Page 28 of A Wolf’s Wound

Hannah

It’s a relief to finally have a patient without a traumatic injury—Scooter, an adorable six-month-old golden Lab, is just here to figure out why he’s got red hives all over his poor chubby little body.

“Here you go, buddy.” Melinda and his owner hold him tightly as I lightly scrape at his skin to check for mites and draw some blood to run for common allergies. “Good boy.”

As usual, the owner, a stern-looking woman in her forties, looks worse off than my patient, who’s now cheerfully accepting Melinda’s ear scratches.

“Is he going to be all right?”

I want to tell her that compared to the pets we’ve been seeing lately, he’s doing stellar, but it’s a fine line between frightening the town and telling them the truth.

We’ve put a flier up in the office, sanctioned by the mayor, warning clients to keep their animals locked up at night, and to bring outside animals indoors until the attacks cease.

But internally, I can’t help but worry how much worse that will make things. What if whatever shifter out there gets hungry or desperate enough to start breaking into homes?

Surely Gavin’s already on top of that.

“He’s going to be just fine. I’ll call with the results of the mite test by the end of day. The bloodwork might take a couple of days, but since you haven’t switched food and he hasn’t eaten anything new, we’ll hold off on a prescription food for now.”

I’m on autopilot for the rest of the appointment, dutifully using my otoscope to peek into the puppy’s ears, which are red—I’m leaning more toward mites by the minute—and then writing up my report.

My mind is too busy thinking about what Gavin told me last night and wondering what the hell was up with his brother.

Despite my best efforts, I’m starting to like the guy. He’s high-handed, to be sure, and I can’t say I appreciate him ordering me around like I’m some member of his pack. But I’m used to that from my stepdad. Besides, Ryder backed off last night when I told him I’m not going anywhere.

And I can’t say it was awful, exactly, knowing he was looking out for me last night while I slept. Waking up and seeing him on my couch, jaw slack, with Shadow curled around his head like some sort of Siberian hat…

I step out of the exam room and into the main office just as the door jingles open. Ryder steps inside, his eyes meeting mine immediately. My cheeks warm at the sight of him, and I have to look down at my clipboard just to hide my instinctive smile.

I liked waking up with him in my apartment this morning.

I just don’t like everything else that’s going on around him—for us both, really. I can’t help but wonder what things would be like between us if I’d met him before April and without all the deaths in town.

Would things be simple like they were that night he brought me Chinese food?

“Can I talk to you for a moment, Dr. Kelly?”

Melinda, his eternal wingman, nods before I can say a word. “She’s just about to step out for her break.”

“ In for my break,” I say, glancing at the waiting room. It’s not full, at least not as full as it was even a day ago, but it’s not empty enough to go strolling around town. “Come on.”

He follows me to the break room, his hands in his pockets, and when he shuts the door behind him I’m reminded just how small it is in here. I take a step back, but I can still feel the heat of his body. For a moment we just stare at each other, and I swallow. His eyes are electric on mine.

Whatever he’s about to say, he’s about to mean. There’s a gravity to his presence, and fuck if it isn’t pulling me into its orbit.

If he were to kiss me right now, I might let him.

He steps forward, and my chin tilts up.

“You have to leave town.” His arms fold over his chest. “Tonight.”

Moment broken. “Hell, no.”

Ryder stares. Apparently he didn’t prepare a rebuttal. I suppose I’m meant to swoon in the face of his masculine protective instincts and just do whatever he says, no matter how insane.

“I can’t just leave town.” I nod toward the door. “Did you not see the huge line of patients out there? Where are they supposed to go?”

“A town over.” His eyes narrow. “You’re not the only vet around here. There’s three vets twenty minutes out.”

“Fine. Fine, even if they have the time or staff to deal with my patients, I came here as more than a vet.” I lower my voice. “I came here as a healer. And with everything going on right now, it seems unwise to chase your healer out of town. Don’t you think?”

He growls, and the sound goes straight to my toes.

“Fine.” He nods, but he doesn’t look pleased. “Fine. You wanna stay in town? Stay with me.”

Stay with…

The nerve of this guy. Even as I berate him and his arrogance in my head, a flash of him sleeping on my couch makes something in my chest ache.

And maybe that feeling, more than my general dislike of being ordered around by wolves, scares me more than anything. I’ve already gotten too close to him, too comfortable with him imposing himself in my space.

What happens if I give in? What if, like my mother, I discover that I like having someone take care of me?

It’s not worth the risk. I’m not going to lose myself in this pack.

“You’re not safe on your own,” he says, but he’s wrong.

I’m only safe on my own. Staying with Ryder and learning to rely on him is riskier to me than any killer could possibly be.

“We can debate freedom versus safety all day, but I have patients to see. And I think you already know which side of that I land on.”

With some attempt at dignity, I push past him to step out of the break room. It’s hard to think whenever he’s so close.

But I don’t step out of the break room, and I don’t open the doors. I stand with my hand on the handle, and he stands so close that I can feel his breath stirring my hair.

“Please.” There’s no demand in his voice, but his tone is almost worse. He’s pleading with me.

Part of me, the most treacherous part, is pleading with me too. He just wants to keep you safe , it cajoles. Why can’t you let him? Can’t you imagine how good it would be, waking up with him in his bed?

But most of me is wondering why he cares so much to begin with.

I don’t know Ryder, not really, and not for long. And sure, waking up to see him snoring with my raccoon on the couch was sweet… but before that? I can’t shake the way he looked last night.

Like he was haunted.

Like he knows more than he’s letting on.

At the end of the day, he might even really like me, but he’s a member of the Stone pack. And I know better than most how tight-knit packs can be. What if he’s not sticking so close to me to keep me safe?

What if he’s covering for someone else? He might know exactly who’s behind all these failed shifts and injured animals. It would explain why, despite all the manpower Gavin’s thrown into this mess, they’ve made such little progress.

I look at Ryder, really look at him. Broad shoulders and an honest face.

Does he know who’s behind all this?

Could it be him ?