Page 67 of Ascendant Moon (Gladstone Shifters #6)
When Donna arrived to force-feed Scooter, Lincoln took the opportunity to get some fresh air and empty his bladder.
The new infirmary entrance now included a wolf door, and he slipped out to head for the nearest cluster of trees.
Only one of his bodyguards accompanied him this time, and he assumed they would no longer be needed once Scooter had recovered.
When Lincoln returned, Donna had already finished the feeding and was gathering supplies when he jumped up on the table. She turned to smile at him.
“I gave Scooter an injection that will help him sleep through the night. If he wakes up and moves around, he might pull out the stitches too soon. I’ll feed him again in the morning and see how things look.
Maybe by afternoon he’ll be ready to shift.
If you need me for anything, just howl, and I’ll come right down. ”
Lincoln yipped his thanks as Donna turned out the lights, leaving the door open. She had repositioned Scooter, leaving more room for him to snuggle against his mate’s belly. Despite the odd location and lack of a proper bed, Lincoln was exactly where he wanted to be.
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The next morning
Lincoln awoke when Donna and Erin arrived carrying breakfast. His mate hadn’t stirred at all during the night; heartbeat strong and breathing steady. He got down to eat his meal, giving Erin room to feed Scooter while Donna checked him over.
“He looks good. I’m going to give him another injection so he sleeps while Erin and I are at the clinic. Ben and Evan plan to stop by, and Jonah and Melva will be staying with you all morning. If anything happens, I can be here in a few minutes.”
Lincoln went to do his business and found that Melva and Jonah had replaced Donna and Erin by the time he got back.
They greeted him with licks and hugs, and he found a comfy position next to Scooter before settling down.
Melva held up a familiar paperback and announced her intention to read for a while.
“I stopped by your apartment and picked up “The Duke’s Forbidden Love”. Is that all right with you?”
Jonah preferred human shifter stories, mostly for the laughs, but he and Lincoln both nodded.
As time went on, Melva got wound up and excited by the novel, especially the parts that included steamy romance.
It was as if she’d forgotten that she was reading aloud to others and not sitting at home by herself.
While Lincoln enjoyed the book immensely, he couldn’t help but chuff at the performance of his friend.
That got Melva’s attention and she abruptly stopped reading to look up in confusion.
“What? Oh dear, I’ve gotten carried away haven’t I? We best take a little break here boys and air out the room. Poor Scooter’s going to wake up and wonder what’s going on!”
Fanning herself with the book, the poor woman looked totally flummoxed.
She might be unmated, and of a certain age, but clearly she possessed a working libido—even if the romance was about two men.
Just to make the situation even more embarrassing, Ben and Evan walked in, noses madly sniffing the air and brows wrinkled.
Red-faced, Melva tossed the book on the chair and made a hasty retreat, promising to return with snacks.
Had Scooter been awake, he might have wondered why everyone was laughing.
############
Shortly after noon…
Scooter awoke as Donna began removing his stitches, and he lifted his head to look around.
Lincoln was right there next to him, and Ben and Evan stood over by the wall.
His last clear memory was of the challenge circle and crushing Ballard’s neck, not the infirmary.
Whatever the doctor was doing stung like hot needles, and he tensed to stand.
“Lie still! I need to get the rest of these out before you can shift. I’ll explain everything in a minute.”
Scooter obeyed, enduring the minor discomfort as Lincoln licked his muzzle. What had happened? How long had he been out of it? It must have been pretty bad if he was still in wolf form and full of stitches.
Donna finished what she was doing and then spoke as she examined him.
“You killed Ballard, but almost bled out. I stitched you up to stop the bleeding, but you needed three transfusions. You’ve been in the infirmary for about twenty-four hours, and Lincoln has been with you the entire time.
Ben is going to force you to shift, and if everything checks out, you’ll be free to go. Understood?”
Scooter yipped in assent and waited while the exam tables were moved apart and Donna had draped him with a sheet.
Ben gave the command and Scooter’s body smoothly reshaped itself into human form.
Donna began the examination, asking him to move arms and legs, and listening to his heart and lungs with a stethoscope.
As she finished, Scooter’s stomach growled ominously, and everyone chuckled.
Evan stepped forward with a bundle of clothing and shoes, setting them next to Lincoln. Donna addressed Scooter directly.
“I asked the kitchen to deliver your meals for a couple of days. You’ll need extra food and sleep for the next forty-eight hours, and then you should be fine.
Lou tells me your work schedule won’t resume until Monday, so don’t worry about taking time off.
Nothing strenuous for a while, though sex is okay if you’re feeling good.
Ben and Evan will wait for you in the hall while you get dressed, and then walk you home.
You should know that Lincoln, and your packmates, are very proud of you. ”
Lincoln sat on the exam table, watching while his mate got dressed at a much slower pace than normal. He looked a little pale, though showed no signs of pain. When he’d finished, Scooter hugged Lincoln and whispered in his ear.
“I’d do it a dozen times if it meant you’d be safe. I love you, Linc, and our pup, too.”
Lincoln licked his stubbled cheek before Scooter picked him up and set him on the floor.
On the way out, he gave Donna a hug as well, thanking her for saving his life.
Ben and Evan walked on either side of the couple, ready to lend a hand if Scooter stumbled.
Numerous packmates waved and smiled as they passed, happy to see him on the road to recovery.
Once they reached the apartment, Evan insisted that Scooter sit down while they set the food out on the table.
Before leaving, he offered a final reminder.
“If you need anything at all, just pick up the phone. Oh, and Melva told me that she’d return the book as soon as she finished the story.”
Scooter had no idea what that was all about, but the others found it amusing. He began to wonder what else he’d missed while he was asleep.