by Gina Kincade
Safe.
Pack.
His body meeting hers in an embrace as old as time. His hard length meeting her slick softness as waves of passion enveloped them. The howling of wolves filled her mind as their passion exploded into a feeling of permanence. Of home.
When she tore herself away, he met her eyes, a shocked expression flashing over his features. They had just shared a connection but she shut it down, severing it as soon as it emerged.
What the hell?
God, but his eyes were sexy.
Warmth pooled low in her belly, desire for the man in front of her derailing her already addled senses. Joanie blinked and tried to get a grip.
She’d just had a sex fantasy about her doctor and he was standing inches away from her.
Maybe she had fallen on her head. Hard.
She glanced away but as she did so, she caught the erection tenting Dr. Buchanan’s trousers before he shifted his white coat to shield it from view.
Well now…
Maybe she wasn’t the only one affected by their close proximity. She didn’t go around sleeping with strange men, however, doctor or not.
But judging by the sizable protrusion, she could climb that bad boy and roost for awhile.
That would be some great physical therapy as far as she was concerned.
Trying to be serious, Joanie cleared her throat.
“And will you be, um, accompanying me for this physical therapy?” Joanie said slowly. All fantasies aside, she wasn’t going anywhere. Not until someone told her what the hell was going on. She watched enough true crime shows. People didn’t get taken out of hospital beds and loaded into SUV’s in the middle of the night without something very wrong going on.
At least, she thought it was night.
She eyed the cup on the bedside table. Did they put something in the water?
“Come on. We have to go.”
“No.” She shrank against the pillows, trying to make it as difficult as possible. God… where was the call button? She frantically searched the wall and tried to reach it. She struggled against them and Nina grabbed hold of her arm.
“Come on, Joanie. Cooperate, please. The man who came after you has friends. We need to get you and the others to safety before he comes looking for you.”
Man who came after me?
Why couldn’t she remember?
“No.”
“Get out of the bed, or the nurse and I will do it for you.” Dr. Buchanan considered her, eyes blazing with challenge.
He was such an arrogant bastard. So why did she want to pull him on top of her and fuck him until they both couldn’t walk?
Gah. She was losing her marbles. One by one. Gone.
“I'm not going anywhere.”
There. She said it again.
“Nina, get the sedative.”
Shit.
“My cat,” she shook her head, tensing her body against whatever they were scheming. “You can’t leave him to starve.”
“You don’t think your home is the first place they’ll look?” Dr. Buchanan frowned.
“They? What are you talking about,” she practically wailed.
It was all muddled in her head. The fever raging through her body, and the reality that had been her normal, lay in shreds all around her. She had to get home to Schubert. That was all that mattered.
“Nina.”
The nurse nodded and reached for something on the counter behind her. They had it ready. It didn’t matter if she was willing to go or not, they were going to drug her.
Double shit.
She tore the IV from her arm, a stab of pain sliding through her. Jerking free from the surprised doctor, she broke free from his grasp and made a break for it.
“Stop right there.” His imperious voice slid over her like ice, but she backed away from the bed, her legs wobbling like day old gelatin. “If you do anything to put yourself or the others in danger, I will have no choice but to put you over my knee and spank you.”
She wanted to listen to him. Everything inside of her called out for her to submit but she fought it, staring him in the eyes as she intentionally defied him.
Joanie swallowed.
“Fine.” He marched forward and grabbed her wrist.
Faster than she would have thought the nurse could move, she was at her side. The cold scent of alcohol met her nose and a cold brush of something wet slid across her arm.
“Stop it.” Tears leaked from her eyes as the throbbing sensation in her body became even more intense. Her skin hurt. Joanie tried to pull her arm away but Nina held her fast. The sting of the needle jabbing into her flesh made her wince.
“There.”
“Schubert…” she whispered, tears slipping down her cheeks. If they took her, she would find a way to escape. Her legs crumpled beneath her and she found herself scooped up against Dr. Buchanan’s chest.
The wolf inside her gave her a lopsided grin and she turned her back on her, preferring to be mad rather than listen to the happy dance of the critter inside her head.
He was hard, and as he gathered her against him and draped her over his lap on the bed, Joanie moaned, her sex sopping with need. The hospital gown had parted, leaving her naked backside visible for the both the doctor and the nurse to see.
“Really, doc?”
“She needs to learn her lesson. Her stubborn behavior is going to cost her her health.”
“What, so you’re going to go around and paddle all the patients that don’t heed your overbearing medical dictates?” Nina snarked at him.
The doctor’s hand slid down her back and rested on her backside. That, combined with whatever drug the nurse had given her, made Joanie want to snuggle in and put her head right in his crotch.
“This doesn’t concern you, Nina.”
“Like hell it doesn’t. She’s under my care as much as she is under yours. But I’m not the one with my hand on a patient’s bare ass.”
He raised his hand and connected with her ass. The stroke was light, but it was enough to bring a moan to Joanie’s lips.
Man, she’d always wanted to be in one of those spanking novels. If she’d known the drugs they were going to give her would let her have these fantasies she would have held out her arm as soon as she got here.
“If I be good, can you just fuck me now? You have the biggest cock…”
Nina started to laugh. “Oh. You’ve done it now. Get her in the chair, Mr. Dominant. You need to keep your playtime at Ventures and leave my highly susceptible patients alone.”
The nurse moved the curtain, checking to be sure the other patient occupying the room was asleep. Nina turned back to consider them both.
“You’re playing with fire. Be careful, Royce.”
The doctor sniffed, his jaw clenched together. “You should know.”
“I do.” Nina’s voice was soft. “And I don’t want you to get burned.”
“Then help me get her out of here.”
“I will, but on one condition. If you’re going to choose a mate, be careful where you do it. All you need is the boys from upstairs looking into this, and you’ve got more trouble than you’d want in a thousand lifetimes.”
“Jerk… Forgot my cat…” Joanie’s voice slurred, the anger sliding through her as Dr. Buchanan settled her into the chair. He was going to fuck her, dammit. Cheated again. Only one swat and no cock. She felt herself fade as the chair began to roll and for the second time that day she slipped out of consciousness and let the welcoming arms of oblivion claim her.
***
“What is she crying about?”
“Her cat,” Nina responded. “If you take her you’re going to have to go pick it up at her apartment.”
“Jesus. Mary, Mother of God. I have to get them out of here, not go poking around her place for some stupid cat.”
He was mortified by his reaction to the woman and the overwhelming urge to mate with her right then and there. If Nina hadn’t been there, he would have.
His
wolf was on a thin tether and it was taking all he had in him not to listen.
Nina gave him a withering look.
Fuck.
“Fine. Let’s go.”
Nina gave him a snarky look. “I’m not going anywhere. Someone has to stay here and keep things running while you’re gone.” Carefully securing Joanie in the wheelchair, they hurried toward one of the secret side entrances. It would be less likely that one of the Hexen operatives would be watching there, but he couldn’t be sure.
Royce hurried through the hall, the woman in front of him occupying his thoughts. When he touched her, his world had narrowed down to the pair of hazel eyes looking back into his and the surge of heat thrumming through his veins. The sweet swell of her ass under his fingertips wasn’t helping matters either.
God, he’d wanted to go lower and sample the sweet scent of arousal wafting up from her sex. He could have sworn she felt it too judging by the way her pupils dilated and her sharp intake of breath. What should have been a swat and release had turned into something else. Something dangerous for him, and for her.
Was this what Brand had been talking about?
She’d been pissed as hell and fought him despite the need he saw pooling in her eyes.
How utterly refreshing.
Royce’s wolf stirred. The beast was far too close to the surface. His protective instincts as a doctor were strong, but staring at the woman in front of them, the need to keep her from any further harm slammed into him like a ton of bricks.
Mine.
Mate.
Ours.
His wolf growled, making his desires known. He wanted the female and would brook no refusal on Royce’s part. Not that he had any to give. His first thought was to get her to safety, then he would deal with this new development, whatever it was.
Mate.
His wolf growled at him, irritated at his human’s lack of comprehension.
“Give it a rest, buddy. We have to get her safe first.”
Nina looked back at him. “Talking to yourself, boss?”
“Yes.”
“Mmm. Good. Just be sure not to call me if you start answering back.”
How little she understood about shifters. Whole fucking conversations happened inside his head.
Nina led the way to his SUV parked at the ambulance entrance.
“Go on. Get out of here. And don’t be too much of an asshole when she wakes up. Try not to maul her either.”
“Ha ha.” He loaded an unconscious Joanie into the vehicle, stretching her body out across the back seat. The hospital gown rode up her thighs and Royce forced himself to look away, his cock throbbing for a closing look.
He was in deep, deep trouble here. He opened the driver’s side door and slid behind the wheel.
Nina opened the door to the passenger side, chucking his bag and another item that looked suspiciously like a purse onto the seat. “The pup should be fine. The mother though—she’s going to need some time. Here is the address and Joanie’s personal items.”
Royce grumbled, not saying anything, his temper and nerves frayed around the edges. He took the paper and started the engine, taking in the sparsely populated parking lot and the darkness beyond.
Was Hexen already watching? He couldn’t be sure, and he didn’t have time to wait around to find out. Clare needed to be placed in a secure environment and tended with care. The less time she spent in the back of an SUV the better.
David hadn’t made a peep either and that told him something in and of itself. They were injured and exhausted. When he got them back to pack headquarters it would take some doing to get them well again. Good thing the Alpha’s wife made it her business to get into everyone else’s.
Turning over the engine, he met Nina’s eyes. “Keep in touch.”
She nodded, turned on her heel and headed back into the sliding doors of the ER.
Chapter Six
Royce pulled up to the apartment and parked in front of the brownstone style building. Shade trees and old fashioned gas lighting with antique style lamps lining the sidewalks made the area a nice one. It wasn’t the ritzy side of town but it was middle class and typically low in crime.
He grabbed her driver’s license from her purse and scanned the address, quickly tucking her wallet back where it belonged. He hated going through women’s purses but, in this case, there was no choice. He had to know which apartment he was looking for.
He was still reeling from the knowledge that it was Clare in the back of the truck. She and her boy. She worked in the main house at home in the kitchen and David went to school on the property. It was rare for them to be off pack grounds.
What happened that she would have gotten shot? And David? How could he have ended up in an animal control truck like a stray dog? It was easier to separate violence when it was someone he didn’t know, but this was getting personal in hurry.
And his reaction to Joanie wasn’t comforting him either. In the few minutes she interacted with him, she’d managed to crawl under his skin and arouse him while simultaneously pissing him off.
His wolf gave a dark lupine chuckle and Royce snarled.
“Damn it,” he swore, dropping the license back where he found it. He really didn’t have time for this. If Hexen were trailing her like the animal control guy indicated, then leaving her alone in a car while he upended her apartment for her cat was dangerous as hell. He needed to get her back to the Cypress Pack and find out what they knew.
Royce glanced into the back seat, his gaze brushing over the female’s form. She was damp with sweat, the bite working through her system and changing her irrevocably. Joanie. It was a whimsical name for such an argumentative woman.
He whispered it and her name clung to his tongue like rich caramel. Royce shook his head and looked away. The fire brewing in his blood would have to wait.
His eyes scanned the street and got out, leaving the engine running, and locked the doors. He wouldn’t put anything past Hexen. Including sending someone out to search her house if they thought the newly bitten woman was a threat. She’d seen them in action and, judging by the body count that had come through his ER doors, they weren’t playing around.
Royce bounded up the concrete stairs and slipped inside when one of the other residents exited. The apartment was the first one on the bottom floor. He unlocked the door and entered, calling out for the cat.
“Schubert…”
A colorful throw was draped over a brightly colored floral patterned couch. Pictures of wolves lined the walls and, when he examined closer, found them to be watercolors signed by a local artist. He continued on, the irony of the situation causing his lips to tilt up in a smile.
The lived-in quality of the place indicated she was a home body. Bookshelves lined the walls with small piles of romance novels spilling out onto the surrounding floor. The dining area held a small but neatly arranged table decorated with wooden fruit with letters painted on them. They reminded him of the needlework samplers his grandmother worked on. Neat as a pin and smelling of cinnamon and pumpkin air freshener, he smiled as he moved through the space.
If he didn’t find the feline in the next few minutes he would be forced to dump some dry food and water into a bowl and leave. Royce didn’t want to go that route because it would most likely interfere with his patient’s recovery but he would if left with no other choice.
Royce strode down the short hallway and poked his head into a small bedroom on the right converted into a small office. Nothing. Stalking a few more steps to the master bedroom, his eyes lingered on the bed and the irresistible scent that clung to the sheets.
It was her.
Feminine. Sexy, vulnerable and fierce. It was a mixture of vanilla and the spicy scent of the curvaceous woman that called this place home. His cock hardened at the idea of bending her luscious body over the edge of the bed and sinking deep inside of her.
His dick throbbed and he let loose an oath, irritated with himself for even going there. He
was her doctor and, until he got her to pack headquarters, they were vulnerable. Where was the damned cat? As he made his way into the master closet he found the hairy little beast sitting in front of his carrier.
That was convenient. Little bastard.
“There you are.”
The orange tabby glowered and when Royce reached for him, he hissed, showing teeth. The cat made a dash for the door but Royce was faster.
“No you don’t.” Royce growled, swinging open the small cage door. He let his resonance deepen and his eyes grow hot.
The cat yowled, scuttling across the closet floor into the back of the carrier without further protest.
“I didn’t think so.” Royce snapped the carrier shut and scooped it up. He let himself out the front door, locking it behind him as he went. They would have something at the pack headquarters to feed the cat and he needed to hurry.
He bounded down the steps and leapt behind the wheel, setting the cat on the front seat.
“Ready?”
The bright green eyes glittered through the small holes. He started the engine and pulled away from the side of the curb. Letting his gaze flicker along the rearview mirror, Royce was pleased to see everything was still.
He didn’t have much time before the full moon. He had to make sure Joanie was safe before her change set in and made her a target. The mother and child would more than likely be fine once they got back to their home. Glenis, the Alpha female would see to that. But Joanie, the animal rescue woman, was a wild card.
She shifted restlessly in her sleep, a soft cry issuing from her lips.
His groin tightened as he once again took his eyes from the road. Her honey brown hair was matted with sweat, her full and kissable lips parted as she reacted to whatever dreams moved through her fevered brain. She was fucking gorgeous. A woman with curves that would fit against him, hugging his length as he stoked the fire between her thighs.
What the hell was wrong with him? It wasn’t like him to lose his focus over a woman he’d only just met. Heat infused his face at the thought of what Brand would say. His Alpha would laugh his fucking head off. But Royce knew that he would pursue her. His wolf would brook no refusal on this point.
