Chapter 6
Chapter Six
The next day flew by for Emily as Daniel Keith and Kaya MacKay guided her to a local beach and helped her collect the necessary plants. The water was too choppy to go out and dive for other samples, but she didn’t mind since it meant more time in her lab to study and work on her formulas.
She was so engrossed in her work that Emily lost track of time and forgot to eat. By the time her stomach rumbled constantly, to the point she couldn’t ignore it any longer, the sun had set, and it was dark out.
Staring out the window, she blinked. Had she really spent the past ten hours in here?
Her stomach reminded her that, yes, she had.
And even though she wanted to keep working, it was after midnight, and she needed to help Daniel with a few human patients in the morning.
Even if Emily’s focus was research, she’d helped Sid and Gregor back on Stonefire with their patients, and was more than willing to do so on Seahaven, too.
Stretching her arms above her head, she yawned.
Getting to a Scottish beach wasn’t always easy, and it’d been a trek from Seahaven to the protected area they’d visited.
It’d been beautiful, though. The beaches had light-colored sand, and when combined with the hills and cliffs, they’d been stunning.
She hoped to explore the outdoors more while she had the chance.
After gathering her things, she turned off the lights and went to the front door. She had keys now, and took them out before exiting the building.
Where she just avoided running into the tall, solid form of Cam Alexander. “Cam? What are you doing here?”
He raised an eyebrow. “I won’t allow you to walk home alone after midnight.”
“We’re in the middle of nowhere—no offense—and there are CCTV cameras everywhere. Won’t I be safe walking from the clinic to your house?”
“No future mate of mine will walk alone in the dark, especially not when there’s a bounty on her head.”
She was about to point out that she really wasn’t his future mate, but yawned again. After locking the surgery’s door, she said, “I’m too tired and hungry to fight you right now. Let’s just go home.”
She lifted her chin and tried to walk away, but then she stumbled, and Cam caught her.
For a beat, she merely clutched his shirt and leaned into his solid, warm form. He smelled like the wind, and the sea, and something uniquely him.
And she rather liked it. Instead of trying to stand upright again, she inhaled deeply, causing a low heat to fill her lower belly.
Then she realized what she was doing and tried to pull away—she’d wanted a dragonman who didn’t want her before and didn’t want to experience that again—but Cam merely turned her around and scooped her into his arms.
“What are you doing? Put me down!”
He grunted. “You wanted to know how a dragon-shifter would act toward a potential mate on Seahaven, and this is it. You’re tired, hungry, and unsteady on your feet. There’s no way I’m going to risk you falling and hurting yourself. So that means I’m carrying you.”
She was about to protest, but as he held her tighter against his chest, his heat lulled her, to the point she might fall asleep if she wasn’t careful.
Her stomach rumbled again, and his frown deepened. For some reason, she wanted to reach up and smooth the lines away.
Thankfully, he spoke before she did something stupid. “Have you eaten anything today?”
“Er, not since the protein bar I had at lunchtime.” In the dim lighting from the surgery, she could see his pupils flashing to slits and back a few times. “What’s your dragon saying?”
“He’s scolding me for not bringing you something to eat earlier. I won’t disturb your research, but I’ll ensure meals are delivered.”
“Because me not eating will make you look bad to the clan, right? Since I’m a potential mate?”
He gazed intently into her eyes. “No, because you’re mine to take care of. For now.”
Even though she knew it was an act, her throat closed with emotion. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had looked after her.
Her parents had abandoned her, as had most of her friends when she’d moved to Stonefire.
And even her best friend, Trahern, had often been so focused on his work that he’d never noticed if she was struggling or feeling down.
And yes, she knew he hadn’t ignored her on purpose—Trahern had never been good at reading or determining emotions.
But still, she’d struggled more than she’d let on. And right then and there, in Cam’s arms, it hit her how much she’d wanted someone to notice her.
Not that she needed someone to take care of her. Emily had been standing on her own feet since she was sixteen years old.
And yet…Cam wanting to carry her home and make sure she ate made her heart thump harder.
He grunted, looked away, and started walking.
Too tired for small talk or to pretend Cam’s actions meant nothing to her, she merely rested her head against his chest and enjoyed the warm, solid dragonman against her.
For a few minutes, she could pretend. Pretend they were potential mates, pretend he actually cared about her well-being, and pretend she was a priority in someone’s life for the first time in more than a decade.
It was dangerous, and yet she snuggled closer, wanting to make a memory she could recall later, when she was old and still alone in a lab, being brilliant but lonely.
It’d taken everything Cam had not to storm into the clinic and demand Emily come home. But her research was important, and she wasn’t really his potential mate, so instead he’d waited for hours outside the building for her.
His dragon had suggested sending a text message or merely checking in with her. However, Cam had resisted to make a point: he didn’t want a mate, and he wouldn’t start treating her like she was his.
By the time Emily finally walked through the surgery’s doors, he’d been about to say they needed to go home when she stumbled. Instinct took over, and he pulled her against his chest. As soon as her soft body was pressed against his, heat shot through him.
His dragon spoke up. Hold her closer.
No.
At least carry her. She’s exhausted and clearly not stable on her feet.
He thought about fighting his dragon, but the longer Emily leaned against him, the more he wondered just how tired she was.
Finally, he decided it would be easier to carry her and swung her into his arms. She protested, but he explained his reasons.
Then her stomach growled, and his dragon did the same.
She isn’t eating enough. We need to make sure she gets meals.
If nothing else, Mum will have our head if she learns we aren’t taking care of Emily.
His beast was right, of course. Only to keep Mum off our backs.
Except when Emily finally asked about what his dragon was saying, he blurted about her being his to take care of.
His dragon hummed at the words, and soon he started walking. As Emily laid her head against his chest, he instinctively held her tighter.
While people often relied on him for protection or help, be it dragon or human, this felt different somehow. Almost as if she needed him more than anyone had in the past.
Only because of the bounty on her head, he told himself.
Aye, that’s right. He was her personal bodyguard. That was it.
His beast snorted. You’ll figure it out eventually.
What’s that supposed to mean? Is she our true mate?
I still don’t know. Because of the dragon’s blood in her veins, I might never figure it out until we kiss her.
Then we won’t kiss her.
Hmph. We’ll see.
Don’t meddle, dragon.
His beast fell silent just as they reached home. For a few beats, he held Emily against him, not wanting to put her down.
Which was bloody ridiculous. So he forced himself to slide her down his body, expecting her to scurry away as soon as her feet touched the ground.
However, she instead leaned her back against his front, almost as if she would fall over without him, and it took every bit of control he had not to react to her soft arse pressing against his groin.
Focus, Cameron. And so he unlocked the door, took Emily by the shoulders, and guided her into the cottage. Once he closed the door, neither of them moved. She was still facing away from him, but he could hear her breathing and racing heart.
Then she blurted, “Goodnight. I’ll text you tomorrow about dinner at your parents’ house.”
“No. You haven’t eaten yet.”
She turned slightly toward him. “Oh. Right.”
“Do you really forget to eat so often?”
“Not in my own house, no. But I don’t know where anything is, I haven’t had time to shop for food, and I finally have some samples I’ve been waiting for, and all I want to do is work with them.
” Excitement filled her voice as she continued, “Just think, I might’ve discovered what I needed today—the missing ingredient for a serum to protect the dragon-shifters against the dragon hunters and all their poisons.
It’s something I’ve been working toward for years, something I’ve given up so much for… ”
Her voice died, and she glanced away. Without thinking, he closed the distance to her and gently turned her head until she met his gaze again. “What did you give up, lass?”
She shook her head. “You don’t want to hear about my problems.”
“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t want to know.”
She bit her bottom lip and hesitated.
His dragon spoke up. You could be gentler, aye?
Not wanting to get distracted, he focused on Emily. His patience was finally rewarded when she sighed and asked, “Is there anything to eat? I promise to share a little if you get me some food.”
After placing a hand on her lower back, he gently pushed her toward the kitchen. “Aye, I have some leftover Shepherd’s pie. I’ll heat it up for you.”
She nodded and allowed him to lead her. Once she sat at the table, he took out the leftover portion he’d saved for her, put it in the microwave, and gathered up dishes and drinks.
Once she had her dinner, he sat and waited for her to eat a little before he spoke again.
“What are some of the things you gave up, Emily? Humans who help dragon-shifters almost always have to give up something, if not their entire previous life and history.”
She stared at him a second, swallowed, and he waited to see what she said.
Emily didn’t want to answer and seem as if she were complaining. Because yes, she’d had challenges with her line of study, but also a lot of unique opportunities. The thought of never being able to live with dragon-shifters, or help them, seemed unfathomable to her.
And yet, it hadn’t all been rainbows and sunshine, either. Far from it.
Glancing up from her food, she saw Cam watching her. His pupils weren’t flashing, but his eyes also weren’t irritated or bored.
He was looking at her and only her, content to wait for a response.
Her cheeks heated, and she quickly ducked her head back down. After swallowing one more bite, she blurted, “I gave up my family.”
Silence.
Peeking up, she saw Cam frowning and his pupils flashing. Uneasy with the silence, she continued, “Rather, they gave up on me. They went to Australia, in fact, to distance themselves from their dragon-loving abomination of a daughter.”
Still more silence. Why didn’t he say anything?
When nervous or uncomfortable, Emily over-explained things, and so she added, “My father didn’t like dragon-shifters.
We weren’t allowed to have dragon-related books, stuffed animals, toys, you name it.
If anything came on the telly related to them, he changed it and muttered something that always made my mother leave the room. ”
“And yet you ended up studying them. How?”
She played with the remaining food on her plate before replying, “Well, like any teenager who’s told something is forbidden, I looked it up on the internet.”
He snorted. “Stubborn and rebellious even then, aye?”
She met his gaze. “Rebellious? I wouldn’t exactly call myself that.”
“You defied your father and upbringing, and became so brilliant on the forbidden topic that you’re on the verge of one of the most important discoveries in recent times for dragon-shifters. Aye, I’d call that a wee bit rebellious.”
“Well, when you put it like that, I guess so.”
“So you looked up information. Then what? Because there’s a long way between an internet search and earning a degree in dragon-shifter biology and medicine.”
She took and swallowed another bite before replying, “Once I started learning more, and secretly borrowed books from the library, I became consumed, to the point I joined an online club for humans who loved learning about dragon-shifters.”
She remembered the joy of discussing dragons with others who loved them, who didn’t see the dragons as threats or ungrateful parasites on society, as her father had put it.
No, she’d been free to exchange information, voice concerns and worries, and eventually learn that some universities allowed humans to study dragon-shifter biology and medicine. She’d always loved math and science, and combining it with her love of dragon-shifters had seemed the perfect fit.
Cam’s voice brought her back to the present. “So when did you tell your parents about your desire to study my kind?”
The tear-filled row she’d had with her mother and father threatened to break free, but she pushed it back. They’d made their choice, had abandoned her, and she couldn’t do anything about it.
That doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.
After clearing her throat, she replied, “I was clever as a child, and enrolled in university at sixteen. I won a scholarship for humans wishing to study dragon biology, with a pathway to dragon-shifter medicine, and it covered everything. As soon as I got the letter, I was so excited and told my parents. However, as soon as I explained what I’d won and what I’d be studying, my father’s demeanor turned cold.
He told me to be gone the next day and to never return. ”
Emily had looked to her mother, pleaded to stay, but her mam had merely looked away and remained silent. With each passing second, her heart had broken a little more.
She’d known what her father’s reaction would be, of course. But her mother had always quietly supported her, as best she could, while still under her husband’s thumb.
A tear trailed down Emily’s cheek at the memory, and she quickly wiped it away before standing abruptly. “Sorry, but I need to go to bed now.”
And she rushed out of the kitchen without a backward glance, into her room, and then cried silently as she mourned the mother she’d loved as a child but who’d also abandoned her in the end.