At least most of the crowd had been sent home so she could fret in peace. She wasn’t sure if everyone had left because the danger had mostly passed or because the tent blocked them from trying to take a peek. At any rate, she was glad they had left or she would’ve had to think of a way to get rid of them. Human or not, her dragonman was not to be eyed as some freak show accident to provide entertainment.
She had reached one edge of the landing area and was about to head back toward the tent when she heard a familiar deep voice. The words were a little faint and distant, but she could just make out, “We’re nearly there. And see? Just like I told you. Everyone is gone.”
Bram had finally decided to show up.
When he came into view, she marched toward him, about to demand what had taken him so damn long when she noticed Arabella beside him.
Mel blinked and stopped in her tracks. Arabella MacLeod was outside, and in the main living area no less.
Before she could get her mouth working again, Bram approached her and said, “You really should close your jaw or a bug might fly in.”
Not realizing she’d had her mouth hanging open, Mel promptly shut it. Bram’s words had kicked aside her shock and she frowned up at him. “What took you so long? I had a hell of a time of first getting to Tristan and then convincing the healers to let me calm him down. Your words could’ve made everything happen that much faster.”
Rather than looking angry, Bram looked amused. “Your backbone never ceases to amaze me, lass.”
She waved a hand in dismissal. As if she wouldn’t do whatever it took to save Tristan’s life. “Whatever. Tell me what happened.”
Bram shrugged. “The mobile service signal at Ara’s house is less than reliable, so I didn’t hear about Tristan until you had already arrived and allowed the healers to work on him. Since you had things in hand, I decided to focus my energies on getting Ara here to see her brother.”
Mel glanced over to Tristan’s sister and noticed the woman was no longer in the strange trance-like state she’d been in earlier. If anything, the woman was frowning. Mel decided to go easy at first rather than incite the dragonwoman’s temper. She could use Arabella’s help against Sid and her healers if the doctor tried to keep information from her. “It’s nice to see you again, Arabella. Tristan will be pleased.”
She waited to see if Ara would simply ignore her or not. Thankfully, Bram also kept quiet.
After glancing to the tent and back, Tristan’s sister said, “Why aren’t you in there with him? They could be doing anything to my brother right now.”
Mel resisted a smile at the dragonwoman’s censure. “I was, but once the knives came out, little Tristan junior or junioress decided he or she wanted to leave. I figured vomiting on him wasn’t the most sanitary of ways to show support.”
Bram chuckled. She didn’t dare hope for Ara to do the same, but the woman’s frown eased a bit. At least that was something.
Ara said, “Who is operating on him?”
“Cassidy.”
Ara nodded. “Good. Sid has the best reputation in the clan.”
Mel didn’t want to push her luck, but her curiosity pushed her to ask, “How do you know that?”
At first, Arabella said nothing. Since Mel knew how difficult this was for her, being out in the open and not fifteen feet away from a dragon no less, she didn’t mind the woman’s pauses. Hopefully, with time, they would lessen.
Finally Arabella said, “Word of mouth travels in cyberspace just as much as in real life.” She scrutinized Mel from head to toe. “You’re not taking the best care of yourself, let alone my future niece or nephew.
Convinced Arabella was no longer trapped in her memories like before, Mel wasn’t going to tiptoe around Tristan’s sister. That wasn’t her style. “And when did I have the chance to do so? I figured making sure my baby’s father stayed alive was more important than finding something to eat.”
To her surprise, Arabella nodded in approval. “I like your answer.”
She stared. Maybe, just maybe, she and Ara would truly be friends one day.
Bram laid a hand on her elbow and started walking. He guided them toward some rocks lining the landing area and motioned for Mel to sit. “Ara’s right, though. You should sit and I’ll fetch something for you to eat and drink.” He looked to Arabella. “Can you handle keeping Melanie company?”
Bram’s tone had been strong, as if his question had been more an expectation than a request. Even Mel felt compelled to answer in the positive. She was beginning to understand this whole dominance thing.
Arabella dipped her head in the affirmative and Bram said, “Good. Call me if anything happens. Since I’m in the main area, I shouldn’t have any more service interruptions.”
With that, he was gone. Mel looked to Ara and patted the rock next to her. “Come. Sit down. I’ve been pacing for too long and it really doesn’t help Tristan any.”
Ara didn’t sit. Instead, she said, “Thank you for fighting to save my brother’s life.”