by Trisha Telep
“Broken wing, I think.”
“Are you one of Dr Jake’s clients?”
“As of now I am.”
Tracy gave a grudging smile. Selina eyed her. The young woman had a sharp, hungry look that wasn’t quite human. Werewolf? Werewolfism wasn’t contagious but did that matter once you were digested?
“How soon can we see Dr – um – Dr Jake?”
Tracy leaned across the reception desk, gently scratching the gargoyle’s head. Selina could feel the heat of the she-wolf’s skin even though they never touched. Shape-shifters seemed to run at a higher temperature than humans.
An affectionate look softened Tracy’s features. “What’s his name?”
“Um, Gary.”
“Hey, Gary.” She ran a finger down the crooked wing.
The gargoyle flinched into Selina’s chest, gripping the front of her coat for dear life. He turned pain-filled eyes up to her.
A thin line formed between Tracy’s brows. “Yeah, there’s something wrong there, poor baby. Go right into Exam One. There are a few people waiting, but I’ll make sure Jake sees this little guy right away.”
Tracy pointed down the hallway. The sign for each exam room was clearly visible.
As she walked down the hall, Selina took quick peeks through glass windows into the other rooms. There was a storage space filled with surgical equipment, cages, and shelves of medical supplies. Another held a woman and what looked like a giant lizard. In a third, an ordinary-looking guy was pacing the room in a stew of anxiety. There was no pet in sight. Hm.
Exam One was empty. Selina went in and carefully set Gary on the table. He didn’t want to let go, but he was getting heavy. The little guy has to be a good twelve pounds.
Fortunately, there was an open jar of dog treats on the counter. As she bribed him on to the table, he grabbed the cookie with paws that reminded her of a raccoon. No wonder they break out of ordinary cages.
“Don’t give him too many of those,” said a soft male voice from the doorway. “You should really be looking for grain-free products.”
Selina felt like a mom caught feeding her infant french fries. Heat flared in her cheeks as she wheeled to face the door. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”
Oh! She caught sight of the speaker. “Dr Jake, I presume?”
He was young, in blue jeans and a navy T-shirt under a rumpled lab coat. The look was more outdoorsy than doctorish, his footwear sturdy hiking boots. His eyes and wavy hair were both a rich brown that made her think of dark chocolate fudge.
“Jake Hallender,” he offered a hand.
“Selina Pearson.” As she grasped his hand, she felt the same heat that had radiated from the receptionist’s skin. Wolf. She resisted the urge to flinch away. It wasn’t hard. His smile was filled with easy-going, good-humoured amusement, with just a pinch of mischief. There was nothing obviously threatening about the vet, unless one could weaponize male charm.
I bet he knows he’s cute. He has that look, like he could get away with anything and you’d forgive him. Who knew male arrogance crossed species lines? The doctor’s gaze was travelling up her body, eventually coming to rest on her face. From his expression, he liked what he saw. She took back her hand and turned pointedly to the exam table, avoiding inspection.
Gary was poking at his wing again. He’d abandoned the treat.
“I think my gargoyle’s wing is broken,” she said, getting right down to business.
“How long have you had him?” Dr Jake picked up a stethoscope and hooked it into his ears.
“About an hour.”
He stopped short. “An hour?”
“Yes, I got him this afternoon,” Selina looked at her watch. “And, I’m sorry, but I need to be back at the office by five for an appointment. I’ve already put it off once.”
The vet all but rolled his eyes. “If you’ve got a full schedule, maybe you should adopt a cactus instead of a pet.” Although his tone was polite, there was a sudden edge of frost.
She felt the heat in her cheeks deepen. “I didn’t set out this morning to adopt anything. It was an accident.”
Dr Jake gave her a curious look before pressing the end of the stethoscope against Gary’s back and stomach, making him squirm. “An accident, huh? Gargoyles need at least some attention, and they’re not small. This boy will grow to seventy-five pounds or so.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
Dr Jake raised an eyebrow. “A relief?”
“The pet store said one-twenty.”
“Stores often don’t know what they have. The big gargoyles are the European breed. The greys like yours are smaller. Friendlier, too.”
As if to demonstrate, Gary made a gentle squawk into the stethoscope, grabbing it in one paw and then trying to stuff it into his beak. The vet winced, pulling the earpieces out and hanging the instrument around his neck. “Well, there’s nothing wrong with his heart or lungs. You’re lucky. Domestic specimens are often so inbred there are birth defects. Your boy’s just fine.” He turned Gary around and began examining his damaged wing. Gary chittered a protest, but didn’t try to bite.
Selina watched Jake’s square, competent hands as he worked. Firm but gentle. What else were those hands expert at?
He administered a shot, explaining it was to freeze the wing. Then he cast her a sideways glance. “So what made you accidentally buy a gargoyle?”
“I rescued him from a guy with a broom. Gary was on the lam from the pet store and took a dive into the cereal aisle at the Save-It Store.”
The vet looked at her with new interest, one that went beyond physical appreciation. Rescuing Gary had obviously scored her points, which should have been a good thing. For Selina, not so much. Her empathic gift told her more than she wanted to know. She could feel his attention like a klieg light. That was the difference between a human and a wolf. When a wolf chose to notice you, he really looked. But Selina spent her life flying under the radar, and that much scrutiny was uncomfortable.
“I’m not sure I can keep a pet,” she said flatly, hoping that would put him off. “I work in an antiques gallery. I’m gone most of the day and I live in a small apartment.”
“Does the landlord allow pets?”
“I guess so. The lady next door used to have a parrot.” She watched him dab what looked like a gel on the back of Gary’s wing. Despite herself, she leaned closer to get a better look. “What is that stuff?”
“Glue, actually. It will help immobilize the wing while the bone heals.” He carefully folded the wing into a natural, closed position. “Can you hold him just like that?”
Selina slipped her hands next to his, conscious of the warmth of his skin and the soft fuzz of Gary’s hide. Dr Jake began binding the closed wing against Gary’s back, wrapping the bandage just below the creature’s armpits. “The worst habit baby gargoyles have is a tendency to swallow small objects. Rings, erasers, marbles—”
“Stethoscopes.”
He laughed, a quick flash of white teeth. “Yeah. You have to watch them pretty carefully. Otherwise, they’re excellent company. Easy to house train. As long as they have a window and somewhere to perch, they’re pretty content to watch the world go by.”
“Good to know,” Selina replied. “How long is it going to take the wing to heal?”
He caught her eye, a smile lurking at the corners of his mouth. He brushed her hands more than was strictly necessary as he fastened the bandage. “About a month. There will be follow-up visits.”
Selina caught the teasing tone in his voice. “Is that so?”
He gave her puppy dog eyes. “Several.”
He held her gaze. She felt like ice cream slowly turning to a sticky puddle. Don’t go there. Really. Do. Not. Encourage. Him.
Jake’s smile was taking over his face, one dimple at a time.
Dammit. “Are you flirting?” Stupid question.
“Would you like me to?”
“I didn’t think wolves dated humans.”
“But you’re fey.”
Selina’s whole body jolted with shock. Oh, crap. She was busted.
“Ah, sorry,” he said, smile fading. “From the look on your face, you’d rather keep that private.”
“I’m only half fey,” Selina countered, feeling her heart skitter. “You’re the first person in town who’s guessed.” And you’d better be the last!
“I knew quite a few fey back in my home town. I recognized your scent.”
“Guess I’d better wear heavier perfume.”
“Your secret’s safe with me.”
“There are professional reasons . . .” No one does business with a fey. The humans think we’re all tricksters. I’d lose my job.
“Say no more.”
“Please . . .”
“Don’t you trust wolves?” His eyebrows arched. “Why don’t I try and convince you of my honesty over coffee?”
Selina’s shock morphed into exasperation. This guy just won’t quit! “Aren’t there professional ethics about seeing your patients?”
“I don’t want to ask your gargoyle out for dinner.” He stroked Gary’s head. “As a species, they’re sweet-tempered but deathly short on conversation.”
Selina opened her mouth but struggled for words, outraged and intrigued at the same time. I heard wolves moved fast. She suddenly felt less articulate than Gary.
A crash came from outside the exam room door. The noise was metallic, as if a tray of medical instruments had fallen. It was followed by a loud thump.
Dr Jake pulled off his stethoscope and set it on the counter, his movements quick and precise. Selina read tension in the bunched muscles of his shoulders. “Stay here.” He stepped outside, closing the door behind him.
What’s going on?
Gary started bobbing up and down, squeaking like a rusty pogo stick. Automatically, she picked up the gargoyle to comfort him, stroking the soft skin of his back. The bright white bandage made him lopsided, his injured wing bound tight.
Cuddling him, Selina stood to one side of the exam room door and tried to peer through the narrow window. She could see part of the hallway and, sure enough, a rolling cart of supplies had crashed into the wall. It leaned drunkenly, a trail of surgical tools marking its path to collision. One of the other exam room doors stood open, blocking the rest of her view. She heard Dr Jake’s voice. “Tracy! A little help here!”
Wasn’t that the room where the ordinary-looking guy had been pacing? Selina tried to remember as she set Gary back on the table. The gargoyle cheeped, reaching for the dog cookies. Selina gave him one, hoping it would keep him busy for a moment. “You be good,” she admonished.
Gary blinked his lime green eyes, the picture of innocence, and stuck the cookie in his beak. Selina opened the door, cautiously peeking out. Common sense told her the thumps and growls coming from the exam room were bad news, especially in a clinic like this. She stepped into the hall, pulling the door shut.
Tracy stumbled backwards into the hall. She caught sight of Selina. “Get back in the room!” she snapped. “We’ve got a first-timer in here.” Her voice sounded rough, as if her wolf were lurking just beneath her human mask.
A first-timer! Someone – usually someone adopted as a kid – meeting their inner beast for the first time. Selina had heard horror stories about those poor shlubs who went through life as Grade A human, and then one day succumbed to a genetic time bomb that turned them into ravening fuzz balls. The late onset was due to a mysterious complex of factors – hormones, no pack socialization, human diet – but the outcome was predictable. Even if their bodies survived, their minds usually didn’t. Unexpectedly turning into a wolf wreaked havoc with the psyche.
“But it’s not full moon,” Selina said.
“Don’t believe everything you see in the movies. Full moon isn’t the only time the change can happen.”
Selina stood mute for a moment, fighting a dread so strong it felt like nausea. Some of it was hers, some came from outside. She took a breath, forcing her stomach to hold steady. “I think I can help.”
“Yeah, right.” Tracy flashed her a look of contempt. “Get back in the room or get out the door. This is going to be ugly.”
The receptionist lunged for the rolling cart and began rummaging through the jumble of supplies. Two more bodies exploded from the room, hitting the worn carpet with a thump of bone and flesh. Selina jumped back. They rolled, momentum smacking them into the baseboard. Dr Jake was on top, kneeling on his opponent’s back and wrenching the other man’s arm into a hammer lock. The vet was a big man, but the other was surfing supernatural adrenaline. He threw Jake off and scrambled to his feet, roaring with fury and confusion.
Selina had seen the change just once before. It had been fast and fluid, like a ripple in water – one moment a man, the next a wolf. This guy looked like he’d become stuck. He was hairy more than furry, one eye blue, the other yellow. The bones in his head looked all wrong, and there were definitely too many big, sharp teeth.
The wolfman and Dr Jake noticed Selina in the same instant. The vet was on his feet again, scrambling to put himself in front of her. Jake was starting to look a little wolfy himself, his teeth bared and shoulders hunched.
“Get back,” he said to the other man in a low voice. “Stay away from her.”
The wolfman sprang at the vet, teeth snapping.
“Watch out!” yelled Tracy.
Jake rolled into the motion of his attack, throwing his attacker to the floor with a practised flip. The man’s foot caught the edge of the cart and it went down with a crash, scattering supplies. Jake leaped on top.
Tracy crouched beside him, wrenching the wolfman’s shirt aside and jabbing a syringe into his shoulder. The drug was too little, too late. Black, curving claws thrust from the wolfman’s fingers in a spray of blood. He shrieked in pain, the sound cresting in an inhuman howl that tore through Selina.
A wave of hot nausea slammed into her. Choking it down, she pushed forward.
“Get back!” snarled Jake. He made a move to get up, to stop her, but checked himself because it was his strength alone that was holding the wolfman down.
“Cool it,” she snapped. “I know what I’m doing.”
“Yeah? What?” Jake puffed, forcing the wolfman’s shoulders to the floor.
Selina wanted to run so badly her legs twitched under her. Tracy grabbed her shoulder, but she shook her off. I don’t want to do this. I moved a thousand miles so that no one knew I could even try. She fell to her knees by the wolfman’s head, fighting dizziness.
“The drugs aren’t working,” she said.
“No shit,” Tracy snarled.
Selina opened her mental shields a crack. The wolfman’s eyes were squeezed shut, tears streaming down his hairy, malformed cheeks. But even sightless, he could sense she was there – fresh, tender meat. He twisted his head, neck craning toward her, nose twitching to scent her. Selina leaned closer, letting him catch her aroma, letting her awareness drift closer to his.
“Are you crazy?” Jake looked aghast. “Get out of here!”
“Forget it,” said Selina. Terrified, she damned her sense of obligation. There was a reason she worked where she did, with logical spreadsheets and beautiful antiques. They weren’t live creatures filled with volatile, wrenching feelings.
She grabbed the wolfman’s head, one hand on either cheek, and felt the black hole inside him. It was a dark whirlpool of pure terror. Her mind teetered on the edge, in danger of falling into the vortex of madness.
I can’t. She snatched her hands back, her heart hammering in her mouth. She could feel Jake next to her, the heat of his body prickling against her skin. Their shoulders brushed, their breath mingling. Close enough for his werewolf senses to pick up on what she was trying to do. Because her mental shields were open, she felt the jolt of his realization. “You’re an empath!”
“Sort of.” There was no time to explain how her magic didn’t always work right. Her hands clenched, as i
f her very skin shrank from touching the wolfman again. What if Jake talked? Or Tracy? Everyone would know what she was. She’d lose everything.
What possessed her to come here? She should have left Gary in the grocery store.
What if she screwed up?
What if . . .
Enough! She grabbed the wolfman again, pressing his face between her hands. His eyes, wild with horror, stared into hers. With a sick fascination, she felt his thoughts pour into hers. His name was Steve Collins. He was watching his body twist and deform, turn into something sickening and foul that he didn’t understand. When the first symptoms had started a month ago, he’d thought the changes were signs of some degenerative disease and that he might die. Then he’d started to guess what was happening and came to the one doctor who might know how to help. But help how? Death would be better. He’d had a wife, a job. They were as good as lost.
His body was . . . the sheer terror of it was driving him mad. He was hungry. The smell of blood was revolting and good and he’d looked at his wife, wanting to touch her and eat her at the same time. He’d reached for her and she’d screamed and he’d run out of the house. I didn’t mean it! and he was so sorry, sorry, sorry . . .
Selina pulled the plug on his conscious state, putting him instantly to sleep. She bit her lip, holding all those emotions in, putting them out one by one by one . . . like all the candles on a birthday cake from deepest Hell.
Dear God! The anguish was killing them both. Slumping back on her heels, she closed her eyes and released a huge, pent-up breath. Tears of anger and sorrow leaked from beneath her eyelashes. So many losses. The enormity of Steve’s suffering was too big for one heart to hold.
I can’t do this!
But she’d already done what she needed to do. Steve lay unmoving, his body slowly reverting to his human form. Jake let go of him, releasing a sigh of his own.
“Holy crap,” said Tracy.
“Call the pack,” said Jake in an exhausted tone. “We’ve got to put him in lock-up until this is over.”
Tracy moved swiftly to the reception desk and picked up the phone.
