Doctor Dragon: Earth Dragons Series: Book 6 Page 4

  “Feral? I’m not sure I like the sound of that,” Craig said, looking confused.

  “Feral are griffin shifters. Half eagle and half lion when in their animal forms. I’ll explain everything in the morning.”

  “Half eagle.” Craig smiled. “That would explain why I’m here.”

  “You’re invited to dinner,” Macy said, eyes on her. Then they widened. “You too.” She looked at Craig who nodded.

  “That would be great,” he replied.

  “And you as well, Druze.” Macy turned to him.

  Druze shook his head. “Thank you but I’m too busy.”

  Macy seemed relieved that the big dragon shifter couldn’t make it. “I’ll see you in the morning.” With that, he turned and removed the pants in mid-stride.

  Brittney tried hard not to stare at his ass. It wasn’t easy. Then Druze was shifting ‒ it took all of two seconds. With a hard flap of his wings, he lifted. A couple more flaps and he was gone.

  “That’s one hell of a serious guy,” Craig muttered under his breath. “I assumed he was in interview mode before, but now I don’t think that’s the case. He’s just like that, isn’t he?”

  “Druze is a very good male,” Sand piped up. “He takes himself very seriously. He won’t give himself a break. Not for a second. It’s just the way he is.”

  “Why not?” Craig asked. “We all need a break sometimes. I’m beginning to worry about the next couple of months.”

  “Don’t.” Sand shook his head. “Druze is a hard leader. Very demanding but he is also fair. Do your job to the best of your ability. Keep your head down and your nose clean, and you won’t have a problem.”

  “He looks sad.” Britt wasn’t sure where the admission had come from. The words popped out of her mouth before she could stop them.

  No one said anything. Sand looked distinctly uncomfortable. She’d hit a nerve. Something had happened to Druze to make him like this. She wondered what that thing was. Must have been bad.

  “Come on.” Macy slipped her arm around Britt for a second. “Let’s get you both to your apartments.”

  Chapter 6

  The helicopter landed next to a house. It was a big house. The word ‘sprawling’ came to mind. The building overlooked a clear lake. The surface of the water like a mirror. It was picturesque and insanely beautiful.

  Brittney turned around. Behind them was a flat plain and in the distance were the mountains. The plain was dotted with small, round houses. Her heart sped up. The thing that made them different was how they were built. Namely, up…high, off the ground. With no way to enter or exit unless a creature had wings.

  Brittney recognized the style. Only because she’d spent time inside a house just like one of these. The house she’d been contained in ‒ the one she had shared with Macy and Sand ‒ had been enclosed in a silver cage.

  “Are you okay?” Craig asked. “You look like you just saw a ghost or something.”

  “I’m fine.” She swallowed hard as she caught sight of one of the creatures. It flew fast, and yet she could see it wasn’t trying to be particularly quick. That was how it moved. With ease and grace and such power it made her throat feel dry and her eyes wide. Her stomach lurched with memories of her kidnapping and captivity. Of her. Britt hugged herself, feeling chilled all of a sudden.

  “Shit!” Craig sounded animated. “The Feral are bigger than the dragons. Look at that one go.” He looked enthralled.

  “You made it.” Druze seemed to appear from nowhere. He wore similar cotton pants to the day before. Her face felt hot thinking back on it. Particularly on how long he had taken to put the pants on. Thinking about how long he had been naked. “You need to remember that we are in Feral territory. We need to respect their cultures and customs. Do not stare. Nudity is normal.” He turned those cool green eyes on her like that last statement was especially meant for her. Like he had read her mind or something.

  Britt nodded once, trying not to react. She put her suitcase down, still holding onto her medical bag. The bag, although much lighter, was starting to feel heavy as well.

  “Do the women go naked as well?” Craig smiled, looking like a naughty schoolboy.

  “There are very few females.” Druze remained completely impassive. It was almost comical given that Craig had attempted a joke. “Yes, they prefer nude or topless.”

  “I won’t complain, and I won’t stare. I will completely respect that particular aspect of their culture. I’m absolutely fine with it.” Craig grinned like a little boy who had just been given the key to a candy store after hours.

  Britt bit back a smile. “So, we’re here to gather information?” she stated.

  “Yes, as discussed this morning, we have very little information on Feral pregnancies. I thought it best that we come here, to Feral lands, to find out what we need to know directly from the source. Then we’ll examine the human female who is with…clutch. Once we return, we’ll examine Stone’s Feral female, who is also with clutch and formulate a plan from there. We need to assume that at least one, if not both, females are going to fall ill with clutch sickness which, as you know, is deadly.” He folded his arms, looking stern. “I foresee us having to move between the Feral and dragon territories frequently in the coming period. I have a full laboratory set up at the clinic, back at the lair. If either of you requires any equipment or supplies, you will need to place an order with my PA. I will show you around and introduce you once we return.”

  “When will that be?” she asked.

  “A day or two…five. Who knows.” Druze’s jaw tightened. “Do you have a problem with being here, Dr. Baker?”

  “Not at all.” Why did he keep asking her that? She was a little apprehensive but fine. Absolutely fine! She tried to hold out an olive branch to Druze, getting the distinct impression that he didn’t like her. “You can call me Brittney or Britt.” She used the same tactic Craig had used the day before. “We’re going to be working closely together so…” She stopped talking. Druze’s expression didn’t change at all.

  Craig pushed out a breath. He could probably sense the tension. Hell, it was palpable, like a solid brick wall. “It all sounds good. I can think of a couple of items I’m going to need for my research. Equipment you most likely won’t have in a facility for humans. I’m looking forward to finding out about the Feral species.”

  Britt nodded. From what she could see, money was not going to be an issue, which helped a lot when it came to research such as this. Particularly with their tight timeframes.

  “I am glad to hear that. Let’s go inside.” Druze gestured towards the house. “The Feral king is waiting for us.”

  “The king?” Craig sounded impressed. He looked her way and widened his eyes.

  Britt shrugged and widened her eyes back.

  Druze began walking. They followed closely behind. Her suitcase was heavy. Even her much lighter medical bag was putting strain on her other arm. Druze had told them not to unpack, so she’d taken her whole suitcase. She noticed that Craig had a backpack on his back instead of lugging the large case he had brought along with him the day before, which was probably a much better idea.

  She fell back, panting a little from the exertion. Britt watched as the men moved further and further ahead. Druze glanced back, his eyes moving to the bag she was straining with. He frowned, turned and strode to her, taking the bag from her. She noted how easily he carried it. Like it was an envelope in his hand instead of an overstuffed monster of a suitcase. “You could have left the kitchen sink at home, Dr. Baker.” The side of his mouth twitched.

  Was that humor? She was shocked silent. She glanced at Druze again, noting that his whole demeanor radiated tension once again as he moved forward. She had to jog a few steps to catch up.

  They entered the house and Britt’s jaw dropped. It was beautifully appointed, with a large wraparound porch. Gleaming wooden floors and gold finishes. As in, real gold? Nothing surprised her after the lair, which was magnificent.

&nb
sp; This, however, was opulent as well. Plush woolen carpets, beautiful furniture. Beautiful marble tops in the kitchen. It was breathtaking. They made their way to a large open-plan area overlooking the lake and Brittney couldn’t take her eyes off the view.

  “Ahhh,” someone said from across the room. “I see you approve of the accommodation.”

  “It will be suitable,” Druze stated, putting her bag down. “Thank you,” he added.

  Britt hadn’t even noticed that someone was even there. Two someones, actually. That’s how enthralled she had been. The two men were huge. Their eyes that golden yellow that gave away their species. They were both attractive but not in a conventional way. She noted that they were fully clothed. The closer of the two wore a double-breasted suit. His hair was styled. The other man wore jeans and a button-down shirt. The sleeves were rolled up. As they made their way over, she noticed that he wore flip-flops, which was odd.

  “Suitable?” Craig shook his head in wonder, his eyes moving around the large space and then to the view. Brittney guessed that her expression would mirror his. “I would call this absolutely amazing.”

  “Glad to hear it,” the man with the styled hair said, smiling. “I had this built especially for human guests. It is a little more…like home for you than our own houses?” He raised his brows.

  “Very much so, thank you,” Brittney said.

  “Excuse my terrible manners. I am Leukos and this is Talon.” The guy in the suit pointed at the flip-flop wearing Feral.

  “Sire.” Druze inclined his head for a moment in obvious respect. “This is Dr. Baker and Dr. Burgess. I am Druze, sire. Thank you for—”

  “Let’s forget formalities. You are guests.” The king held out his hand and the two men clasped at the wrists, giving one, hard shake before letting go.

  Then Druze shook Talon’s hand as well. “Congratulations.”

  “We are thrilled and…” Talon’s shoulders dipped, “I’m crapping myself.” His Adam’s apple worked. “If anything happens to my mate, I will never forgive myself.”

  “I understand.” Druze’s eyes grew hazy for a second or two, but he quickly schooled his emotions.

  “I must apologize on behalf of our species for what happened to you, Dr. Baker,” the king said, frowning deeply.

  “Please call me Brittney and it’s not your fault, sire.” She used the same term Druze had used.

  “What happened?” Craig asked. “I can tell I’m missing something here.”

  “I’ll fill you in later,” Brittney said, glancing his way.

  He gave a nod still looking confused.

  “You must please call me Leukos.” He smiled warmly. “Come, let us sit.”

  “Would you like something to drink?” Talon asked. “You must be exhausted after such a long trip. We have juice or water.”

  They placed their orders and Talon disappeared to the kitchen. They made themselves comfortable in the lounge area.

  “I have arranged for one of our healers to go over the information you requested. Talon’s female, Vicky, has made herself available for…whatever it is you will require.” Leukos leaned back in his chair.

  “Thank you,” Druze said. “We appreciate the effort.”

  “Whatever you need. All you have to do is ask.” He paused, his jaw tightening. “Our people were devastated by what happened. Most of us…if not all of us…were affected. It would be disastrous if our human mates were affected too.” He rubbed his hands together, looking down at his lap for a moment. “I hope you can figure out what went wrong, so that it can be prevented from happening again.”

  “It may not, though,” Talon said, tray in hand. He put the tray down on the table in front of them. “Surely?” He looked pale. Britt saw that his hands shook. “I already lost a mate to the illness. I can’t go through it again.” He raked a hand through his hair.

  She felt for the guy. Couldn’t imagine what he must be going through.

  “My female is upbeat. She believes that all will be well, but…” He shook his head.

  “You believe differently?” Druze pushed.

  “I don’t know what to believe. I have never met a more positive person than my mate. I love her for it but I’m not like that. I lived through hell watching my first mate die. I…” He rubbed his face. “I can’t go through that again.” His voice hitched. “I just can’t.” He shook his head.

  “I can assure you that we will do everything in our power to find out what happened to your women and to try to come up with a plan to prevent it from happening again.” Brittney continued, “I’m an Ob-Gyn, I specialize in treating diseases of the human female reproductive organs. I also deliver babies. I’ve delivered hundreds in the years I’ve been in practice.”

  Craig stepped forward once she was done. “I’m an avian vet. I specialize in treating birds. I believe that your kind, when in your animal form, are half eagle. I have spent the last eight years studying animals of prey. I worked closely with the two zoos in my area. I also spent a year in Mongolia in order to study the Golden Eagle with the Kazakh hunters. My next plan was to begin documenting these fascinating creatures in their natural environment.” He took a drink from his water bottle. “I believe, however, that my first few years as an avian vet working in the chicken farms really stands in good stead for this assignment. We had to understand and treat all sorts of diseases associated with fowl.”

  “I wish I could offer such an extensive resumé,” Druze volunteered. “I am a qualified general practitioner. I studied at Harvard. I also qualified as a healer in the Earth dragon lair, working as an understudy amongst our qualified elders, as is tradition. I am the first male to have ever achieved the status of healer. However,” he pulled in a breath. “I have only been working as a healer for a couple of months.”

  “Wow,” Britt said. “You qualified as a GP at Harvard?” Her eyes were wide. “What an achievement.”

  “I might not be human but that does not make me stupid.”

  “I realize that, and that’s not what I meant.” What was his problem? “I was trying to give you a compliment. It would be an achievement no matter the species.”

  “I agree with the human. It is something to be proud of,” Leukos chimed in. “I am sure that between the three of you, you have it covered.”

  “We do!” Druze looked like he was about to go to war. His muscles bulged as he clenched his hands into tight fists. His eyes hardened, narrowing. “I dedicated my life to helping all species’ females. I intend to do just that.”

  “I heard what happened to—” Leukos began, making Brittney sit forward in her seat, just before Druze cut him off.

  “Thank you, sire. It’s not something I wish to discuss.”

  So there was something worth discussing. Something that was driving Druze. Something that made him this way.

  “I understand.” Leukos nodded.

  “There may be call for some of your people to go to the Earth lair for testing,” Druze changed the subject. “Females who survived clutch sickness.”

  “No one actually survived the disease,” Leukos warned.

  “The females who cut out their eggs and didn’t die from blood loss. We need to examine them. Elders, even though they are infertile, could offer us information on the reproductive organs of a Feral female as well. We would need to examine them. Our lab would offer the best opportunity for that.”

  “Absolutely,” Leukos said.

  “Then there’s your mate, Talon. We will need to take her to our lab for testing, and later in order to monitor her and to be ready in case…things…take a turn.”

  Talon nodded, his eyes grave. “She is not available today, but you can talk to her tomorrow. We could move to your lair…closer to the time.”

  “Perfect.” Druze nodded, rubbing his jaw, the stubble catching.

  “We are prepared to do whatever it takes,” Leukos said.

  “I’m glad to hear it, as your cooperation will make our job far easier.”


  “Shall we call for a healer now?” Leukos asked.

  “Yes, we are ready,” Druze said. Brittney noted that he didn’t check with them as well. He was used to leading without compromise. That much was clear.

  Leukos put his head back and made some weird twittering noises, so birdlike they blew her mind watching them come out of a human mouth.

  Craig’s eyes pretty much bugged out of his skull and he pulled in his lips to stop himself from laughing. She could see he wanted to.

  Within half a minute, a woman with leathery, bronzed skin walked in. Her eyes were bright yellow, and she smiled broadly.

  It seemed it was Britt’s turn to bite down on her lips to keep from laughing. The woman wore a tiny skirt. Her legs were thin, reminding her of chicken legs. They, too, were bronzed from sun exposure. She was very tall, with broad shoulders for a woman. Britt could see that she had been powerful once. Probably could still pack a punch. Her hair was long and grey. What made Britt want to laugh was that Craig had his wish. The older woman’s chest was bare. Her small breasts were saggy and wrinkled.

  “Hello, Delise.” Leukos smiled at the elderly woman. “Are you forgetting something?” he asked.

  She frowned deeply, the wrinkles on her face becoming more pronounced. “I don’t think so, my lord.” She gave a small curtsey. “How may I be of service?” Her eyes were that Feral weird color, but they were warm.

  Brittney glanced at Craig; he was looking at the floor, his cheeks were blood red.

  “Humans are timid. They don’t—”

  “Oh!” Her mouth rounded. “I completely forgot.” She put an arm across her chest. “I will go and get dressed.”

  “It’s fine,” Britt said. “We are on Feral lands. If you feel comfortable, then you are most welcome to stay as you are.”

  “Yes,” Druze assured her. “It is absolutely fine. I’m sure you agree, Dr. Burgess?”

  “Yes.” Craig cleared his throat. “Sure thing. No problem.” His cheeks were still scarlet. She noted he glanced her way for a nanosecond before picking non-existent lint off of his shirt.