just like I thought. And I think the bairn healing vibes helped, too."
If she had more energy, Layla would frown.
Thankfully, Yasmin spoke up before Faye spouted more nonsense. "Save your strength, Layla. Chase will be here soon. And aye, I know you love us, too. But he needs to see you more, I think. He's as devoted to you as Phillip is to me."
She debated whether it was worth it to ask for more information on Yasmin's cryptic statement when Chase rushed into the room and came into view. Even with a few days' worth of st
ubble and bloodshot eyes, he was as sexy as ever.
He gently stroked her face, each stroke relaxing her a fraction. "Layla, love, you've come back."
He gently kissed her forehead, the action making her fight to ask, "What happened?"
Chase caressed her cheek as he answered, "You nearly died, love. But you're better and should be fine. Dr. Sid said if you woke up, then the danger had passed."
She frowned. Died? One minute she'd been finishing her mate vows with Chase, and the next she'd woken up here.
As if reading her mind, he continued, "You have a rare blood condition, love. One that can be managed, but you'd been living with it for years without any medication." He frowned. "You're not going another six months without a physical exam ever again."
Faye chimed in. "Not like she's going to be able to avoid seeing a doctor for more than a few weeks at a time for the foreseeable future, anyway."
Chase growled at his sister-in-law. "Faye, that wasn't your secret to share."
"Secret?" Layla croaked.
Chase glanced at her a second before glaring at the other two females. "Right now, I want to have a private conversation with my mate."
Faye sighed. "Fine, fine. We'll be off. The bairns did their magic already, anyway."
"I'll come back later, Layla," Yasmin added.
Once they both collected their sleeping children from the tiny crib off to the side of the room, Faye and Yasmin shuffled off. Layla whispered, "What is she talking about? Magic?"
Chase shook his head. "Faye believed bringing your niece and nephew into the room would help bring you back. Something about their cuteness being too hard to ignore, meaning you'd have to wake up to notice it at some point."
She smiled weakly.
Chase caressed her face, each strum of his fingers making her feel a wee bit more alive.
He finally leaned down and kissed her lips.
She widened her eyes, waiting for the mate-claim frenzy to course through her.
And it didn't.
He finally pulled away. "Layla, love, you carry our bairn, which is why there's no frenzy—we'll have to make one ourselves someday." Chase paused to kiss her once more before adding softly, "Dr. Sid's still unsure if you'll be able to carry to term, but I know how stubborn my lass can be. And I know everything will be all right in the end."
A million thoughts whirled through her head. Pregnant? With a rare blood condition? Depending on which one, she might never be able to ever have a child. Would that devastate Chase?
"Layla."
Chase garnered her attention again. He continued, "We'll figure this all out together, love. You have all the doctors of the UK ready to help if needed—a few in Ireland from Clan Glenlough, too—Dr. Sid ensured that. Add in me, even though I'm rubbish at anything related to medicine, and all of us will support you, no matter what happens."
Tears threatened to fall. After so many years of not having help, she was going to have more than she ever imagined.
And none of it would've ever happened if not for a young, sexy dragonman bringing her coffee at the surgery, coming back no matter how much she tried to ignore him.
She blurted, "I love you, Chase."
"I love you, too, Layla MacFie."
"McFarland," she stated. "I'm Layla McFarland now. I want your name, not my father's."
Chase cupped her cheek and kissed her gently. "Then you have it, Dr. McFarland. With you as head doctor and Grant as one of the head Protectors, we just need one of us lot as clan leader, and we'll rule it all."
She rolled her eyes, and he laughed.
"Okay, lass, we'll leave that to our bairn someday, aye? Because we know I'm not cut out for it."
Pushing aside the doubt they may not ever have one, she replied, "No, you're not."
"You just want me all to yourself, aye?" He leaned closer. "And I'm okay with that, as I'm a bit selfish myself and want more time to spend with you."
Even though part of Layla yearned to know every last detail of what had happened since she fell unconscious, in that moment, she merely ordered, "Kiss me again, Chase."
He lowered his head and took her lips once more, this time coaxing them apart. As his tongue stroked slowly against hers, she moaned at the delicious taste of her male after so long without.
And he continued to kiss her until she felt sleepy. Even then, Chase sat next to her bed and held her hand as she drifted asleep next to the male who had shifted her entire world for the better.
Sometime the next day, Layla found herself sitting upright, eating her meal with gusto when Sid waltzed into the room.
And aye, she waltzed. Sid never seemed to merely walk. That was a trick Layla would need to figure out herself someday.
The dragonwoman sat beside her bed, took off the stethoscope around her neck, and laid it in her lap. She asked without preamble, "Feeling better?"
"Aye, I can probably get out of bed tomorrow."
"That's up to me, of course. But as long as you take your medication every day, you should lead a normal life, for the most part."
For the most part, being the key phrase. Layla's condition made it hard to carry a bairn to term. And it was dangerous to have more than one.
Chase had repeated ad nauseam that she was strong, and one was enough. He'd gladly leave the repopulating of the clan to the MacKenzies.
And if they had none, he didn't care, either. She was all he wanted.
Her dragon growled. Don't dare cry again.
I can't help it. Why that male chose me, I'll never fully understand it.
Because we're brilliant?
Sid's voice prevented Layla from replying. "But I'm not here to give orders or the like. I think it's time we finally have that chat since I suspect Chase will be keeping you all to himself once you're out of here."
For once, Layla managed not to blush at the memories of what Chase had promised her once she was cleared for sex again. Instead, she focused on the older dragonwoman. "If you're going to tell me I need to rely on others, slow down, and not work myself to death, I think almost dying has more than convinced me of that."
Sid tilted her head. "I suspected that already. What I don't understand is why you never reached out to Gregor. I understand not knowing me as well and hesitating a little, but he was your mentor, your teacher, and he cares for you like a little sister. Why didn't you ask him for help?"
She bit her lip but pushed past her years-long hesitation to admit weaknesses and faults. "Because it's harder for a female doctor. I'm sure you understand that. But I didn't want to be seen as weaker, lesser, name your adjective here. I wanted to prove I was as good as him. There's been a lot of change on Lochguard in the last few years, and the clan needed strength and dependability."
"Maybe. And yes, it's harder for females to do anything in dragon-shifter culture, if they don't want to merely mate and have babies. I've experienced it myself. However, if you work yourself to death, what does it accomplish? I probably came even closer to killing myself than you did, honestly. If not for Gregor, I probably would be dead by now. And not just because of my formerly silent dragon and the madness attached to it." Sid leaned forward and searched Layla's gaze. "Just know that if you try to pull the shit you've been doing again, I'll come up here and prescribe bed rest. I may have to anyway, with the baby, but even if he or she is ten years old, I'll do it in a heartbeat. And if you think I'm bluffing, try it." She smiled. "Gregor can tell you how that works out."
Even with the threats, Layla liked Sid Jackson. "I'll be good, I promise. I'm sure Chase will set me straight before you do anyway."
Sid leaned back again and snorted. "If Finn doesn't do it first. I suspect everyone will be watching you closely, going forward. Not because you're weak, but because a lot of people care about you, Layla."
A knock on the door sounded, and Sid shouted, "Come in."
Layla blinked as Gregor walked into the room, a wee bundle in his arms. "Gregor," she murmured.
"Aye, it's m
e, Layla. I've also brought my wee son, Wyatt, to meet you. He's met just about everyone else, except you. And if you hadn't taken over Lochguard for me, I may never have had him or Cassidy to call my own. So he most definitely needs to meet you, lass."
She smiled. Gregor was the only one to dare call Dr. Sid by her full first name. "It was nothing."
"It was bloody more than nothing." Sid cleared her throat, and his frown vanished. "But I didn't come to argue."
Gregor placed sleeping Wyatt in her arms. She smiled at the lad before meeting Gregor's gaze again. "He's so well-behaved. He must get that from Sid."
Gregor grunted, but Sid snorted and said, "I think you and I need to become better friends, Layla."
Gregor growled, "I'm not sure I like that idea."
As the three of them laughed and talked a wee while about everything and nothing, Layla realized how much she missed not only her old boss and his humor, but it was also nice to have several someones to discuss medicine and her work with.
Her dragon huffed. Then make sure to call them more often.
Aye, I will, dragon. Once I'm out of this bed, I have a whole slew of changes to make.
Some would take time, maybe years, but she was done pretending she didn't need help, let alone hiding everything about herself except for the doctor side. Layla wanted more time with her mate, her sister, and even talking with Sid and Gregor.
And in order to do that, it meant relying on more people and setting up the surgery to run smoothly, even if she wasn't there every single day.
Chapter Twenty
Chase drove the final mile down the dirt road before parking the car he'd borrowed from the Protectors. He glanced at Layla. "We're here."
She wasted no time in getting out of the car, and Chase did the same.
After three long weeks, Dr. Sid had finally cleared Layla to go on the outing. However, until the bairn was born, Layla wasn't allowed to fly. It was too risky. Hence, him having to make the drive.
His dragon huffed. All I want to do is fly with our mate. First, we waited to have her, and now this.
The Dragon's Pursuit (Lochguard Highland Dragons Book 7) Page 18