Chapter Six
The next day flew by for Emily as Daniel Keith and Kaya MacKay guided her to a local beach and helped her collect the necessary plants. The water was too choppy to go out and dive for other samples, but she didn’t mind since it meant more time in her lab to study and work on her formulas.
She was so engrossed in her work that Emily lost track of time and forgot to eat. By the time her stomach rumbled constantly, to the point she couldn’t ignore it any longer, the sun had set, and it was dark out.
Staring out the window, she blinked. Had she really spent the past ten hours in here?
Her stomach reminded her that, yes, she had. And even though she wanted to keep working, it was after midnight, and she needed to help Daniel with a few human patients in the morning. Even if Emily’s focus was research, she’d helped Sid and Gregor back on Stonefire with their patients, and was more than willing to do so on Seahaven, too.
Stretching her arms above her head, she yawned. Getting to a Scottish beach wasn’t always easy, and it’d been a trek from Seahaven to the protected area they’d visited. It’d beenbeautiful, though. The beaches had light-colored sand, and when combined with the hills and cliffs, they’d been stunning. She hoped to explore the outdoors more while she had the chance.
After gathering her things, she turned off the lights and went to the front door. She had keys now, and took them out before exiting the building.
Where she just avoided running into the tall, solid form of Cam Alexander. “Cam? What are you doing here?”
He raised an eyebrow. “I won’t allow you to walk home alone after midnight.”
“We’re in the middle of nowhere—no offense—and there are CCTV cameras everywhere. Won’t I be safe walking from the clinic to your house?”
“No future mate of mine will walk alone in the dark, especially not when there’s a bounty on her head.”
She was about to point out that she really wasn’t his future mate, but yawned again. After locking the surgery’s door, she said, “I’m too tired and hungry to fight you right now. Let’s just go home.”
She lifted her chin and tried to walk away, but then she stumbled, and Cam caught her.
For a beat, she merely clutched his shirt and leaned into his solid, warm form. He smelled like the wind, and the sea, and something uniquely him.
And she rather liked it. Instead of trying to stand upright again, she inhaled deeply, causing a low heat to fill her lower belly.
Then she realized what she was doing and tried to pull away—she’d wanted a dragonman who didn’t want her before and didn’t want to experience that again—but Cam merely turned her around and scooped her into his arms.
“What are you doing? Put me down!”
He grunted. “You wanted to know how a dragon-shifter would act toward a potential mate on Seahaven, and this is it. You’re tired, hungry, and unsteady on your feet. There’s no way I’m going to risk you falling and hurting yourself. So that means I’m carrying you.”
She was about to protest, but as he held her tighter against his chest, his heat lulled her, to the point she might fall asleep if she wasn’t careful.
Her stomach rumbled again, and his frown deepened. For some reason, she wanted to reach up and smooth the lines away.
Thankfully, he spoke before she did something stupid. “Have you eaten anything today?”
“Er, not since the protein bar I had at lunchtime.” In the dim lighting from the surgery, she could see his pupils flashing to slits and back a few times. “What’s your dragon saying?”
“He’s scolding me for not bringing you something to eat earlier. I won’t disturb your research, but I’ll ensure meals are delivered.”
“Because me not eating will make you look bad to the clan, right? Since I’m a potential mate?”
He gazed intently into her eyes. “No, because you’re mine to take care of. For now.”
Even though she knew it was an act, her throat closed with emotion. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had looked after her.
Her parents had abandoned her, as had most of her friends when she’d moved to Stonefire. And even her best friend, Trahern, had often been so focused on his work that he’d never noticed if she was struggling or feeling down. And yes, she knew he hadn’t ignored her on purpose—Trahern had never been good at reading or determining emotions.
But still, she’d struggled more than she’d let on. And right then and there, in Cam’s arms, it hit her how much she’d wanted someone to notice her.
Not that she needed someone to take care of her. Emily had been standing on her own feet since she was sixteen years old.
And yet…Cam wanting to carry her home and make sure she ate made her heart thump harder.
