Cured by the Dragon (Stonefire Dragons 6)

Gina nodded. “Thanks, Dr. Innes.”

Fergus merely grunted before he picked up his son. Cuddling the boy with one arm and looping Gina close with the other, Fergus guided his family out of the room. The instant the door clicked shut, Gregor sighed and closed his eyes. While he worked hard to ensure everyone in the clan was healthy, working with the bairns was the most difficult. But he’d be damned if he let anything take another mate and child from another couple on Lochguard.

His dragon huffed. Sometimes, it’s out of your control.

Gregor didn’t see it that way. There were always scientific advances and new methods to try.

However, rather than argue, he turned to the computer to type out his notes. Just as he saved the information, someone knocked on the door. He raised his voice, “Come in.”

The door opened to reveal Finlay Stewart, Lochguard’s clan leader. After walking inside, Finn closed the door and asked without preamble, “Do you have any cases Layla can’t handle on her own?”

Layla MacFie was Lochguard’s junior doctor. “No. After all, she’s nearly completed her training. Why?”

Finn lowered his voice. “I’m sending you to Stonefire.”

Stonefire was the northern English dragon clan and Lochguard’s closest ally. “Care to tell me a few more details?”

Finn shook his head. “Not here. We need to head to the Protectors’ central command where it’s more secure.”

While Finn was young and had only been clan leader for a few years, he had more than earned Gregor’s trust. “Aye, well, what are we waiting for?”

Finn slapped his bicep. “I knew I liked you. Maybe you could give my mate a few lessons in how not to ask a million questions.”

The corner of Gregor’s mouth ticked up. “You enjoy it. You just don’t like how she calls you out on your crap.”

“Maybe.” Finn’s face turned serious. “We can discuss Ara later. My matter is time sensitive.”

The two men exited the room and walked briskly toward the fortified building near the front of the clan. While Gregor was content with the silence, his bloody dragon spoke up. She is on Stonefire.

No, dragon. I’m not pursuing Cassidy.

We shall see about that.

Thankfully, his beast remained quiet for the rest of the walk. No doubt his dragon was scheming in secret, which took some doing considering they shared a brain.

The science behind the two personalities inside one dragon-shifter had always fascinated Gregor. Once Layla was ready to become a full-fledged senior doctor, he might be able to pursue his interest in more depth. There were too many questions lingering about the science of his own kind.

Yet as the fortified front of central command came into view, Gregor forgot all about his interests and focused on the issue at hand. Finn had never sent him to Stonefire before and he only hoped it wasn’t because the English dragon-shifters had been attacked. That was usually the only time doctors from one clan helped another. At least, until recently. Layla was working on building relations with a few others, and Gregor supported her efforts.

After walking down one corridor and then another, Finn finally led him into a small conference room. Grant, Lochguard’s head Protector, was sitting at the small table. The second the door clicked closed behind Gregor, Finn started talking again. “Stonefire’s doctor was attacked.”

Gregor frowned. “Cassidy is hurt?”

“Aye,” Grant answered. “It was in the wee hours before dawn. Although, no one heard anything and Stonefire doesn’t know what happened. Dr. Sid was found by a clan member not long after the sun came up.”

Gregor’s dragon roared. We need to take care of her and find whoever hurt her.

Steady on, dragon. Let’s get the facts first.

“If you’re sending me, then I guess she’s unconscious?” Gregor asked.

Finn replied, “Aye. Bram has asked you to drive to Stonefire. Until he finds out what happened, all dragons are restricted to the ground. How soon can you be ready?”

“Twenty minutes. I want to pack some of my medical kit, too.”

“Good. Iris is going to ride with you, just in case. She is also going to help Stonefire investigate what happened.”

Iris was one of Lochguard’s Protectors and their best tracker. “I’d trust Iris with my life.”