“Draco, my dad is here. He’s a doctor. Can he come in?”
It took Draco a moment to realize that he was half-shifted and snarling every other breath. His beast was not happy and he needed to blow off some steam. Literally.
“Of course.” He fought for control and stepped to the far side of the room. He couldn’t take his eyes away from Sawyer, though, not even when he sensed another alpha’s presence in the room.
He fought back another growl when the man stepped over to the bed. Henry’s dad gave Pearl a quick ear rub, then placed his medical bag on the side table.
“What happened?”
Henry climbed up onto the opposite side of the bed and settled beside Pearl. “We don’t know. He called Draco and by the time we got there, he was having a seizure. He was in a lot of pain, too. And had trouble breathing.”
“And what did you do?”
Henry shrugged. “I just… touched him, really. I remembered what it felt like when I had my vision and he touched me. How cool and refreshing it felt, and how much better it made me feel. And I don’t know, Dad, it seemed to work.”
“And you think he’s null?”
“Yes, Alpha Jerrick,” Draco managed to say. He walked closer and stood at the foot of the bed. “We believe that he is.”
“Call me Vaughn, please. So, if he’s null, how did something magical affect him?” He continued his careful examination as he spoke, looking into Sawyer’s eyes, listening to his heart and lungs.
“We don’t know.”
“Okay, we’ve got a couple options here. We can bring him to the clinic and I can do more extensive tests, or I can have some oxygen delivered and we can give him another few hours to see if he wakes up. I’m a little concerned about his lungs. It’s almost as if he has smoke inhalation issues. His breathing is a bit strained, so I’d like to get him on some oxygen to help him breathe a bit easier.”
“Whatever he needs,” Draco said. “Whatever you think is best.”
Vaughn glanced at Draco, then back at Sawyer’s still form. “Let’s not move him then. Henry’s uncle has agreed to transport him to the clinic should his condition worsen. I can have oxygen brought through now which should make things a bit easier for him.”
It took a second for Vaughn’s words to settle but when he did, he looked up in alarm. “The hellhound is here?”
Henry looked up nervously. “He is. A human was attacked magically, Draco. I had to call him.”
All of their kind followed certain rules, and the hellhounds existed to make sure they did. One of them was to not reveal themselves to humans outside of emergencies. Hopefully, the hellhound would understand Draco’s reactions. When he received the call, realized Sawyer was hurt, he’d bellowed in rage. Eduard had heard his yell and he’d managed to tell the other guardian that Sawyer was hurt before he shifted and flew.
Dragons were known for their speed in the air, and it had been mere minutes for Draco to fly to the university, shift back to his human form, and be at Sawyer’s side. Under normal circumstances, Draco managed to use his magic to shield himself from human eyes, but he honestly couldn’t remember if he’d done it. The only thing in his mind had been getting to Sawyer.
He was lucky that his shift was magical in nature, unlike some of the other clans. He didn’t have to worry about finding clothes. His shift was more of a step between worlds. In one, he was human. In the other, a dragon. And he could move seamlessly back and forth between the two worlds. Not that it would have mattered. He would have shown up stark naked if it meant helping Sawyer.
“Draco?” Henry asked quietly.
“I understand. I’m sure he needs to speak to me.”
“He’d like to, yes. You were the first one of us on the scene. We need to find out who did this.”
Draco couldn’t agree more. And when he did, he’d roast them alive.
Vaughn closed his bag and placed a reassuring hand on Henry’s shoulder. “This isn’t your fault, Henry.”
“No, it isn’t,” Draco agreed. “Stay with him while I speak to your uncle. Don’t leave his side. Understood?”
Henry nodded. “Are you s—”
“Yes, I’m sure. Call me if anything changes.”
“I will.”
Draco led Henry’s father back downstairs and found the others waiting in the formal living room. A large man stood beside the fireplace, his long dark hair tied to the back of his head. Sawyer would have laughed. He loved man buns and had tried to convince Draco to grow his hair out.
