Page 53 of Claimed By the Dragon
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 notthesafest, 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 intoa 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.
