Page 88 of Dragon Unhinged

Dec, brother, you had better be somewhere in this hospital, or so help me, I will rip your wings off and beat you with them!

It’s an idle threat, one I wouldn’t go through with, especially with the damage he’s already sustained, but I need him to respond. I need him to be somewhere in the hospital, or just outside, somewhere I can find him, somewhere I can easily bring him back to bed.

I rush out of the room, looking both directions of the hall, looking for anyone who might’ve seen him, anyone who might know where he is. There are nurses at one end, but they’re busy with sensors and alerts coming from another room, so I don’t want to bother them.

I’m tempted to reach out to Pru, but if she’s not at work yet for the day, I don’t want to freak her out. And, okay, I don’t want to bring down the wrath of Ash. I had one job.

“Hey, Malcolm. Everything okay?” Calliope is leaning against the nurse’s station, looking entirely too normal, entirely too relaxed for how panicked I’m feeling.

“My brother left his room and it’s imperative I find him immediately.”

“Okay, tell me what he looks like. I’ll help.” She smiles at me as she stands up tall again. “Maybe I saw him, or maybe I can help you find him.”

“I love that you’re offering, but I really need to do this on my own.” I want to take her up on it, but if Declan’s losing control, I don’t want her to see him like that.

I don’t want him to hurt her.

“Okay, well, if he looks anything like you, he can’t hide too many places. So, you can take my help, or not, but you can’t stop me from helping.” She turns on her heel and heads down the hall, like she’s determined to find Declan before I do.

Fuck if I can let that happen.

Dec, you need to talk to me.

I wait a minute, focusing on my brother.

Or, at least as much as I can focus on my brother, with a certain redhead on the loose, looking for what could very easily be a crazed dragon.

Declan, please. Answer me.

The longer I go without a response, the more worried I get.

I move through the halls of the hospital, making my way toward the main entrance, letting my dragon focus on listening for any sounds that might be Declan. Drowning out the beeps, the buzzing, the chatter, of the building. I can’t even find his scent.

Then beyond the hustle and bustle of the hospital, I hear claws scraping against cement.

I close my eyes, listening intently for their direction.

Above me. The roof.

At least, even if he is losing himself, he’s got the wherewithal to try to get high up before shifting.

The instinct to climb before flying is one that every dragon takes on early especially when in a closed in space like a forest or a city.

I take off running, weaving in and out of hospital staff, patients, and visitors.

Pru calls my name, but I don’t have time to respond. If he’s got claws out, he could take flight, or at least try to take flight, at any minute. And I can’t let him get far.

I can’t let him traumatize more humans, and I can’t let a crazed dragon loose in the skies. I’ve seen entire forests destroyed by a dragon lost to the craze. I’ve watched men I knew, men my father was friends with, die because they didn’t find their mate and gave up hope.

What would a dragon who had a mate and lost her do?

I don’t even notice Calliope on the stairs at first, I’m so focused on getting to Declan. But as I burst through the door and let my own dragon loose, I hear her gasp.

Her eyes are wide, more in shock and wonder than in fear. Her lips curve up in an amazed awe.

Thank the Gods for small miracles there.

I want to try to reach out to her, to tell her she can’t say anything, but I don’t have the time. Not when Declan’s running full tilt toward the edge of the roof, his torn, scarred wings looking like they’ll completely come apart if he jumps off the building.

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