Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
Luch
As promised, Oban crashed as soon as I got him home, curling up in his comfy bed and letting out the cutest wee dog snores a pup could emit.
I’d conducted my own examination once we’d gotten home, but he truly seemed no worse for wear other than the stitches in his side.
It was a miracle, that was for sure, and one that had me on edge.
Now I stood at my front window, a fire crackling in the grate for wee Oban, even though I typically ran hot.
Rain sleeted outside, the forest surrounding my house shrouded in murky light, the waters of Loch Mirren choppy.
The sharply edged waves reflected my mood, as did the rain, and I cracked the window open to let in a cool breeze.
Scents of the forest came with it, the moss creeping up old trees, damp earth, a tinge of salt from the waters of the loch.
She’d smelt like spring.
A soft spring rain, to be exact. After the first flowers had bloomed, and a gentle mist of rain caressed their petals, releasing their scent into the dewy morning air.
Dr. Faelan Fletcher was an enigma. She was tall, taller than most women I knew, and it hadn’t taken much for her to meet my eyes in challenge. And challenge me she had. The woman was hiding something, of that I was sure … but what?
Her eyes were a contradiction. Much like the words she was saying didn’t quite match her actions, they shifted between slate gray and brilliant blue, seemingly unable to decide which direction they wanted to go.
Would the color deepen when she was aroused?
Annoyed at the thought, I shifted away from the window and went to my kitchen to make another cup of tea. There was no reason I should be thinking of the sexy veterinarian like that. And yet, I’d just thought of her as sexy. Again.
Because, bloody hell, but she was. Soulful eyes just hinting at sadness, thick auburn hair bundled messily on her head, and soft curves shifting under her loose jumper. She’d known, instantly, when I’d suspected something was amiss, her shoulders straightening.
Leave it alone, Luch.
She’d healed Oban, hadn’t she? What did it matter how?
I knew why it mattered, but right now, I couldn’t go there.
Wincing again as I replayed the accident in my head, I swore softly under my breath as I flicked the kettle on.
Oban was typically really good about staying close to me and usually I closed the gate that lined my expansive property line.
It was an old gate, just a worn wooden door hinged to a stone wall that had likely bordered my land for a century or more, but still I always made a point to latch it. Mainly to keep any stray dogs out.
But today I’d been distracted. It had been a long shift at the hospital, I’d lost a patient, and I’d carried that melancholy home with me. I’d been checking my phone when I’d come through the gate, and seeing I’d missed a few phone calls from my father, I must have forgotten to close it.
I never particularly enjoyed seeing a missed call from my father.
But several?
That usually signaled bad news.
I hadn’t even had a chance to call him back yet.
A bounding rabbit had caught Oban’s attention and the subsequent chase, squealing of tires, and trip to the vet meant I’d forgotten the missed calls entirely.
Sighing, I scrubbed a hand over my face and opened my fridge to examine the contents.
I still hadn’t slept and could feel the energy seeping from me as I pulled out a leftover box of pizza.
It would do, for now, and after a nap I’d grill up fish and vegetables for my dinner.
My phone rang again and seeing my father’s name, I sighed, before swiping it open.
“I’m sorry. I just got off shift and then Oban was hurt. I wasn’t ignoring your calls.” I crammed a bite of pizza in my mouth and picked up the kettle to pour more water in my mug.
“I was wondering why I hadn’t heard from you. What happened with Oban? Is he all right?” My father’s voice, strong and sure, took on a concerned note.
“Aye, he’s fine. He got out of the gate and a car hit him. But the new vet fixed him right up. He’s resting now.”
“Such a shame.” My father made a tsking noise with his mouth. I stilled, waiting for what was next. “Maybe it’s best you come home now.”
“Maybe it’s best you come home now.” Home. Scalloway. Where I’d grown from a wee bairn to a man, but it was past tense now.
“We’ve talked about this.” I’d moved to Loren Brae over a year ago, had built a reputation in A&E and frankly, this place suited me nicely.
It was quiet. It didn’t hold on to my past with a vise-like grip.
It felt … like me. And yet, my father used any problem—any hint of disruption—to try and persuade me to return to Scalloway.
“I don’t see why this has to be an issue. Your mum misses you.”
I winced. He loved playing the “Mum” card.
“I’ll visit soon.” I wasn’t going to start an argument, but now that I knew my father had only called to talk me into returning home, I needed to distract him.
Dr. Faelan Fletcher popped into my mind again, and I believed using her as a diversion wasn’t too inappropriate.
Because I have a feeling about how she treated Oban, or rather, why my pup is alive and well.
“Say, Dad, question for you. I remember you told me that after I was born you went after those healers. Whatever ended up happening with that?”
Silence greeted me. I knew I was picking at a scab, and my father would resent me for it, but I’d lived under the guilt of my birth for years now, and nothing would change that.
“Those chancers? No, never did find them.” Frustration laced my father’s voice.
“There was a family of them, though, right? Still in the area?” My father was also a doctor, though he specialized in cardiology, while I thrived in the A&E.
He’d been mid surgery when my mum had gone into labor and had arrived home late.
Too late. It was one of the reasons I so rarely brought the healer up, but I thought broaching the topic today was necessary. Sorry, Dad.
“I only know of the one that hurt your mother. I think we were too overwhelmed with everything to investigate further at the time, and then when we could focus on finding them, they’d vanished.
But if you’re asking about my take on healers in general?
I don’t think one can dismiss the power of the mind, as there’s been enough studies on the placebo effect to prove it to be a viable alternative.
” My father’s voice lowered, and I heard a door closing behind him.
“However, you bloody well know how I feel. They can all burn, as far as I’m concerned.
” For what they did to your mother. His voice trailed off, and I heard him take a sip of his drink through the phone.
There was no need for him to repeat the words I’d heard so many times before.
“But is it possible? To heal with magick? And be used for good?” I dropped a fresh tea bag in my mug and leaned against the counter, my eyes going to where Oban snoozed by the fire.
“I’m not remotely objective in this. As far as I’m concerned, science is the answer for healing. We’ve seen firsthand just how horribly wrong it can go.”
“And you haven’t come across any since … then? Nothing at the hospital? Healers, that is?”
“Why are you asking? Have you met a healer?”
My father was incredibly astute. He hadn’t risen to the top of his field by sheer determination alone.
At the same time, I wasn’t sure I wanted Faelan to land on my father’s radar.
Or anyone’s really. There was something about her that made me want to protect her just as much as I wanted to learn all her secrets.
“Not really. Just curious. The nurses were reading a book about it at work.”
“Hmm.” My father paused. “Son, as much as I hate to say it, if you do run into someone with such abilities, you have a responsibility.”
“I know.” I pressed my lips together. The rain intensified, mirroring my mood, and Oban shifted, lifting his head at the noise. “That’s Oban awake. I’ll be off then.”
“Give him our love. And, son, think about what I said. You shouldn’t be alone out there. It’s not right.”
“Give Mum a hug from me. Gotta run.” I hung up before he got started on his favorite topic again and crossed the room to where Oban blinked wearily up at me.
“Hey, pal.” I dropped to the floor and ran my hands over his fur, scratching his ears lightly. Turning his head, he licked my palm with his sandpaper-like tongue. “I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry. It’s a bloody eejit, I am, that’s the truth of it. I know better than to leave that gate open.”
“It’s not your fault,” Oban said, his voice rough and scratchy after the day he’d had. “I knew better than to chase after that damn rabbit.”
I breathed a sigh of relief at hearing his voice in my head.
“You scared me.”
“She healed me.” Oban turned his head and sniffed at his sutures, but didn’t lick. He was a smart dog, and my best pal. I’d been lucky to find him.
“I thought as much.” Worry kicked through me at the confirmation from Oban that Faelan was a healer.
“She’ll be in pain now. She took it in.”
I’d heard tell of it, through the years, healers bringing the pain into their bodies before releasing it to the ether. I’d just never met one in real life. In fact, I’d never met anyone magickal other than wee Oban.
And myself, of course.
But we were a dying breed, after all, and that was the main reason it infuriated my father that I’d chosen to take a position at a rural hospital in Scotland.
Not only did he think the job was beneath me, but he liked me close, believing he deserved a say in my life.
The “continuation of our line” was only part of that equation.
No matter how adamant he was, I would not be pushed. I should get to control more of my future, should I not?
It had been over a year since I’d moved to Loren Brae, and in my time here I’d learned two things.
The first?
Loren Brae had deep magickal roots, and for all I had been worried about concealing my identity when I’d moved here, I had quickly learned that Loren Brae had far bigger problems on hand than me.
And the second?
For all my father pushed me to settle down and find a wife, I’d come to realize just how much I enjoyed the freedom of being away from my tight-knit, and heavy-handed, family.
It turns out, I was a lone wolf at heart.