Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Cam hadn’t expected his mother to just show up and greet the new human female. Oh, she was social and loved meeting new people. However, Cam hadn’t shared the details with her, so he wondered where she’d learned of the human’s arrival.
His dragon snorted. She knows everything that goes on inside Seahaven. If you don’t remember that, then you’re a shite Protector.
Just because she likes to gossip doesn’t mean she usually shows up out of nowhere to greet guests.
We don’t have many guests, which is part of the problem. Finn invited us to another event on Lochguard. Maybe we should go.
Not right now. It’s dangerous to leave Seahaven unprotected.
But—
We’ll talk about this later, aye? For now, let’s just get Dr. Davies settled and double-check what Dr. Keith needs whilst the human female is here.
His beast huffed but fell silent.
The little whitewashed cottage belonging to his parents came into view. It wasn’t grand, but the two-story building had been their new start after leaving Lochguard.
Cam had been a teenager at the time and hadn’t reacted well to leaving his home and friends behind. Thankfully, his parents had understood him, encouraged him to follow his dream of becoming a Protector, and he’d tamed eventually.
While he didn’t live with them any longer—he had a small, two-bedroom cottage of his own closer to the clan’s entrance—it would always be home to him.
The front door opened just as his mother and Dr. Davies reached it, and his father introduced himself and motioned them inside. Even though it wasn’t overly cold today, the wind off the water always made Seahaven cool.
He deposited the suitcase just inside the door and said, “I need to go back to the Protector building.”
His father arched an eyebrow. “Rubbish. Dean told me you could stay for supper. Your shift is nearly over, anyway.”
As he tried to think of an excuse—he was head Protector, after all, and should be able to say no—his younger brother joined them.
Tor was nearly as tall as Cam now, and he had the same red hair and blue eyes as him.
He said, “Hey, Cam,” before signing in British Sign Language, “Stay for dinner. I haven’t seen you in nearly a week. ”
He signed back, “I’ve been busy.”
Tor rolled his eyes before turning toward Dr. Davies. He put out a hand and said, “My name is Tor. Nice to meet you.”
Since Tor’s hearing had been better as a young child, his speech was nearly indistinguishable from anyone else’s, apart from a few words here and there.
Dr. Davies shook her hand. “Hello, Tor. My name is Emily Davies, but call me Emily.”
While talking, she’d faced Tor and spoken clearly, as if knowing Tor often relied on lip-reading.
His dragon spoke up. Yet another reason to like her. She doesn’t treat Tor as if he’s daft.
Another reason? What’s the first?
She’s beautiful. You noticed earlier as well.
He might’ve noticed how her breasts had lifted when she’d stretched earlier, and he’d imagined her stretching under him. Possibly naked. That happens with any bonnie lass.
Ah, so you admit she’s bonnie.
Ignoring his dragon, he turned to his father and whispered, “I’m not going to get out of this, am I?”
His dad grinned and slapped him on the shoulder. “No, son. When your mother sets her mind on something, a mountain wouldn’t be able to stop her.”
He resisted a sigh. He loved his parents, of course he did. But his mum often forgot that he was a grown male in his thirties and not a wee lad any longer.
His beast spoke again. Tor’s right—we haven’t been around as much. Stop fussing and just enjoy the meal. Mum will do most of the talking anyway, so all you have to do is eat.
He knew that wasn’t going to be the case, but was too tired to argue.
Besides, he was starving since he’d forgotten to eat lunch again.
So as his mum herded them all into the wee dining room, he merely followed and deliberately looked anywhere but at the backside of the human female in front of him.
Emily had been to Clan Lochguard several times over the years, and compared to Stonefire, they’d always seemed overly friendly and maybe a tad bit nosey.
So as she was greeted and herded into a dining room with a large, oval table and multiple chairs, she started to see the same traits in these people as well.
Oh, apart from Cam Alexander, who seemed to always look as if he’d swallowed a bee.
But his parents and younger brother were already treating her more like family than a stranger, and she struggled to keep a smile on her face. Because when she’d been little, her family had been more like this one.
Until it hadn’t.
Stop thinking about that. You’ll be staying on Seahaven for several weeks, if not two months. Time to make a good impression, which means not crying on the first day.
As she sat at the table, with Mary across from her, she smiled. But then Cam sat on her left side, a large, looming presence that seemed to radiate heat from nearly a foot away, and she resisted the urge to scowl.
Radiating heat at distances, indeed. She was a doctor, albeit a research one, but her specialty was dragon-shifter biology. She knew better than to be fanciful.
It had to be her exhaustion and hunger making her imagination run wild. After all, that combination sometimes made her feel more like she was drunk, even if she hadn’t consumed any alcohol.
Thankfully, Angus Alexander—the name of Mary’s dragon mate husband—and Tor came into the room carrying some dishes. Once they had placed the lasagna, salad, and bread on the table, Tor sat on Emily’s other side and Angus beside his wife.
Her stomach growled, and she tried to pretend it hadn’t happened. But then Cam took her plate, placed a large serving of lasagna and bread on it, and put it in front of her.
She glanced at him, frowning, but he never met her eye as he said, “Eat. Guests go first, and I’m hungry.”
As he loaded his own plate, the flicker of surprise at him being nice faded away. He just wanted to eat.
Still, she didn’t feel right starting before everyone else, so she waited.
Mary snorted as she signed and spoke. “Eat, Emily. Trust me, with all these dragon males, you’ll never get anything if you don’t stake your claim from the beginning.”
Cam grunted and signed at the same time as he spoke as well. “I’m being nice on the first day, but in the future, she’ll learn.”
Tor spoke up and also signed. “Stop pretending you’re rude, Cam. You know better. Besides, she’s here to help and you might scare her away.”
Unable to hold back, she blurted, “I’ve lived with Stonefire for years now. Trust me, there’s little a dragon-shifter can do that will scare me away.”
The family continued to sign as they talked, and Cam said, “That sounds like a challenge.”
Mary tsked. “Cameron Angus Alexander.” She looked at Emily. “I don’t know what’s gotten into him today, so we’re going to ignore him. Especially since we’ll be neighbors, and I want you to come over whenever you like.”
“Oh, where am I staying? No one’s told me yet.”
Mary gave her eldest son an exasperated look before replying with both words and hands, “There’s a large cottage where many of the younger single people live.
The daughter of Euan MacKay—he’s our clan leader—lives there, along with Adam Keith and Roman Baillie.
You’ll help balance the numbers, which Kaya MacKay is thrilled about. ”
“I thought Dr. Keith said I’d have my own place. It’s just that when something in my research catches my interest, I keep odd hours and I don’t want to wake anyone up.”
Mary shook her head. “Adam is often away taking photographs, and Kaya works with Dr. Keith as a nurse, so she’ll actually be working with you sometimes, too.
As for Roman, he’d sleep through a tornado, if we had such things in Scotland.
But do take care around Roman because he’s quite the charmer and is looking for a mate. You don’t have one, do you?”
Emily choked and quickly swallowed and tried sipping some water.
Angus chuckled, signing as he talked, too. “I’m guessing that’s a no. Excuse my Mary, she’s ever the matchmaker and is determined to see everyone find their mates. Especially Cam, who works too much.”
It took everything she had not to look at Cam. Tor signed something to his mother, and she signed back before Tor said to Emily, “My mum will find you a mate. If you study dragon-shifter biology, then being mated to one will be the best research in the world, aye?”
Her cheeks burned. Of course, these people had no idea she’d wanted a dragonman for years and had been so wrong about him. To be honest, she didn’t fully trust herself any longer. Besides, her research was more important than her dating or sleeping with someone and ruining everything.
She finally replied, wishing she knew BSL too but didn’t, so only used her words.
“Thank you, but I really just want to help Dr. Keith. But if this Roman is looking for a mate, there are lots of single dragon-shifters inside Clan Lochguard and Stonefire. I’m sure if there were more gatherings, they could mingle and see how it goes.
I know Seahaven is a lot smaller, and a lot of the families are related.
So it would be best to find mates elsewhere. ”
Mary replied, “That would be easiest, aye. However, everyone here has human mates. And whilst it’s not worse to have a dragon-shifter one, a lot of the younger generation want human mates as well.
So maybe interacting with you, or other humans, and then later other dragon-shifters, might change their minds. ”
Emily frowned. “I’d never really thought about that—wanting what you’re exposed to.”
Angus spoke up. “Aye, well, having human mates is the reason we were kicked out of Lochguard. A few did the hard work of settling and building Seahaven for years before we left in a mass exodus, because of the previous clan leader.”