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  “No!” Stopping, she made a face. “No. You need to come with me. She’ll want to meet you no matter how horrible she feels.” There was no way she would let Emily pass over to the other side without thinking that Summer had finally found her man. Even if he didn’t want her, she had to give Emily this.

  Taking his hand, Summer pulled him into the hospital and to the information desk. “I’m here to see Emily Appleton, please. She’s in Emergency and has been requesting me—us. She’s been requesting us.” She mentally crossed her fingers, hoping the security guard didn’t know that Emily had only been asking for her.

  The security guard looked at his computer screen for a moment before reaching over to hit the buzzer for the door. “Go on in.”

  Swallowing thickly, Summer prayed that they had gotten here in time. She had to see Emily before…before they sent her up to a room and visiting hours were over. Summer refused to admit there could be another reason she wouldn’t be able to see her friend tonight.

  Chapter Six

  Adrian stood next to his mate, drinking in her presence. It was all he could do to keep himself from rubbing against her and wallowing in her scent. He didn’t know how long she would allow him to accompany her, but he closed his eyes and thanked the gods his brother had pushed him into that vehicle and slammed the door behind him. It nearly broke him to sit in that vehicle with her sobbing as though her heart was in pieces.

  He didn’t know how long they would stay here together, but he intended to take advantage, just the same. After what he had said it would take no small amount of effort to convince her that he wasn’t the swine that she proclaimed. Adrian vowed to do his best to change for her. He closed his eyes and prayed that he could convince her that he was worth the effort.

  “Can I help you?” a woman dressed in strange, blue clothing asked.

  “We’re here to see Emily Appleton, please,” Adrian replied before Summer had a chance to voice their request. He noticed that a fresh bout of tears usually followed her voicing the name.

  “She’s been asking for us.”

  So much for avoiding more tears. Adrian held back a sigh. It wasn’t that the tears annoyed him. He didn’t want his mate to suffer the pain he knew accompanied them. That he was the cause of her tears earlier had nearly brought him to his knees. Nothing had prepared him for the pain he would feel at seeing his mate sobbing the way she had in the car on the way to the hospital.

  Their hands bumped together as they walked down the sterile hallway that smelled of some strange chemical substance. He nearly stopped in his tracks when her fingers tangled with his and she held on tight. It was as though tiny strings wrapped around his heart, tying him to her in some mystical way.

  Heat raced up his arm and the overwhelming feeling of rectitude filled him. This was right. She was right for him. After eons of awaiting his mate, he had finally found her. His only worry was that after this, she would want him to let her go. Though he said he would earlier, Adrian wasn’t sure he could release her now. Somehow, in such a short time, she had wrapped herself around his heart and he was not prepared to let her go.

  The strangely dressed female led them into a small room where an old woman lay flat on the bed, looking up at the television mounted on the wall. Her sharp blue eyes seemed to miss nothing as she stared at the screen. Summer stopped in the doorway, brought her hand to her mouth, and sobbed. “Emily.”

  The woman turned her gaze their way and smiled. “There you are. I wondered how long it would take for you to come see your old friend.” She looked past Summer to Adrian and gave him an assessing look. “Who is your friend, love?”

  Summer pulled him with her as she approached the bed to give the woman a one-armed hug. “This is Adrian Antaeus, Emily.”

  “I don’t suppose she’s told you a thing about me, has she?” the woman asked shrewdly.

  “Of course I haven’t. I just met the man today.”

  “Yet, he’s here with you at your time of need when I would guess that your tears unnerve him.” Emily smiled. “I would snatch him up and hide him from your sisters if I were you.”

  “He’s already met my sisters.”

  “Oh.” Emily sniffed, then looked at Adrian. “If you don’t snap up this Flowers girl as fast as you can, I’ll call you seven times a fool, sir.”

  “I intend to, madam.” It finally dawned on him why Summer wanted him to come with her when he intended to stay in the car. If this dear old woman’s time came, Summer wanted her to leave at peace, thinking her friend had a husband to care for her. Little did she know that such had been his intention all along.

  “Hand me that bag over there, would you, please, young man?”

  Adrian smiled and did her bidding, though he was tempted to tell Emily that she was a young woman compared to him.

  “Thank you,” she said when he handed her the large cloth bag. Reaching inside, she pulled out something made of twine—no, they called it yarn now. Whatever it was, it was the exact shade of his dragon when he shifted. “These are for you. I made them several years ago and I was just waiting for you to enter my Summer’s life.”

  Taking his hand in hers, she placed it over Summer’s delicate fingers. “You belong together.” She smiled. “You can’t disappoint an old woman now, can you?” She winked up at him.

  How did she know they belonged together? How could this woman be so certain unless she, too, was a witch? If so, wasn’t there a dragon out there with whom she could bind her life?

  Adrian winked back, knowing what she wanted. It was what he wanted, too. Taking Summer’s hand in his, he looked down into her beautiful blue eyes and almost lost his train of thought. He remembered what he was about when Summer moved, looking down at their clasped hands.

  Kneeling, he looked at her, again nearly losing himself in her incredible blue gaze.

  “Say it, man. I’m not getting any younger and neither is she,” Emily said, giving him the verbal nudge he needed.

  “Summer Flowers, I have waited the whole of my life for you. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” He didn’t dare hope that she would answer in the affirmative. Still, he had to try. Every minute he spent with her drew him closer. Every breath she took made him need her that much more.

  Summer swallowed and licked her lips, her gaze darting from him to her friend and back. It was as though she wanted to say no, but didn’t dare with Emily lying there, looking expectant.

  The old woman reached out and tapped Summer’s hand. “This is where you’re supposed to say yes, love,” she whispered with a smile, her clear blue eyes filled with tears.

  With a squeeze of Emily’s hand, Summer looked back at Adrian, her eyes also overflowing.

  Adrian’s stomach clenched. If he managed to convince this woman to marry him, he didn’t think he would ever be able to watch her cry without feeling useless. She was his mate and it was his duty to see to her happiness. No. That wasn’t right. If the fates graced him with Summer Flowers as his mate, he would spend every waking moment of the rest of his life seeing to it that this woman had no reason for tears.

  Summer stood speechless for a moment. She probably wondered if he really meant what he said, or if he proposed because he figured out that it was what Emily wanted to hear. Whatever she thought, Adrian held his breath and waited. If she said yes he would have her because he would never let her back down on her word.

  Adrian was certain that it didn’t help that Emily watched her with her sharp, blue eyes, waiting for her to say yes.

  Looking down at Adrian, she sighed. He knelt there in front of her, patiently waiting for her answer. She split her attention between him and the old woman, making Adrian wonder what could possibly be on her mind.

  Chapter Seven

  Silently, Summer stood staring at the large, light-blue slippers that her friend had so lovingly made for a man she didn’t know. How had she known to make them in blue? How could Emily have possibly known that the color would suit her future mate
so well?

  With a frown, Summer looked from the slippers to Emily’s clear gaze. “How did you know to make them blue?”

  “What are you talking about, love?” Emily may be a crafty old woman, but she was a terrible actress. Summer could tell when the old woman was playing her and right now Emily was trying to stack the deck in her favor.

  “Don’t act like you don’t know what I mean.” Summer narrowed her eyes playfully. How did this woman know the man—the dragon—she would wish to align herself with would be a man more comfortable in the color of water, than any other? She had always known that Emily had been sympathetic to the wise arts, but she had no idea the old woman was so in tune with everything.

  “How could you possibly know that blue would suit the man I will marry? You make slippers for everyone, but it’s usually after you meet them. So how did you know to make Adrian’s blue?”

  Emily grinned. “I just can’t get one over on you, can I?” She patted Summer’s hand again before squeezing her fingers. “I’ve always thought you were too smart for your own good, you know.” She patted the bed, then waited for Summer to sit next to her.

  “I’ve been around a long, long time, Summer. I’m seventy-six years old. I’ve lived my life the way I thought best. It wasn’t until recently that I realized that I’ve made a horrible mistake.” Turning her head, Emily glanced toward the window. “I’m not your garden variety geriatric, you know,” she said, her expression morose.

  She patted the other side of the bed. “Come on, Adrian. Have a seat. You should know this as well.” Taking a deep breath, she sighed. “I shouldn’t ask you to do this. You don’t want to do this.”

  “Do what, Em?” Summer asked as she reached up to brush a few strands of gray hair from the woman’s brow.

  “Long ago…” Emily paused to look at Summer. “When I was about your age, I-I turned down a dragon. I know he’s found another by now, and I have no place with him, but I wanted to see him one last time before I die.”

  Summer felt her eyes go wide. “You turned down a…”

  “Yes, you silly girl. I know about dragons. In fact, I also know about witches. I am one. However, we were always told that dragons would harm us. Declan always insisted that I was his mate and that we should spend our lives together, but I wouldn’t agree to marry him. How could I? What if he realized what I was? Would his love be enough or would he kill me?”

  Tears streamed down Emily’s face. “I never should have listened to the rumors. I missed out on a lifetime of happiness, a lifetime with the man I loved, and now my life is nearly spent. I know it’s a lot to ask, but will you help me find him?”

  Summer leaned down and hugged the old woman, her tears falling just as copiously as her friend’s were. “I’ll find him, Emily. Somehow, I’ll find him. I promise.”

  Wiping her tears on her sleeve, Summer looked across the bed to Adrian and wondered what it would be like for the both of them if they couldn’t mend their differences. Would she, like Emily, end up a lonely old woman crocheting slippers for her friends and family, or would she have the courage to stand up to Adrian and accept his proposal? If she listened to her heart, she would accept Adrian’s proposal and hold him to his word to marry her.

  “Now,” Emily said, interrupting her thoughts. “Adrian was on one knee and you were about to answer his question. And you were about to say…”

  Summer looked across the bed to Adrian and swallowed. “I was about to say yes, Adrian, I will marry you.” After all, how could she not say yes and let Emily see her live her dream when she might not be able to find the old woman’s dragon? And how could she not say yes to the man the fates had sent her? Already, she felt more for him than she had any other man.

  Smiling at Adrian’s shocked expression, she added an addendum. “Providing that he’ll help me find your Declan.”

  “I will do everything in my power to help you find your friend’s mate, love. Never doubt that. Wherever you go, I will be there.”

  Warmth seeped into Summer’s heart when he smiled at her. How would she ever get her way with this man if they stayed together? If he ever found out the way he made her feel with just a smile, she would never be able to do what she wanted. He would use that smile to get his way, every time. She smiled at him, feeling her heart expand as she slowly let his fingers slip through hers.

  “If you’ll excuse me, I have a few phone calls to make. I am not familiar with a Declan. If I call my brother, he might be able to shed some light on this mystery.”

  “I do so love a mystery. I wish I could join you on your search.”

  “I do, too,” Summer said as she leaned down to kiss Emily’s cheek. “That would mean that you were well and back to your matchmaking self.”

  Emily smiled softly. “It would, at that, wouldn’t it?” Reaching out to rest her hand on Summer’s, she smiled. “At least this task gives you some common ground and it gives your dragon friend something other than his hormones to concentrate on.”

  “You can say that again.” Summer watched Adrian as he talked on his cell phone in the hall, wondering absently if the hospital even allowed him to use a cell phone.

  When two nurses walked by and said nothing, she shrugged and turned back to Emily. “So, do you have any idea where we should start looking?”

  Chapter Eight

  Adrian stood in the hall, holding the blasted contraption they called a cell phone glued to his ear as he waited for his brother to pick up on the other end.

  The strange noise, his brother called a ring, belched in his ear as two women, dressed in the strange clothing he had learned from the television were scrubs, walked by.

  Each of the females gave him the once over and he felt naked. He was still unsure whether giving females the right to care for themselves was a good thing. Surely, if it were, there wouldn’t be so many singular women walking about, looking at him as though he were some sort of sweetmeat free for their taking. They would all be in their homes serving their husbands.

  “Hello,” said his brother’s voice from the other end. “What do you need, Adrian?”

  How did the ass always know ‘twas him on the other end of the line? He knew that he didn’t possess any new magic. Adrian hoped that he would one day figure that out. For now, he must be content to get some answers to more important questions.

  “I need your help.”

  “You always need my help, brother, and I am happy to oblige. What is it this time?”

  Was it him, or did it sound as though his brother didn’t like their little conversations they held via this little box?

  “Summer has a friend named Emily.”

  “I’m aware of that,” Damek said dryly. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

  “I would if you would shut flapping that thing you call a mouth.” Good gods, when would his brother grow up? It had been over a thousand years and still he acted the fool.

  “I’m listening.”

  Adrian seriously doubted it, but he continued anyway. “You knew she had a friend named Emily. Did you also know that her friend is a witch?”

  “A what!”

  That Damek was startled to hear that bit of news was not a surprise. Apparently, witches had been very rare these days, right up until Drake Delfavaro found the Flowers sisters.

  “Yes. She claims that she is a witch and I believe her. She also claims that when she was in her mid to late twenties, a dragon wished to mate her and she turned him down out of fear for her life.”

  “I can see that happening. Somehow, someone has spread the rumor that dragons hate witches and kill them on sight. Which is why most of the dragon population is still unmated.”

  “Yes, well, she said her Dragon’s name was Declan. You wouldn’t happen to know a Declan, would you?” Adrian asked as he glanced back into the room. Summer sat next to the bed, her hand over Emily’s as they spoke.

  “As a matter of fact, I do know someone by that name. He hightailed it back to Scotland about
fifty years or so ago.”

  That would have been about the right time frame.

  “No one has heard from him since he went back. I think he has holed himself up in a cave. I wouldn’t doubt it if he’s put himself into a deep sleep to try to forget.”

  “Wonderful.” Adrian closed his eyes, shook his head and sighed. “I don’t suppose you would have any idea where he would be, would you? Emily wishes to speak with him.”

  “I have an idea, but there’s no guarantee he’ll be there.”

  “We have to try. We have made a promise and I intend to keep it. If we can find him and, if he hasn’t mated another, they could still bind their lives together.”

  “They could. It has been done in the past, but it depends on how strong the woman is.”

  “Emily Appleton is strong. What she lacks in physical strength she makes up for in her emotional strength. I have a feeling that we merely need to find him and he will take care of the rest.”

  “Shall I call Waverly and have him contact the pilot to fuel up the jet?”

  Adrian’s stomach clenched. Not flying. If he had to fly, he would rather change into his dragon and do so the old-fashioned way. Who needed some great metal contrivance to carry them across the ocean? Dragons certainly didn’t need such a thing.

  He looked over at Summer and stifled another sigh. His mate would need one. “Yes. Please do. We will need to borrow it, if you don’t mind.”

  “Well, if you two don’t mind, May would like to go with you.”

  This meant, of course, that Damek would be there as well. “That would be fine. We’ll most likely need your help anyway.” He knew little to nothing about this modern world. His brother would be more help than he would know.

  A man dressed in scrubs walked past him and into Emily’s room. Every instinct he had went on alert. His dragon nearly growled with outrage. There was another male near his mate! “Make the call. I will return Summer to her home as soon as possible.” He ended the call without saying goodbye. It might be rude, but he had a mate to protect now.