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)
Salem’s stomach sank, and for a second, he couldn’t even draw a breath into his lungs. They thought his refusal was about moving. Not about how he’d almost killed Gregori.
But now that thought rattled around his head too. After his frustration with nearly losing the little girl on the table, he’d been grasping at straws. Sora had offered him a lifeline. A way to use the one skill he was born with but had never been able to strengthen to its full potential.
And what if he did come back here and continued practicing medicine with magic? Even if he tried to hide it, eventually word would get out. He’d be wanted for every little injury and illness. There wasn’t enough time in the day to treat them all, and they would just keep coming.
Sam’s heavy sigh pulled him from the swirling dark thoughts in his head. His brother grabbed his shoulders and squeezed. “Salem, there are hundreds of thousands of pediatric surgeons in the States. No offense, but the American kids can get by without you. This time here has been well spent. You’ve done a lot of good here. But do you know who has absolutely zero pediatric surgeons who have been trained in modern medicine? The dragons.”
Salem stared at his brother and then jerked his gaze over to Sora, who leaned against the wall with his arms loosely crossed over his chest.
“It’s true,” Sora agreed. “A small number of the Abe Clan has gone through various universities for modern medicine, but we all focused on general medicine. No one has specialized in pediatrics or completed as much training as you have. While I might have magic knowledge, there are plenty of questions I’d love to ask you about modern techniques and illnesses we just haven’t encountered. Amaru feels the same. He asked me to kidnap you if you didn’t come back on this trip.”
“Not to mention, dragons and mages are having babies again for the first time in several centuries,” Dimitri added. “My kind have a chance to crawl back from the cusp of extinction. We can’t afford to lose a single child.”
Sam released Salem’s shoulders and lightly punched him in the sternum. “That’s right. Dimitri and I have just bonded, but we’re going to want children eventually. For the first time in my life, I’m not trying to figure out how to fix my magic. I can focus on living the rest of my life with my mate, and I want our life together to include kids. Do you really think I’d take the chance without you there every step of the way to watch over your niece or nephew?”
Sam with kids…
That was a terrifying thought.
Sam with kids who were also dragons. That was even more frightening, but also interesting. He’d be the uncle to dragon babies.
Or…
He slowly lifted his eyes to where Gregori silently watched him. The guilt that washed through him this time had claws. Shit, he still wasn’t expressing what he needed to, nor asking what he should be. Arguing with his twin wasn’t the right tactic here.
He went straight for Gregori, taking his hands into his own, trying to find and force out the words that needed to be said. “Gregori. Despite everything I’ve done, am I still your choice?”
“There is no choice,” Gregori replied softly. “You’re my mate.”
“No. Think about this. I damn near killed you and you’re not even angry with me about it.”
“This wasn’t your fault—”
“The hell it wasn’t. It was my stubbornness that drove you to this.”
“It was mine,” Gregori corrected him. “My stubbornness led to this.”
Salem let his head drop on Gregori’s shoulder for a moment. “So we’re both at fault, which is why you won’t get angry with me?”
“Yes.”
“You are such a…” He groaned. “Goddammit, I don’t know whether to apologize or shake you right now. All right. Look.” He lifted his head to lock eyes with Gregori. “I do not want to lose you.”
He saw the delight in Gregori’s eyes blossom and it was such a beautiful look.
“That said, this, what we’ve been doing up here, isn’t healthy. I want us to have a good relationship, not a toxic one. We do better from here on out, got it?”
“I can agree.” Gregori’s smile threatened to take over his face.
“Which includes not letting me railroad you. If there’s something you need, or want, and I’m being an ass, tell me I’m being an ass. Okay? No more suffering in silence.”
“I promise.”
“Good. On my end, I’ll try not to be an ass. Just bear with me, it’s kind of a default setting in my personality.”
“Sooo,” Dimitri drawled. “What does this mean? Are you coming back with us or not?”
Salem finally broke eye contact with Gregori to glance at Sora again. “Will you still take me on as an apprentice even though I put a dragon’s life in danger with my assholery?”