"I'm sorry about my appearance. I didn't know anyone would be here. My brother left me a key and said he'd be over later." As they made their way across the room to the couch, Emilie reached up to her dark chocolate brown hair that had been braided straight down her back. The tail of it landed below her shoulder blades. Frizzy pieces were sticking out of it and she had some small leaf fragments interwoven in the stands. Emilie noticed where he was looking and tried to pat it down.
With her mind distracted on what she looked like, her balance suffered. On one unfortunate step, she put too much pressure on her bad leg and sucked in a breath. Carter grabbed her around the waist to keep her upright.
"Whoa, easy. I've got you. It's ok, lean against me. Take a minute."
Her mouth had flattened to the point that he couldn't see her lips. Tears welled in her eyes but to his surprise, none fell. He had to give her props for bravery. Many women in his pack would have gone for the damsel in distress and had him carry them. Emilie wanted to do it on her own. He respected that.
"You good?" he asked not taking his hand off her waist. Now that he could feel the fever under her skin, he was surprised she hadn't collapsed already. This was one determined bear.
Emilie took a deep breath and nodded. Carter helped her the last few feet to the couch. As she sat, he took off his shirt and handed it to her. Her eyes widened with surprise and she looked away.
And here he didn't think there was a modest shifter left in the world.
Carter dropped the shirt in her lap and smiled when her shoulders sank with relief. He knelt to get a better look at the wound while she slipped his shirt on. It was bad. Dirt and pus covered the wound. He'd need more than peroxide if he was going to help her.
"I'm going to call my pack doctor. This is out of my skill set."
Carter glanced to the kitchen where his phone sat on the counter but his eyes got distracted on the way there. A woman in his shirt was always something to be admired. The corner of his mouth pulled up as he took her in. Curves as far as the eye could see were filling out his large shirt. It was big on her but still conformed to certain aspects of her form.
"You don't have to-"
His eyes, which had been crinkled in pleasure at the sight before him, hardened and settled on her face. Emilie's mouth closed halfway through her sentence as she swallowed her words.
"Uh, thanks."
"You're welcome," he said and got off the floor. He left her on the couch and called the doc. "Lee, I'm going to need your expertise."
She watched as her landlord went to the thermostat and turned the dial up. Emilie was shivering but she couldn't decide if she was hot or cold. He glanced at her again, his green eyes narrowing as he surveyed her and adjusted the dial a little more.
"The Doc lives in Andora so it might take her fifteen minutes to get here. Can I get you anything while we wait?"
"Your name would be great."
His brows rose in surprise, after a minute of thinking it over a smile spread across his face. "Guess I skipped that part, huh?" It may have been the fever muddling her mind but his embarrassed face was cute.
"I'm Carter Bennett," he said holding out his hand. "I live next door."
Emilie sat forward to shake his hand and immediately fell back against the couch in exhaustion. She couldn't even ogle the beautifully sculpted chest in front of her, she was so tired. Now that her journey was over, her body was shutting down. If she allowed it, she could go into hibernation for a few weeks to recover. Emilie hated hibernating though. It was like a coma and could last for days or weeks at a time. While she was sleeping, life was piling up. Emilie would much rather stick to her plans and lists and schedules that kept the chaos at bay.
"So you want to tell me what happened?" Carter asked coming to sit on the coffee table in front of her.
She shook her head. "Not really, no."
Obviously, Carter Bennett wasn't used to people saying no to him. He looked taken back by her answer.
"Emilie, you were shot, days ago by the looks of it. Your fever is," Carter leaned forward and pressed his hand against her forehead. His brows crinkled together in concern. "Well over one hundred."
His hand was cold and felt really good against her skin. She hummed a little at the touch. He didn't move his hands away but instead cupped her cheeks and then her neck with them.
"Better?" he asked at her apparent delight.
Thankfully her skin was already flushed with fever or he'd see her blush. It was not hard to find happiness in being touched by a man like Carter. He was a good six inches over her five and a half feet, with broad shoulders and an athletic build. Most shifters were pretty fit. It was hard not to get exercise when the animal inside wanted to roam or run on the regular. His hair was a shade or two lighter than her chocolate brown. But the part she liked the most were his green eyes. Even from here, she could tell that they were the kind to change in different light. Unlike Bobby, who she could read as if he were a book, Carter's eyes held more mystery.
Emilie had always had a touch of empathy. Her sensitivity to people's feelings were higher than the layman. It wasn’t something she sought out to read when she was around someone but she could gauge a person or situation with more precision than most. Carter here, was curious about her and worried. Yeah, he was mostly worried.
"I can help," he said hoping she would open up and spill all her troubles. It was sweet but she didn't need a knight. Emilie slew her own dragons.
"I have no doubt that you are known for your helpfulness, but I don't need any. This was an accident. I assure you, no one is coming after me or even looking for me." She laughed but it came out sounding more tired than entertained. "By a twist of fate, everyone back home thinks I was killed by a bear."
His lips twitched at the irony.
"So beyond my infected leg, I am perfectly fine."
Carter opened his mouth to rebut her claims when a knock sounded at the door. He pointed at her like he wanted to say something but smothered the words and stood.
"This is not over," he said sternly.
Emilie nodded obediently. She was sure he saw it that way but she knew it was very much over.
"Sergeant, did you find a stray?" A woman teased as she came in the door. The doctor was about Emilie's height but with a more slender body. Actually, she looked much too thin. Although she smiled, there was no emotion behind it. She didn’t need to be an empath to see that Lee carried with her a dark cloud, one strong enough to snuff out even the brightest of stars.
"I've got a patient for you. Lee this is Emilie, fair warning she is a bear. Emilie this is Lee, the pack doctor and the best bartender in the Park."
Emilie pushed herself as if to stand to greet Lee but Carter frowned at her which stopped her in her tracks. His face was usually so welcoming but when he didn’t want her to do something, all he had to do was flash a frown. It was like a shock to her system, a jolt that made her stop and take notice.
"Please, don't get up," Lee said coming over and sitting where Carter had been on the coffee table. "It's nice to meet you but what the hell happened?"
Carter came over to Emilie's other side and sat beside her on the couch. "She was just about to explain that to me," he said smugly.
Did he think that because there were two of them that Emilie would suddenly feel threatened and explain? She scoffed. Hardly. "And I was just telling Carter that it was none of his business. An accident, nothing more."
Lee lifted her eyes and met Emilie's with a smirk. "I bet he really liked that answer."
She grinned but hissed when Lee touched the wound. Her gloved hands worked swiftly, only touching when absolutely necessary and with as little pressure as possible.
"We need to clean this out, which is going to hurt like a bitch but might teach you not to roll around in the dirt the next time you get shot. Then you get to go on antibiotics." She turned back to her bag and started to rifle through it.
Carter's phone began to ring, he frown
ed down at it and muted the call. "Here we are getting to the good stuff and duty calls. Lee, you good here?"
She nodded and waved him off.
"Emilie?" he asked turning toward her. He was truly concerned about her. It was a sincerity she hadn't been expecting.
Emilie found it easy to smile and nod even though Lee had begun to prod her leg again. "All good here."
"I'll swing by to check on you later. I take it your brother will be by at some point?"
She nodded. Hopefully, he'd get there soon. She'd like some real clothes. Not that she wasn't enjoying Carter's shirt, she'd just like some pants to complete the look.
After he left, Lee explained what was going to happen next. "I'm going to have to cut it open to drain the pus. Then we irrigate and bandage. Basically, you're going to hate me for the next half hour."
She sighed but it had to be done.
"You must have made some kind of impression on Carter," Lee said as she covered the floor with towels. Emilie had offered to move to the kitchen or bathroom but she insisted Emilie stay put. She then handed her a blanket to cover up with and Emilie had never loved anyone more.
"Why do you say that?"
"He's smitten with you."
She doubted that. He was being nice to the wild naked woman with the hole in her leg.
Lee grinned as she set up her workstation on the coffee table. "I can see you don't believe me. The dominant ones always end up in my exam room and I get to know them while patching them up time and time again. He's smitten with you."
Considering her last relationship ended with her fiancé shooting her in the leg, Emilie figured she'd stay away from relationships for a while.
"Alright," Lee said looking around at her work area. "I think we are about ready to start."
Emilie nodded.
"It's ok to scream, cry and yell at me. I'm a big girl. I can take it."
She didn't have any response to that.
"Hold tight. I'll go as fast as I can."
Three
A Virgo is very strong mentally. They don’t like to be seen as weak. This is their blessing and their curse because when they want to break down, they don’t (even when they want to).
Zodiacspot.com
* * *
She was sitting on the closed toilet seat staring at her shower wondering just how she was going to make this work without getting the bandage wet when the front door opened. Emilie relaxed a little when her brother called out that it was just him and he brought food.
An hour earlier, she had survived Lee's torture. Pain meant nothing to her now that she lived through the doctor lancing her leg, draining the pus and the digging around to make sure she got everything out. True to herself, Emilie didn't yell, cry or lash out in any manner. She gritted her teeth and took the abuse like a champ.
Lee had been all kinds of impressed with her when she was done. Of course, Emilie kicked her out right away. She needed to feel weak for a while and didn't want an audience. Since being shot by Bobby, Emilie had not let herself feel the betrayal and the pain of the loss. Her relationship was over. Her life was over. For twenty minutes, Emilie cried to herself on her couch. She let herself feel everything she had pushed aside on her journey here. And when she was done, she took a deep breath and let it all go. Trying to change what couldn't be changed was wasted energy.
Emilie pushed herself to stand and hobbled down the stairs. Dean was hauling in two suitcases, which she hoped had her clothes. Lee had been nice enough to outfit her with sweatpants from her car but what she really wanted now was her robe and fuzzy slippers.
"Hey sis," he said as he dropped the suitcases off in the corner of the living room. It had been a good month since she had seen him last. His hair, although the same color as hers, had been cut short. Dean had always had a shaggy thing happening with his hair that she loved but this new look made him look older, cleaner. Like their hair, their eyes matched in hue and intensity. There was no doubt they shared blood. Dean had a more masculine chin and lips but they shared a nose. For what he didn't have in height, he had in bulk. Dean looked like a bear with his broad shoulders and muscular chest. It always amused her to no end that his nickname in high school had been Bear.
Using the banister as a crutch, Emilie made it to the last step with only one groan. When she looked up, Dean was frowning at her. It was then that she remembered that she never did tell him about getting shot.
"He shot you didn't he?" Dean asked as he took in her ratty hair, exhausted eyes and limp.
Emilie wobbled her way to the couch. Her fever had broken thanks to Lee and her arsenal of drugs. All she wanted to do now was clean the last few days off her body and sleep for a very long time.
"He did," she said as she collapsed into the couch. Dean didn't move from his spot against the wall. Those ever assessing eyes of his were still taking inventory of her.
"I would have picked you up if you told me you were injured."
"I know, but my stuff..."
The thing about Emilie was that she was a very private person. Once this house became her home, she would keep visitors to a minimum. Her living space, along with all of her things were private comforts which she didn't like to share. Since she knew she could make the hike, there was no reason for him to help her when her things were at the mercy of Bobby and his family.
Dean shook his head. "Your priorities are skewed."
"I had this covered," she said motioning to her leg. "What I needed were all my belongings saved from Bobby's mother and sisters who would probably be taking what they wanted and selling off the rest within days." Greedy little bitches.
With a sigh, Dean came over and sat beside her. He put an arm around her shoulders and Emilie leaned into him, her head on his shoulder.
"Who cleaned it up?" he asked placing a kiss on her head.
"My new landlord slash neighbor was in the kitchen when I got here. He called the local pack doctor. Thanks for getting me a shifter neighbor, by the way."
Dean nodded. "Lee's a good woman."
"You know her?" she asked turning to look at him.
"She bartends in Andora and works at the local clinic. I had to go in there a few months ago for stitches." Dean was staring at her leg probably wishing he had x-ray vision so he could see how bad it was.
"How's Bobby?"
He shook his head, a huff of a laugh leaving his lips. "Distraught. He is telling everyone about the bear attack. God, that man is gullible."
She worried the inside of her lip. Bobby was gullible and he didn't ask questions, not like Emilie, she questioned everything. She liked information, knowledge. Taking someone's word for something wasn't enough for her. In that regard, they were total opposites. But she loved Bobby. He was caring and sweet. He didn't deserve this.
"Aw man Em, please don't feel sorry for the guy. He'll have a new girl in no time. Sensitive guys like him always have a friend in the wings waiting her turn. You need to move on. He wasn't right for you anyway."
"Please, not this again," she moaned and dropped her head back on the couch. Dean had no problem voicing his opinion about anything, ever. Especially when it came to her.
"He wasn't right for you! Maybe, at first he was what you needed but you outgrew him long ago and you know it." Dean twisted so he was facing her. "This is a fresh start for you. Make some friends and get out of your shell. I don't want to come by in a week and see you haven't left the house yet."
Emilie rolled her head on the back of the couch so she could glare at him. "That was one time and I am fine on my own."
"I know you are fine but you do get lonely, it may take longer than a normal person but it happens." The sympathy she felt pouring off of him was almost enough to drown in. Where Dean was an easy going, go with the flow, live free kind of guy, Emilie was not. He could never understand how she could spend so much time alone and not get bored or lonely. Her brother needed people. Emilie needed solitude. Loneliness would hit her but it would take a while.
"Those first steps with new things are always the hardest for you."
He wasn't wrong. First words, new places and people scared the shit out of her.
"Did you get my planner?" she asked suddenly feeling too exposed and needing her security blanket. Most people wouldn't consider a day planner a security blanket but Emilie felt lost without it. The planner might be the most intimate thing she owned and she protected it as if it were her child. No one was allowed to look at it unless Emilie was the one showing them.
The small book was part calendar, part journal. She wrote down horoscopes that she liked, followed the moon cycles, kept ideas, sayings and quotes that spoke to her.
Emilie was very in tune with herself. When she was in high school, in those years when innocence began to fade and real life started to mold a person, Emilie felt as lost as every other child her age. She had no idea who she was. The young girl who was friends with every person in her grade became secluded. She watched other's change and adapt. Groups of friends molded and twisted into new ones. Emilie was different, though, none of those kids had two halves to them. She was both human and bear. Although her two halves had always fit seamlessly together, there came a point when she found the differences between her and the rest of the kids to be too great. Connecting with people became very hard to do.
It was her bear who got her through those adolescent years. Together they looked up. The moon and the stars had guided her on so many nights in the forest, why couldn't they guide her now? Emilie learned all she could about astrology. It became somewhat of an obsession. But her findings came to be true, time and time again.
Emilie was a Virgo with a moon in Taurus and Aries rising.
Dean teased her about it ruthlessly, especially at first. He didn't understand how tracking the moon cycles and planets as they revolve around the sun was as normal as her going to church on Sunday. The stars weren't her gods, she wasn't saying that, but they were a comfort and she knew that she could always look up and find guidance in the galaxy.
The Truth in Love: A Zodiac Shifters Paranormal Romance: Virgo Page 2
