Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Grace had just followed Trina out of her cottage with the pram when Myla, a younger female Protector with ginger hair, ran into view. She skidded to a halt and blurted, “Grace, you need to come quick. Bring your boys. We need to get you off Stonefire.”
Her heart froze. “He found us?”
The dragonwoman shook her head. “No, that male is in Keswick right now, being watched. But it’s Trahern. Something’s happened.”
Her stomach dropped. “What?”
“Let’s go. I’ll share on the way. Trina needs to come too.”
Grace glanced at Trina, but she shook her head. “I don’t know anything, or I would tell you.”
As the two dragon-shifters ushered her along, Grace asked, “Is Trahern still alive?”
Myla replied, “From what I know, yes. But he’s in a bad way, and you’re his best chance at pulling through.”
A million scenarios played out in her head, ranging from the dragon hunters finding Trahern to him being attacked by a rogue dragon-shifter.
Stop it. No matter what, you need to keep it together. She blurted, “What do you mean in a bad way? Don’t keep me in the dark about this. Please.”
Myla looked sheepish. “Sorry. I can be dramatic, according to my mum. He was attacked and had to go into surgery. He pulled through but is unconscious.”
Trahern. “How can I help him? I want to, of course, but I’m not a doctor.”
“No, but you’re his mate. And he’s become father to the twins. If anyone can encourage him to fight and pull through, it’s the three of you.”
“Of course, whatever you need, whatever Trahern needs, I’ll help in any way I can.”
And yet, as she was herded into the Protector building and told to wait while they made their last-minute preparations to leave, a niggle of doubt entered her mind.
She might love Trahern, but he’d never spoken of strong feelings for her.
Desire, yes. She knew he wanted her that way.
But she had no idea if he loved her, or ever would.
Maybe her presence wouldn’t be strong enough of a draw to help him fight and survive.
Eddie fussed, and she picked up her son and gently jostled him up and down.
“Don’t worry, Eddie. We’re going to do whatever we can to help your dad.
That means you need to help, too. And help Mummy.
Can you be good for the trip? Daddy is going to need us rested and calm once we arrive wherever we’re going. ”
She’d resisted calling Trahern their dad, but he was. It didn’t matter if it was his DNA or not, he’d done more for the twins than a lot of biological dads ever did for their kids.
Holding Eddie closer, she breathed in his baby scent and willed her heart to calm a fraction. Eddie had always picked up on her moods the most, and she needed to keep it together for him, Eli, and most especially Trahern.
After Trina and Myla had herded her into a van and started down a back road—their undisclosed location was secret and needed to remain that way—she focused on playing games with her boys and telling them stories until they fell asleep.
Then she stared out the window and willed for Trahern to keep fighting until she got there. Because she refused to let him die.
It was hours later when someone shook Grace awake. She blinked until Trina’s face came into view. “What is it?”
“We’re here. I’ll look after your sons whilst you go see Trahern alone.”
Even though the dragonwoman had been nothing but kind and supportive over the last week, Grace still hesitated.
Then the brown-haired form of Dr. Scarlett Turner came into view and she said, “This is one of the safest, if not the safest, places in the UK for dragon-shifters. I vow your boys will be safe, but I also recommend seeing Trahern alone at first.” She paused, and then her voice softened.
“That way you won’t have to pretend for your boys. ”
As she stared into the dragonwoman’s flashing eyes, Grace’s gut said to trust her. After all, Scarlett had helped her to better understand Trahern and had always been there when she needed to ask a question or two.
Looking down at her sons, she murmured, “Be good for Trina, boys. I’ll see you again soon.”
Since they were still asleep, she resisted kissing them and followed Scarlett out of the enclosed parking garage and into a long corridor. It was full of nondescript doors with little windows in the top halves. However, most of them were covered on the inside with little curtains.
Only after they turned a corner and walked past three more rooms did Scarlet stop and turn toward her.
Her voice was quiet as she said, “Trahern is weak after being mauled by a young dragon. Whilst Trahern’s surgery was successful and his vital signs are mostly stable, he’s not as in tune with his dragon half as most. So I’m uncertain if they’ll work together to heal faster—the injury probably would’ve killed a human.
Which is why we’ve brought you here. He cares for you, Grace.
If anyone can help the two halves work together and get Trahern to pull through, it’s you. ”
Her throat tightened, and she willed herself not to cry. The fact that Trahern was probably only alive because he was a dragon-shifter spoke volumes about his injuries.
Grace nodded. “Trahern and his dragon have been working together better, but I’ll talk to him. Maybe they can hear me and focus on healing.”
“There is just one more thing—if his dragon half fully takes control in this state, it won’t be good.
It might even hurt his chances. So make sure they’re together, or at the very least, the human half is in charge.
I do think the boys will help, but I wanted you to see him first and let out your emotions.
It’ll help you later, when you decide to bring your children to visit.
” Scarlett placed her hand on the doorknob.
“Come on. I can see I’m scaring you, and that’s not my intention. ”
The dragon doctor entered the room, and after a deep breath, Grace followed.
Within seconds, she spotted Trahern lying on the hospital bed. He was hooked up to various machines, with his upper body wrapped in a lot of gauze, or something similar.
The breathing tube was the worst, though. Because if Trahern couldn’t breathe on his own, things were bad. Very bad.
Willing herself not to cry, she walked over and reached for his hand but hesitated. She didn’t want to hurt him.
Scarlett murmured, “Yes, you can take his hand, just be careful not to jostle him. I’ll wait right outside the door, if you need me.”
The dragon doctor gently patted Grace’s shoulder and left.
Once they were alone, she gingerly wrapped her fingers around Trahern’s and squeezed.
His hands were colder than normal.
After swallowing the emotion in her throat, she did her best to keep her voice steady as she said, “I’m here, Trahern.
Please get better. The doctor mentioned something about how you and your dragon must work together.
I need the two of you to get along. Not just for me, but also for Eli and Eddie.
You’re their dad, and they need you.” She paused, squeezed his hand again, and whispered, “I need you. I love you, Trahern. Please don’t leave me. I love you.”
And then a sob escaped her throat, and the tears wouldn’t stop, no matter how hard she tried.
Trahern felt as if he were floating in a vast darkness. Not quite outer space, but similar. There was no sound, no wind, nothing but a sense of weightlessness.
Every once in a while, something would touch his arm or shoulder but then disappear.
The entire time he floated in nothingness, he tried to recall Grace’s face, to recall their sons, to remember the day he’d shown them his dragon.
And yet, he could never manage it. No faces, no voices, no smells.
Just pitch blackness.
In addition to his family, something niggled at him. Something he needed to remember, and yet he didn’t know what.
After a long time—or so he thought, since he couldn’t judge anything in the void—there was a sob. And then more crying.
Sounds he’d heard before.
From Grace.
Why was she crying?
And why couldn’t he go to her?
There was a sound—her voice—and yet he couldn’t make out the words.
And he wanted to. He needed to see Grace. To hold her and tell her how much he wanted her.
Cared for her.
He couldn’t imagine living without her. Or the twins. They were his everything. Essential to his happiness, and more important than even himself.
Perhaps this was love? He didn’t know.
And the thought of never finding out what love was, of never treasuring Grace as she deserved, sent a rush of irritation through him. Followed quickly by desperation.
He wanted his family.
An unknown presence brushed against him, but Trahern still couldn’t see anything. The presence touched him again.
Then something wrapped around his middle and tugged.
Was it a dragon’s tail?
Soon he was gaining momentum, moving faster and faster until he emerged into a bright light. He blinked, unused to it, and he collided with a large, solid form.
Trahern blinked until the form of his inner dragon sat nearby, hovering over him.
But how could they be together?
His dragon spoke up, the voice projecting inside his mind. You were in the tunnels. I found you.
What tunnels?
You must still be out of it. The tunnels all young dragons use to hide until we start talking.
Young dragons. Tunnels. Talking.
Flashes of research and visiting a young golden dragon in Scotland danced inside his mind.
Still unclear, Trahern asked, Why was I in the tunnels? And why did you have to tug me out?
Don’t you remember? We were hurt. And unless we work together, Grace and the boys will be alone. We need to heal for them.
Memories flooded his mind.
Disabling the microchip. The younger dragon charging at him. Pain through his back and shoulder. Unconsciousness.
Grace’s voice, as if coming from a great distance and through water, said something to the effect of, “Please, Trahern. I love you. Wake up so I can tell you.”
Could it be true? Did Grace love him?
He still wasn’t entirely sure of the meaning, but she meant so much to him. And he could now hear her crying, each whimper a stab to his heart.
He tried to reach her, to move to the front of his mind so he could force his eyes open.
And yet, he couldn’t manage more than moving a few fingers or his arm.
He growled. What’s going on? Grace shouldn’t cry.
His beast replied, No, she shouldn’t. But we need to work together to exit this place. Otherwise, we won’t be able to see Grace again, let alone hold her.
What are you talking about?
Human halves rarely enter the tunnels of a dragon-shifter’s mind, and it’s difficult to exit. I don’t know why you did it, but now we have to find a way out together. And it’s going to take time.
He wanted to growl again in frustration. However, that wouldn’t help him reach Grace and his sons.
Tell me what to do. You managed to exit this place when we were young.
It’s changed a bit over the years. But if you ride on my back, we can move faster.
He stood slowly, noticing how most of the pain in his shoulder was gone.
Maybe he was on some sort of painkiller.
Taking advantage of it, Trahern managed to get on his dragon’s back with a lot of help. His beast’s tail steadied him to keep him from falling off.
Once Trahern was settled, his beast spoke up again. You need to tell me if you’re going to slip off or fall unconscious. It took me a long time to find you. I might not be able to do it again.
And if he couldn’t, they might never wake up.
Trahern tightened his hold around his dragon’s neck. I’ll be honest and let you know if I need a break. For now, maybe we can judge where to go using the direction of Grace’s voice.
As long as she keeps talking.
Not wanting to think of how lost they might get without some sort of beacon, Trahern replied, Then let’s get moving.
As Grace talked, they often paused and took a second to determine which direction to go. And while he still couldn’t make out all the words, he treasured every one he could, using them to remain conscious and cling to his dragon’s back.