Page 26 of Claimed By the Dragon
And yet, the thought of explaining the mess she’d made to anyone only made her more tired.
Scarlett glanced at the melting ice cream cone in her hand, then at the one on the ground a few feet away, and then at the twins. “Right, I think we need to have a chat.”
“Pardon?”
Scarlett gestured toward the pram. “May I push them whilst you eat your ice cream? There’s a lovely place near the lake thatI like to go to when I need some peace. Even if I’m not here that often, I always like to find a hidden spot to enjoy the sound of the wind and birds and feel the sun on my face.” She paused and then added, “And I think you could use a little peace.”
She searched Scarlett’s gray eyes, seeing only kindness and a little understanding, which confused her. The doctor didn’t have any children, or a mate.
But as she heard laughter in the distance, Grace nodded. “Let’s go.”
The dragonwoman said nothing, merely checking that the twins were still asleep, and Grace was following. By the time they reached the small lake within Stonefire’s boundaries, Grace had discarded her ice cream, and the quiet had dispelled a little of the weighty darkness.
They reached a bench placed under the trees, on the opposite side of where most people entered the lake to swim. Maybe because it was midday, few people were out and about.
Scarlett gestured toward the bench, and once Grace sat, the other woman followed suit, pulling the pram to rest between them. After a few minutes of them both staring at the water, Scarlett spoke again. “I heard you mated Dr. Trahern Lewis.”
“Yes.”
“Hmm.” Another minute passed before Scarlett added, “My late brother was a lot like Trahern. He saw the world differently, interacted differently with his dragon, and struggled with change of any sort, more so than Dr. Lewis does.”
Before she could stop herself, she echoed, “Late brother?”
As soon as she said it, Grace wished she could take it back. But rather than scold her for asking something so personal, the dragonwoman’s smile turned bittersweet. “Yes. James was several years younger than me and my twin, and was one of the first to be executed under the old Skyhunter leader, oncehe’d determined a new pathway for his clan. Those who were ‘different’ or a ‘drain on resources’ were to be culled.”
Grace frowned. She knew only a little about Clan Skyhunter—it was in the South Downs, near the coast, and had a pair of co-leaders. The clan had also suffered some sort of tragedy under the old leader, but she didn’t know the details.
Still, she replied, “I’m sorry for your loss. That’s horrible.”
Scarlett’s gaze never left the surface of the lake. “My brother was brilliant with numbers and never thought it was strange I wanted to be a doctor one day. And yes, I know there are a lot of female doctors now. However, back when I was still a kid, even before Skyhunter’s ex-leader went a bit mad and started killing and imprisoning people, females were expected to mate and have children. Maybe they could be nurses or teachers. But not doctors. The job was too stressful and would harm any unborn child.”
“That’s rubbish. Women were working up until the day they gave birth for most of history.”
“I agree. So when I was old enough, I secretly applied to a doctor training course in Scotland, was accepted, and snuck away to attend.” She gripped the bench with her hands, her knuckles turning white. “Once I was gone, the ex-leader made an example and punished me and my family by killing my brother.”
“Oh, Scarlett.”
The dragonwoman shook her head, cleared her throat, and continued, “I went back, of course, needing to comfort my parents despite knowing what would happen to me. But the reason I’m telling you all this is because I understand how Trahern’s brain works a little more than most, because of my brother. Whilst it was too painful to make it my focus of research or study, I still keep up with new developments and volunteer sometimes with dragon-shifters who struggle to communicate with others and their inner dragons.” Her gaze finally metGrace’s. “Trahern is a good male, and his offering to mate you means something, more than you think.” Grace opened her mouth to protest, but Scarlett beat her to it. “At any rate, I want you to reach out to me anytime, with questions or frustrations or just pure curiosity. I wasn’t able to help my brother, but maybe I can help you and Trahern.”
As Grace studied the dragonwoman’s gaze, she saw a mixture of sincerity and pain, before the latter quickly faded away.
Without thinking, she asked, “Can I give you a hug?”
Scarlett blinked. “Um, okay.”
She enfolded the dragonwoman in her arms, squeezed, and released her. “Thank you.”
Scarlett smiled. “I’m not sure how much help I can be, but I hope it turns out well for you and Trahern.”
The dragonwoman looked like she wanted to say something else, but shook her head and stood. “I need to get back to the clinic. Are you okay to be on your own now?”
“I think so. But I want to stay and enjoy the peace and quiet whilst I can. The twins will wake up soon, and the madness will begin all over again.”
Despite the words, she stared down at her twins, smiling.
“Right, well let me just give you my mobile number and then I’ll be off. But reach out to me any time, I mean it. You can even, gasp, ring me.”
She snorted, took out her phone, and entered Scarlett’s number into her contacts. Right before she left, Scarlett murmured, “Give Trahern time, Grace. Time to adjust, time to accept new things, time to make room for you and the boys. That doesn’t mean waiting forever, but rearranging his world will be a bit more jarring than it’d be for you or me. And yes, I know it’s a whirlwind as a new mother. However, it will be more intense for Trahern.”