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“If Peterson doesn’t bring back a chocolate chip cookie, I’ll go get you more,” he promised.

“Okay.”

She bent her head and focused on her food. What was it about these two shifters that affected her so strongly? She didn’t react this way with the shifter doctor. She was acutely aware when Peterson returned. He placed a tray on the table and handed a plate of food to Van.

“Damn. I didn’t realize how hungry I was,” Peterson groaned as he began eating.

Jayden felt her face flush at his confession. She felt bad about slapping his hand now. The rule of her clan was never to deny another food if you had more than you could eat. She noticed he had no cookies.

“You did not get cookies?” she asked.

Peterson looked up from his plate and shook his head. “They were all out.”

She looked at the plate in front of her. There were three cookies on it. She swallowed. They looked very good, but guilt weighed heavily on her stomach.

“You may have one of my cookies. He already ate one. That will leave one for me and one for Doctor Ben,” she said.

“That’s okay. I have chocolate pie.”

She studied Peterson for a moment. He had blue eyes the color of the mountain lakes and auburn hair. His powerful, sculptured jaw was covered by a light, five o’clock shadow of matching auburn hair. He was built similar to Mitchell, probably six-one or two, lithe and muscular.

Her attention flickered to Van. He was the polar opposite with his black hair and dark brown eyes. He was about the same height as Peterson, but his shoulders were broader. Both men were staring at her as if she were the dessert and not the sweets on the small round plates.

Panic began to seep into her when she felt the familiar pull toward them. She pulled her eyes away to focus on Ben who was watching the three of them with a bemused expression on his face. She lifted her chin in defiance.

“You said you would tell me about my grandfather’s health. He will be… alright?” she asked, her voice hesitating on the last word as her throat tightened in anticipation of bad news.

Ben smiled at her. “He’ll be fine. His blood tests came back pretty good. His iron is a little low and his white-blood count is still a little high for my liking. I’m mostly concerned with his lungs, though the antibiotics have kicked in and are doing their job. He’ll need plenty of rest. I’ve scheduled a respiratory therapist to come in tomorrow.”

“How long will he be here?”

“I’d like to keep him for a couple more days just to make sure the antibiotics work. I don’t want to take a chance on him having a relapse. The test results for your grandmother came in this afternoon. Elaina asked that I explain the results to you as she was concerned she wouldn’t understand or remember everything. Her vitamin D is low. I’ll prescribe a supplement to help boost it. I’ll also start both of your grandparents on a daily vitamin supplement once they are released. All the other tests came back looking good. The only one left to worry about is you. I’d like to run a few tests. A full workup on your blood, an MRI, CAT, and mammogram, and a routine exam,” he added.

She scowled. “Why? I’m not sick.”

Ben sighed and glanced at Van and Peterson. Both men quickly looked down at their plates when she looked in their directions. She rolled her eyes. She knew they were avidly listening.

“None of you’ve had any vaccinations or proper health care—ever. This would be a routine checkup. Think of it as preventive maintenance. At the very least, I’d just like to run some blood tests,” Ben said.

“I cannot speak for the others, only myself. My answer is no.”

She jumped when the table shook. Turning with a frown, she noticed that both Van and Peterson had a mutinous expression on their face. Van’s fingers curled where he had slapped the table.

“Now wait just a damn minute. If Ben says you should be examined, then you should be examined,” Van growled.

Peterson laid his hand on Van’s arm, but kept his eyes focused on her. She didn’t understand why they were so upset. It was none of their business what she did or didn’t do with her body.

“What Van means is what could it hurt? Wouldn’t you like to know that everything is okay? Hell, both of us go in for a routine exam once a year, don’t we, Van? In the military, it is required. It’s better to be safe than sorry. There’s nothing to it, really. They weigh you, take your blood pressure, take a little blood, and listen to your heart and lungs. Isn’t that right, Ben?” Peterson said.

“Pretty much,” Ben agreed.

She looked at the three men with a wry expression. “Pretty much, huh? I talked to my grandmother when she came back. I know what else you wish to do. My answer is the same—no.”

“It isn’t that bad! Why don’t you ask Ella? Ben, you’ve seen Ella, haven’t you?” Van asked.

“Yes—”

“I said no,” she replied at the same time in a terse voice. Rising from her seat, she gathered her dessert tray. “I wish to return to my grandparents.”