Heidi: Nano Wolves 3

by Donna McDonald

  She studied her appointments and the notes beside them. A pregnant werewolf. A child who kept breaking bones that needed to be set like a human’s since he couldn’t yet shift. It was always amazing to her that Brandi’s brood wasn’t being ushered in to see her every day. Those three defined the term “over-active”.

  Things went much better that day with Katarina sitting outside the room. Patients came and went and she was able to work on them without interruptions.

  Katarina ran to the inn and brought back ham sandwiches for lunch. Heidi devoured hers in a few short bites, startled by how hungry she was. She’d been ravenous as a werewolf ever since she’d forced her body to go human. At the rate she was eating, she was going to be enormous.

  In the middle of the afternoon, a teenage boy came in to see her. He jumped up on the table and sat swinging his feet.

  “Hi… Josh,” she said, reading his name. “You weren’t on my original appointment list. What brings you here today?”

  The boy ducked his head. “I’m not really sick. I just needed to see you.”

  Heidi put down her clipboard with his chart on it and walked a bit closer. Had she actually been here long enough for the young boys in town to develop crushes on her? It had happened to her a lot when she was younger. There had never been a shortage of lustful attention in her life. This boy looked hardly old enough to be able to feel such things, but she didn’t want to hurt his feelings any more than necessary.

  “Is there any particular reason you needed to see me?” she asked quietly.

  “I have something for you, but you have to promise not to tell my parents. Some guy from the Black Wolf pack paid me five dollars to deliver it to you.”

  Her first thought was to wonder why Reed would be sneaking messages to her, but then she was charmed by his thoughtfulness. Maybe Reed had just wanted her to not feel so bothered by the Alphas guarding her. He always seemed to know when she was getting overwhelmed.

  She didn’t bother hiding her grin. “Okay. I guess that’s fair. I won’t tell your parents.”

  He dug in his jacket, unbuttoned his shirt, and pulled out a small manila envelope. “I didn’t open it,” he said quickly. “Can I go now?”

  Heidi shrugged. “Sure,” she said. The boy’s full name was written in her appointment book, so it wasn’t like she couldn’t track him down if she needed to. “Thanks for bringing it to me.”

  After the boy scrambled out the door, Heidi turned the envelope over in her hands. She undid the clip holding it closed and pulled out the contents, which was only a picture. It took a few moments for her to figure out what she was seeing.

  Her hand covered her mouth instinctively to stifle her scream at seeing Ryan bound and gagged. Around his neck was yet another silver collar. How long had it been there? The collar alone would eventually kill him if not removed in time.

  Following the writing on the front that said to turn the picture over, she saw a note on the back. There was no signature, but she knew who had captured Ryan. The boy had said the guy was from the Black Wolf Pack. How naïve of her not to remember Travis was still technically part of it.

  Ariel and Brandi had been right about Travis coming after her. She knew Travis would kill Ryan if she didn’t do as he wanted. Her werewolf lover was nothing but an excuse to get to her. Travis said he would trade Ryan for Katarina or her, but that he’d kill Ryan instantly if he saw or even sensed any of the alphas arriving with her.

  Heidi ducked her head and closed her eyes. Something inside her broke. Maybe it was her heart because the idea of Ryan dying filled her with a despair worse than anything she’d ever known. Not even the day she’d signed on to do escort work had seemed as bad as Ryan Calder not being part of her life.

  Which meant she had no choice.

  She wasn’t an angry, aggressive Alpha, or a smart, cool-headed Beta, but she wasn’t the wimp her pack mates seemed to think she was either. She was just a person who wanted a calm life, a few laughs, someone sexy in her bed, and freedom to do the healing work she loved.

  She certainly wasn’t a person who would sacrifice someone she’d healed to save her own ass. Somehow she had to ditch Katarina. Her options in dealing with the feisty Russian Alpha were few. The woman had sat outside her door all day. Katarina still took her guard duties very seriously, even after being banished from the room.

  Sighing, Heidi searched until she found a pen that would write on the picture. Under the note from Travis, she wrote her goodbyes to the two women she loved liked sisters. She apologized for their disappointment in her, but told them Ryan’s safety had to come first. She explained that she couldn’t risk losing them or Katarina and continue to respect herself. She said she hoped they understood.

  Her stomach twisted as she imagined their future anger. It built to epic levels as she slipped the picture back into the envelope. Maybe she wasn’t going to be tormented by such pack connections much longer. Travis was going to be delivering her up to whoever he’d been taking Katarina to see. Brandi had told her the pack dynamics lessened with distance. She kind of hoped it was true. The last thing she needed was to be concerned about what her pack mates thought about her.

  Josh was a penciled in patient and the last of her day. There was just one thing left to handle before she hitched a ride to meet her fate.

  She walked to the door of her consultation room and opened it. “Comfortable?” she asked, smiling at the woman slumped in the hard chair.

  “Russian thrive on suffering. Am fine,” Katarina vowed.

  “Well, your suffering is ending for today. My last patient left quickly. I’m ready to go.” Heidi spoke as cheerfully as she could. Fortunately, she was a master at keeping her true emotions to herself.

  “True. Is early. But I happy to go,” Katarina said, standing and stretching.

  Heidi nodded as Katarina walked into the room. This time she went to the hooks on the wall and pulled down their coats and scarves. She dressed in her coat and wrapped her scarf around her throat, then walked to Katarina. She grinned as she threw the scarf around the Alpha’s neck. Her fingertips brushed the skin there.

  “Thank you for protecting me,” Heidi said softly.

  “No problem. Is good job,” Katarina declared.

  Heidi laughed at that because she knew it wasn’t true. The woman was bored to death, but would likely never admit it.

  “Well, I just wanted to make sure you heard it from me. I’m glad I was there to save you. You’re a good person, Katarina Volkov. You deserve to live a good life. I hope you go see Reed when this is all done.”

  “Spasibo,” Katarina said, not commenting further. Instead, she studied Heidi’s face. Something had made the healer very emotional. Did deep empathy come with healing work? Perhaps it was so.

  Heidi smiled. “I’m having a rough week. Could I ask you to do me a huge, huge favor today?”

  When Katarina shrugged and said “Da”, Heidi held out the woman’s coat and helped her put it on. She lifted Katarina’s luxurious hair and slid her hands along Katarina’s neck to adjust the collar. If the Alpha had not trusted her so greatly, Heidi knew she’d have never gotten so far.

  She let her fingers linger against the woman’s throat as she set her intention to influence. When Katarina’s eyes clouded over, Heidi blinked back the tears burning her own.

  She let a ragged breath escape as she screwed up her courage. Then she ordered the Alpha she’d saved to do exactly what she needed her to do.

  9

  Travis watched as Heidi climbed from a car and sent it off. It was strange any werewolf would have just left a mostly defenseless female out here in the middle of nowhere without arguing with her first. Whatever she’d told the driver must have been a damn good story.

  The Healer didn’t even look back to see if the car turned around. Instead, she took off walking down the dirt road toward him like someone out for a leisurely stroll. It pleased him she was following his directions precisely.

  When he
was sure she hadn’t been followed, Travis left his lookout post and went back into the barn where he’d stashed the Healer’s lovesick wolf mate. Or partial mate. They smelled like each other, but there wasn’t a mark on him. Maybe she was holding out. That would explain their fight, but not explain the kids being with her instead of him. His grandfather’s scientific abominations were strange though. None of the three were normal in any respect.

  “Guess what, Calder? Your reluctant mate’s finally on her way to us. Looks like she loves you after all,” Travis said, grinning at the man.

  Ryan’s head pounded from the drugs that were still in his system. And his throat was on fire. “Do you really think Heidi’s pack is going to let her come here alone? You’re dead, Black Wolf. It’s just a matter of time.”

  Travis grinned and shrugged. “Her pathetic excuse for a pack is not my concern. I need a female werewolf of breeding age. She could have given up the Russian bitch instead. Coming herself was her choice—not mine. At least now you know for sure she loves you enough to save your life. I saw the two of you fighting out at Longfeather’s. She cried for an hour after you left, in case you still care.”

  Ryan frowned over hearing Heidi had been crying. She’d brought it on herself for what she’d tried to do, but the idea of hurting her was more painful than anything Travis Black Wolf had done to him so far.

  “If this is about money, I’ll give you money,” Ryan said coldly. “I can get you three hundred thousand this afternoon.”

  Travis laughed. “Not enough. She’s worth half a million to me—more if you count future retrievals. A packless wolf has to make ends meet as best he can. I’m sure you understand.”

  “Your grandfather would let you back into the Black Wolf pack if you did the right things. You don’t have to betray your own kind. You don’t have to hurt Heidi. Those people you work for are the ones who deserve to die.”

  Travis smirked. “Dangling my old pack as an incentive is a waste of time. They’re still living in the dark ages. They don’t know anything going on outside the town. Let me tell you something, Calder. That cute scientific piece of werewolf ass you’ve been tapping is merely the tip of what’s happening to shifters out in the real world. I’m surprised Longfeather hasn’t bothered to warn the Gray Wolf pack about what’s going on.”

  Ryan wondered that too now, but he didn’t think his situation merited getting mad at his pack Beta. Gareth and Brandi might be the only two people capable of freeing him and Heidi.

  “She doesn’t deserve this Travis. Don’t force her to be another scientific experiment.”

  “No one deserves any of this, but it’s happening anyway,” Travis said flatly. “A smart wolf can only capitalize on it, and that’s what I’m doing.”

  Heidi’s nervousness grew with every step, but there was no turning back from the decision. She needed to free Ryan and make sure Travis left the area. Her plan was weak, but it was all she had. As soon as it was possible, she’d find a way to get close enough to Travis to plant a few healthy suggestions in his demented brain.

  The barn door cracked open for her as she approached. Fighting the urge to run in the other direction, Heidi slipped inside it. The first thing she saw was a still bound Ryan propped up against a tractor wheel.

  “Ryan!” She ran to his side, stooping down to check him for injuries.

  “Heidi, you shouldn’t be here,” Ryan growled.

  “You know I had to come,” she whispered. “I wasn’t about to turn Katarina over to Travis. She escaped him once, but it almost cost her life. I’m here because there was no choice. I couldn’t let anything happen to you.”

  “This is all very touching, but there’s no time for long discussions. I’ve got a helicopter waiting and an angry backer keeping tabs on me.”

  Heidi stood and faced Travis. She hadn’t seen him since Ariel’s challenge fight at the Black Wolf pack. He looked so much like Reed that her heart instinctively tried to soften toward him.

  But he was not like Reed.

  She’d heard the story of what he’d done to Brandi and she easily believed every word of how far he’d veered from doing right.

  “I’m here now, so you can let Ryan go,” Heidi said.

  Travis rolled his eyes. “Just because we’re family doesn’t mean I intend to do something so stupid. Here’s how this is going to work. I’ll knock lover boy out one more time. You and I will leave. Calder can find his own way home long after we’re gone. Be grateful I haven’t killed him yet. In fact, I’m not sure why I haven’t. I knew you’d see the picture and do as I asked. If he’d been the bitchy type, he’d likely be dead already.”

  Heidi didn’t know what to say. Her sensibilities were obvious to everyone. It wasn’t like she could hide the fact that she cared what happened to people. She also couldn’t hide how appalled she was about Travis being so willing to kill in cold blood. Her terror was no doubt evident to both him and Ryan.

  “Will you remove the silver collar if I agree to go peacefully?”

  “No can do, Heidi-Ho. He can get the other Gray Wolf pack Healer to take it off when he gets back to town.”

  “What if it kills him before Eva can remove it?” Heidi asked.

  “His possible death is a risk I’m willing to take. Of course, I could kill him right now and then you’d know for sure he was dead. That would end the wondering, right?”

  “No,” Heidi said quickly, looking at the shock on Ryan’s face. She looked back at Travis. “I’m ready to go with you. Let’s do this now.”

  Though it pained her to see Ryan in pain, the alternative was worse. What Travis was suggesting would have to work. She needed to keep him happy until they were away from the people she loved.

  “Could I have a moment to say goodbye?” she asked softly.

  Travis snickered. “Of course. I’m not a complete monster.” He stepped out of the barn and left the two of them alone.

  Ryan looked up at her. “For fuck’s sake, Heidi. Run,” he demanded.

  Heidi swallowed the lump his harsh order caused in her throat and knelt at his side. She wouldn’t let him intimidate her into leaving. She couldn’t.

  “He’ll kill you for sure if I run. And we both know he’d eventually outrun me and get me too. That’s not a good plan that ends well for anyone. I have no choice but to go with him.”

  Ryan swore and struggled against the ropes keeping him bound. His wolf wasn’t able to help him because of the stupid collar around his neck.

  Heidi put her hands in her lap. “Look—I’m sorry I got you into this. You’ve been nothing but wonderful to me. You’re the nicest man I’ve ever… ”

  “Shut up with that nice stuff. I love you, Heidi. I told you nothing would change that and it hasn’t,” Ryan said roughly. “Now kiss me before Travis comes back and don’t do any of that shit you did to me the other day. It will only piss me off. I know what I feel for you.”

  “Ryan, I’m so, so sorry,” she began.

  Then choking on a sob, Heidi pressed her trembling mouth to Ryan’s. Their lips fused in relief, even in the midst of so much trouble. He tasted familiar—like home and comfort and all the things she’d thought he’d never genuinely be able to give her.

  How had she been so completely wrong about their connection? It was too late to change what she’d done out of fear, but oh how she wished now that she’d never sent Ryan away from her bed.

  Putting her hands behind Ryan’s head, she focused on becoming human so she could safely undo the collar. Nanos scrambled inside her to answer her call for help. She felt a partial click in the collar’s lock at the same time another click happened nearby. Ryan’s body jerked separating their kiss. Her head turned as Ryan’s body fell sideways, a long dart sticking out of his leg.

  “Don’t you just hate long goodbyes?” Travis asked.

  Heidi put her hand on Ryan’s chest, sobbed once, and then reluctantly climbed to her feet. Her body was already returning to werewolf. Apparently her nanos were aw
are of the danger Travis presented. They were making decisions way ahead of her conscious ones.

  She wished she knew if she’d unlocked the silver collar or not. Checking would only clue Travis into what she’d tried to do. She took one step away from Ryan, then another. Soon she was at the side of her would-be kidnapper. The most she could hope for now was that Katarina was coming to her senses enough to contact Ariel.

  “Katarina was right. You really are a bastard,” Heidi said.

  Travis snorted. “Flattery is not going to stop me from tranquilizing you if you give me any shit, but thanks for the compliment. Out the door, my sweet little werewolf experiment. Time to meet your new mad scientist.”

  Heidi looked at Ryan one last time and hoped he came around soon.

  Hope was all she had left.

  Ariel and Matt sat waiting for Katarina to stop speaking so rapidly in Russian and find enough English to actually tell them what had happened.

  Katarina motioned in the air, trying to explain it to all of them. “She was putting on my scarf, and touching me… like friend, and then… I am here. Sitting on bed and staring at the walls. She did to me what she did to rude men. Dermo.”

  Ariel’s jaw tightened to the point of pain. “Something must have happened to prompt this. I can’t see Heidi doing something so drastic just because she didn’t want to be guarded all the time. She’s stubborn, but not foolish.”

  “Da. Agreed,” Katarina said. She put a hand to her head. “I have headache like moose step on brain.”

  Any other time Ariel would have laughed at what Katarina said, but worry for Heidi zapped the humor she normally found in the Russian Alpha’s speech. “Maybe she left a note—or something,” she said, hearing desperation to believe it in her voice.

  “Note?” Katarina asked, rubbing her forehead. “Da. We look for note. Heidi write all day long. We check Healing Center.”