Page 6 of Anaki

Bear grunted and patted me on the back again. “That’s why we want youto come with us, Anaki. You’ve got a kind soul, and how you helped Nadia, we think we can talk them into coming with us rather than forcing them. With Elena’s condition, we don’t want to trigger a flare-up.”

“Flare-up?”

Nadia stood up and rounded the table. “Yes, happens to people with this disease she has. Her condition could worsen. It will be difficult for her to walk, and she could have pain. The Moonlight Outcasts are already down there, scoping out the place, seeing if we can bring them back here when she’s on a good day. When she arrives here, the cabin will be prepared for her to rest. She’s likely to have a flare-up afterwards, I’m sure, from all of the stress.”

I ran my hands through my hair. Right, if I was part of the care team, I would need to be able to help her and her kid in any way that I could.

“Don’t stress, Anaki. Just be you, that’s all we ask. You know how to make the ladies feel comfortable. Just, not too comfortable.” Bear winked.

I rolled my eyes, pulled up my sleeves, and headed to the sink to do the dishes. No, there wouldn’t be getting too comfortable with Elena. I was there to do a job, and Nadia and Bear thought I could help. Be a part of the Iron Fang. Be wanted, be useful.

I liked the sound of that. It would help get rid of the dark thoughts that clouded my head.

“The only thing left to do is a physical.” Nadia sang as she stepped next to me.

I groaned and leaned on my forearm. “Please don’t make me,” I whined.

“Bones said he hasn’t seen you in a while, anyway.” Nadia nudged me. “Besides, don’t you miss the whole turn your head and cough?”

My groan quickly turned into a laugh. “Oh, Bones doesn’t do that for me. Dragons are special.”

Nadia blinked several times innocently.

I gasped mockingly. “You mean, you don’t know? Bear hasn’t told you?” I placed my hand on my chest. “Why, the reason Bones doesn’t like to give hernia checks is because—”

“Anaki!!! There are a few things I don’t let you tell my female, and that is one of them! Now get out and go get it done!”

I took the terry cloth towel from the drying rack and flung it over my shoulder. “If you insist, but if she is going to be a full-blown doctor for the club soon, she’s going to have to know basic reptilian anatomy.”

Bear growled and crossed his arms over his chest. “And, I will let that be the last thing she learns.”

Chapter Three

Elena

While my abuela worries about my health, apparently I’m not sick enough for her not to throw a chancel at me. She can whip that chancla off, throw it around the corner, and somehow, still hit me in the face.

While I give her a hard time playing with her rocks—crystals—and her mushroom eating habits, she is good to me and Luis. Better than I deserve, after going out with a man who did not deserve my time and attention.

She’s more than my abuela. She was Emm’s and my mama. She taught us how to be strong and independent women when our father became what he is, a cold-blooded bastard.

We needed to be strong women, but along with that independence I decided to have a rebellious streak, while Emm was trying to take care of us.

My selfishness got me in trouble and the universe was now kicking my ass for it. I’m in more trouble now since having Luis. Being pregnant with him sped up my condition, but there isn’t one day that I regret having him. He will be my one and only, and I thank the stars he’s mine.

The only man in my life.

I gripped my cane and leaned on my left side. I hated the thing, but it was a necessity when I had a flare-up. As long as I didn’t have to use the wheelchair, I didn’t feel completely defeated. I am my abuela’s granddaughter. I held my head high. I have a full-time job and can take care of myself, most days.

Wheelchair be damned!

Unless Luis wanted to go to Parque El Agua; the little booger was smart, and if I brought my wheelchair, we would have perfect parking.

I bent over and picked up both the chanclas from the floor. I could hear Abuela blabbering to Emm about finding a man on the phone.Dios Mio. Emmie needed a man to calm herself down. She had enough money to take care of us for at least the next ten years.

Now that I had my online editing business, a job where I could work from home and was getting steady money, I could take care of Luis by myself. From living frugally and the money I’ve saved from Emm’s line of work, which none of us approve of, we would sit comfortably for a long, long time.

Firing the in-home nurse will also help save us money.