Forbidden Dragon (The Bride Hunt Book 5) Read online

  “You’re a doctor. I’m sure you know how it works. Your ears look perfectly fine to me.”

  She put her hand up. “Well they’re not.”

  “You act like you’ve never fucked before.”

  At this point her eyes were so wide that she looked comical. Her face was flushed but he suspected that was partly due to the ridiculous coat. She finally squared her shoulders. He found himself leaning forward. He couldn’t wait to hear her response. Her eyes flicked away for a moment or two before moving back to his. “No, never.”

  What?

  She licked her lips. “The type of men I’ve been with in the past, well they wouldn’t …” She shook her head. “They were the type to make sweet, passionate love.” Her lips pulled into a smug, self-satisfied smile. “They definitely didn’t do … that.” She widened her eyes.

  Granite couldn’t help the laugh that was pulled from him.

  “What’s wrong? What’s so funny?”

  “Female. You need to be fucked so badly, you have no idea.”

  She choked. He’d never seen anyone choke on nothing before but this little human was doing it. Within a few seconds, she was dragging air into her lungs and focusing those green, molten eyes on him. They were narrowed. “That’s so incredibly rude. For your information …” She put a finger up and wagged it at him. “I may not have had a boyfriend in a while … okay a long while, but …” She stopped wagging the finger and pointed it at him. “I’m perfectly fine. Better than fine. I don’t need a man in my life.”

  She was so full of shit it was scary. Her answer was perfect though. “I’m glad to hear that. What you do in Walton Springs, on your own time, is entirely up to you. What you do here, on my territory is my business. My males are taken with you.”

  She frowned heavily. “Taken, as in …?” She shook her head. “I wouldn’t say that just because they’re nice to me. You should try it some time.”

  “You don’t need their brand of ‘nice’, trust me.”

  “Just because they’re sweet, doesn’t mean they have a hidden agenda.”

  This female was too much. Granite found himself smiling down at her. He quickly schooled his emotions. “Sweet. That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard in a long time. They all want a piece of you. I’m sure you don’t need me to spell out which piece, Doctor.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Nonsense. They’re nice guys. But nice isn’t exactly a concept you understand.”

  “Nice my ass. Stay the fuck away from them. If you slip up, you’ll be fired and I’ll cut the male’s balls off myself.”

  She gasped. “Oh, my god!” She was silent for a few seconds. “You’re serious! You would hurt someone like that?”

  “Deadly serious. They would grow back but no one wants to lose their balls, even for a couple of days.” He palmed his own sacs, noticing how her lips parted and her eyes dilated as she tracked the movement of his hand. Fuck! “You should go now. That proposal isn’t going to rewrite itself.”

  He needed to take a long-ass shower. One that hopefully wouldn’t clog the drains. Then he needed to speak to his males. If one of them put even a pinky finger on this female, he wouldn’t hesitate to remove a certain delicate piece of their anatomy. He didn’t need a medical degree to do it.

  She gave a nod and turned back for the door.

  “And, Doctor …”

  “I don’t think I want to hear this,” she gave a groan that tugged on his balls.

  Damn, he couldn’t wait until the next stag run. Fuck! “You should get laid next time you’re in Walton Springs.”

  She sucked in a deep breath and then slowly released it. “Why am I not shocked you just said that?”

  “You are giving off this scent. It’s driving my males crazy.”

  “A scent?” She turned back to him, a look of confusion clearly evident.

  “Yeah, it’s needy and sends out all the wrong signals to my males. It makes risking their balls worth it to them.”

  “Needy? What the hell is needy? I’m not needy. I’ve never been needy a day in my life. This whole conversation is grossly inappropriate.” The chest area of her jacket rose and fell in quick succession.

  “It needs to be said or I wouldn’t say it.” How innocent was this female? She had no fucking idea. “You are needy. You know that feeling when your breasts feel swollen and overly sensitive? Your nipples tighten, that heavy feeling in the pit of your stomach? That achy feeling a female gets when she needs …”

  “I get it. My private life is no concern of yours. Now, I’m on a deadline … remember?” She spun around and strode from the room.

  Maybe he’d been a bit hard on her. Maybe he … No! He’d never sugarcoated a thing in his life and wasn’t about to start now. If she couldn’t take it she could go back to her own people. Despite all the gasping and huffing, he knew she was made from sterner stuff. The little human stood up to him. It was one of the things he liked about her. Although ‘liked’ was probably too strong a word.

  Chapter 5

  The next day …

  Louise shook her head so hard that a piece of hair fell loose. “No damned way.” The guy was crazy. Completely off his rocker.

  “Do it,” Granite commanded, he was perched on the edge on the gurney. Thank god he was wearing pants this time.

  “Your men have been coming for immunotherapy for seven weeks already. You just started. They struggled with today’s therapy and they have had far greater exposure than you. You can’t possibly start at the same level as them.”

  “I can and I will.”

  “Of course you can. Doesn’t mean you should though,” she muttered under her breath. “How about we get you to their level over the next two to three weeks?”

  He ran a hand over the short-cropped hair on his scalp. “How about we start today … right now.” His eyes were so dark, framed by long, thick lashes. They had no place being on such a masculine specimen of a man, yet they worked somehow. Like his full lips; they helped soften his harsh exterior. Not by much though.

  She pulled her thoughts together. “It could kill you. Haven’t you heard a single thing I …” Louise huffed out a breath, it conveyed her frustration. “It’s dangerous. Worst case scenario you could die, at the very least, you’ll be in a world of pain. Can’t you listen to me and let me do my job?”

  She wasn’t surprised when he shook his head. “I’m a royal.”

  Louise wanted to roll her eyes so badly her eyeballs hurt.

  “Being a royal means that I heal quicker. I’m stronger. You need to do your job so that I can do mine.” He held out his arm and she looked down at it. His bicep was large; his forearm was well-defined. His hand was big and calloused. His skin was bronzed. It was a good arm. A really good arm. The last thing she wanted was to stick it full of needles.

  “You’ll get sick. Very sick. There will be nausea and possible vomiting. During the treatment, you will experience heart palpitations. Your pulse may become weak and thready. Your body temperature will increase, causing you to sweat profusely. Your respiratory rate will go up. You’ll more than likely have an upset stomach for the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours. You’ll be weak and dizzy. You will most likely become unconscious. The point of entry will become swollen and painful. In short, you will feel so ill that you’ll wish you had listened to my warnings. There won’t be a damned thing I’ll be able to do for you once you have had prolonged contact with the allergen.”

  “I can take it.” He reached for the needles but she blocked him with her body.

  “I will administer the treatment.” Thankfully this was her last appointment for the day. Granite was going to need plenty of support once this was over. Medical support of course.

  Granite gave a single nod. “Fine, then let’s get this over with.”

  “You won’t be able to take care of yourself. Is there someone I can call to help you?”

  “I’ll be fine.” Deadpan. The guy had no clue.

  “No, yo
u won’t.” What an arrogant asshole. Why wouldn’t he listen to her? He thought that being a king would somehow grant him special powers. Wrong! “A girlfriend? A friend?” She had to try to get through to him. “A family member? You will need help, at least for tonight.”

  He pushed his arm towards her. “Do it. I can take care of myself.”

  Fine! She was done arguing. She picked up the first needle and put a hand on his arm to keep it steady. “Stay calm. Turn your hand palm up.”

  He did as she said. Louise took ahold of his wrist. His skin was warm. “Keep your arm as relaxed as possible and stay as still as possible.”

  “I think that making me lie on this bed is overkill.” He leaned back against the pillow. The upper part of the mattress was tilted to an almost sitting position.

  Louise ignored his statement. “You’ll feel a pinch as the needle penetrates your skin. I’ll place each of the needles quickly and as painlessly as possible. The site will burn during the contact time. Are you sure about this? Fifteen needles for fifteen minutes is pretty hectic.”

  “I did this the other day, remember?”

  “Mmhmmm. You were exposed to a few more needles but the contact time was way less. A couple of minutes, tops.” When he didn’t respond, she continued. “Okay but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She pushed the first needle in, then the next and the next, working quickly and carefully until all fifteen were in place.

  Granite didn’t make a sound and didn’t so much as flinch. Once all fifteen were in place, she pressed the button on the timer. Next, she gripped his finger and slid the device on. “This is called a Pulse Oximeter. I’ll use it to monitor your heart-rate as well as the oxygen levels in your blood. I won’t hesitate to pull the plug if I feel your life is at risk.”

  She placed a pan in his lap. Granite frowned. “And this?”

  “I refuse to clean your puke off of the floor. Use that.” She pointed at the pan.

  Instead of arguing as she expected, he gripped the edge of the steel container with his free hand and held onto it. His face was flushed and his brow sweaty. It had already begun. The effects of the silver were taking their toll.

  “Let me know if you can’t take any more. Don’t try to be a hero.” Granite was a man’s man and arrogant as hell. “No one else needs to know what goes on between these four walls. It will stay between you and me.”

  “I can take it, doctor. Don’t you have some paperwork to do or something?” His jaw was set. She noticed that the area surrounding the needles was already looking red.

  Louise headed for the other side of the bed, she put a cuff around Granite’s bicep. “I don’t have anywhere else to be. Monitoring your health is my number one priority. I need to take your blood pressure.”

  He grunted.

  Louise pushed a button on the machine and watched as the cuff filled with air, moments later there was a beeping noise. “Still within normal range.” She slipped off the cuff, careful not to disturb the Pulse Oximeter.

  Louise made a note in his file, she included the time that had passed. Granite scratched his chest. Moments later, he scratched again.

  “Itchy?” She arched a brow.

  “Yeah.” His breathing was more rapid, as was his pulse. Again, she noted the time and his symptoms. “It’s not bad though,” he added. His voice sounded a tad hoarse.

  Louise checked his chest and neck area, looking for signs of a rash. It was all clear. “You still have eleven minutes to go.”

  Granite swallowed hard. “It doesn’t matter. I can take it.”

  His heart-rate was slowly climbing. She knew that it would probably end up dropping rapidly. She knew his blood pressure would do the same. “Let me know if you start to have difficulty breathing or if your airway starts feeling tight.”

  He gave a nod.

  His oxygen levels were good but his heart-rate continued to climb. He was breathing deeply, sweat dripped off of him. The needle site was slightly swollen and very inflamed.

  “How are you feeling?”

  Granite smiled. It wasn’t the kind of smile that evoked happiness. Not even close. “I’m doing great. Piece of cake.” He scratched his chest.

  Louise noticed that he was gripping the pan even tighter. “Are you feeling dizzy? Lightheaded?”

  Granite gave a nod. His eyes looked a bit unfocussed and he was swallowing every couple of seconds. “Are you feeling nauseous?”

  “I’m fine!” a low growl. “I can handle it.”

  A couple of the guys had thrown up during their first few sessions. That was with much less allergen over a shorter period. “I need to know what’s going on, what your symptoms are. It’s important so that I can treat you better.”

  He gave a nod. That was it. The guy was feeling ill, that much was clear.

  “Just so you know, I have water and plenty of paper towels. I worked the emergency room during my residency so I’ve seen it all. We’ve just hit the halfway mark.”

  Louise kept monitoring him. She took his blood pressure, which was through the roof. His heart-rate wasn’t fairing much better. The itchiness had become worse, as did the swelling. His body’s reaction was normal.

  She handed him a wad of paper towels which he used to mop his sweaty brow and running nose.

  “We’re at the ten-minute mark. I have to say, you’re doing great.”

  “This is great?” He managed to choke out between heavy breaths.

  “You’re still conscious and haven’t shit the bed. You’re doing really well.”

  “If you say so.” Seconds later, Granite pulled the pan to his face and emptied the contents of his stomach. Louise held the side of his arm as he retched and gagged. It took a few seconds for him to gain his composure. During this time, she grabbed some more of the paper towels and the water.

  She took the pan, replacing it with a clean one and handed him the towel. “You spoke too soon.” Granite wiped his mouth. He used the water to rinse his mouth, spitting into the pan on his lap.

  “Fuck!” he muttered as his head fell back against the pillow. He closed his eyes.

  “Here we go …” His pulse began to slow. During the next few minutes, Granite went from a bright red color to a deathly pale.

  “What … is … it?” His eyes were unfocussed.

  “Two minutes to go. I don’t like your vital signs.” She put a hand to his forehead. “Cold and clammy. Your heart-rate is slow and thready. Your breathing is shallow. Are you experiencing tightness in the chest or throat?”

  He gave a nod. “My chest … tight … dizzy,” he groaned.

  “I don’t want to alarm you but you’re pretty much dying at this point. Your vitals are deteriorating fast. I don’t feel comfortable continuing with—” She reached for the needles.

  “Don’t,” his voice was much stronger.

  “But—”

  “We’re nearly there. I can take it …” ten seconds later, Granite’s head lolled to the side. His eyes were closed.

  “You can take it my ass.” She checked his pupils. Louise gave him a shake. “Granite?” She tried again but got no response. He was out cold, his heart-rate was dropping. “This is nonsense,” she muttered before quickly removing the needles and hitting the timer.

  Using the button on the control on the side of the bed, she lowered Granite some, still leaving his upper body at a slightly inclined angle. Then she put an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose. It clouded as he breathed. His vitals had already improved somewhat. Not nearly enough but at least there was movement in the right direction. The wounds on his arms were bleeding and raw looking. She cleaned and dressed the wounds.

  Granite wasn’t going to be happy he hadn’t completed the whole fifteen minutes but tough luck. He’d almost made it to the fourteen-minute mark. He’d done much better than she thought he would.

  At this rate, he might be stable enough to go back to his own room in a couple of hours. She needed to organize a babysitter for the king.

  Thre
e hours later …

  Louise had been told that Granite’s brother was coming to check on him, but the guy who strode through the door was the polar opposite of the king. His hair was a sandy blond and a little overgrown. His eyes were the color of a single-malt whiskey. The kind her grandfather used to drink after dinner. Two fingers, neat and in a tumbler. He was also ridiculously good-looking, like a movie star. Not nearly as attractive as Granite though. He smiled broadly. “Did he spew?”

  Louise frowned. “Pardon me?”

  The guy gave a half-smile, leaning against the door jamb. He folded his arms, reminding her of a surfer. “I can’t believe he passed out. He’s going to be so pissed,” he laughed. “Did he upchuck? I sure as hell hope so … he’s never going to live this down.”

  Who was this joker? This could not be Granite’s brother. “Are you serious? Granite just went through intense therapy and against my better judgement. It’s a wonder he’s alive.”

  Surfer dude gave a one-shouldered shrug. “It’s a pity he didn’t kick the bucket. One thing less to tease him about. Oh well! Maybe next time.” He strode over to where Granite was resting and began to scrutinize him. There was a smirk on his face. Granite’s vitals had improved dramatically since removing the needles.

  “Who are you?” She moved to stand between her patient and the shifter.

  The guy slapped a hand against his forehead. “My bad! I’m Shale, Granite’s brother. I’m the fourth in command and a royal.” He touched his chest.

  She hadn’t even noticed that his markings were golden. Louise gave a nod. “Good to meet you.”

  Shale gave a laugh, he was peering over her shoulder at Granite. “I wish I had a camera. He looks like shit.”

  “I wouldn’t allow you to take a picture of him. Please step back.”

  “Please, Doc, you have to tell me, did he spew?”

  “I’m not at liberty—”

  He chuckled. “He did, didn’t he? I can tell by your reaction.”

  She put up her hands. “No, my reaction did not tell you that and neither did my mouth. Granite is stable and slowly improving. I can’t discuss his medical condition with you. I would appreciate it—”