by Terry Spear
Holly agreed. “Aidan was getting ready for a fight if Jared didn’t back off. I think the two men might have been Aidan’s bodyguards.”
“I wonder if he’s had trouble.”
“Sure. If the cure for wolves aging faster could be sold, someone might make lots of money off it. Maybe even Aidan, though from what he told Ronald when he met with him and I was out of town, he planned to give the cure away for free, if he could identify the issue and resolve it.”
“I bet you’d love to work with him. I know you wanted to be able to share our blood samples with him, but I mean really work with him. Up close.” Marianne glanced at her sister. “You didn’t answer me. Do you think he’s cute? Aidan?”
Sexy, hot, appealing, yes. And protective and heroic. When Jared got in her space, Holly knew Aidan was about to take the wolf down. She’d been annoyed with Aidan for holding on to Joey when she’d reached out to take him, but she’d realized he was just making sure the boy belonged with her and Marianne.
Holly just smiled at her sister. Who wouldn’t have thought the doctor was cute? She wouldn’t have hugged him so close or for so long if she hadn’t thought that, and she’d gotten rather a…surprise. He’d been hot and aroused.
When they finally reached their cabin and pulled into the parking area, she saw Ronald on his cell, staring hard at her, his mouth turned down. Jared must have told him all that had happened. Even though the boy’s rescue had been a godsend, she figured Ronald was more concerned Holly had been friendly toward Aidan Denali. She had every intention of speaking with Aidan again, first to see how he was faring and then to thank him again. This time without Jared’s interference.
“You’re in trouble now,” Marianne warned.
Holly climbed out of the car, and Marianne lifted a sleeping Joey out of the back seat. “I’ll take him home and give his mom the news. Unless you want me to stand by you while you talk to Ronald.”
“I’ll be fine. Let me know what Joey’s mom says concerning what happened.”
“That I’m fired, I’m sure!” Marianne gave Holly a hug, then carried Joey to his mom and dad’s cabin.
Ronald ended his call and approached Holly. “You weren’t there when Dr. Denali visited our pack in Seattle, but we told you before that you’re not to speak with him. His issues are his issues, not ours.”
“And like I’ve said, his issues could very well become ours too. Not to mention that he saved Joey! Aidan was bashed in the head, bleeding profusely, and most likely suffered a concussion, just because he was protecting the boy. He had no idea we were even wolves to begin with.” At least Holly assumed he wouldn’t have known. “And he didn’t know we were with the wolf pack out of Seattle.”
“But you told him.”
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”
Ronald spit on the ground. She frowned at him for being so vulgar.
“You don’t speak to him again.”
She raised her brows defiantly. “Just so you know, I will be calling him to see what the doctor said about his head wound.”
If it weren’t for her family—they wanted to remain with the pack—she would tell Ronald off and leave the pack. But she knew if she did, Ronald would make it virtually impossible to see her family or have any other contact with them, or he’d banish them too.
Ronald continued to glower at her. He only bit his tongue because she was their pack doctor and well respected. Finding another among the wolves would be a real challenge.
Why couldn’t she leave well enough alone? Because she kept feeling she could help Aidan, and now that she’d met him and seen how much he was like the wolf who had saved her when she was little, she really wanted to meet with him and talk about what he’d learned. She wanted to make a difference too. They hadn’t even known what was happening to other wolf packs before Aidan came to them. Was her pack immune to the changes? She’d tested everyone in the pack and learned none of them was aging any faster than before. But she’d only been testing them once every quarter, and only those who had reached puberty and older, since that’s when the aging slowed down for them.
“Is that all you have to say to me?” she asked Ronald.
“When you talk to him, you speak about his head wound and nothing more.”
As their doctor, she took care of her pack members’ injuries, which was an important role for her, but she also wanted to determine what had changed for other wolves. Because her pack’s longevity hadn’t altered, her pack leaders didn’t want her to get involved. At least according to Ronald. He thought everyone would bleed them dry, trying to come up with a cure, if they knew their pack’s DNA hadn’t transmuted.
“Have you heard anything from Neil Booker?” Holly asked, changing the subject, though she was trying to make a point. If Ronald kept pushing, he was going to lose more disgruntled pack members.
“Barry said Neil joined some pack in Nevada.”
“Is Barry keeping in touch with him?” Holly couldn’t believe Ronald would allow it.
“Hell no, or he’ll be out of the pack in a flash.”
She was about to say something more to Ronald when she saw her sister coming her way. Marianne smiled at her. “Joey’s mom was thrilled he was safe. She wanted to have Dr. Denali’s business card to give him a call and thank him. She also said she’s getting a leash for Joey, for real.”
Holly was glad the boy’s mother wasn’t angry with Marianne. She pulled the business card from her bra and handed it to Marianne. “She’s still going to have you babysit for her?”
“Yes. But Joey’s on notice, literally.”
Holly smiled. “Good. He might be precocious, but he needs some rules.”
Ronald snickered. “Just like you.”
Holly shook her head and walked off to her cabin.
“No talking to Denali, beyond seeing about his health.” Then Ronald followed Marianne.
Holly wondered if he planned to take the business card from Joey’s mom after she called Aidan. His phone wasn’t listed, and he only gave his number out to pack leaders to learn about their longevity concerns. Though she imagined if someone needed to talk to him about his research, the wolf could have Aidan’s number to get in touch with him.
When she entered the cabin, her mom asked her all about what had happened at the mall, her dad listening in, her brother shaking his head. News sure traveled fast in a pack.
Marianne joined them while Holly was telling her family what had happened.
“You probably guessed Ronald took Dr. Denali’s business card and tore it up,” Marianne said to Holly.
“No surprise.” Holly had Aidan’s number memorized, and if anyone else needed it, she’d give it to them.
“After he saved Joey?” their mom said, her expression one of disbelief.
“Yeah, see, that’s some of what’s wrong with this pack. Or, I should say, its leadership.” Holly thought her family might finally agree with her, yet no one made any comment.
* * *
At the hospital, Aidan got a call from a woman who told him she was Joey’s mother. He appreciated hearing from her, again thinking this might affect how the Seattle pack members viewed him and his work. “I can’t thank you enough for saving Joey,” she said.
“I am glad to have been there and in a position to intervene.”
“Well, thank you. We’re grateful to you. If there’s anything we can ever do for you, just ask.”
“Thanks, Mrs.—”
“Just call me Trudy.”
“Thank you, Trudy.” Aidan, of course, thought of asking for a sample of her blood, but that wouldn’t be appropriate. Though he couldn’t help but think about it. She again thanked him, and they ended the call.
He finally fell asleep in his private room, but later that night, someone barged into the room, banging the door against the wall. His heart gave a jolt.
His eyes popped open, and he was more than surprised to see Rafe crossing the floor to his bed, looking worried and annoyed at the same time. Two of Rafe’s bodyguards stepped inside the room in front of the door. Aidan groaned, glad he had a private room, or his twin brother and his men would have given a roommate a heart attack. He’d nearly given Aidan one!
“What are you doing here?” Aidan growled. “I’m fine. I’ll be out of here by tomorrow morning, afternoon at the latest.” He hadn’t wanted anyone to make a big deal out of this, treating it as if it was more serious than it was. He cast Ted and Mike an annoyed look. He’d never expected his brother to come to see him. The two brothers were close, but this was really uncalled for.
Looking serious, his bodyguards shrugged. They knew Rafe would have been madder at them if they hadn’t told him what had happened and the story came out later.
“If they hadn’t called me about what had happened, I would have fired them.” Frowning, Rafe folded his arms as he peered down at Aidan. “I spoke with your doctor.”
“Rafe…” Aidan was certain his brother had insisted on speaking with the doctor no matter what he had been doing at the time.
“Hey, you want to know the hot water we’ll all be in if you’re not at the chalet to see Toby for Christmas? All he asks about is when you’re going to be there.” Rafe sounded like he was trying to lighten the mood, maybe figuring he’d acted a bit rashly in coming here. He could have talked to the doctor over the phone!
Aidan smiled. He adored his nephew too. He hadn’t thought he would be that into kids before Toby came along, but he was a cute kid and reminded Aidan of Rafe and himself when they were that age.
Frowning, Rafe peered down at Aidan. “I have half a mind to fly you there right this instant.”
“I have business to take care of here.”
“It’s Christmas. You need a break, a longer break than you intended to have. Hell, you have a lab there. You can work to your heart’s content and still visit with us. Then Mike and Ted can go home early.”
“Rafe, I might have a chance to make some headway with the Seattle pack. Some of them are here right now.” Aidan hadn’t wanted to mention that part—about the Seattle pack staying at the cabins nearby—but it was the only way to explain why he’d want to stay. Besides, his men had probably told Rafe by now that the boy he rescued and the two females with him were from the Seattle pack.
“That’s the woman I was telling you about,” Ted said. “She’s a doctor too. Maybe she’s more open-minded than the rest of the pack. She definitely took a shine to Doc.”
“Yeah, she couldn’t keep her hands off him,” Mike added with a smirk.
Rafe stared at Aidan, as if he couldn’t believe a she-wolf with the Seattle pack would be interested in him.
“She was keeping pressure on my head wound. I bled a lot. You know how head wounds are. And she’s a doctor. I gave her my business card and hoped she’d get in touch with me before I leave to spend Christmas with you and the family.”
“Speaking with the woman when her pack is disagreeable and in the same vicinity as our cabin isn’t a good idea,” Rafe said.
Aidan suspected mentioning his other urgent mission wouldn’t make Rafe feel any less apprehensive about him being here. Not that Aidan was going to listen to Rafe and go right to the chalet.
When Rafe looked like the issue of the woman helping Aidan didn’t sway him, Aidan finally let out his breath and told him the rest of it. “I have a lead on a man who lives in the mountains that I want to get in touch with.”
Rafe looked at Ted and Mike as if to confirm that Aidan wasn’t hallucinating.
“Yeah, boss, that’s what Everett said. He used to be a Seattle pack member but now lives with the Montana pack,” Mike offered.
Rafe scowled at them. “Where were the two of you when Aidan got his head bashed?”
“Chasing after him. One minute, he was looking at toys for Toby; the next, he was on the run, trying to get around the crowds just like we were,” Ted said. “We promise we’ll keep a better eye on him next time.”
“You’d better.” Rafe pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed.
Aidan groaned. “You can’t do anything for me. Go home and be with your family.”
“You’re family too. Do I need to have Chet and some others stay with you?”
“No. Ted and Mike are fine.”
“If you have any trouble, you let me know at once.” Rafe let out his breath in an exasperated way. “I’m going to wait until you’re released tomorrow and then go with you to the cabin. Tell me what’s going on concerning this mountain man. Then you need to sleep.”
“Nick Cornwall is known to live in the area.” Aidan explained everything else about him to his brother. “Since Glacier Peak is the remotest of the five active volcanoes of Washington State, we shouldn’t run into humans while we’re searching for him around there.”
“You think you can traipse all over the Wilderness in your condition looking for him?” Rafe looked stern.
Aidan knew his brother was just worried about him. It all had to do with the lupus garous who’d tried to take him hostage to find the cure for their longevity issues. Which was why Aidan now had bodyguards. He couldn’t believe how protective his brother had become. “I’ll be fine tomorrow. You know I will.”
“You’re taking Ted and Mike with you though, correct?”
“To search for Nick, yeah.” Aidan closed his eyes. He couldn’t believe Rafe had flown out to check on him. On the other hand…he could.
Aidan was already thinking of ways to reconnect with Dr. Holly Gray. Nick was his focus because he was concerned about the older wolf being out in the Wilderness by himself through the winter months. Holly might know something about where he was, even though she’d told Everett she couldn’t locate him.
The way Holly had looked at Aidan with such adoration for saving Joey…
Aidan wanted to see her again. Seattle pack or no.
Chapter 4
After Aidan was released from the hospital the next day, he convinced Rafe that he didn’t need to escort them to the cabin. Finally agreeing, Rafe and his bodyguards left, to Aidan’s relief. Rafe was only the older twin by five minutes, but when Aidan’s life had been threatened over his research, everything had changed between them. Even though Aidan had saved Rafe’s life a couple of times when he’d been in wolf fights by giving him blood transfusions, setting broken bones, and stitching up wounds! Rafe was being an overly, overly protective brother.
After Aidan and his men finished their grocery shopping, they piled into the car.
“You’re supposed to take it easy,” Ted reminded Aidan as he took the wheel and began the drive to the cabin.
“You’re beginning to sound like Rafe, and one of him is enough.”
The guys laughed.
“I’m resting all day, and we’ll take a run tonight,” Aidan told them. After sleeping so well last night, he was feeling much better. He’d wanted to start their search for Nick as soon as they could, though he suspected Ted and Mike would try to talk him out of it. He wished they hadn’t already been delayed so much.
“I’m fine. If my head begins to pain me, I’ll let you know, and we can return to the cabin.” Aidan sighed and rubbed his temples. A headache was pooling there, although the bruising from the bashing he’d received was starting to fade. He opened his laptop and considered a map of the mountain and surrounding wilderness. He probably should start out on the easier trail today, since his head didn’t feel a hundred percent.
After closing his laptop, he set it aside and shut his eyes to rest on the way to the cabin. It seemed as soon as he closed his eyes, Ted was slamming a car door shut. Aidan quickly sat up, thinking they’d stopped for gas, but they’d parked at the cabin already. He couldn’t believe he’d actually fallen asleep. The guys started unpacking th
e bags while frowning at him and looking concerned.
“I’m fine.” Aidan climbed out of the car and grabbed his laptop and another couple of bags.
“Rafe called, checking up on you when you didn’t answer your phone,” Mike warned.
Hell.
“We told him you were just resting your eyes, but he said you would have heard your phone. Sorry, Doc.” Mike grabbed a couple sacks of groceries.
Aidan’s phone rang and he was hoping it was Holly, but it was his brother. “Yeah, Rafe? I just saw you a couple hours ago.”
“Mike said you were out for the count.”
“He told you I was resting my eyes.”
“Yeah, but when you’re resting your eyes, you hear your phone go off. Are you okay?”
“Yes. Now who’s being the doctor?”
“Someone has to be where you’re concerned. He told me you were going on a run tonight. I don’t think you should. You need to rest up further. Wait until tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll be fine. Give Jade and Toby a hug for me, will you?”
“If you run into any trouble, you call me.”
“Thanks, Rafe, I will.” But Aidan didn’t expect to have any real trouble.
“Okay, well, we’re still on the way home. I’ll call you later. Or you call me.”
“All right. I will.”
After they ended the call, Aidan received another, this time from Rafe’s mate, Jade.
“Rafe told me you’d been injured by the attempted kidnapper of a little wolf boy. Are you sure you don’t want to come here earlier?”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can. I promise. I’m fine, really. I just talked to Rafe.”
“He said he couldn’t get hold of you because you were out cold.”
“A mere exaggeration. I’m okay.”
“All right. Toby’s bouncing on his toes wanting to talk to his uncle Aidan. Here you go.”
“Uncle Aidan? Can you come home, and no more bad guys can hurt you?”
Aidan smiled. “I won’t let any more hurt me. But I had to save a little boy from someone who tried to take him from his family.”
