Broken Halo Read online

  

  Maple Grove 12

  Broken Halo

  [The Lynn Hagen ManLove Collection: Contemporary, Alternative, Fantasy, Paranormal, MM, HEA]

  Dr. Ari Bjord uprooted his life, leaving behind a broken heart as he moved to Maple Grove to become the new town doctor. His work was fulfilling, but he missed having someone special in his life. Ari just never expected that special someone to be an actual angel with a chip on his shoulder and perpetual whiskey bottle in his hand. Ari definitely had his work cut out for him.

  Tortured and punished for thousands of years, Gavril was nothing short of bitter and broken. He wouldn’t know love if it walked up and slugged him on the jaw. That was until a sweet little doctor risked his life to help Gavril. Now Ari was all Gavril thought about, all he craved. With overzealous angels out to kill him, Gavril knew it was time to stop running and fight. But his biggest fight of all was learning how to love the most important person in the world to him. His mate.

  Length: 33,300

  BROKEN HALO

  Maple Grove 12

  Lynn Hagen

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  Broken Halo

  Copyright © 2019 by Lynn Hagen

  ISBN: 978-1-64637-030-6

  First Publication: November 2019

  Cover design by Emma Nicole

  All art and logo copyright © 2019 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book or print book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at [email protected]

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Lynn Hagen loves writing about the somewhat flawed, but lovable. She also loves a hero who can see past all the rough edges to find the shining diamond of a beautiful heart.

  You can find her on any given day curled up with her laptop and a cup of hot java, letting the next set of characters tell their story.

  For all titles by Lynn Hagen, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/lynn-hagen

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  BROKEN HALO

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  BROKEN HALO

  Maple Grove 12

  LYNN HAGEN

  Copyright © 2019

  Chapter One

  “What am I supposed to do with a box of puppies?” Ari asked Moose as he looked around his office. He still had boxes to unpack and patients to see. “I’m a doctor, not a vet.”

  Though one could argue that point since Ari also saw nonhuman patients.

  “I found them on the side of the road.” Moose’s features darkened. “And trust me, when I find out who dumped them there, I’m putting my gigantic boot up his ass.”

  Ari tilted his head back and looked up at his friend. If he hadn’t already known Moose was a huge teddy bear, that threat, along with the deadly expression on his face, would’ve scared the mess out of him.

  “Still…” Ari waved at the box of adorable puppies, which were yapping and trying their best to climb over the side. Their little nails scraped along the cardboard box, and they would have succeeded if Ari hadn’t stopped them. “What am I supposed to do with them?”

  “Adopt them out to a good home.” Moose looked proud of his idea, but Ari didn’t want the responsibility. His days were already way too busy, and adding adoptions to his full schedule wouldn’t be possible.

  Though the three little mixed mutts were too darn cute. What kind of monster could throw them away like trash? He hoped Moose found the culprit and kicked their butt. It was bad enough they’d been tossed on the side of the road where they could’ve gotten hit by a car, but it was also really cold outside. If Moose hadn’t rescued them, the poor things would’ve frozen to death.

  “I tell you what,” Ari said. “Make some flyers for them and I’ll put some up around the clinic. But in the meanwhile, you need to take them home. The clinic is closed at night, and puppies need constant supervision.”

  Ari eyeballed the runt of the litter. He wasn’t cold-hearted. He just couldn’t take them all. He scooped the little one up and looked at his loveable face. The puppy squirmed and whimpered then wiggled while he tried to lick Ari’s face.

  “See.” Moose chuckled as he clapped Ari on his back, nearly making him stumble forward. “They’re irresistible. You know you want one.”

  “And that leaves two.” Ari cuddled the shivering puppy against his chest. “I swear, Moose. You know how to talk me into things.”

  Like uprooting his life and moving to Maple Grove to take over the town medical practice from Dr. Cormack. It hadn’t been an easy decision, but now that Ari was somewhat settled, he was falling in love with Maple Grove.

  Then he thought about Olin, his ex-boyfriend. Ari quickly slammed the lid on that thought and looked down at the whimpering puppy in his arms. “I’m gonna call him Sweetie.”

  Moose grimaced. “You’re setting him up to get picked on at school.”

  Ari chuckled. “I like the name because he’s such a sweet puppy.”

  “But he’s a boy.” Moose gave the needless reminder. “You should call him Killer or Armageddon. Give him a name the other puppies won’t beat him up over.”

  Ari raised the puppy to look him in the eyes again. “What do you think? Do you like Sweetie?”

  The dog peed on Ari.

  “Ack!” He held the puppy at arm’s length as the wet warmth spread across his shirt and the material stuck to his chest. Ari contracted his stomach as though that would help. It didn’t. The material suctioned to him no matter how hard Ari tried to shrink his stomach.

  “See!” Moose pointed at the large, yellow stain on Ari’s button-down shirt. “He doesn’t like it.”

  He placed the puppy back in the box and opened the closet on the other side of his office, grabbing a clean work shirt from a hanger. As he stripped the soiled one off, he glared at Moose. “Fine, I’ll call him Rocky, like the fighter. That way other puppies will assume he’s tough.”

  Moose stuck his nose in the box and laughed as the puppies licked his face. “You like that, Rocky? That’s such a good name for such a good boy.”

  “And why don’t you keep the other two?” Ari went into his private bathroom and washed his chest with soap and water before donning his clean shirt. “I’m sure Grayson would love them.”

  “Now that Alisha and Anna are living with us, there will be someone at home to watch over them. I’m sure Anna would love puppies.”

  Thank god Moose wasn’t leaving all three with him, but Ari needed to figure out what to do with Rocky while he was at the clinic. He supposed he could make a pallet in his office until he found other suitable arrangements.

  “But I can’t take him right now,” Ari said as he exited the bathroom. “I need to buy him supplies.
Can you take Rocky home just for the night?”

  “Sure thing.” Moose winked. “But make sure you pick him up soon. I can probably sell the idea of having two dogs to Grayson, but I doubt he’ll go for three.”

  Ari ruffled Rocky’s head before Moose picked up the box and headed out of the clinic.

  “So, did you adopt a puppy?” Tessa, the receptionist, asked. “Tell me you adopted one.”

  Tessa was a short—around five foot even—and waiflike female, with long, flowing red hair and emerald-green eyes. She was the sweetest woman Ari had ever met.

  Ari rolled his eyes. “Yes, I gave in and said I’d take one. Do we have any patients to see?”

  Tessa handed him a Post-it Note. “You have a house call for someone named Harry Crouch,” she said. “I still can’t believe you make house calls. Not even Dr. Cormack did that.”

  He did it only because he didn’t need injured preternatural beings in his clinic. Tessa was human, and so was Nurse Betty, although Nurse Betty was close to retirement. Ari needed to find a replacement for her before she retired so the new nurse would know how to run the clinic smoothly.

  “Tell Nurse Betty I’ll be gone for a while. If any emergencies arise, call me.”

  Tessa nodded as Ari grabbed his medical bag from his office and headed out. It was late November, and the air was crisp as Ari hurried to his burnt-orange Jeep. Thanksgiving was just around the corner, and Moose had invited him over for the holiday.

  Ari had accepted, because sitting home alone thinking about Olin wasn’t a healthy thing to do. His ex had been a rank bastard who’d taken more than he’d given, but shamefully, there was a small part of Ari that still missed him.

  “Nope, not gonna go there,” Ari said to himself. “What’s done is done. You’re moving on, remember? Think of the bad times so you can stop dwelling of him.”

  Ari turned on his radio and hummed along to some pop song as he drove to Harry’s house. He wasn’t one to judge, but who on earth would name their child Harry Crouch? That was way too close to Hairy Crotch.

  And it would have been nice to know what kind of nonhuman he would be dealing with. Ari carried an assortment of medicine in his bag for his house calls, but if he’d known the exact species, he could’ve been better prepared.

  He cut the radio off when he pulled into a long driveway with extensive potholes. Was this some kind of joke? Was someone messing with him? Ari looked at the dilapidated two-story home and winced. The porch sagged, and the house looked as though it hadn’t seen a paint job in decades.

  When Ari came to a stop he noticed some of the front steps missing and one of the windows upstairs was broken. He sat there debating on whether he should even get out of his Jeep.

  His heart beat faster when the front door opened but no one came out to greet him. Nothing but woods surrounded the house, and the front lawn was overgrown. The tall blades of grass swayed in the wind as snow started to lightly fall.

  Ari rolled his window down and shivered when the cold wind whistled through the opening. “Hello?”

  No one answered.

  “Oh dear. This is such a very bad idea.” Ari opened the driver’s door, grabbed his medical bag, and got out. He clutched the bag close as he took a few steps toward the house.

  “Is anyone home?” he called out.

  Only the wind answered him. The leaves rustled in the trees as a few small snowflakes landed on Ari’s glasses. Dead leaves and gravel crunched beneath his sensible shoes as he took another step.

  If he disappeared, at least Tessa knew where to send the cops to recover his body.

  “Hello?” Ari used the rickety handrail to make it up the front steps. He pressed his feet in spots that held wood, still frightened he’d fall through.

  When he made it to the porch, the boards creaked, as though they might not hold his one hundred and twenty pounds. The interior was dark, which made it impossible for Ari to just peek inside.

  “Mr. Crouch, it’s Dr. Ari Bjord. You called the clinic for help?”

  In his travels, Ari had met a lot of preternatural beings. Most were nice, but some wouldn’t think twice about killing him, especially if they were in pain. Every fiber of his being told him to turn around and haul butt back to his Jeep, but the doctor in him, the guy who had sworn to help others, couldn’t leave someone who was injured just because their house needed to be bulldozed.

  Blowing out a breath for bravery, Ari stepped inside and was instantly smacked with the smell of mildew. There was standing water somewhere in the house, and a lot of it.

  He looked around at the ancient furniture that had seen better days. The sofa had a few holes, and the stuffing was hemorrhaging. There was a large clock on the wall, and the pendulum swung, creating the only noise besides the slight gusts of wind outside.

  “Mr. Crouch?” Ari called out. “Are you here?”

  Goose bumps broke out all over Ari’s body. He wasn’t afraid to admit to himself that he was scared. Ari wasn’t a fighter by any stretch of the imagination. He healed with his hands. He didn’t use them to strike someone.

  He sure hoped no one jumped out and attacked him.

  A noise from what looked like the kitchen made Ari jump. Don’t go in there. Turn around and run. Sometimes Ari was too stubborn for his own good. His need to treat a patient overrode his common sense.

  And apparently his safety.

  “Mr. Crouch?” Ari shivered slightly, not only from the freezing cold but because of his nerves, too. He stepped into an L-shaped kitchen and grimaced at the sad state of the room. He couldn’t even see the floor beyond the grime and trash.

  And was that fresh cigarette smoke he smelled? Mr. Crouch had to be a heavy smoker because the smell was everywhere. If the guy had been human, Ari would’ve had a long talk with him about the health risks.

  It was still a nasty habit, though.

  He stopped when he spotted a pair of bare feet. Ari clutched his bag to his chest as he stepped around empty boxes of food and broken dishes.

  “Mr. Crouch?” Ari was stunned when he saw a very naked man passed out on the floor. He was used to the male body, but for some reason, he felt himself blushing and chastised himself for such a thing. This immensely attractive man clearly needed his help, not his drool.

  Ari hurried over and knelt at Mr. Crouch’s side. “Can you hear me, Harry? I need to know what you are and what’s wrong with you.”

  The guy groaned and twitched. Just seconds before his body had been flawless. Now scars slowly appeared everywhere. Ari inhaled sharply at the horrendous sight and how they simply appeared. Two of them seemed fresh while the others looked old. Ari’s heart ached at just how many littered this man’s body. From his ankles to his collarbone, he was covered with them. Most were old, already healed, but there were fresh wounds on his chest and they were bleeding.

  Ari opened his bag, put on some latex gloves, and pulled out some gauze. He needed to wipe away the blood so he could see what he was dealing with. “I’m sorry if this causes you further pain.”

  Ari’s wrist was suddenly gripped in a tight hold, making him drop the bloody gauze. The stranger’s eyes flashed open, and Ari gasped. His irises. They swirled and…and…were those shooting stars he saw?

  “What do you think you’re doing?” the guy snarled, though he didn’t seem very focused. His eyelids kept drooping down then shooting upward. He was clearly trying not to pass out again.

  Even so, the hold became tighter, almost to the point of pain. Ari tried to rip his arm free, but the grip was too strong, like trying to separate flesh from steel. “You called m-me here. I’m only trying to help you, Mr. Crouch.”

  Harry laughed then coughed. “Name’s Gavril.”

  “Well, whoever you are, I need to take a look at your wounds.”

  Gavril turned his head slowly, his upper lip curling as he released his hold on Ari’s wrist. “The wounds I carry can’t be tended to. They’re buried too deep.”

  Those haunting wor
ds saddened Ari.

  “Be that as it may, I’m going to take care of the ones I can see.” Ari pushed his glasses up his nose before reaching into his bag. He pulled out some ointment, and as carefully as he could, he smeared the white paste over the lacerations.

  He forced himself to focus on the task at hand rather than how simply gorgeous Gavril was. His looks had no bearing on his treatment.

  “How did this happen?” Ari replaced the lid on the paste given to him by a winged beast. Its plant healing properties were downright incredible, and as Ari looked at the open gashes, they began to slowly mend.

  “Does it matter?” Gavril sneered. “You did your job. Now get the fuck out of here.”

  “Too bad I don’t have ointment to help heal your nasty attitude and ungratefulness.” Ari normally wasn’t so curt, but he’d risked his life coming to this god-awful place, and for what? To be treated like the trash all around him?

  It’s not your place to judge, just heal. Ari closed his bag and stood. “You would do well to find a cleaner place to live unless you want to risk an infection.”

  That wasn’t true. Not for nonhumans. Gavril wouldn’t get an infection from the filth he lived in, but dang it, Ari was letting the guy get to him, and he didn’t understand why.

  Gavril staggered to his feet. Holy crud, the guy was tall. Ari took a few steps back. Was Gavril about to deck him for his harsh words? “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be so short with you. That was very unprofessional of me.”

  He turned to leave, but Gavril grabbed him around the waist and spun Ari around. He crushed Ari to his naked and sculpted chest. “You’re beautiful for a human.”

  Ari had been called a lot of things, mainly by his ex, but beautiful wasn’t one of them. He was too skinny for his height, had unruly hair, and very thick glasses. He was more of a geek than gorgeous. That was one reason Ari had spent most of his life with his nose in a book while others his age were partying or getting married.