psychiatrist to know his parents' death led to his fear of intimacy. He didn't mind a good hard fuck from a next-to-anonymous guy but to bond with someone, to know them inside and out, that took an entirely different level of connection. Lian didn't know if he could live up to the commitment set by the mark on his back.
Lian's nerves didn't settle the rest of the day. He tried a few times to call Nevair but his lover didn't answer the phone.
When he'd finally finished for the day, Lian stood up and stretched his back. Looking around the lab he had to smile. His benefactor had done him proud. Apparently Milot did own a pharmaceutical company. Lian had no doubts the man knew to a dime what belonged to him, but he'd let Milot play the absentminded protector if it got him what he wanted. Besides he was there to help out the dragonkin.
Putting aside his blood samples in the allocated refrigeration unit, Lian took off his lab coat.
"Doctor, oh thank the goddess you're still here."
A young couple Lian had interviewed earlier rushed into the room. The man had his arm wrapped around his wife as they rushed her inside the small space. "My wife's in pain and worried about losing the baby."
"Why aren't you at the medic center?" Lian demanded. Concern made his voice sharper than he intended.
The woman, Carti, shook her head. "You can't trust them to take care of dragonkin."
"Why not?" Lian asked hoping he didn't know the answer.
"Bourne." They said together. The woman's face paled under her obvious pain.
"Come, lie here." Lian pointed to his medical table. It had a padded bench for people who became dizzy from blood work. A few donors hadn't taken it well when Lian had used a needle.
When Carti settled on the table Lian scanned her with his magic. "That's strange," he muttered. Poison ran rampant through her system. Lian quickly grabbed the vial of blood he'd taken from her before and double checked. Two hours ago she hadn't been infected.
"What did you have in the past two hours?"
"An apple and some water. I haven't been hungry today."
Lian would bet money she drank from the same water supplier as Milot. "I'll need samples of both. Do you still have the apple core?"
Carti shook her head, grimacing at the motion. "But I still have the rest of my water bottle. It's in the car."
"Go get it," Lian told the husband.
Without a question, the man tore off out of the lab.
"I think you've been poisoned. Your child isn't big enough to be born yet so we're going to change its mind," Lian said, using his best bedside voice.
Lian talked the woman into relaxing as they waited for her husband.
Keeping his hand on her stomach he monitored the baby's progress. "I think she's willing to listen to reason," he said with a smile.
"We're having a girl?" The man had quickly returned with the bottle and handed it over to Lian.
Lian grimaced. "Sorry, I didn't know you weren't aware it's a girl. What's your name?"
"Davin." He clumsily shook Lian's hand.
"Nice to meet you." Davin's DNA had showed up as one hundred percent human.
It only took a second for Lian to determine the water as the source of Carti's contamination. His inner eye saw hundreds of the poisonous droplets spinning around in the bottle. "Where did you get this bottle from?" It was a clear glass bottle, the kind people refilled.
"F-from the d-delivery service," Davin stuttered, stress causing him to stumble across his words. "Please, can you help my wife?"
"Yes." Lian set the bottle down. The source could be investigated after he purged Carti of the poison.
He lifted her shirt up just enough to expose her rounded midriff. "I'm going to heal you and then I want you to tell me everything you know about this water."
Carti nodded. Lian figured she would probably agree to anything to save her child. If it were his, he knew he'd want to. Lian placed his fingers on Carti's stomach. The procedure would take more finesse than he generally used. Too much magic could kill the fetus
Lian's nerves didn't settle the rest of the day. He tried a few times to call Nevair but his lover didn't answer the phone.
When he'd finally finished for the day, Lian stood up and stretched his back. Looking around the lab he had to smile. His benefactor had done him proud. Apparently Milot did own a pharmaceutical company. Lian had no doubts the man knew to a dime what belonged to him, but he'd let Milot play the absentminded protector if it got him what he wanted. Besides he was there to help out the dragonkin.
Putting aside his blood samples in the allocated refrigeration unit, Lian took off his lab coat.
"Doctor, oh thank the goddess you're still here."
A young couple Lian had interviewed earlier rushed into the room. The man had his arm wrapped around his wife as they rushed her inside the small space. "My wife's in pain and worried about losing the baby."
"Why aren't you at the medic center?" Lian demanded. Concern made his voice sharper than he intended.
The woman, Carti, shook her head. "You can't trust them to take care of dragonkin."
"Why not?" Lian asked hoping he didn't know the answer.
"Bourne." They said together. The woman's face paled under her obvious pain.
"Come, lie here." Lian pointed to his medical table. It had a padded bench for people who became dizzy from blood work. A few donors hadn't taken it well when Lian had used a needle.
When Carti settled on the table Lian scanned her with his magic. "That's strange," he muttered. Poison ran rampant through her system. Lian quickly grabbed the vial of blood he'd taken from her before and double checked. Two hours ago she hadn't been infected.
"What did you have in the past two hours?"
"An apple and some water. I haven't been hungry today."
Lian would bet money she drank from the same water supplier as Milot. "I'll need samples of both. Do you still have the apple core?"
Carti shook her head, grimacing at the motion. "But I still have the rest of my water bottle. It's in the car."
"Go get it," Lian told the husband.
Without a question, the man tore off out of the lab.
"I think you've been poisoned. Your child isn't big enough to be born yet so we're going to change its mind," Lian said, using his best bedside voice.
Lian talked the woman into relaxing as they waited for her husband.
Keeping his hand on her stomach he monitored the baby's progress. "I think she's willing to listen to reason," he said with a smile.
"We're having a girl?" The man had quickly returned with the bottle and handed it over to Lian.
Lian grimaced. "Sorry, I didn't know you weren't aware it's a girl. What's your name?"
"Davin." He clumsily shook Lian's hand.
"Nice to meet you." Davin's DNA had showed up as one hundred percent human.
It only took a second for Lian to determine the water as the source of Carti's contamination. His inner eye saw hundreds of the poisonous droplets spinning around in the bottle. "Where did you get this bottle from?" It was a clear glass bottle, the kind people refilled.
"F-from the d-delivery service," Davin stuttered, stress causing him to stumble across his words. "Please, can you help my wife?"
"Yes." Lian set the bottle down. The source could be investigated after he purged Carti of the poison.
He lifted her shirt up just enough to expose her rounded midriff. "I'm going to heal you and then I want you to tell me everything you know about this water."
Carti nodded. Lian figured she would probably agree to anything to save her child. If it were his, he knew he'd want to. Lian placed his fingers on Carti's stomach. The procedure would take more finesse than he generally used. Too much magic could kill the fetus
Similar Books
