Page 10

10

Jinn

M y hair flew in my face every time I turned my head to make sure Coltan had been left far, far behind.

He had found us twice now. That dragon didn’t give up.

The way Coltan had screamed at Lyrican as we raced away froze me to my core. Something in his brain had flipped a switch. He was nothing like the half-drunk alpha I’d met weeks ago. That sound. It was primal. It was wild and feral. And diseased.

I leaned forward, peering over Lyrican’s outstretched head. At long last, I could see the distant twinkling of the city where I lived. And the ocean beyond.

I couldn’t believe we’d gotten here so fast.

I grabbed the edges of the blankets around me. The air had been cold, but I barely felt it. My relief took over, bringing with it the warmth of the sun. Soon I’d be home.

Except that doesn’t mean you’ll be any safer there, Jinnan inserted.

I wasn’t sure what I would do. But for now, I’d have help. And hopefully Lyric wouldn’t be a stranger.

Lyrican slowed at the city border. It was rare to see dragons in the air here. People preferred to shift in more open areas.

He kept his altitude until he saw his target. The nearest hospital. He slowed and circled.

In this area, there weren't many people on the sidewalks. But in the parking lots and by the ambulance bay people looked up when they saw the shadow Lyrican made.

I shut my eyes. I was finally safe.

He landed at the emergency entrance and lowered himself to his belly. I opened my eyes and unfastened the rope from him, then slid down his smooth shell-like scales until my feet hit the ground. There was a shout of surprise. One of the attendants at the ambulance bay said, “Hey, you can't be here.”

Within the blink of an eye there was no dragon standing next to me. It was Lyric, and he puffed out his chest not seeming to care that he was naked, and said, “This man needs help now. He's been attacked. We need the police.”

I handed Lyric one of my blankets which he fastened around his waist without even looking.

Someone said, “You look familiar.”

A person wearing surgical scrubs came out of the entrance and said, “This is for emergency vehicles dropping off patients.”

“I am the emergency vehicle.” Lyric stepped forward. “I just flew him in on my back. This man has been kidnapped and attacked.”

“This way inside,” the man said. “I'll show you where to go.”

I limped forward. When the man saw me limping he immediately grabbed a wheelchair that was sitting by the door and hustled me into it. Then he pushed me quickly down a security hall before turning into a large waiting area. He said to Lyric, “You can wait out here. I'll have a nurse bring you some scrubs.”

Lyric asserted himself between me and the orderly. “I am not leaving him alone until I am sure he is out of danger.”

“I don't want to go alone.” I pleaded. “Please don't leave me. Not yet.” I wasn't ready to be alone among strangers even if they were doctors, nurses, and orderlies trying to help me.

Lyric’s hand came from behind the wheelchair and rested on my shoulder, warm and solid. “I'm not going anywhere.”

My heart rate increased but not from fear. It was his touch that affected me more than anything else I'd been through, a touch that both excited and comforted me. I was so glad he said he wanted to stay with me. Now, I didn't have to beg.

I was wheeled into a small private room with a narrow cot covered with a white sheet and white paper on top.

Suddenly, the room was crowded with people. I grabbed Lyric’s hand to keep him close. His fingers curled tight around mine, but not tight enough to hurt.

Someone ordered me to get on the bed. It was Lyric who helped me up and got me situated with my head on a pillow. A nurse came alongside with some sort of machine on wheels and said, “I'm just going to stick these electrodes on you. Then we can see how your heart is doing.” Without a beat he peppered me with questions.

“Did you get all these cuts and bruises by accident?”

“I jumped out of a moving car. Then ran for a long time through thick woods.”

“I'm so sorry to hear that. Where would you say you feel the most pain?”

“The cuts sting but my ankle is throbbing.”

“Anywhere else where you think you might have broken a bone or sprained a muscle?”

“No.”

“I'm sorry I have to ask this but it's part of my duty knowing what little I do of what brought you in here. Were you sexually assaulted?”

“No.”

As he talked, the nurse stared at the screen. “Okay,” he said. “I'm getting what I need here but I'm just going to keep you hooked up for a little while to make sure we're getting accurate readings.”

“That's fine.” My heart had to be racing. There was so much going on. I'd never been sick a day of my life. This is all so strange and new.

Another nurse took his place and gave me a cursory examination by looking into my eyes, ears and mouth. Then he asked about my bruises and if he could take some of the bandages off the bigger cuts. When he finally got to my ankle, he manipulated it as I winced and gave a little cry.

“Sorry,” he said. “I don't think it's broken but we'll make sure. I'm going to call in a portable unit to take a picture.”

It was nice that they explained everything they were doing but at the same time I didn't care. I figured they knew whatever they needed to do and all I could participate in was giving my consent.

The whole time, Lyric held my hand as if he was my best, most trusted friend of many years. I realized I was clinging to him as if I was being held aloft.

Finally, someone came in with a pile of folded scrubs and handed them to him.

“I'm just going to put these on, okay?”

I looked up at him wondering why he was asking my permission before I realized he needed both hands to do the job. I let go of his fingers. He must have seen something in my eyes because he laid his palm across my forehead and said softly, “I'll just be right over here in the corner.”

I nodded.

He leaned down closer to my face. “You'll be just fine, I promise. I'll make sure you get the best help possible.”

I inhaled his clear rainy scent, letting it fill me up, letting it strengthen me.

“Thank you. I don't know what I would have done without you. I would have died.” My voice cracked on that last word.

“Shhh. Just relax for now.” When he smiled it lit up his topaz eyes.

I should have politely looked away, but I couldn't take my eyes off him as he changed into the scrubs. He was a honed and polished sculpture of the alpha Adonis.

What a show. I barely noticed when another nurse came in and started wiping antiseptic on my cuts and cleaning them out.

When Lyric returned, dressed now, it was almost a disappointment except for the fact that he filled out those scrubs like no one's business. I'd only ever seen this alpha on television. He was beautiful, of course, but the screen didn't do him the same justice as seeing him in person.

He stood beside me at the head of the cot and reached for my hand again. This time it was more than a clasp. He wove his fingers through mine and placed his other hand over the top creating a warm cave for my entire hand. I let out a deep breath and shut my eyes.

Only with Lyric did I feel completely safe. Instincts flared to life. They were the sort of feelings omegas were taught would happen if they met their one true alpha mate. My instinct told me to move closer to him, to press myself up against him and place my forehead against his chest. I wanted him to hold me like that and never let go.

I wanted him to bring me to his home, clutch me to him and carry me up to his bedroom.

I wanted him to strip me bare and then himself and press his bare skin to mine until I felt him all over me.

I wanted to spread my legs for him.

I wanted to bare my hole.

“You okay?” asked the nurse who was still looking at the readout of the heart monitor. “Your heart rate went up a little there.”

“I'm just overwhelmed,” I said softly.

“These cuts have to be smarting,” said the nurse who was cleaning my body.

“A little.”

“We just want to make sure you don't get any infections.”

Another person squeezed their way into the small room. He was wearing a suit jacket over a white shirt with jeans. He held a large tablet face up in his hand.

“Hello. My name is Jason. How are you feeling, Jinn?”

“I don't know. Everything's happening so fast.”

“I understand that when you came in you said you were the victim of an assault. The authorities have been called.”

“Thank you. An alpha has been stalking me. I got a restraining order, and it sent him into a rage. He kidnapped me and I need to make a report. He needs to be arrested and put away. He's dangerous.”

Lyric added, “I found him running through the woods and brought him straight here this morning. We were being chased the whole way.”

“The police will want to take a report of everything that's happened to you. Do you think you'll feel up to it?”

I nodded. “He needs to be picked up and taken away somewhere. I'm not safe.”

“I have some more questions for you before they get here. Are you all right to answer them?”

“Yes.”

He then proceeded to ask me about my insurance, my address, any relatives I might have that needed to be notified, etc.

As I talked, the nurse cleaning my cuts had me turn over so he could start on my back and legs. All the while, Lyric held my hand.

I began to shiver. I felt so tired I could barely keep my eyes open. I needed to stay alert so I could make my report to the police. The longer Colt was on the loose, the more damage he could do. What if he hurt someone else? I'd never forgive myself if I didn't give them all the information I had to catch him.

Apparently, Jason had finished because I heard him say, “Good luck, Jinn. I'll be back around to check on you later.”

Finally, the doctor came in and asked mostly the same questions I’d already answered. He probed the injury on the back of my head, something I’d forgotten about. It didn’t hurt at all.

After that I didn't remember much. I must have fallen asleep.

I woke to the sensation of someone stroking the back of my head. I was still on my stomach but the nurse attending my cuts had left. The room was a lot quieter now.

“Sorry, did I wake you?” Lyric spoke low into my ear. “You had a little nap there. You must be exhausted.”

I turned onto my side to get more comfortable. “I'm a little cold.”

Lyrics smiled. “I could get hospital blankets, but it just so happens I have an extra one right here.”

The soft fleece covered my back. Lyric tucked the edges under my shoulder and against my neck. He was taking care of me like he was my alpha and I hadn't even known him twenty-four hours.

“Better?” he asked.

“Thank you, yes.”

“Go back to your nap.”

“Please let me know when the police get here. I need to talk to them. I don't want Colt to hurt anyone else.”

“I will.”

“Can you—" the words caught in my throat.

“What? Ask me anything, Jinn.”

“Can you put your hand on the back of my head again?”

He let out the sweetest short chuckle that reminded me of Lyrican’s purrs. The warm weight of his palm covered the crown of my head. At that touch, my entire body relaxed. Within seconds I fell back to sleep.