Page 62 of The Vampire's Receptionist
“His body won’t tolerate any blood but yours,” Doctor Chapman reminded him before turning to a nurse. “Get Kian something from the kitchens. He fed Dorian once already today. He needs to keep up his strength.”
Kian didn’t even want to ask how he knew that. The doctor was creepy. Instead, he focused on what he’d just told Kian.
“His body won’t tolerate even IV intervention? I’ve never heard of that before. Did you figure out why?”
Something flashed across the doctor’s face, an emotion he was trying to hide, but Kian caught it and sat a little straighter.
“What was that?”
“What was what?” Chapman grumbled, looking away from him to study Dorian again. He was avoiding eye contact with him, and Kian wanted to know why.
With a growl, Kian cast a spell, trapping the druid before he could move away and avoid the conversation. They’d been waiting all this time for the doctor to get back to them. He was hiding something.
“Don’t play dumb. You know what’s wrong with him, don’t you?”
Chapman bared his teeth menacingly. “Release me from your spell, Elamoira. I will not be bullied into speaking.”
“Keep calling me that, and I’ll start acting like them,” Kian threatened. “Should we test just how similar I am to my extended family?”
The doctor narrowed his eyes. “I am not so easily bested. Do you think you could truly defeat me?”
He was ready and willing to try. He was tired of all the unanswered questions. Tired of being at the mercy of the stupid doctor and his demands. If they wanted to lump him in with his family, he’d freaking act like it.
A low growl cut through the room, causing the air to shake. It didn’t come from Doctor Chapman. Kian was surprised when Maverick stepped between them, blocking Kian’s view. He opened his mouth to argue, he wanted answers, but Maverick spoke before the words could get past his lips.
“What aren’t you telling him?”
With Maverick’s massive frame blocking the way, Kian couldn’t see the doctor’s reaction, but he could hear theterseness in his voice when he replied, “None of your business. There are some things he doesn’t get to know just because he demands it. Get him to release his spell, or I’ll make him.”
Maverick didn’t move. Kian was ready for a fight, but he didn’t know the scope of a druid’s power and should’ve considered that before making that challenge.
A sharp pain, like a shard of ice, stabbed between his eyes, and he crumpled in on himself clutching his head tightly. The shouts in the room muffled and eventually were drowned out by the ringing in his ears. He felt something wet drip from his nose, but he couldn’t open his eyes to see what it was. All he could do was grit his teeth against the urge to scream.
A sudden rush of energy slammed into him, breaking Chapman’s hold on him instantly. Kian sucked in a ragged breath, the pain easing little by little. Warm hands pulled at him, helping him sit up again, and when he opened his eyes, he was surprised by who had joined them.
His dad and Doctor Chapman faced off, both silently seething and disheveled like they’d been in a fist fight. Dad wasn’t the kind of person to start a fight. He was a pacifist, even with his nature as a fae. He’d always been the black sheep of his family, especially after he mated an outsider. It was rare that he used his magic like this. Mom stood at his side, berating them both, but it took a minute for Kian’s hearing to come back. While he waited, he glanced up at who was touching him, surprised to see Avery by his side. He blinked a few times, frowning at the little human.
“Is it just me or is the room hazy?” he croaked, wincing as the volume of his own voice made the pain come back for a second.
Since Avery stood so close, Kian could hear him over the ringing in his ears when he said, “That’s Maverick. He breathes smoke and fire when he’s angry. Isaac is working on it.”
Avery’s hand soothed up and down his back, which was a little disconcerting. People didn’t just touch him like that. No one except maybe Dorian. His gaze skittered to the man beside him, but he was still out cold.
Ozen came into the room with a nurse on his heels, pointing her in Kian’s direction before turning his attention back to Chapman and Dad. At this point, they both looked a little abashed as Mom continued to screech at them, and they didn’t look inches from attacking each other again anymore.
The nurse hurried to his side, and Avery stepped away to give her room but hovered nearby almost protectively. What the little human thought he could do in a room full of supes, Kian didn’t know, but he appreciated it anyway. The nurse’s magic swept through him like warm water, eating the icy pain in his head and muffling the ringing in his ears. His breathing, which had been ragged and heavy, smoothed out and he could finally draw in a deep breath. He really needed to do some research on the power a druid could wield, because that was insane.
Once the ringing stopped, he could finally hear his mother’s voice as she scolded the two older men. “... Absolutely ridiculous! You are acting like children! Especially you! Do you lack so much control that you can’t handle a panicked loved one without violence?” she hissed, pointing a finger at Doctor Chapman.
He scowled, then flinched when Mom took a step closer. “He was using his magic to trap me. I warned him–”
“While I’m sure that must have been frustrating to you, I highly doubt it was the first time a distraught family member has used magic against you. Is hospital protocol to torture loved ones? Especially ones currently hooked to IVs to help the patient on the table?” she accused.
“Of course not,” Doctor Chapman argued. “But he–”
“No. I don’t care for your excuses. From where I’m standing, you’ve been away from nature for too long. I’ll be making a call to the council of healers about this incident. Now, unless you need to check on your patient again, I suggest you step out. Both of you. And if I need to intervene between the two of you again, you won’t like it. Now, go.”
Like chastised children, both Dad and Chapman left the room with their tails between their legs as Mom watched on. It’d been a long time since Kian saw his mom in action, and it still stunned him to his core that she could cow people like that so easily.
