by D. M. Turner
Ian watched the man start an IV in each of Sophia’s arms with two different bags of clear fluids, which he hung on hooks screwed into the wall above the bed. “Are you sure she won’t heal around those needles?”
Jeremy shrugged. “As damaged as her body is, I don’t think that’s a worry, but we’ll keep an eye on them to be on the safe side. I don’t really know what to expect. I’ve never seen a wolf in this condition and reacting this way, so I can only speculate. I’d run blood work if she was human, but….” He shrugged again. “Even if we knew the blood norms for wolves, there’s no way I’d want to involve an outside lab in the analysis.”
Every situation seemed to come back to a lack of knowledge about their own species. “Would it help to have a lab here at the Preserve so you can establish norms?”
“That would mean keeping records.”
“You’re already doing that for the females. At least, with regards to reproduction.” He frowned. “Those records are secure, right?”
“As secure as they can be. They’re on a laptop computer without network and internet capability, using an encryption that Carlos created.”
Carlos Mendez, a member of the pack, was a whiz with computers, security, and hacking. If anyone could secure computer files, it’d be him. “And that computer is where?”
“Locked in a hidden, fireproof safe at my place. There’s a copy of the files hidden here.”
Ian raised his brows. “Here?”
“Yep. Colin suggested a good hiding place.”
He nodded. “He’d know the best places to hide things on the premises.” No one knew the Preserve better than his son, who’d spent his entire life running the grounds.
“I’d like to keep the laptop here, but Carlos suggested it would be best to have the original and copy in two different locations.”
“He’s probably right.” Ian studied Sophia. “Anyway, why don’t you make a list of what you’d need to set up a lab here? Get it to me. I’ll see what I can do about setting it up. I realize you’ll be limited in what you can do here, but anything is better than the nothing we have right now.”
“I agree.” Jeremy nodded. “I’ll get you a list as soon as I can.”
A low groan from the bed cut off conversation.
Ian scooted the chair closer, near Sophia’s head to stay out of Jeremy’s way.
She raised her hands.
Jeremy grabbed her wrists and pinned them gently to the bed.
Her eyes flew open, bright amber with anger. “Let go of me!”
Jeremy flinched and shrank back a bit but didn’t let go. He shot Ian a fearful look.
Ian laid a hand on her shoulder to capture her attention. Interesting that she was instantly angry and not fearful.
She rolled her head toward him, recognition flashing.
“This is Dr. Jeremy Richardson. He’s the pack physician. I called him when you collapsed. He had to put IVs in both of your arms. He’s trying to prevent you from hurting yourself.”
Sophia looked back to Jeremy then lifted her head to glance down at her arms. She relaxed and nodded.
Jeremy released her, stepping back.
Ian wasn’t sure who was more relieved, the doctor who was able to let go of a dominant wolf, or the woman who’d awakened to find a strange man pinning her to a bed. It was probably a good thing for Jeremy that Sophia was in such a weakened state.
“How long have you been losing weight?” The doctor crossed his arms over his chest, tilted his head, and looked in her direction without making eye contact.
“Since I left Seattle three months ago.” She grimaced. “I haven’t eaten as much as I should.”
“Why not?”
“I’ve lived off my savings since I quit my job. I didn’t know how long it would take to find you.” She frowned and shook her head with a glance at Ian.
“It’s okay. I know what you mean. Go on.”
“I’ve cut corners wherever I could to save money. Slept in my vehicle. Walked whenever possible in various towns and cities checking out bookstores. Not eating as much as I should have. I stretched my savings as far as I could.”
Jeremy scowled. “Starving yourself isn’t the way to go about it.”
“I know. I didn’t know what else to do.”
“Is today the first time you’ve lost consciousness?”
Ian glanced at him. Had he purposely avoided pointing out that she’d died for several seconds?
“No.” She winced then took a deep breath, releasing it on a long sigh. Her body seemed to melt further into the bed as she exhaled. “It happened a couple of weeks ago. I woke up in a restaurant with half my food eaten to find paramedics hanging over me. They had me strapped to a gurney to take me to the ER. Scared me half to death. All I could envision was them doing blood work, finding out what I was, and locking me away for the rest of my life to be experimented on. It took a few minutes to convince them I was fine. I finally pointed out that they couldn’t force me to go.”
“I know how scary that had to have been.” Jeremy nodded.
No doubt. Ian raised a brow. Jeremy had almost been killed the summer before, and he’d been terrified the woman with him would call 9-1-1. She hadn’t known what he was at the time, any more than the paramedics could’ve known about Sophia’s special circumstances.
“They finally left me alone. I got out of there as quickly as I could to make sure they didn’t change their minds.” She closed her eyes. “After that, anytime I ate, I made sure I did it in the car someplace private in case I passed out again. I was afraid I wouldn’t wake up in time to stop them.”
“Have you collapsed since then? Other than today, I mean.”
“Briefly about a week ago. For a longer time day before yesterday.” She frowned at Ian. “How long was I out this time?”
“About forty minutes.” Thirty-nine to be exact.
Her frown deepened. “That’s the longest so far.” She looked up at Jeremy. “What’s wrong with me? I know I’m underweight, but why am I blacking out when I eat?”
“I can only speculate, but… eating burns calories you don’t have. You consumed food, burned calories you can’t afford, and lost consciousness. Meanwhile, your body managed to absorb some of the calories from what you’d eaten. Basically, your body is shutting down unnecessary processes to keep those necessary for life going.” He pierced his lips then sighed. “According to Ian, you actually died today, so I don’t think you could’ve survived it again. Your body has reached the limit of what it’s capable of compensating for.”
“I died?” Her eyes widened, and her gaze shot to Ian’s.
Ian nodded. “Your heart stopped, and you quit breathing.” His chest tightened, remembering her lying dead on the floor. He got to his feet. “I’m going to get you something to eat.” He forced a steady, reasonably-paced walk and went to the kitchen.
* * *
“I died,” Sophia muttered. Then she glanced at the doctor hovering nearby. “It might’ve been best if you two hadn’t brought me back.”
“Why?” His brow furrowed in obvious confusion, and Jeremy cocked his head.
“I don’t belong here. I’m not part of your pack. Therefore, not your problem. And I really don’t want to be a burden on anyone.” She closed her eyes. “At least, if I was dead, I wouldn’t have to worry about hurting someone or my secret getting out to the wrong people.”
“Chicken, huh?”
She opened her eyes and glared at him. No one called her a coward.
A grin played across his lips, though he avoided eye contact. “I knew that’d get your attention. You’re right where you need to be, whether short-term or long-term. God brought you here for a reason. We’ll do what we can to help. What you do after that is up to you.”
Before she could formulate a response, Ian walked in carrying that platter. If she wasn’t mistaken, it had far more piled on it than it had the first time around. He set it on the nightstand then held up her book. “I bro
ught this in case you want to read it later.”
“Thanks.”
“Now, Jeremy says you need to eat a lot, so sit up and eat.”
Sophia scowled at him. “You really are a bossy butt.”
Jeremy chuckled. “He can’t help it. He’s the alpha. Bossy comes naturally.” His gaze rested on the floor, even as he continued to laugh softly.
“Alpha?” She met Ian’s amused gaze. “You’ve got to be kidding. How many werewolves live in this area?”
“About a dozen.”
“And I had to stalk the alpha. Great. Just great.”
“Is there something wrong with alphas?” He cocked his head.
“Stalk the alpha?” Jeremy shot Ian a curious look.
“I’m such an idiot.” She ignored both of them and covered her eyes with one hand. “That’s all I need. Another domineering, control freak male trying to run my life.” Lord, this just isn’t fair.
“Well, um, you’ll find Ian’s not like that.”
“Yeah, right. So you say with him standing right here.” Sophia let her hand fall back on the bed, careful not to let the weight drop on the IV. “He’s already proven how much he likes ordering people around.”
Ian smirked.
“That’s because he truly does know what’s best for you right now.” Jeremy smiled. “Are you seriously not going to eat simply because he told you to?”
“No.”
“Alright then.”
A phone rang.
Ian snatched it off the nightstand and trotted from the room before answering it, leaving Sophia and Jeremy alone.
“Give Ian a chance. He’s a good man. He can be bossy at times, but usually that only comes out when he’s concerned. Take him ordering you around as a compliment. It means you have him worried. The fact you collapsed will only make him more determined to ply you with food.” He smiled. “Other than where we might impact the pack as a whole, Ian lets us live our own lives. He doesn’t dictate what we do, where we live, and things like that. We have the freedom to come and go as we please, even from the area. All he asks is to be kept informed, which is common courtesy.” Jeremy cocked his head and studied her. “Did you have an alpha in Seattle?”
“No. I’ve been on my own since I was Turned.”
“Hm.” He pinched his lips together and looked away.
“Whatever it is, just ask.”
“I just wondered… if you haven’t had an alpha, why do you expect an alpha to be domineering and controlling?”
“Is there anything more dominant than an alpha werewolf?”
“Probably not, but…?” He shook his head, confusion etching his face.
“I’ve spent most of my life dealing with control freak males who are in charge of other people and lord it over them. Why should I expect the alpha of a werewolf pack to be any different?”
Jeremy’s eyes narrowed as he considered her, then he shrugged. “Ian’s not like that. Give him a chance, and he’ll prove it to you.” He frowned. “What do you do, anyway?”
“Well, before I had to quit my job, I was an Executive Chef.”
His eyes lit up. “Ian loves to cook, so that gives you two something in common.” His gaze fell on the book Ian had dropped on the nightstand. He went over and picked it up. “Alpha. I just finished reading this. Have you read it yet?”
“No, so don’t tell me anything about it or you might ruin it for me.”
He chuckled. “Good choice. It’ll help you understand Ian better.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s about him.”
“What?” She scooted toward the head of the bed, using the headboard to help her sit up. “It’s about Ian?”
“Yeah. These stories are all from his life.” He smiled and set the book back down. Then he picked up the platter and set it on her lap. “You probably should start eating while your energy is up. The IV fluids will only carry you so far. You need to eat quite a bit of protein. You may have pain as your organs and muscles repair themselves from the damage caused by your chronic starvation.”
Doesn’t that sound like fun? Sophia sighed and started eating. At least Ian had salted it that time.
Chapter 4
Ian dawdled in his office for a while, battling the temptation to return to the guestroom. Don’t even go there. Jeremy’s with her. She’s fine. There’s nothing you can do right now.
Frustrated with himself, he marched past the guestroom and straight to the kitchen. He leaned against the counter, palms flat on the cool surface either side of the sink, and hung his head. They would help Sophia with whatever information she needed and get her out of there. That brash woman represented a whole pack of trouble. For him personally. She had to go. Soon.
If she left, he’d probably never see her again. A hollow, sick feeling filled his chest and stomach. He swallowed. Hard. Oh, God, no, please…. She doesn’t belong here, and I don’t need that kind of complication in my life. If she even survives. The image of her dead on his floor filled his mind.
He straightened and crossed his arms over his chest, pressing against his ribs to contain the ache.
“Ian?”
He restrained a flinch, resisting the urge to growl. It wasn’t Jeremy’s fault he’d caught Ian by surprise. Ian had no right to correct him because his alpha was distracted and scared half out of his mind. He took a slow, deep breath to steady himself and modulated his tone to sound as normal as possible. “How is she?”
“She’s eaten all you brought in.”
Ian turned around, raising his brows. “Really?”
Jeremy nodded, his smile not masking the speculative gleam in his eyes. He stood with the empty platter in one hand, the hard case in the other, and the black bag tucked under one arm. “She does great when things are explained to her. Way better than when she’s ordered around like an Army private.” His mouth tightened around a far too obvious grin.
Ian narrowed his eyes.
The doctor shrugged and avoided eye contact. “No disrespect intended, I promise.” He set the platter on the breakfast bar and grabbed the handle of the black bag with that hand. “Fluids are all onboard. I removed her IVs, which wasn’t altogether pleasant.”
“Meaning?”
“She tried to heal around the needles. I had to use a scalpel to get them out.” He grimaced. “To her credit, she didn’t growl or try to bite me.” A smile slipped out. “Anyway, I’ll get out of your hair. I’m planning to come back tomorrow after work. I’ll bring more fluids in case we need them, though I doubt that’ll be the case if you keep her fed and make sure she drinks plenty of fluids.”
He frowned. “What if she has trouble during the night?”
“I doubt there’ll be any serious problems. Make sure she eats and drinks every three hours or so, unless she’s sleeping soundly. Then let her rest to heal. Her body’s got a lot of that to do, but I think she’ll rebound quickly with sufficient TLC.” That annoying suppressed grin peeked out again. “If anything comes up that worries you, you can always call me. I’ll keep the cellphone by the bed. Annie’ll understand.”
“Alright. Go on home.” He could call Tanya or Kelly to take care of it. They lived within minutes of the main house. Colin and Brett might not be thrilled with Ian absconding with one of their mates, but they’d understand the need once they knew what was at stake.
Oh, wait. Colin and Tanya were gone. They’d left the previous weekend to take their one-year-old son Duncan to the Grand Canyon. They wouldn’t return for two more days.
Brett and Kelly it would be then. Kelly was better suited to watch over their wounded guest than Ian was.
“By the way, Kelly and Brett came to see me this morning.”
Whoa. Had the man guessed what he was thinking? “About?”
“She’s antsy because of her approaching due date. She could go into labor any time. I told Brett to keep her home and protect her from unnecessary stress. Since we don’t know what causes stillbirths, we don’t want
to take any chances.”
“Probably wise.” Now what?
“I better get home. Annie’s holding dinner.” Jeremy’s face lit up. He loved his mate. No doubt about it. Good thing, after what the two of them had gone through. If he hadn’t surrendered, Annie might’ve locked him up until he came to his senses. Ian might’ve helped.
“Drive safe.”
“Will do.” Jeremy stopped at the corner just before disappearing into the foyer. “By the way, I was wondering….”
Don’t ask. The mischief on that man’s face is all the warning you need to know you shouldn’t ask. Ian sighed. “What?”
“Are alphas prone to the love bug like the rest of us?”
Ian growled and narrowed his eyes.
Only the front door shutting behind him silenced Jeremy’s chuckle.
The doctor was getting bolder. What was up with that?
* * *
Sophia stared at the book she’d been so excited about earlier that day, unable to convince herself to pick it up. Finding out the stories weren’t fiction made them more daunting to face. Did that mean the others written by the same author hadn’t been fiction either? She’d read all of them, absorbed them really. The young woman locked in a concrete cell. Brutalized. Raped. Turned into a werewolf. Rescued from certain death by an alpha’s son. Ian’s son?
Oh, for pity’s sake, how bad can it be? Look where the man lives! He can’t possibly have had it too difficult. She frowned, grabbed the book, and flipped it open to the introduction.
* * *
Well, I can’t avoid her forever. It had been almost three hours since Jeremy left. If Ian wanted her well enough to leave, it fell to him to care for her. He warmed up bone and liver broth, added shredded beef and salt, and ladled it into a large soup bowl. Filling a glass with water, he carried both glass and bowl to the guestroom.
He halted in the doorway.
