by Mia Harris
“I guess so.”
“I’m going to write a prescription for you for some painkillers, and you can pick them up at our clinic’s pharmacy. It’s right near the reception desk. Anyway, like I said, just try to stress less and unwind from work when you get home. Try not to give it a second thought. Maybe take a nice hot bath at the end of every day.”
“Okay. Thanks, Dr. Lyche.”
“Always happy to help,” he said, giving her another bright smile. “If your symptoms keep up, I’d like for you to come back in just to make sure you’re alright.”
“Sure,” Sarah replied, knowing full-well that she would probably make any excuse to see the gorgeous doctor again.
Her headache had actually subsided quite a lot as she spoke to him. She didn’t know if it was just his presence or the kind and gentle manner in which he spoke to her, but whatever it was, it seemed to be doing the trick. The pounding sensation in her skull had dulled to a mild ache, and a familiar twinge in her core told her that it had certainly been too long since she was with a man.
Dr. Lyche wrote something on a prescription pad and then handed it to her, and Sarah felt a wave of disappointment surge through her, knowing that this was her cue to leave. She took one last lingering look at his tall, muscular frame and handsome face, said goodbye and then grudgingly turned and headed out of the door and down the hallway.
Once she had reached the main waiting area, she headed over to the pharmacy counter which stood on the other side of the room. A middle-aged man greeted her and peered at her prescription form, and then sighed.
“Dr. Lyche has forgotten to sign this script. I can’t actually give the drugs to you unless he has signed it. Let me just ask Rebecca to call him,” he said, exiting from behind the counter and heading over to the receptionist. “Rebecca, can you get Dr. Lyche out here? He’s forgotten to sign this patient’s script.”
She looked up.
“Oh. I think you might just catch him. His shift is over, and Ms. Bilson was his last patient, but he usually stays for a while longer to catch up on paperwork. I’ll just go and see if he’s still here.”
She headed down the hallway, and then returned a moment later.
“Sorry, it looks like he’s already left. Do you want to wait for another doctor to finish with a patient and sign it for you?”
Sarah thought about it. Her headache was already gone, and simply knowing that there was nothing actually wrong with her had already alleviated a substantial amount of her stress.
“You know what? Don’t worry about it. If I keep getting headaches I’ll just come back in,” she said.
“Are you sure?” asked the pharmacist.
“Yes. I’ll be fine. Thanks for your help,” she said, flashing him a smile before exiting the clinic.
She shivered and rubbed her arms as she walked through the parking lot, and looking up, she noticed that there was a full moon in the night sky. Pausing for a second, she admired it, and then saw someone familiar out of the corner of her eye. It was Dr. Lyche, hurrying across the parking lot.
“Oh… Dr. Lyche!” she called out to him. Despite the fact that she no longer thought she needed the painkillers, getting him to sign the script would be a good excuse to see him again, even if it was only for a few seconds.
He didn’t seem to hear her, so she doubled her speed in an effort to catch up with him. He seemed to walk even faster all of a sudden, and her heart began to thump in her chest as she followed him to the edge of the parking lot that bordered on the park. That’s weird. There’s no cars here, she thought. Where is he going? A moment later, he stepped into the shadows of a tree.
For a second Sarah thought she had lost him, but then she caught a glimpse of his silhouette in the distance as he stepped out from the shadows and into the bright moonlight. She squinted at him and moved slightly closer, and saw that he was standing with his back to her, staring up at the bright full moon.
Sarah still had no idea what the doctor was doing, but something in the back of her mind told her to leave, so she decided to creep back through the parking lot to her car, making sure he didn’t realize that she had been watching him. The last thing she needed was for the latest object of her fantasy to think she was some kind of crazed stalker. Just as she was about to turn around, something strange started to happen right before her eyes.
Dr. Lyche let out a deep growl as he looked up at the moon; a growl which soon turned into a howl as his head grew a snout and the rest of his body rippled and sprouted fur. His clothes seemed to have vanished, and seconds later he had vanished too. He had been replaced by an enormous wolf. What the hell is happening? Sarah thought, her mouth drying up as she watched the wolf pad around the trees.
Her heart was pounding in her chest so loudly that she was sure the wolf would hear it from where she was standing, and she slowly backed away, trying to comprehend what had just happened. One minute he was there, the next he’s a wolf? No. It can’t be.
A dried leaf suddenly crunched under her right foot, and she froze for a second, praying that the wolf hadn’t heard. It cocked its head to the side, sniffed the air and then turned around, its blazing amber eyes staring straight in her direction. Sarah knew immediately that it had spotted her in the bright moonlight, and her fight-or-flight response finally kicked in. As the adrenalin surged through her veins, she turned on her heel and ran as fast as her legs could carry her, not even daring to look back for one more second.
The clinic was still open and lit-up in the distance, and she knew that if she could make it there she would be safe from the monster that she knew was right behind her. She could hear its growls and heavy breath as it pursued her, and she was glad she had at least had a head start.
Just a few more steps… just a few more and I’ll be safe, she thought, her panicked brain still trying to put the pieces of what she had just seen together. Finally, the shadows gave way to the light, and she was back at the clinic’s entrance. She pushed the door open and ran inside, and the receptionist looked up with her eyebrows raised.
“Oh, Ms. Bilson, you’re back. Are you alright? You look like you just saw a ghost!” she said.
Sarah tried to catch her breath as she considered what she was going to say. It suddenly struck her as ridiculous that she had just been chased by a man who turned into a wolf; if that was even what had happened. They’ll think I’m crazy if I tell them that! Maybe I am going crazy…
“I… I umm… I think I left my purse in the room that the doctor saw me in,” she said, her heart still thumping in her chest like crazy.
“Oh. I’ll go and check for you.”
“I could just go myself. It was just in that little examination room down the end,” Sarah said, wanting to stall for as long as possible. The thought of going back outside made her feel sick with fear.
The receptionist smiled and waved her down the hallway.
“That’s fine. I’ve got a lot of paperwork to do here anyway,” she said.
Sarah smiled and thanked her, and then headed down the long hall. The door to the room that Dr. Lyche had examined her in was ajar, and as she pushed it all the way open and turned the light on, she felt her heart rate slowing. Her mind was finally returning to its usual functioning, and she tried to think of a rational explanation for what she had seen. Dr. Lyche said that my other symptoms could be caused by stress. Maybe I’ve been so stressed that I’ve started hallucinating, and I imagined seeing him outside because I was fantasizing about him earlier. After all, werewolves don’t exist. That’s ridiculous.
A smile played on her lips as she realized how silly she was being, and opening her handbag, she pulled out a small makeup compact to see how messed up her hair was after running through the parking lot like a maniac. As she looked in the mirror and tucked a loose tendril of hair behind her ear, she heard the door close behind her and then froze in place, realizing that someone was in the room with her.
Still looking in the mirror, she saw a familiar face
come into view. Dr. Lyche. She was about to turn around and force a smile, telling him that she had left her purse behind, when she saw his eyes glow the same bright amber that she had seen in the parking lot. Her heart leapt into her throat, and she slowly turned around, gazing up at him in terror as a heavy pine-needle scent filled the room.
“I know you saw me,” he said, stepping closer to her. “You saw what I am.”
His voice had changed from his usual kind, gentle tone to a rough growl, and his eyes seemed to pierce through her with a strange expression; something dangerous and distinctly animal-like.
Sarah shrank back from him and then bumped into the blue exam table that stood on one side of the room. Her eyes widened as she clutched onto the wax paper that lay across the table, and she finally managed to find her tongue as her heart raced crazily in her chest again.
“What are you?” she asked, her voice nearly cracking as her mind reeled in fear.
“I’m a werewolf. You know that. You knew it the second you saw me shift.”
“I was just… I just wanted to see if you would sign my prescription. I didn’t mean to stalk you around,” she replied. “I’m sorry. I won’t tell anyone. Please don’t hurt me!”
“I won’t hurt you,” he said, stepping closer to her. “I must admit, your mere presence in here earlier caused quite a stir within me. Your scent is almost unbearably intoxicating to a wolf like me.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You, Sarah. I caught your wonderful scent before I even stepped into that waiting room. I managed to keep myself under control, but I screwed up your prescription form because I couldn’t concentrate properly. I knew if I didn’t get outside right away I would shift right then and there. You see, it’s not just women that have a certain time of the month. I have one too.”
“You mean… the full moon?”
“Yes. At every full moon I find it extremely difficult to function. My need to find a mate burns through me, and having you here didn’t help. After you followed me and saw me shift, I realized that you knew what I was, so I thought I may as well come back and take you.”
“Take me where?” Sarah asked, her brain flooding with a confusing mixture of emotions.
She was terrified of what this man might do to her, even though he had said he wouldn’t hurt her. On the other hand, though, she couldn’t ignore the warm tingling sensation that was spreading down her belly and between her legs. Werewolf or not, the man was gorgeous, and she couldn’t possibly deny that as her body responded to his presence like crazy.
Dr. Lyche chuckled at her question.
“I meant I want to take you as my mate,” he said, advancing even further towards her as his eyes burned into hers.
“Your mate? You mean… you want to be with me?”
“Of course. A wolf like me can be driven mad by a woman like you. Curvy, smart and beautiful… you’ll make the perfect mate,” he growled, placing one hand on her shoulder.
Sarah had to admit she was tempted. After all, she had been very lonely in recent months, and she desperately craved the touch of a man. To top it all off, a tall, gorgeous doctor was standing right here, basically throwing himself at her – how could she say no? There was just one problem…
“I don’t know,” she finally whispered, casting her eyes to the side and then back up at him. “You’re a werewolf. I’m still afraid you’ll hurt me.”
“I promise I won’t hurt you. All those myths you hear about werewolves being violent and crazy… they are just that - myths. We respect women, so I can assure your safety if you choose to let me take you as my mate,” he said, his voice gruff with barely-contained arousal as his eyes traced over her body.
As he spoke, Sarah felt a rush of heat between her legs, and she knew that her body had already made the decision for her. She looked down at the hand that he had on her shoulder, and then back up at him as her lips quirked up. He grinned back at her as he realized that she wanted him as much as he wanted her, and his hand coasted over her shoulder and down over her waist and hips.
Sarah’s cheeks turned pink again as she felt his large hands rub and caress her soft curves, and Dr. Lyche watched her with amusement before pressing his lips down to hers. She was surprised at how warm and soft his lips were as he hunted for a way into her mouth with his tongue, and he wrapped one arm around her waist while the other moved to the nape of her neck.
Opening her mouth to allow him to deepen the kiss, she closed her eyes and tentatively ran one hand over his chest. Even over his shirt, she could feel the tight, defined muscles that lay underneath, and her touch elicited a deep growl from his mouth as he broke away from the kiss.
He drew his head back for a moment and stared into her eyes, and then kissed her again, with increased hunger and urgency this time. The hand around her waist pulled her even closer to him, and the other hand slowly moved down from her neck as he traced a line down her back with his fingernail. Sarah felt a wild shiver run down her spine as goose bumps prickled up over her arms and neck, and their tongues explored each other’s mouths for another delicious moment before he pulled away again.
“See? I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, his voice hoarse with desire.
Her fears had dissipated the second his warm lips had touched hers, and she let a devilish smile creep across her face as she stared up at him.
“I guess not,” she replied. “Although, I’m still not sure. You might have to do more to prove it to me.”
His amber eyes seemed to burn right into her soul as he listened to her response, and he grabbed her hands, pulling them to his chest as he let out another low growl. His expression conveyed a clear message to her, and she started to unbutton his shirt while his hands moved to the front of her blouse.
Seconds later, her top was falling to the floor with his, and as she stood before him in only her skirt and bra, she felt the familiar pangs of self-consciousness that had plagued her for years. Dr. Lyche’s eyes seemed to devour her as they lingered on her, though, and she remembered what he had said about how a curvy woman like her could drive a werewolf like him completely and utterly wild.
Her confidence began to return in spades; something she hadn’t felt in years, and she kicked her ballet flats off and then reached around to the back of her skirt to unzip it, letting it fall to the floor along with her blouse as her eyes traveled over the hard muscles of his arms, chest and abdomen.
Dr. Lyche leaned down and took her in his arms again, and Sarah gasped softly as he moved his mouth over her neck and throat, planting warm kisses on her soft skin and occasionally nipping at her. The heat between her legs was starting to feel like a raging fire deep within her core, and she felt as if her entire body might be consumed by the flames if she did not have him at this instant.
As he nipped at her skin again, she boldly moved a hand to the front of his pants. He groaned softly against her neck, and she felt a distinct hardness straining the fabric as she toyed with his zip. His entire body seemed to radiate heat, and as he pulled away from her neck, the look in his bright eyes told her all she needed to know.
With one quick movement, he scooped her up in his strong arms and then placed her on the edge of the exam table. The wax paper that covered it felt strange against the bare skin of her thighs, and she let out a little moan of anticipation as he yanked her legs apart and stood in between them before kissing her neck and collarbones again with a voracious hunger that Sarah had never experience with any of her ex-lovers. Werewolf or not, this man really wants me, she thought, still amazed that a simple doctor’s visit had turned into all of this.
Dr. Lyche reached his hands around to the back of her bra and unhooked it, freeing her full, soft breasts. Growling at the sight of them, he buried his face in her cleavage before sliding his mouth over one of her pink nipples. They were both already stiff with her own desire, and Sarah felt a bolt of electricity course through her veins as he traced delicate little circles on her areola with his
tongue.
After a moment, he reached up and cupped her breasts in his hands, and moving ever-so-slowly downwards, he kissed and nipped at her belly and hips. When he had reached the bottom of her stomach, he hooked his fingers into her panties and looked up at her, his jaw clenched in barely-contained arousal.
Sarah smiled and lifted her hips slightly to help him as he pulled her underwear down over her legs and ankles and then threw them aside, and she gasped as Dr. Lyche scooped her up in arms again, placing her down on her back on the exam table before climbing onto it as well. He nudged her legs apart again, and Sarah closed her eyes as she felt his warm mouth moving up and down her inner thighs, licking and nipping at the delicate skin.
As his mouth moved closer to the area between her legs, he looked up at her and let out a low growl as if she was some sort of delicious prize that he had been waiting forever to taste, and finally, he moved his head back down and buried it between her thighs, his tongue sliding into her folds as he licked up and down in long, fluid motions. Sarah ran a hand through his dark hair in encouragement, and moments later he settled his mouth over her clitoris, coaxing and teasing it out with his tongue until it was a hard, throbbing nub.
