Mate Healer (5 page)

"You look to drain him of his essence before you heal him," Maurek growled.

"Quiet." Lian didn't need distractions as he focused on putting back together the man he'd been forced to take apart in order to heal his wounds.

Rarely had Lian been called for such a large task. He mostly healed smaller injuries; broken bones, cuts, and once, before now, a sword wound. His bosses liked to keep Lian around for research, not healing. They always claimed machines did better than magic in fixing large amounts of damage.

Here, there were no machines, at least not that he'd seen or had access to.

Lian lifted his hands and cleared his mind. Sparkles twinkled at the edge of his vision telling him he'd already expended too much energy. Canin still needed to be cured, however, and Lian couldn't stop.

"Heal," Lian murmured.

Red flames burst from his hands. Maurek let out a shout of surprise behind him.

"Goddess have mercy," Maurek vowed.

Lian focused on his patient and blocked out all outside noise. Goddesses oversaw every sentient planet. On his home world where most people were self-healers, a man who could heal with his touch had little value. When his abilities began to make themselves known, a goddess had visited Lian and told him one day he would find a place where he would be valued for his abilities. Lian still searched for that place. Somehow he doubted the goddess had been thinking of the dragon grounds.

Canin let out a scream when healing fires seared his wounds from the inside out. Lian knew from talking to previous patients that the flames didn't really hurt. Fear more than pain filled the injured. Only after his inner sight told him the man no longer had open sores or any contamination did Lian pull the back magic into his body.

Opening his eyes, Lian met Canin's expression of wonder. "You should be fine now. The rest of your wounds will heal on their own." Lian always stopped a bit early for serious wounds and gave the body a chance to catch up and finish the job.

"You have the goddess's right hand," the soldier whispered, a common expression across several worlds. To be the goddess's right hand was to have a divine gift.

Lian stood up and patted Canin on the shoulder. He concentrated on not passing out. It took effort. "Rest a few more days to regain your strength and you should be fine."

"You saved me," Canin whispered. "I would've died."

Lian nodded. "Possibly." He didn't know of any way to sugarcoat it and didn't feel the need to try. "Make sure to take it easy the next few days. Your wounds are healed, but you'll still be tender."

He turned his attention to Maurek. "If you'll excuse me I need to get to the medic center. They'll be expecting me about now." He pulled out a business card with a well-practiced motion. "Here's my com number. Call me if Canin has a relapse or if you need my help with anything else."

Lian bit back words of reproof regarding Canin's health. If Maurek's words were true, asking for a healer wouldn't have resulted in any assistance. The fact someone had obviously put out a call for a medic proved someone had an optimistic streak the dragon master didn't. Lian would definitely be reporting Bourne's actions to the medical governing board. Part of the code of ethics included a vow to help all who crossed their path whenever possible. To completely deny help to a group of people because you disliked them went against the code all professional healers were supposed to abide by.

Maurek guided Lian back across the dragon sands and to a row of hovercabs. "I'll pay to have you taken to the medic building."

Lian started to protest but Maurek cut him off. "Don't argue. You did us a favor and saved two of my men. The least I can do is shell out a few bucks for cab fare."

Giving up the fight, Lian nodded. "Thank you, Maurek. May the goddess guide your steps."

"And yours, Doctor," Maurek replied.

Lian slid into the cab and waved to Maurek as the driver pulled away from the curb and towards Lian's future for the next few months. Thoughts of Nevair drifted in his head. After he got settled, Lian would definitely be giving the sexy man a call. Oddly enough, he already missed him.

Chapter Three

The medic center consisted of a long low building with a red tile roof and several outbuildings scattered like leaves across the pale brown sand. An unassuming structure, it looked like every other medic hall Lian had encountered on other planets.

Despite having healed two people and a dragon back-to-back, Lian could feel his magic levels rising again even as his body screamed for rest. As a touch healer he couldn't let the power accumulate inside him too much or there were dangerous repercussions. Lian would do just about anything to avoid excruciatingly painful magical backlash, even work for a man who from all accounts redefined being a jerk. Someday Lian hoped to find a place to call his own.

The taxi driver waved goodbye before disappearing in a whoosh of airjets and a whirlwind of dust.

Lian entered the building, sighing as his thin-soled shoes met the cool tile beneath his heated soles. Bliss. He needed a nap in the worst way.

"Hello there."

Lian opened his eyes to meet the dark-eyed gaze of a slim man with a wiry frame and inquisitive brown eyes. His hair, a reddish-orange, flew in all directions as he approached Lian.

"Hello," Lian returned politely.

"You must be Dr Blythorpe. We were expecting you today," the man said, his tenor voice brimming with good cheer. "I'm Dr Jashwin Ellerby but everyone calls me El. I just know we're going to be great friends."

He took Lian's hand in a firm, but not crushing grip, shaking it vigorously.

"Nice to meet you, please call me Lian," he offered.

Not certain how good of friends they were going to be, he settled for giving the other man a small smile. He'd have to see how much Ellerby supported his superior's behavior before Lian allowed them to become too close.

With casual grace, El slipped the bag off Lian's shoulder and slid it onto his own. Dark eyes glanced around the hall as he led Lian past doorway after doorway as if they were traversing a complicated maze. Lian wondered if El was looking for someone the way he carefully searched before crossing each intersection.

"You have a room by yourself. All the doctors do. Everyone else bunks in twos and threes." El stopped before a door, one among a hallway of white doors, and flashed Lian a smile. "See," he pointed to a small brass plaque with the words Dr Lian Blythorpe stamped on it.

Lian thought it a rather elaborate nameplate for someone who would only be there for a few months.

"Here you are." El waved Lian forward.

Upon entering, Lian found a small room with a bed, a dresser, and a desk. It didn't scream luxury but he'd stayed at worse places. Relief filled him when he saw his bags lined up neatly along one wall.

"I'd suggest you wait to unpack. I'll take you to Bourne right away. He doesn't like to be kept waiting." El's tone indicated horrible repercussions if they were late.

"Lead the way." Lian didn't want to start out on Bourne's bad side. He had a feeling the other man would hate him enough when Lian finished bringing to light Bourne's poor medical practices.

As they walked down the hall, Lian didn't see anyone else around. Where were the patients? Maybe the sterility of the place scared them off.

El stopped suddenly outside a pair of carved oak doors. "A word of advice. Don't upset the big man. Bourne's an ass but he knows his stuff. Mostly."

Nodding, Lian followed El through the doors and straight to a large rectangular table where a heavy-set dark-haired man sat with four other people; three men dressed like medics and a red-haired woman with cold black eyes. Lian had no doubt who ran the place. Bourne oozed authority.

A large array of food covered the surface. More food than some people ate in a day on many of the planets Lian had worked on. The waste made Lian ill.

"Dr Ellerby, who do we have here?" The big man yelled across the room, his voice all but rattling the glasses before him.

Since Lian knew the man expected his arrival, he wasn't impressed with the show, obviously designed to put him at a disadvantage while the others tried to stare Lian down. Lian had worked at some of the toughest clinics in the galaxies. No one intimidated him without bringing a weapon to the fight.

"Dr Bourne, this is Dr Lian Blythorpe, our newest medic. If you remember he's a touch healer and is studying dragon fertility."

"Excellent." Dark flat eyes stared at him with a chilling intensity. "We look forward to hearing about your findings. Of course, as the main medical facility on the planet, we can't afford to have someone just sitting on their ass doing research. We expect you to pitch in. Since I just received communication about your actions earlier today, you can be assigned the dragon fields. They need a new medic."

Bourne's companions chuckled.

Lian kept his silence. He wouldn't feed into the situation, but he'd definitely be talking to Maurek later about keeping things quiet; the man had failed spectacularly. Bourne knew the medical association had already funded Lian's research. Apparently Bourne thought he'd get some free medical assistance while Lian was there. Lian wouldn't rock the boat until he left. Once he had documented proof Bourne didn't live up to his oaths, he'd have the man's license revoked.

"I'd be happy to help out," Lian said smoothly. "As long as I get afternoons for research."

Bourne's companions laughed. A sharp-eyed redhead smirked in Lian's direction. "Haven't the last three healers been eaten?"

"Yes." A slim man purred with obvious enjoyment. "Dragons don't like medics messing with their riders and the natural shifters don't like to be poked around with."

"Very proprietary." Another man that looked similar to the first one gave Lian what he more than likely thought was an enticing smile. "I bet our new healer is man enough to handle the job."

Ick.

Deciding to ignore the comments around him, Lian focused on Bourne. The others were just decoration. He knew the type, yes-men and women who clung to anyone with power. He'd seen plenty of them during his travels. They weren't worth his time or attention.

"Report to Maurek tomorrow, mid-morning. Enjoy your evening, medic," Bourne ordered.

"Thank you, sir." Lian would enjoy having Bourne fired.

He had no doubt the problems at the medical facility started with that man. He'd talk to Maurek about having set office hours except for emergencies.

As the doors closed behind them he exchanged a look with El.

El gave him a wide smile. "You heard the man, let's go enjoy our evening."

* * * *

Nevair scowled at his assistant. "You're supposed to be on my side, Tres."

Tres frowned back at Nevair. "You can't just pick a man off the street and decide to keep him. He's an unknown quantity. Can't you at least look at the people we've chosen for you? Do you know how many resources have been used trying to find you the perfect mate?"

The religious council had spent the past three months vetting possible mates for Nevair.

"I don't want them." He clenched his jaw stubbornly to hold back the vicious words struggling to get out. For someone known for his calm demeanor, Nevair's dragon urged him to lash out and destroy anyone who stood in his way.

Ours. Our Mate.
His dragon insisted.

"How do you know?" Tres persisted. "We have a lot more choices. Men, women, different races and all kinds of different backgrounds you haven't met them all. At least look them over."

"I don't need to. My dragon has chosen. I'm not going to budge on this. You know it isn't optional." Nevair narrowed his eyes at his supposed friend.

"You won't know for sure he's your mate until you have sex with the man," Tres insisted.

Nevair looked away from Tres's piercing look.

Tres gasped. "You didn't! How could you! You've been pure for all these years and you throw yourself away for a fling."

A low growl rumbled from Nevair's throat. His teeth cut into his lips where they suddenly grew sharper. "He's not a fling. He's my mate and if you can't accept that then maybe you need to find another line of work. Besides you've been harping for years about me having sex."

"Yes, but not with some off planet stranger you pick up at the space port!" Tres yelled.

"But a stranger at a conference is all right?" Tres didn't make any sense.

Nevair thought his friend would be thrilled and disappointment filled him over being so wrong.

Tres paced back and forth across the room. "I wanted you to have sex with people so when you finally had your mate you'd know what to do. I didn't think you'd mate with the first man you got naked with."

Nevair shrugged. "Well I did."

Lian would be his mate. Nevair had no doubt in his mind but he had to wait for his dragon mark to appear on Lian's back before he could legally claim him. Until then he'd stalk the man and plan how to keep Lian in his life. The doctor had struck Nevair as rather skittish.

Tres raked his right hand through his hair making it stick up all over his head. "What are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to invite him to dinner," Nevair announced, pleased with his plan. If he were lucky Lian would stay for breakfast.

Tres remained silent for a long time. Nevair didn't flinch or change his story. Lian would be his unless the doctor himself refused Nevair's pursuit.

"I hope you know what you're doing. This can end badly if the council goes against your mate," Tres warned.

Nevair drew himself up to his full height. "I have dedicated my life and soul to my goddess, but my heart is mine to give where I may. They can advise me, but the council can't order me to bond with whoever they want."

Tres's smile reappeared but looked bitter around the edges like burnt toast. "I once had hopes I could get it to belong to me."

"I know." Nevair didn't try to hide his knowledge of the other man's dreams. It would belittle Tres's feelings to pretend he didn't know how he felt. "But we've always been far too close of friends to be lovers."

"Some might think it would make us better lovers," Tres offered, his expression wounded.

"Some might, but I don't." Most of the time Nevair tried to cushion bad news. This needed to be said as baldly as Friar Renfer's head.

Tres nodded and Nevair could almost see the dream fade from his friend's eyes. "If you want this man, I will support your claim to the council."

Nevair smiled, relief racing through him. "Thank you, Tres. I'd hate to have lost a good friend over this."

They had taken their religious vows together. To be at odds caused a deep ache in Nevair's soul. As much as he didn't think of Tres romantically, he cherished their friendship and it would've hurt to lose their relationship. His dragon growled its discontent at their separation from Lian. They both wanted the pretty doctor back in their arms.

At the first free moment he had, Nevair tracked down Lian's number and after early evening prayers Nevair dialed the man he hoped to make his.

"Hello?" The noise in the background made Lian's voice garbled.

"Lian?"

"Yes?"

"This is Nevair. I was hoping to have dinner with you tonight." Damn, he should've called earlier.

"Sorry, Nevair. I'm out with one of the other medics right now but I'd love to have dinner another night."

Disappointment stabbed at him with pointy knives. "That's all right. I'll call back when you're not so busy." His dragon half rumbled angrily.

"Hey, Lian, come dance with me," a voice said in the background.

The image of someone else rubbing against his Lian sent a spike of rage roaring through Nevair. His fingers ached at the tips as they elongated into claws. Before the transformation finished Nevair struggled to speak. "Lian, run!" he growled.

"What?" Lian asked.

The communicator dropped to the floor shattering with the impact. A dragon paw finished the job in one crushing stomp. Throwing back his head, Nevair roared.

* * * *

Lian looked at his communicator in confusion as the line went dead.

"Problem?" El asked, watching his expression.

"Yes. No… I don't know." Lian told El of his conversation.

El choked on his bright green drink. "Nevair, as in speaker of the goddess, religious leader, Nevair?"

Lian nodded. "Why do you think he told me to run?"

"Shit!" El's eyes scanned the room in a panicked jerky rhythm. "Nevair is the leader because he's not only closest to the goddess but also closest to his dragon. If he's telling you to run it can only be because…"

A loud crash sent people running and screaming.

Lian turned at the sound of an animalistic roar.

"Shit! He's shifted and coming for you." El backed away from Lian. "No offense buddy, but I don't want to be eaten today."

Lian watched as an enormous multi-colored dragon stomped into the bar. Frozen in place, Lian couldn't move his feet as his entire body seized in terror. The dragons at the training grounds hadn't seemed so frightening but they also hadn't been searching for Lian. When the giant head spun in his direction, any doubt over him being the target evaporated from his mind.

Familiar green eyes gleamed at Lian with satisfaction.

"Look at what you've done," Lian scolded, hoping he sounded braver than he felt.

The dragon's eyes lost a bit of their smugness. Undeterred, the beast leaned its scaled head closer so it could sniff at Lian like the puppy he'd had as a child. Lian guessed he smelled right because the dragon gave a contented growl.

"Are you happy now? Pleased at the damage you've caused?" Lian waved a hand, indicating the bar. He had no idea if the dragon understood him but he figured he'd give it a try. After all, the worst thing he could do was discover he made an excellent dragon snack.

The dragon set its enormous head on the ground beside Lian. He waited a moment to see if it were a trick but the longing in the dragon's eyes sealed the deal.

"Fine." Leaning forward he scratched the dragon's nose, right above the nostrils. The beast let out a happy sigh. "But I'm still not happy with you."

A little whine had him rolling his eyes. "I don't care. You're paying for the damage."