Page 37 of The Dragon's Surprise
However, in recent weeks, he’d gotten to know his friends and clan better.
So he nodded. “Thank you, Daniel.”
Daniel grunted. “Of course. Now, go. Lexi was the only one who needed immediate medical attention. The nurses can handle the rest for now.”
With that, Kyle barked orders to ready the carrying basket. And once Lexi was in it, he stayed with her, holding her hand and telling her she’d better pull through or he’d never forgive her.
Kyle paced the private waiting room, waiting for Dr. Alvaro to give him an update.
She’d been in surgery for hours trying to save Lexi, who had a bleed in the brain. And if the dragonwoman couldn’t stop it, Lexi wouldn’t survive.
While he was grateful that Dr. Alvaro’s specialty was neurosurgery—even though she could do routine surgeries too, like any dragon doctor—he still didn’t like how she’d banned him from even watching the operation.
His dragon spoke up.You would distract her. It’s hard enough performing brain surgery without having someone staring her down.
He grunted.That might be true, butI don’t have to like it.
Before his beast could reply, there was a knock, and the door opened. He expected to see the doctor or one of the nurses, but Ethan rushed in. Joy and relief rushed through him as Kyle dropped down, opened his arms, and caught his son as he jumped into them. “Ethan! You’re safe.”
The boy hugged him harder.
As Kyle stroked his son’s head, he asked, “Are you okay?”
The boy nodded, but didn’t say anything. Kyle slowly moved back until he could see Ethan’s face. His pupils flashed rapidly, but he wouldn’t meet his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“I shouldn’t have believed him.”
“Who?”
“That man. He said you were my real dad and didn’t want me, gave me away, and that you were going to sell me to the dragon hunters.”
“Wait, slow down. Tell me everything.”
And as Kyle listened to how Ethan’s maternal uncle had filled the boy’s head with doubts, making him think Kyle really didn’t want him, he began to understand why his son had gone with that male.
At the end, Ethan finally met his gaze. “Is it true? Are you my dad? My real dad?”
Even though he rather would’ve waited to talk about this, Kyle nodded. “Yes. I didn’t know you existed, Ethan, or I would’ve made sure you knew how to be a dragon-shifter. I promise you that.”
“And now? Do you want me now?”
Kyle placed a hand on his son’s shoulder, squeezed, and nodded. “Yes, I want you. And not just because you’re my son. I love you, Ethan, and I want to help you learn to be a dragon-shifter, to become a grown male, to do all the things you want to do, and to be a family.”
Ethan hesitated and then blurted, “And what about Lexi? Will she die?”
He didn’t want to lie and struggled with how to answer. “Dr. Alvaro is doing everything she can.”
“I don’t want her to die.”
He pulled his son into another hug. “Neither do I, Ethan. Neither do I.”
As he continued to hold his boy, Dr. Alvaro entered the room. Kyle’s heart pounded since he couldn’t read her expression. But she spoke before he could ask anything. “Lexi pulled through. And provided she wakes up, she should make a full recovery.”
Ethan turned. “Will she wake up?”
The female doctor’s face softened a little. “I think so, but sometimes we don’t know what will happen when someone’s hit on the head. The brain is in your head, and sometimes it does what it wants to and we can’t predict it.”
Ethan’s face looked uncertain, so Kyle added, “But we’ll visit her as soon as we can and make sure she knows we want her to wake up.”
