Page 3 of The Dragon's Surprise
His inner dragon spoke up.Stop dragging your feet. If this boy is with DOCS, it means his mother gave him up. He’s probably scared.
I don’t doubt that. But I don’t have time to raise him. It’d be unfair to the boy, as well as to our patients.
When will you stop letting what happened in our first year as a doctor rule your life?
Not wanting to talk about how his foolishness had nearly killed someone, Kyle discarded his white lab coat and replied to Daniel, “Fine, I’ll go and speak with Miss Sakamoto about his care. I’m sure we can find a solution.”
Daniel, who had mated a human and was expecting his first child soon, narrowed his eyes. “He’s a little boy, lost and alone, not a book you can hand off to someone else.”
“I’m the only doctor here, Daniel. I can’t afford to be distracted or take time off to settle him in since I have to look after the entire clan. And after what I had to do this morning to save Eli, I’d think you’d understand my priorities.”
Before the dragonman could utter a reply, Kyle walked past Daniel, toward the clinic’s exit. He’d make sure the boy had everything he needed and then find a solution that worked for everyone. That was the only way he could protect his clan while also working toward redemption for the mistake he’d made when he’d been young and selfish.
Chapter Two
Lexi watched Ethan as he colored the dragon picture with some crayons. A heavily pregnant human named Jenny Torres filled in another picture next to him, chatting about everything and nothing. Ethan seemed to relax around her, which was good seeing as Lexi would have to leave Ethan with Jenny when she went to meet with Kyle Baker alone. At least now, she wouldn’t have to worry about Ethan being scared.
Jenny smiled at her and said, “You haven’t been to MirrorPeak for as long as I’ve lived here, which is about seven months. Are the other clans the same with how they’re set up and run? I want to visit them all someday, but Daniel says not yet. Something about the clans wanting to make alliances, but ADDA is making it difficult.” She bit her lip and sighed. “I wasn’t supposed to say that. I mean, you’re sort of tied to ADDA, aren’t you?”
ADDA was what most people called the American Department of Dragon Affairs, the agency that ruled over all dragon-shifters in the US. “Yes and no. Although my older sister, Jennifer Sakamoto, works for them formally.”
“Well, she has the best name, so she must be a good person.”
Jenny grinned, and Lexi couldn’t help but smile. Something about the woman made her feel as if she’d known her forever and hadn’t just met her. “We argued like all sisters do, but I love her, and she really tries to help the dragon-shifters. She’s friends with Ashley Swift.”
Jenny’s eyes widened. “I know Ashley! I’ll have to see if she’ll bring your sister around. The more good and dedicated ADDA employees I know, the better, I think. Especially as I’ll need them on my side if I’m to write my dragon textbooks for human children.”
Lexi was about to ask for more information when Jenny’s mate, Daniel, knocked and entered the room. He gave a loving look at Jenny, and Lexi tried to ignore the twinge of jealousy that shot through her. Like a lot of girls, she’d dreamed of living with the dragons and finding her own dragonman as a kid. However, after years of dealing with unwanted children from dalliances between the dragonmen and human women, she’d become rather cynical.
Daniel looked at her and said, “Come on. I’ll take you to him.”
Standing, Lexi asked Ethan, “Will you be okay here with Miss Jenny?”
He glanced down at his crayons, and before he could answer, Lexi added, “I’ll be back, I promise. And I’ve never broken one yet, have I?”
He shook his head.
Jenny reached over, put an arm around his shoulders, and hugged him to her side. “We’ll have tons of fun, Ethan. I have paints and colored paper and all kinds of things. I used to be an elementary school teacher, so no one can craft like me.”
He glanced at Jenny. “Okay.”
Lexi wanted to hug the boy. And yet, as Daniel motioned for them to go, securing Ethan’s future was more important. “Have fun, Ethan. I’ll be back soon.”
She followed the tall dragonman down the hallway until he stopped and gestured at a closed door. “Kyle’s inside. Go in whenever you’re ready.”
After taking a deep breath, she nodded. “I’m ready.”
Lexi turned the knob, entered, and stopped as she crashed into something hard and stumbled. Hands gripped her shoulder to keep her from falling, and she looked up. Green eyes, the exact shade of Ethan’s, stared down at her, pupils flashing between round and slitted. He had long, brown hair pulled back from his face, pale skin, and a slightly too-long nose. Not that it detracted from his strong jaw or firm lips, or pretty eyes.
He grunted, released her, and Lexi stumbled until she could stand on her own two legs. The man spoke up. “Alexis Sakamoto, I presume?”
His calm, almost impatient tone snapped her back to reality, reminding her of how he’d ignored both her and the poor boy in the room down the hall. “Yes. And you, Dr. Baker, are in some trouble.”
Kyle didn’t like to sit still if he could help it, so he’d paced around the small room, wondering what was taking so long when the door opened and someone barreled into him. He stopped her from falling and was about to tell her to be careful when she looked up at him.
He couldn’t look away from her dark brown eyes. She had light tan skin, short black hair, and was quite possibly the most beautiful female he’d ever seen.
Then his dragon spoke up.If this is the DOCS employee, then she can scold us all she wants.
