Page 4 of The Dragon's Mate

“Hello, sugarpie.” The old womanstraightened and gave Kaida a generous smile. Her eyes were the same goldencolour as Kaida’s, and she dropped a small wink at him. “Who’s this handsomeyoung fellow?”

“Hi, Gram. This is Tyler,” Kaida jerkedher chin in his direction, “and this is Corey.”

“Put the fox on the couch and I’ll take alook at him,” Gram said cheerfully.

Tyler followed Kaida to the couch and stoodanxiously at the end of it as Kaida laid Corey down. Gram joined them andpoked and prodded at the fox’s body before lifting his eyelid. His eyes werestill rolled up in his head and Tyler made a soft groan of dismay.

“It’s all right, dearie,” Gram said.“He’ll be fine.”

She felt his skull and his face carefullybefore wiping away some of the blood that had dried under his nose. Shesniffed it carefully and Tyler made a low sound of disgust when she licked itfrom her finger.

“What happened to the poor thing?” sheasked.

“He was being beaten by a bunch of humanboys,” Kaida said. “Three against one and they were all twice his size.”

Gram shook her head. “Human or paranormal –teenage boys are the worst.” She grinned at Tyler. “No offense, dearie.”

She stepped back and straightened. “Well,I can’t do anything for the poor boy until he wakes up.”

“What if he doesn’t wake up?” Tyler said.“What if he -”

“Oh, he’ll wake up, don’t you worry. Foxshifters got heads like rocks,” Gram said. “Now, let me take a look at yourknuckles while we wait for your boyfriend to come to.”

He blinked at her and she chuckled. “Imight be old, but I still know a thing or two about love.” She took his handand surprised him by leaning in and inhaling deeply. “Plus, you got his scentall over you.”

They must be bear shifters, Tyler decided.If she could smell Corey’s scent on him, she had to be a paranormal. Heflinched when Gram probed at his bruised knuckles and she made a sound ofsympathy.

“Ayuh, I imagine that hurts. Well, don’tyou fret – old Gram has a poultice that will ease the pain and help with theswelling.” She pinched his cheek and returned to the stove.

Using his left hand, Tyler fumbled his cellphone out of his pocket and groaned to himself. He had two missed calls andthree texts from his brother.

“I need to call my brother and tell him I’mokay,” he said to Kaida. “I was supposed to meet him over an hour ago and he’sfreaking out. I’ll, um, ask him to come by and get me, all right?”

He stared anxiously at the dark-hairedwoman. Truthfully, he wasn’t going anywhere until Corey woke up, but the thoughtof being alone with a bunch of bear shifters as darkness fell was making himnervous.

Kaida glanced at Gram and a silentcommunication seemed to pass between them. Gram stirred the liquid in thepot. “That’s fine, dearie. Call your brother. Tell him the road is offhighway fifteen. If he gets lost, he can -”

“He won’t get lost,” Tyler said. “We grewup around this area.”

Chapter Two

He drove up to the front of her cabin witha recklessness that raised her eyebrows. She was standing on the porch and heslid out of the SUV, slamming the door and bounding up the stairs with an easygrace. The man in front of her was tall with wide shoulders and a narrow waist.His dark hair was a little on the long side and his lower jaw was covered indark stubble. She inhaled deeply. God, he smelled delicious for a human. Shestudied his light blue eyes that were dark with anxiety.

“Tyler! Where is he?” His tone wasworried and impatient.

She opened the front door and he pushedpast her. As he hurried to the table, she watched the large muscles in hisback before dropping her gaze downward. He was wearing faded jeans that clungto his ass and she could feel the warmth starting in her stomach almostimmediately. She snorted to herself and forced her gaze away. She needed ahuman like she needed another hole in her head.

“Tyler? Are you all right?” The man kneltnext to Tyler who was sitting at the table. He touched his head.

“I’m fine. I hurt my hand when I punchedJeff in the face,” Tyler replied.

“Is it broken?” He examined the wet cloththat was draped over Tyler’s knuckles. “What is that?”

“It’s a poultice,” Tyler said.

“It smells like a dead dog.” The mangrimaced and Kaida hid her smile. The poultice really did smell like death andit would take forever for the smell to dissipate. She’d have to sleep with everywindow open tonight.

While she and everyone else in their clanhad no need for Gram’s poultices, it hadn’t stopped the old woman from learningthe art of healing. Call it a side hobby.

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