Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 93267 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93267 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
Gregori’s eyes slipped back out of focus. Even answering those brief questions had completely wiped him out. It honestly terrified Salem to see how weak he was, but Gregori wasn’t going to get better if Salem sat there and panicked.
He dialed the number, keeping one hand on Gregori all the time, hoping his dragon self would feel better with him right on hand.
The firemen were about to get shanghaied into helping him get a dragon on a roof.
Salem sat on the roof with Gregori, unsure whether to be worried or pissed. Currently worry won out because Gregori looked like shit. He lay on the roof with only a blanket under him, head pillowed in Salem’s lap, eyes not focusing. Salem wasn’t even sure Gregori was lucid enough to realize he’d been hauled up here.
And there wasn’t a damn thing Salem could do to help him.
Right now, he couldn’t help but kick himself over and over. He’d known Gregori wouldn’t leave him, but dammit, Salem was toxic as hell for banking on that and never even questioning what it would do to Gregori in return. This man had basically broken himself to stay with Salem. If there had ever been any doubt about Gregori leaving, it was long gone now. Salem kicked himself again. He’d driven Gregori to this. And to think he’d told Alexis only yesterday that he needed more time.
More time. Like this much time away from his clan hadn’t done enough damage to Gregori.
Fuck, he hated himself.
Anger flared again, hot and heavy. Damn his magic, and himself, for being so useless. What was even the point of being a mage when something like this happened and Salem could only pray for someone else to arrive to help?
He hadn’t been kidding with Sora about asking for an apprenticeship, but this situation right here, it made him all the more determined. No one else was going down on his watch and leaving Salem uselessly sitting by and wringing his hands.
The firefighters had been called out to a fire, so they hadn’t been able to stay, though they’d promised to swing by later and check in. It left Salem up here alone, with Sora texting him, promising they’d be there in a few hours.
Sora’s sole instruction to him was to somehow coax Gregori into shifting if at all possible.
Easily said. How to manage it, that was the question. This situation was unheard of. There was no guide on how to overcome it.
There would be after this, though. Salem would make damn sure of it.
“Don’t do this,” Salem muttered, stroking Gregori’s hair in a rhythmic way. “I just owned the fact I was being an asshole. I can’t make it up to you if you’re like this.”
Was it his imagination or did Gregori try to nuzzle in closer?
The roof door creaked open and a head popped around it. Building security guard, looked like, a retired vet who worked here part time by the name of Joe.
“You two okay up here?” Joe inquired.
Since it was a balmy fifteen degrees, and no one sane would come up here to do anything romantic, he could see why Joe asked.
“Not really. Gregori’s in bad shape, he can’t shift to dragon form right now.”
“Oh shit,” Joe breathed. “Can I help?”
“Joe, right now, I don’t even know how to help.”
Joe didn’t seem to like that. He looked at Gregori for a long second before saying, “I’ll let everyone know.”
Who the hell was everyone? Salem had no chance to voice this question before Joe ducked back inside, letting the door slam shut behind him. Eh, didn’t matter, he’d surely figure it out shortly.
Salem turned his attention back to Gregori. He’d tried coaxing, bribes, everything he could think of to encourage Gregori to shift. Nothing had worked. What had he not tried?
His cell phone rang next to him. Oh, Sora?!
Shit, no, of course it wasn’t Sora. It was the hospital. Why were they calling him on his day off?
Of course, the answer was obvious. He swiped Accept and snarled, “What.”
The person on the other end of the line paused. “Uh, Doctor Hunter? Can you possibly come in—”
“No.”
“It’s kinda a serious case—”
“Listen to me carefully. Gregori is down right now. I’m going fucking nowhere.”
The tone changed and did a one eighty. “Gregori is?! Oh no! Okay, I’ll make sure you’re not on call, and keep us posted on how he’s doing.”
Was there anyone Gregori had not made friends with? Forget ice dragon, the man was a social butterfly.
“I will.” Salem hung up and set the phone back down at his side.
The second he refocused, he realized Gregori no longer stared blindly ahead and instead looked up at Salem. Oh? Relief leapt into his throat. This was the first time in almost four hours Gregori had looked at him properly.
“Gregori?”
“First time,” Gregori whispered, his throat sounding tight. “First time you’ve made me priority.”