Page 75 of Reluctant Rogue

Katerina shrugged, stepping closer to the exam table to peer at the creature. “I didn’t know they were real, either. I wonder if YiaYia knows.”

Beside Naomi, Nathan’s face turned sheet-white.

“S-she…” he stuttered. “That c-cat…”

Naomi reached over to grab the ubiquitous wheeled stool, sliding it behind Nathan just as his knees gave out. She wrapped a hand around his arm, steadying him as he sank onto it.

Liam entered the room at that moment, appearing to assess the situation in one swift glance.

“Ah, geez.” He shut the door behind him and moved toward the exam table. “First things first. What happened to the jackalope?”

“I… um…” Nathan shook his head, and took a deep breath. “Right. Jackalope. It was on my back patio, by the door. I heard tapping and went to look, and there it was, tapping its, uh, its antlers, I guess, on the glass. Looks like a dog got hold of it.”

“Yes,” Troy rumbled, examining the wounds with assessing eyes. He lifted his gaze to Nathan. “May I?”

“Yeah, sure.” Nathan stroked the little creature’s fur one last time, and rolled the stool he sat on away from the table.

Troy picked up the baby jackalope, cradling it in both hands. “Liam, you know anything about these guys?”

“No, but I can check the database once I get back to my laptop.”

“Database?” Nathan looked like he couldn’t take much more. “You have a database of… this?” His hand swept toward the jackalope.

Naomi patted his arm reassuringly. “It’s okay. Just breathe.”

“Definitely a dog,” Troy pronounced, having inspected the wounds closer. “Coyote, maybe, but if it was a coyote, she probably wouldn’t have escaped.” He set the bunny… jackalope… down on the exam table, and it hopped back to Nathan, whom it apparently recognized as its savior. Naomi thought that was rather sweet, watching the musician’s hands soothe the baby bunny’s soft fur.

“She’ll need some stitches, but…”

“She?” Katerina interrupted.

Troy scorched her with A Look. “Yes. Apparently she’s a jillalope, not a jackalope.”

Naomi couldn’t hold back any longer, she burst into laughter. “Oh, that’s precious. Nathan, you should name her Jill.”

“Here’s the thing,” Troy told them. “I can tend the wounds and stitch her up, but we have to keep her quarantined for rabies.”

Naomi winced. “Ugh, rabies.”

Liam, however, nodded his understanding. “She’ll need to be kept caged, or penned at least, for a couple weeks.”

“We can’t have her here,” Troy objected. “Too many normal humans around, there’s no way she could stay here safely.”

Every eye went to Nathan. The young man straightened his spine, his hands curling protectively around the little creature. “I want to keep her. At least, until she’s healed. I mean, she came to me. I can set her up in a pen in my home and feed her and take care of her, and watch her for signs of infection.”

“Good man,” Troy approved. “Mr. Burke, let them take you to my office and explain a bit about… things… while I fix up your new pet.”

Katerina paused by the door as Naomi and Liam left the room, looking back at her Chosen.

“I really didn’t know they were real,” she offered in a soft voice. “I honestly thought they were just an urban legend.”

Troy waved a forgiving hand. “But I get to tell Douglas,” he warned her.

She snickered. “He’s going to lose his shit.”

“I know. That’s my reward for finding out like this. Now, off with you.”

With a gamine grin, Katerina blew the burly vet a kiss, and closed the door, leaving him alone with his fabled patient.