*I'm at a traffic incident.* Hugh's mental voice was as terse and clipped as his physical one. *I'm a little busy—*
*I'm bringing Connie to you.* He wheeled round, locking onto the paramedic's location. *I think she's been poisoned by wyvern venom.*
Hugh swore, the mental picture bright and profane. *Then you'd better get here fast.*
Chase flew as quickly as he dared. Every slight slip of Connie's body across his back made his heart leap into his mouth. He kept having to twitch one way or the other to keep her from sliding off.
Fortunately, Hugh wasn't far away. In mere minutes, Chase caught sight of the paramedic's distinctive white hair. Hugh was standing some way back from a couple of smoking, smashed cars piled up at the side of the road. John Doe was there, too, wielding a hose to put out the flaming vehicles—and no doubt surreptitiously using his sea dragon ability to control water to assist the process.
“You're in luck,” Hugh said as Chase touched down next to him. The paramedic was cleaning blood off his bare hands with an antiseptic wipe. “I just sent off the ambulance with the casualties. Let's see her, then.”
Chase shifted, catching Connie in his arms as he did so. He lowered her to the ground, stepping back to allow Hugh access. The paramedic crouched over her, his face going intent and focused as he ran his long fingers over her skin. His breath hissed out between his teeth.
“Close your eyes,” Hugh demanded abruptly.
“What?” Chase stared at him, taken aback. “Why?”
“Because I have to shift to heal her.” Hugh shot a quick glance at John Doe, but the sea dragon shifter already had his back to them, fully occupied with the car fire. The paramedic looked back at Chase, scowling fiercely. “If you want me to save your mate, then close your Goddamn eyes!”
Chase would have happily plucked out his own eyes, if it would save Connie. He squeezed them shut as tight as he could, desperately praying as he did so.
Please. Please let this work…
A soft, silvery light shone through his closed eyelids. A faint, elusive fragrance filled the air, like lilacs after rain. Everything seemed to go very still and quiet. All of his aches and bruises faded away, washed clean by that subtle, healing radiance.
What's this? His pegasus pricked up its ears, nostrils flaring as if catching wind of a familiar scent. Kin?
Hush. Chase kept his eyes scrunched shut, not daring to risk distracting Hugh from his task. Privately, he swore he would never, ever again tease Hugh for his mysterious ways, if only he could heal Connie now.
The light faded. “There,” Hugh said, sounding exhausted but satisfied.
“Connie!” Chase flung himself down next to her. He cradled her as she drew in a deep, hacking breath.
“She's stable now, but she'll still need fluids and rest.” Hugh rose, pulling his customary surgical gloves back on. “I'm going to call an ambulance.”
Chase stroked Connie's hair back from her white face. “I'm here, Connie. I've got you. Everything's going to be okay.”
Her eyes fluttered open. They fixed on him, widening.
“Chase,” she said, joy and love shining from her face. She nestled against his chest, leaning on him with perfect trust. “Yes.”
EPILOGUE
One Week Later
“Are you peeking?” Chase demanded.
“I'm not, I promise!” Giggling, Connie clung to his neck, the blindfold over her face tickling her nose with every step Chase took. “But I swear I will, if you don't put me down soon. When you said you had a surprise, I thought you meant close by!”
“Nearly there,” Chase promised, which was what he'd said five minutes ago, when he'd swept her up in his arms, and fifteen minutes before that, during
the car ride from the hospital. Connie was starting to wonder if the next stage of the mysterious journey was going to involve a charter jet. She wouldn't put it past him.
This time, however, it seemed that they really were nearly there. Connie felt him fumble in his pocket, and heard a beep followed by a louder rumbling that sounded like a vast garage door sliding open. After a moment, the noise stopped, and Chase finally set her down on her feet again.
“I couldn't find a 'Glad You've Finally Fully Recovered from Being Poisoned By A Wyvern' card,” Chase said as he untied the silk blindfold from around her head. “Hallmark seem to have overlooked that opportunity, strangely. So I got you a present instead.”
Connie blinked, briefly dazzled by the bright lights after having had her eyes closed for so long. For a second, she just had a vague impression of a large, gleaming, olive-green blur in front of her…