Resisting His Irish Spitfire: A Howls Romance (Shifters of Sanctuary Book 1)

by Kasey Belle

  Koda carefully rearranged the pup. Ella’s head whipped around when he cursed. “What’s wrong?” Her gaze followed his eyes. “Oh, sweet hell.” She spoke softly to the pup while she examined the paw on his right hind leg.

  Ella didn’t need her fancy medical degree to know it was infected. The wounds on the mangled foot oozed and smelled foul.

  After a full exam, several blood tests, an ultrasound, and x-rays, she finally spoke. Up until that point she kept her findings to her herself, which she could tell annoyed the hell out of Koda. “He’s severely dehydrated and malnourished. Along with the demodectic mange, he has intestinal worms. I didn’t see any heartworms which is a miracle. I’m going to start him on meds for the worms and pump him full of antibiotics for the mange and the infection in his foot. However, I can’t save it.”

  He froze. “No! You can’t take his leg,” he sneered.

  Ella was taken aback by his tone. “I’m not amputating his leg. Only a portion, just to the hock joint.” She indicated the area.

  “Just? The pack won’t accept him.” Koda’s jaw clenched and Ella feared he might crack a molar. “Maybe we should call Doc for a second opinion?”

  Ella narrowed her eyes. “Are you questioning my ability to do my job?” She gritted out between her teeth. She took a lot of shit from men, especially this one, but she’d be damned if she’d let that little suggestion slide. No one. Absolutely no one was allowed to doubt her abilities as a vet. She finished in the top of her class at UC Davis. She had years of field experience before she even graduated high school thanks to Doc. Ella was damn good at what she did and had the record to prove it.

  She watched with smug satisfaction as Koda began to backpedal. “I just― I mean―” He huffed a breath. “Doc said you knew what you were doing.”

  “And that pisses you off?” The man was exasperating.

  “No,” he huffed. “He’s been through so much I hate to think about him losing the chance to have a pack family. If he can’t keep up with them, they won’t want him.”

  “If I thought there was even the slimmest chance to save the foot, I would try that first. There isn’t. The tissue is already dead. He will be too if I don’t do this. That is if you want me to try to save him.”

  Koda jerked back as if I’d slapped him. “Of course I do. He may be just a pup, but he’s a fighter.”

  His indignation made her grin. “Alright. I’ll do the surgery tomorrow.” Ella held up her hand when he opened his mouth to argue with me. “He’s too weak right now to even attempt it today. I’ll hook up an IV give him fluids and antibiotic. He’s facing an uphill battle as it is. I want to stack the deck as much as I can. If you can lend me a hand, we can bathe him with the medicated shampoo to start getting rid of the mange.”

  She could tell he wanted to turn her down, but knew he wouldn’t when his eyes drifted to the pup. Koda gave her a stiff nod. Ella sighed. His reluctant agreement was better than a fuck you, but not by much. They worked in strained silence. It didn’t escape her notice that Koda made an effort not to touch her. It was like he really thought she had cooties or something. If he hadn’t been so gentle with her patient, she would have sent him on his way. The pup barely made a whimper as they tended to his afflicted skin. He seemed to instinctively know what they were doing would help him.

  Ella wanted so much to hate the man next to her. No matter how hard she tried to convince herself he wasn’t worth her time, she couldn’t make herself believe it. She made a covert glance in his direction. Koda was just as wounded as the poor creature in her care, only his deeper scars weren’t visible. Oh, Koda had scars, she’d seen them a few weeks ago after a particularly messy calf delivery.

  It had been a tough delivery, and they’d almost lost both mama and baby. Koda was so excited when he realized both their patients would survive that he’d hugged her then immediately pushed her away. He’d stalked off in an angry snit, but not without first sending an accusatory glare her way as if him hugging her had been her fault. Ella debated whether or not she should go after Koda and give him a piece of her mind. Finally deciding she’d had enough of him and his shitty attitude, she barged into the foreman’s office ready to have her say only to find Koda shirtless. She may or may not have stared for longer than she should have. Can you blame a girl? No you can’t. The man is Grade A Prime. The scars on his arms, chest, and back did nothing to detract from his magnificence.

  Of course her ogling only pissed Koda off more and things between them had been even more tense since then. She understood why. A proud man like Koda wouldn’t want to televise proof of his vulnerability. Ella didn’t know what he’d experienced, but she knew it was awful. Which only made her more curious about the man. She googled the tattoo on his left bicep and if her sleuthing skills were accurate, Koda was Army Special Forces or had been.

  She also knew it was the scars on the inside that affected him most. The kind of anger Koda often displayed wasn’t who he was, she believed it in her heart. He wouldn’t care about his animals the way he did if he was a complete bastard.

  Ella so desperately wanted to bridge the gap between them. It wasn’t that she had an unrealistic need for everyone to like her. She just wanted Koda to like her. Why? She had no idea. However, in this moment, she wanted, needed, to alleviate his concern over the pup’s impending amputation. It wouldn’t be as bad as Koda feared.

  “Koda?” She said in a soft voice. He glanced at her. “I’m sorry we have to take his foot, but I promise it will be okay.”

  “You can’t know that.”

  Was he intentionally baiting her? Ella took a calming breath. Now was not the time to remind Koda he didn’t know shit about her. “Actually I do. This isn’t my first rodeo. Unfortunately, the count is more in the triple digits. When this little guy is ready, I’ll have him fitted for a prosthetic.”

  “They make those for wolves?”

  “They make them for sea turtles and dolphins.”

  Koda’s mouth dropped open and she couldn’t help but smile. He acted like such a know-it-all more often than not. Shocking him speechless was extremely satisfying.

  “You’re shitting me?”

  “Nope.” Ella stripped off her rubber gloves and pulled out her phone.

  “I thought only the military did that for their WMD dogs, that and rich people. I saw a video once about an elephant but I thought that was a one off.”

  “Prosthetic usage for animals is becoming more common every day.” She did a quick internet search for animal prosthetic videos. She slid the phone over to Koda. “We had a wolf in Denali that came to us after getting his leg caught in a trap. It took him a while to get used to the prosthetic, but once he did―” She shrugged. “There was no stopping him. He couldn’t live in the wild with the prosthetic though. He’s at a preserve and is a thriving member of the house pack. This little guy could have that to with his magic leg, Lieutenant Dan.”

  “I’m sorry? I… Lieutenant? What?”

  Ella rolled her eyes. Was he born in a cave? “Magic leg? Lieutenant Dan?” She threw up her hands when he continued to stare at her as though she’d lost her marbles. “Forrest Gump? Oscar award winner for best picture, director, and actor.”

  “Okay?” He shot her a bemused expression.

  “Are you being deliberately obtuse?” She held up her hand. “Don’t answer that. You know the scene where Gary Sinise shows up at Forrest and Jenny’s wedding. He walks up and Forrest freaks because he’s actually walking. Then Lieutenant Dan shows Forrest his titanium prosthetics. Forrest says, “Why Lieutenant Dan you have magic legs.”

  He sent her a placating grin and nodded. Ella narrowed her eyes. “Just so you know, it was funny until I had to explain it.”

  “Uh-huh. Of course it was.” Kade’s lips twitched and Ella held her breath. She tried to hide her disappointment when his damn placid mask fell back into place. Koda’s eyebrows furrowed, and she knew she’d failed.

  Chapter 4

  Kod
a stepped out the door ripping off a piece of jerky with his teeth as he watched Ella’s truck drive past his house toward the metal outbuilding. He knew she was coming to check on the pup. The fact that she went straight to the medical building instead of stopping by his place first told him she was still pissed. The thought of his little spitfire in a snit shouldn’t make him hard, but it did.

  He walked up to her truck just as she was getting out. Her eyes cut to him, but she didn’t acknowledge his presence. He should have let it go, because this was what he wanted, but he had an overwhelming need to force her to interact with him. Koda held out the pieced of homemade jerky offering her a bite. She wrinkled her nose in distaste. The expression was unbelievably cute and he couldn’t help but grin at her. Ella glared at him and turned away without responding.

  He chuckled and followed behind her. She didn’t bother holding the door open for him this time. He heard her soft murmurs as she spoke to the pup. He came around the corner and stopped leaning against the doorframe to watch her. She smiled and ran her hand over the pup’s head as he stared up at her with love in his bright blue eyes. Koda had to admit, the little guy did look better today than yesterday. Not that he planned to mention it. Ella would take it the wrong way.

  “What? That you finally got some manners?” his wolf snarked.

  “What the hell do you want from me? She needs to move on.”

  “I hate to be the bearer of bad news―”

  “No. You don’t.”

  “You’re right. However, the bad news is… Ella is here to stay. I doubt she would have bought half of Black River Clinic if that wasn’t her plan.”

  Fuck his life. Wolf was right. Koda had to stop giving into his need to bait her and keep their interactions purely professional. No more sparring with Ella even if it was his favorite sport.

  Ella floated around the room gathering supplies while keeping up a soothing conversation with the pup. Remaining cool, distant, and professional around Ella would be easy.

  “Said no one ever,” Wolf mocked.

  “You don’t understand.”

  “Of course, I understand. In case you forgot, we share a brain. You want her as much as I do, but won’t claim her no matter how many times I beg for you to do so. I understand that you are misguided in your notion that we are cursed to die alone. Yet humans who have PTSD or combat injuries still find and marry their mates. We are no different than they are. The goddess wouldn’t have sent Ella to us if we were unworthy.”

  Koda growled. Sometimes―which seemed to come more often than not lately―sharing a mind with Wolf was a pain in the ass. Wolf continued berating him as if he weren’t privy to Koda’s thoughts on the matter.

  “I understand you need to get your head out of your ass. Last but not least, I understand that if you don’t stop “being you” we will lose her.”

  “Being me?”

  “Yes. You know? Mr. Quick tempered, no filter, open mouth insert foot.” His ever present companion shot him a wolfish grin. “Be more like me. Reasonable, level-headed, calm.”

  Koda sure as hell didn’t have the ability to be reasonable yesterday when Ella had amputated the pup’s foot something Koda took personally, even though he shouldn’t. He knew there was no alternative. Attempting to treat the injury without surgical intervention risked an aggressive infection like gangrene. The pup surely would have died.

  Ella went about her job, examining the pup, listening to his heart and lungs, and finally unwrapping the dressing from his stump. Koda forced himself not to look away.

  His wolf paced with restless energy. Being this close to Ella had him fighting his shift and the need to claim her. He wished she’d give him something to do other than stand around and think about all the ways he could make her theirs yet would never experience.

  “You gave him his pain meds on schedule?”

  Koda nodded, then rolled his eyes when her focus remained on her patient. “Yes,” he muttered. “Also changed out the I.V. bag, his bedding, and cleaned him off.”

  That got her attention. “Why? Was there discharge or excessive bleeding?” Worry clouded her eyes as she waited for an explanation.

  “He peed.” He shot her a sheepish grin. “A lot.”

  “Did you wiz on your blanket, little man?” she asked the pup in a voice Koda knew adults only reserved for babies and pets. “Good boy. Your kidneys are working just fine. That’s one less thing to worry about.”

  The pup thumped his tail against the table then licked her wrist.

  “You’ll be just fine, uh―” A frown marred her brow before she glanced up at Koda. “He needs a name. What do you want to call him?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “He’s a fighter. He needs a fighter’s name.” She held up her hand. “Not Rocky. It’s common and lame.”

  “Okay. Well there goes my one and only suggestion.” Koda scowled. Rocky was so not lame. “Did you have something in mind, Ms. Smarty Pants?”

  Ella snickered as mirth danced in her big, green eyes. She went quiet tilting her head to the side and pursing her lips. Koda swore he saw the gears turning in her brilliant mind. Her eyes widened briefly, and he knew she’d had an A-ha moment. “What about Vinny?”

  “Vinny?”

  Wolf snorted. “Common name for a mobster, weird name for a wolf.”

  “Yeah, for Vinny Pazienza. The boxer.”

  “Afraid I’m not a big boxing fan, so I don’t know this Vinny guy.”

  “That’s wrong on so many levels, Koda. Vinny Pazienza was both a boxer and a fighter. He was in a horrific car crash that left him unable to walk. A situation made all the more depressing considering he had won the first world title of his career just weeks before the accident.” Koda wasn’t sure what was more endearing, the way her eyes lit up or the excitement in her voice as she relayed the story. “Ignoring the advice of his doctors, Pazienza resumed training once he regained control of his lower body, even though his spine was still extremely fragile. Pazienza achieved feats of strength and endurance no man in his condition should have even attempted. Thirteen months after the accident, he made a triumphant return to the ring, and went on to win another world title. He is considered one of the greatest boxing comeback stories of the century.”

  Who knew his mate was a boxing enthusiast? Maybe it wasn’t so much about the sport as it was the triumph. Ella Quinn was a sucker for the underdog.

  Koda turned his attention to the pup and studied him cataloging all he’d been through in his short life. If you went with the odds―which were stacked against the little creature from day one―he shouldn’t have survived, especially not this long. The pup glanced up at him, his little eyebrows moving up and down. Koda couldn’t help but grin at the curiosity in his eyes.

  “Hmm. Vinny?” The pup reacted immediately with a thump of his tail. “Guess you like it too.” Koda rubbed the back of his finger up and down between Vinny’s eyes and down his snout. He turned his attention back to Ella. “I guess we’re going with Vinny, Dr. Quinn.”

  When a brilliant smile lit up Ella’s face Koda knew he’d made a mistake. He should have told her it was a dumb idea. He was supposed to push her away, not endear her to him. But, damn it all to hell. The thought of not being on the receiving end of that smile left him cold.

  Ella cooed to Vinny explaining how lucky he was to have his new name. She opened Vinny’s file. When the rescues were renamed it was noted on the official paperwork as well as on the stall, cage or wherever the rescue was housed making the workers at the sanctuary aware to use it so the animal would become used to hearing it. Ella completed the paperwork then removed a blank note card from the holder that hung by the stainless steel cage door where they kept Vinny while he healed. She grabbed a permanent black marker off the desk giggling to herself as she wrote the pup’s name on the card. She dropped the pen back in the holder with the rest then sauntered over to Vinny’s temporary home waving the card with a mischievous expression.

  Koda
narrowed his eyes. What the hell was she up to? His question was answered when he read the card she slid into place. “Seriously?”

  “Aye.” Her girlish giggle filled the space between them. “Come on. It’s cute.”

  Unfortunately, so was she. He was so fucked.

  Chapter 5

  Koda ended the phone call and shoved the cell into the front pocket of his jeans. He stared out over the wide expanse of land beyond the chain link fence. Zeus, their resident busy body, stared back at him. Watching the humans move about the sanctuary was Zeus’ favorite pastime.

  Hal, the retired ranch foreman who helped with rescued livestock, came out of the barn and made his way over to Koda. “You call the doc for Lady Grey?”

  “Yeah.” Koda wasn’t happy it was Ella who was coming out, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it. Doc was still out of town helping out his daughter. The more Ella was around the more he wanted to claim her. The mating pull was harder to resist the more he came in contact with her. Plus, he didn’t want her around Lady Grey. The horse was scared of humans and that made her unpredictable and dangerous.

  The thoroughbred mare had arrived this morning with obvious signs of abuse and neglect. The owner hadn’t been happy when the horse didn’t perform as promised and took out his disappointment on the horse. An anonymous tip landed the authorities at his door. The asshole was in jail and the horse was in The Sanctuary’s care to receive the help it needed.

  “Good. That poor animal is skittish as hell. I want ten minutes with the son of a bitch who put that fear in her eyes and those scars on her hide.”

  Koda grunted. Hal would have to get in line if the opportunity ever arose. “Dr. Quinn was just finishing up at the Double J. She should be here in a few minutes. Who’s with Lady?”

  “Max. I told him to plant his butt in a chair and not to leave it under any circumstances. He knows not to approach her.”

  Max was Hal’s sixteen-year-old grandson. He helped out during the weekends for extra cash. Koda liked the kid. He was responsible and actually listened. He didn’t have that grown-ups are stupid attitude most kids―Koda included―had at that age. He said as much to Hal.