She was about to tease that was why he grunted a lot, but held back. Shecouldbehave and needed to work on it.
Thankfully Cam pointed out the general store, small eatery, school, and a few other shops on Seahaven. Apparently they traded a lot with the neighboring villages and towns, explaining how there were so few humans or dragon-shifters in Sutherland that they had no choice but to get along. Seahaven helped the nearby humans with emergencies and had slowly earned their trust over the years.
The whole thing fascinated Emily. So little was known about Clan Seahaven, and she wondered how Melanie Hall-MacLeodwould tell their story, if given the chance. She’d done a brilliant job with her first book about dragon-shifters, and Emily hoped Melanie would write another one soon, too.
They approached a long, single-story building set back from the rest of the clan. Cam gestured to the large, square area surrounded by high rock walls. “That’s the landing area. It’s easier for the doctor to look at injured dragons if they can land right behind the surgery.”
She nodded. “Since Stonefire’s bigger, they have a few landing areas. But Seahaven probably only needs one.”
He snorted. “You drove here and saw how uninhabited it is. Almost everywhere is a potential landing area.”
She was about to ask if the humans were okay with them landing anywhere when they reached the clinic. Kaya rushed out wearing scrubs and said, “I’m sorry, Emily! I probably should’ve woken you up, but Dr. Keith knew you must’ve been exhausted, and so I let you sleep. Just know that I wouldn’t leave without you in the future, if we’re to start at the same time.”
The dragonwoman’s pupils flashed to slits and back a few times, and Emily wondered if it was because of distress. She shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. As long as Dr. Keith doesn’t think the worst of me, then it’s fine.”
“No, no, of course not. Your research papers are brilliant, according to the doctor.” She glanced at Cam. “Thanks, Cam. I’ll take her inside.”
He nodded, and before Emily could thank him for the tour, he strode away.
Kaya spoke again. “Cam has his ways, but he’d risk his life to save anyone on Seahaven. So don’t let his borderline rudeness bother you.”
“Oh, he was nice on the way here, telling me about Seahaven.” She glanced over her shoulder, at the sea. “It’s so beautiful.”
The wind blew, and she shivered. Kaya laughed. “Aye, it’s bonnie but the wind off the water could freeze a dragon’s bollocks off. Now, come on. Let me introduce you to Daniel and the rest of the staff. We’re small, but dedicated.”
And as Kaya guided her inside, Emily pushed everything else aside and focused on making a good impression.
Cam wentthrough the motions of doing perimeter checks, watching drills of his small four-person team, and reviewing all the CCTV feeds to ensure nothing had been tampered with. However, he struggled to focus, his mind constantly drifting back to the image of Dr. Davies’ mouth hanging open as she stared at the sea with wonder.
His dragon spoke up.This morning, Emily outshone the sea.
What are you talking about? And she’s Dr. Davies.
No, Emily is better. And don’t pretend you didn’t stare at the wind whipping her hair around her face, the cool air making her cheeks pink. She was bonnie.
Refusing to go down that route with his dragon, he said,Focus, dragon. We need to meet with Euan to discuss his upcoming meeting with Lochguard.
His dragon huffed.We’ve gone over that before, and it’s no different than in the past. You’re allowed to think of things outside of work.
I do. However, this visit will be different because it’s the first time after the birth of Finn and Arabella’s fourth child, and they’re taking extra precautions.
Through his mother, Cam had learned about the birth of Finn’s third son. Which, of course, meant Cam’s mother hadmerely looked at him and asked if she’d ever be a furbaby grandparent, let alone one to a child.
Not that Cam had time for pets, let alone mates and children.
His dragon sighed but didn’t say anything.
As he strode toward Euan’s home, he spotted Ross Baillie walking toward him. He waved and hoped to keep going, but of course not—the Baillie twins loved to talk.
Ross said, “Hello, Cam. Are you off to meet with the new human female again? I like her, and I think Roman might be interested in her, too. Since all the human females in these parts have rejected him, it might be his last hope at finding a mate.”
For a split second, he wanted to say that Roman was all wrong for Dr. Emily Davies. However, he didn’t really know her and refused to meddle like his mother, so he merely grunted.
Ross snorted. “Chatty as always. At any rate, I’m glad I ran into you—a professor from the University of the Highlands and Islands wants to conduct a research trip in the area, and hopes to coordinate with Seahaven, just in case they need our help.”
Better known as UHI, the university network often worked with both Seahaven and Lochguard for various research, studies, and more. Seahaven had only recently been added as a trusted partner, and Cam wasn’t about to let that lapse.
Especially since it meant more training and work opportunities for others inside the clan, like Ross. As irritating as the male could be, he was both a teacher and a marine biologist. Some of his research was the reason Dr. Davies was here in the first place.
