Tempted by Her Wolves: A Reverse Harem Paranormal Romance (Hungry for Her Wolves Book 4)

by Tara West

  Eilea worried her bottom lip. “He may be contagious.”

  “I am his chieftain.” His tone left no room for argument. “I’m seeing him.” He bent down and kissed the tops of Tatiana and Mihaela’s heads. “Wait here,” he whispered to them before turning to Skoll. “If the tornaq returns, holler for me.”

  Eilea followed him on legs that felt weighted down with bricks. Her heartbeat thudded in her ears. She’d known the life of a doctor was stressful, but none of her schooling had prepared her for jealous ghosts and mysterious shifter illnesses.

  Tor paid his respects to the Strongpaws and then stood beside Eilea while she checked Albert’s temperature. His temp had gone up another degree, to 105. She hoped the ambulance arrived soon. She added more fluid and fever reducer to Albert’s IV.

  When a chill tickled the nape of her neck, she looked at Tor. Had a breeze just blown into the room, or was her imagination working overtime? She tried to rub warmth into her gooseflesh, but her skin still tingled.

  He gave her a quizzical look. “Is something wrong?”

  The chill suddenly vanished, and she shook her head. “Probably just my imagination,” she mumbled. Even though she’d witnessed the spirit’s rage only moments earlier, she had a hard time believing it existed.

  Relief washed through her when she spotted Uncle Joe’s black truck pulling into the drive. She excused herself and rushed outside, needing to breathe in the cool morning air rather than the stifling, sick fog inside the clinic.

  He jumped out of the truck and gave her a dark look before she had a chance to speak. “We need to talk.”

  “Where’s the ambulance? I have a very sick patient.”

  Her uncle frowned. “There won’t be an ambulance.”

  Eilea’s knees weakened, and she had to lean against the side of the truck for support. “Why?”

  “We’re on lockdown.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “The Amaroki aren’t supposed to get infectious diseases,” he said.

  Eilea threw up her hands. “That’s what everyone keeps telling me.”

  “My higher-ups are concerned it may be contagious.” He smoothed a hand over his short, gray hair. “They don’t want to risk infecting the human population.”

  Eilea’s veins ran cold. What if she couldn’t save Albert Strongpaw? Or worse, what if it was contagious and more shifters became sick? Surely the feds had some sort of contingency plan and didn’t expect her to tackle this problem alone. “So now what?”

  Uncle Joe shrugged. “Now it’s up to you to save him.”

  EILEA SLUMPED INTO her chair and gulped down coffee. Albert’s fever hadn’t gone up, but it hadn’t come down either. The rest of his family still showed no signs of sickness and had refused to leave Albert’s side. Skoll had taken Mihaela and Tatiana home, but Tor stayed behind, following Eilea around like a big, protector bear. Though his presence was a bit stifling, she had to admit she appreciated his concern, especially since she no longer felt that frigid chill racing down the back of her neck. Her uncle had stayed for all of five minutes before he’d gone, but he promised to send backup. She sure as hell hoped so. She wouldn’t be able to run the clinic by herself if more Amaroki became infected.

  She’d just finished her coffee and a leftover stale bagel when an old rusty truck pulled into the drive. A woman, who had to be older than dirt, and four stooped old men got out. One man used a cane and another relied on a walker. She vaguely remembered they were the Spiritcaller elders. Raz had been the tribal medicine woman until Amara showed up, rendering Raz almost as useless as Eilea. She hoped the old people weren’t coming down with the virus. Tor went outside to greet them, and one of the Spiritcaller men handed him what appeared to be a sandbag.

  Tor hoisted the sack over his shoulder as if it weighed no more than a bag of feathers before following Raz around the building. Weird. Didn’t they want to come inside? She didn’t have time to find out what they were doing. She quickly used the restroom and then checked Albert. His temperature was the same, and his breathing sounded more ragged. She kept a straight face while taking his vitals, though she suspected she wasn’t fooling anyone. His mate sat on the bed, holding his hand and boring holes through Eilea’s skull.

  Again, Eilea wondered what she’d done to offend Nakomi. Determined not to let the shifter get to her, she turned up her nose, returning her glare. This was her goddamn clinic. Nakomi could take her attitude somewhere else.

  She heard the ring of the front door and looked up to see the Spiritcallers filing inside, Tor following them. The old folks were mumbling something and grabbing fistfuls of what appeared to be sand from Tor’s bag and tossing it on the floor.

  She left Albert and cautiously approached them. “Excuse me? What are you doing?”

  They ignored her, continuing their strange incantations and spreading a line of what Eilea now realized was salt all over Eilea’s polished floor.

  “Hang on,” she said, trying to step in front of them.

  One of the bigger Spiritcallers growled at her, his eyes flashing yellow.

  She quickly scooted back, throwing up her hands. “Fine. I give up.”

  “We’re laying down salt circles,” Tor said with a wink, as if that explained everything.

  When he offered no further explanation, she marched back to Albert’s room. Images of her grandmother pouring salt in front of their weathered porch every time there was a death in the neighborhood flashed through her mind. The neighbors had laughed and whispered behind their hands. She sure as hell hoped these wolves didn’t practice the same crazy voodoo.

  Nakomi looked up with her usual glare. “Is this place haunted?”

  The fact that Nakomi was talking to Eilea at all caught her off guard. “Maybe. Did you see something?”

  Nakomi’s nostrils flared as she slowly rose from the bed. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

  Eilea stepped back when Nakomi jutted a foot toward her.

  “It just happened. Did you see something?”

  “I saw nothing, but there’s only one reason for a salt circle, and I won’t have some demon attacking my sick mate.” Nakomi’s teeth elongated into sharp daggers, and her hands shifted into furry paws. “You need to find out what it wants and get rid of it.”

  Was she for real? “I’m a doctor, not a ghost whisperer.”

  “I don’t know what kind of doctor you are if you can’t bring Albert’s fever down.” Nakomi snarled.

  Her alpha stood, whispering into her ear, but she shook him off.

  “Look, I don’t know why you dislike me so much, but I don’t have the time or energy to fight with you.” Eilea planted both hands on her hips. “I have a patient to look after.”

  Eilea stifled a shriek at a sound behind her, relieved when it was only Raz. There were odd tribal markings on the elderly woman’s neck and hands. She imagined that beneath the woman’s fleece sweatshirt there were even more tattoos. She had crinkly gray eyes and deep smile lines around her mouth. She affectionately patted Eilea’s hand and murmured something unintelligible before walking around the bed to Albert.

  Nakomi and her mates bowed to the old woman and backed up, giving her a wide berth.

  “Do you think you can help him, Raz?” Nakomi asked.

  On the bed beside Albert, Raz shrugged. She pulled a big jar out of her bag and unscrewed the top.

  Eilea was immediately hit with the sulfuric smell of rotten eggs as Raz wiped something on Albert’s arms.

  “What are you putting on him?” Eilea asked, feeling more useless than affronted. Raz should’ve asked the doctor before treating the patient, but at this point, Eilea would welcome any help.

  “A salve for demon burn,” the old woman answered. “If it works, then we’ll know that’s what it is.”

  Nakomi gasped, falling into a chair while covering her face with her hands. Her mates sat stoically beside her, their mouths and eyes twitching with emotion. “What’s demon burn?” Eilea asked.<
br />
  “That tornaq had to pass through a portal to get here.” Raz felt Albert’s forehead. “If it was somehow left open, that would explain the burn.”

  “I’m not following you,” Eilea said. Portals and demon burn?

  Raz chanted again before pulling what appeared to be a bundle of sage out of her bag and setting it on fire with a match.

  Eilea fanned her nose when the room filled with smoke.

  What the hell was this lady doing?

  Raz handed the sage to one of her mates, and he carried the smoking herb out of the room, filling her clinic with the strong smell. When the smoke detectors started buzzing, Nakomi and her mates covered their ears and howled.

  Eilea’s heart sank when Loki ripped the nearest smoke alarm off the wall and smashed it on the floor. Were these monsters intent on destroying her clinic? When it continued to buzz, he shifted into protector form and stomped it to pieces.

  Seemingly oblivious to the giant, angry protector, Raz took another bundle of sage out and handed it to Nakomi. “Light this if your mate should pass into the afterworld,” she said. “You must ward off the demons, so they don’t change him.”

  “Demons?” Eilea clutched her throat, her knees as wobbly as runny jelly. “Change him?” What the hell was this old woman talking about?

  Raz gazed at the patient and let out a string of undecipherable words that Eilea assumed was cursing in some other language.

  Eilea gaped at Albert. She could hardly believe it. Beneath the thick smear of pungent jelly, the pustules had shrunk. “It’s a miracle!” She clasped her hands together, beaming at Raz. “His rash is healing!”

  Raz shook her head, the crow’s feet around her eyes deepening. “It’s no miracle. This only proves he has demon burn. The portal is open. Ancients save us all.”

  Chapter Three

  EILEA DUG THROUGH THE storage bin, looking for large sets of hospital scrubs after Tor and Loki shredded their clothes. She wondered how much shifters spent on clothing every year. She’d have to keep working full-time just to keep her mates in shirts and jeans if she ever bonded with the Lupescus. She inwardly cursed her foolishness. She wasn’t bonding with the Lupescus. Why had that thought even crossed her mind?

  “Have you found something for my mate?”

  Nakomi’s cold glare unnerved her. Eilea was trying to save Nakomi’s mate. You’d think she’d show the doctor a bit of gratitude.

  “Yes.”

  “Good.” Nakomi crossed her arms. “I was wondering what was taking so long.”

  “I’ve only been gone a minute.” She tossed a set of scrubs to her.

  Nakomi held out the shirt. “These are too small.”

  Eilea bit her lip to keep from speaking her mind. They were too small. Though Loki Strongpaw wasn’t as tall as Tor Thunderfoot, he had a barrel chest and thick arms to match. His last name fit him perfectly. He’d have to make do with what was on hand.

  “They’re the largest I’ve got,” Eilea drawled, pretending to be unaffected by Nakomi’s nasty attitude. “Maybe you could run home and get him some of his own things.”

  Nakomi’s scowl deepened. “I don’t drive.”

  “Oh?” That seemed to be a theme among the Amaroki women; act helpless while their mates did all the work. She’d never once seen any of them drive, and when they did go out, they were always accompanied by their protectors. It’s like they weren’t trusted with the slightest bit of independence. And the Lupescus had expected Eilea to assimilate with their culture?

  “Do you think the women in Ethiopia had access to cars and medical schools?” Nakomi snapped, as if she could read Eilea’s thoughts.

  “I-I didn’t say that,” Eilea stammered, heat creeping into her chest. It was wrong to judge Amaroki women. It wasn’t their fault they were born into a patriarchal culture. “I read you were from Ethiopia. I volunteered at an Ethiopian hospital for a year after medical school.”

  Nakomi cocked her head, smirking. “Why do I care?”

  Eilea let out a frustrated breath. “I was only saying I might have come across your tribe.”

  “We lived high in the mountains. Unlike the Alaskan Amaroki, we were smart enough to stay far away from humans.”

  Damn. Eilea jerked as if she’d been slapped. “Not all humans are bad. Some of us just want to help.”

  Nakomi tossed her head with a laugh. “Says the doctor who just gave my mate and me unnecessary vaccinations.”

  More heat flamed Eilea’s chest and face. “I was unfamiliar with demon burn. This is the first time I’m hearing of it.”

  “That is because you don’t understand us. You’re not one of us.” Her words came out like hissing arrows. “You don’t belong here.”

  Eilea’s heart raced. “I don’t understand where your animosity is coming from. I never did anything to make you hate me.”

  Nakomi turned with an eye roll. “Not yet,” she muttered before walking out the door.

  TOR PACED, HIS EYES shifting from gold to brown as he rubbed his bearded chin, lost in thought. As comical as he looked in the too-tight scrubs, Eilea was not amused as she observed him from the doorway. Being physically attacked by a ghost and verbally abused by a prejudiced she-wolf with a misplaced grudge had put her in a sour mood. Then there was Albert, whose temperature still hadn’t come down. Eilea feared she’d develop an ulcer before she left this cursed clinic. Luckily, Nakomi had gone to the restroom, giving Eilea a reprieve.

  “Do you think the portal is by your house?” Tor asked Loki, continuing to pace.

  “No, Chieftain.” The borrowed scrubs stretched so tautly across his shoulders, the fabric looked ready to tear. “But we did experience something strange when we went hunting.”

  Tor stopped, giving Loki a long look. “What happened?”

  Loki emitted a canine whimper. “We were following the scent of an elk and got lost.”

  “What do you mean, you got lost?” Tor asked. “You should know your reservation like the back of your paw.”

  “I know.” He scratched his head, sharing a quizzical look with his brother. “I don’t understand what happened.”

  “I do.” Raz said, still keeping vigil beside Albert’s bed. “They were at the heart of the portal.”

  “Did you see anything unusual, like a demon or shadows?” Tor asked Loki.

  “We saw nothing. It was so peculiar. We didn’t even hear a bird.”

  A foreboding sensation snaked up Eilea’s spine as the shifters glanced at each uncertainly. The shifters had superior hearing, so for them to not hear a bird was troubling indeed.

  “Do you know how many days you were gone?” Tor asked them.

  “Three,” Loki answered. “I only know this because I checked my phone when we got back.”

  “You must be famished,” Eilea said, her healing instinct kicking in. Emergency food was stashed in the storage cabinets.

  Loki shook his head. “We did nothing but eat and sleep for three straight days. All our winter stores are gone.”

  Tor flashed a weak smile. “We will help you replenish them.”

  Loki released a long breath. “Thanks, Chieftain.” A bead of sweat rolled down Loki’s brow, and his eyes seemed foggy.

  “When did you notice Albert was sick?” she asked.

  “This morning. He woke up with a fever and started throwing up.”

  “Then came the blisters on his arms,” Rene added, sweat also dripping down his brow.

  Eilea made a mental calculation of available beds and medicine. She had enough supplies to treat about a dozen patients for a week, but she was not prepared for an epidemic.

  Tor heaved a breath, punctured by a low growl. “Raz, how do we close the portal?”

  She shot him a pointed look. “You start by banishing the demon who opened it.”

  Another shiver stole up Eilea’s spine.

  “Don’t worry.” Raz flashed her a lopsided, nearly toothless grin. “She is not here now.”

  “Do you t
hink it was Katarina?”

  “Yes. She somehow escaped passing to the afterlife.” Raz clucked her tongue. “She must have sensed the Ancients wouldn’t welcome her. The portal will remain open until she passes through it.”

  “How do we get her to do that?” Tor asked.

  “I do not know.” Raz paused, rubbing her pointy chin. “We must ask Amara to consult the goddess. I’m not good with spells, and I believe we need a witch to close the portal.”

  Loki and Rene stiffened at the mention of a witch. Up until that moment, Eilea hadn’t even realized the Amaroki had witches among them.

  “Raz, there’s something else,” Loki said.

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “What?”

  He dragged a hand down his face with a groan. “We were so disoriented, it’s like a dream, but I think we passed the Eaglespeaker elders on our hunt. They were lost, too.”

  “I’ll go check on them.” Tor pushed off from the wall, flexing his fingers. “If they’re not home, I’ll organize a search party.”

  Eilea’s heart quickened. “You’re leaving us?”

  He nodded at the line of salt that ran past the door. “The circles and the sage should keep Katarina from the clinic. We’ve also salted your house so Katarina can’t destroy it.” His voice dropped to an ominous rumble. “Do not leave the clinic without a protector, Eilea. And make sure no one breaks the circle, or Katarina can get back in.”

  She swallowed hard, willing the knot in her chest to go away. “Okay.” She wasn’t just worried about the ghost. She also feared the chieftain’s presence was the only thing preventing Nakomi from unsheathing her claws.

  “Don’t worry,” he said. “I’m sending for reinforcements.”

  Eilea wasn’t sure, but she thought she saw Tor wince when he mentioned reinforcements, as if he dreaded asking for assistance.

  “Thank you.” She released a slow breath, forcing herself to unclench her hands, but the barbed noose that had tightened around her spine refused to unwind. She had a sinking suspicion the reinforcements would only cause more trouble.