Dragon Born

Chapter 1

The little dog in front of me whined helplessly. His floppy ears were pointed backward, flat against his head. He had been a good boy for me so far, resisting the urge to bite me or pull his paw away. He undoubtedly smelt the treats in my bag and knew if he bit me he wouldn't be getting any. One of the weapons in my arsenal to combat ornery animals. Grizzly was no exception.

I couldn't say I blamed him. I'd be ornery, too, if I ran through a rose bush and came out with more thorns in my hide than I had fur. I'd be furious if I hadn't gotten the ball I had been chasing--which he hadn't.

“Last one, boy,” I promised him, poising my tweezers for the right angle.

He looked at me through his long hairy eyebrows, those deep chocolate brown eyes longing for the moment he didn't have to feel thorns tugging at his flesh.

I lifted his paw and gently rotated it so I could see the thorn through his long hair. I grasped it between two prongs then plucked. He gave a small yelp and yanked his paw away. I let him then tentatively patted him down, checking for any thorns I might have missed. Nothing caught my fingers or palms.

I ruffled the top of his head then fished out a well deserved treat.

“Oh! Good boy, Grizzly!” Lady Margaery cheered. She swept past me with her silken skirts and scooped the dog into her arms, planting kisses all over his face. “Well done, Lyla! I knew you were the right woman to call. Ryland wanted to hire any old healer. The fool! Not ‘just anybody’ is good enough to be near my Grizzly. You should feel honoured.”

I curtsied to her respectfully. My stained cotton skirt and leather apron were an eye sore when compared to her lavish dress. “I'm very grateful for your praise, my lady.” It was her praise that gave me more higher end clients. Not that I wasn't appreciative of my clients, high or low born; I was grateful for anyone who took a chance on me. But her friends tended to pay me more and far more frequently. They called me to their fabulous homes because of a sneeze, and because of this, I was allowed to offer lower prices to the less fortunate citizens of Histero.

Lord Ryland Abbott peeked through the door to their living room. “The whining has stopped, does that mean you've finished, Lyla?”

“That's Miss Feyton to you, Ryland,” Lady Margaery corrected him sternly. She set Grizzly down to waggle her finger scornfully at her husband.

Lord Ryland dabbed his bald head and the back of his neck with a handkerchief.
“Are you all right, sir?”

He swallowed thickly and waved it off. “Yes, of course, Miss. It's the bloody summer heat, you see.”

That didn't explain the extremely pale nature of his skin, but I let it slide. Not all of my clients could watch me while I worked on their pets, Lady Margaery was a rare occurrence.

“Come, my darling. Pay Miss Feyton her dues then get ready. We cannot be fashionably late tonight, if the rumours are worth their salt.”

Lady Margaery pouted childishly then collected Grizzly in her arms, swaying from side to side. “I don't want to go tonight. I want to stay with my Grizzie Grizz Bear.”

He blew out a puff of air. “Dear, you don't want to miss tonight. Prince Camden is returning to Histero, and I've heard it will be a reveal party you won't forget.”

Her bottom lip jutted out. “Grizzly almost died today, Ryland. I won't leave his side. Take Lyla if you want to go so badly.”

Grizzly hadn't almost died. Didn't come close to it, in fact.

Lord Ryland dabbed the sweat off his forehead, blinking the remnants out of his eyes. “You'll allow me to bring Miss Feyton?”

“Of course, darling.”