“I hate hospitals.”
I will not leave you alone.
“They may not let you be with me for the whole thing. Sometimes it’s only family.” I am your family.
He called the white light to himself, using his magic to stretch his bones back to their human state. His fur receded until he stood before her back in his two-footed form.
She gasped and covered her eyes.
“Nakedness embarrasses you?” Gently, he reached forward grabbing her hands and opened her fingers until he could remove his clothing from them. Her hands had gripped them like her life depended on her holding onto them.
“I guess. I mean I’m not used to being around naked men who I don’t know.” A surge of anger the likes of which he had never experienced almost forced his shift back onto him. He clenched his hands to hold back his claws. “But you are used to looking at naked men you do know?”
He’d not considered the possibility of a boyfriend. She didn’t smell like any male, which was fortunate or he might have to rip the man to shreds. Killing a rival wouldn’t, he was sure, endear him to her in any way. Still, he wasn’t human. He wouldn’t restrain himself to gentle sensibilities when it came to claiming her.
Her eyes flew open, her hand falling down. “What?”
“Do. You. Have. A. Man. In. Your. Life?” His words sounded more like a growl than a sentence. He couldn’t have controlled it if he’d wanted to.
She shook her head. “Rex, most people can’t look at me for more than a second at a time. My own mother weeps in my presence. No, I do not currently have a boyfriend. I have had boyfriends but not in years.”
This wasn’t surprising to him. He could see her as she was. Any man would be crazy to not want to be with Elizabeth. “And will any of them try to make a claim for you when you are returned to your beauty?”
Her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink. “My beauty?”
“Yes.” He could not make sense of her.
“Randolph.” She spoke his name as no one else ever did. For some strange reason, he didn’t feel like correcting her. “Why would I take back someone who didn’t stand by me when my life went to hell?”
He pulled his shirt over his chest. “You’re sensible, Elizabeth. But know this. I will kill any man who comes to you romantically. And I won’t even mind doing it.” Chapter Four
Elizabeth felt Rex’s hand on her arm as they walked into the emergency room together, like a beacon of light in the darkness of her life. How could a simple touch from a man she could not possibly allow herself to fall for make her feel so secure when everything had gone to hell?
They approached the receptionist’s desk, and she heard the gasps before she’d even looked up to see the people sitting behind it. One of the women jumped to her feet.
“What happened to your face?”
Elizabeth shook her head. Really, she should have anticipated this. It was impossible to go places. If she wasn’t careful, there were going to be a million doctors swarming, their eyes full of disgust, trying to figure out how to fix her. She could tell them—they can’t. If they operated, her face would return this way the next day. Early on, she’d tried it. The pain of the surgery had resulted in no help. It had, however, amused the twins to no end for some time.
Next to her, Rex actually growled. She turned to look at him. He couldn’t make such a noise in the hospital. They might come after him too.
“This woman is here because she is injured and you dare to look at her with anything but compassion.”
Rex stepped forward, and she grabbed his arm to hold him back. “They can’t help it.
It’s part of the curse. It’s utter revulsion. They can’t control it any more than they can help breathing.”
The wolf’s eyes were aflame. She blinked as she stared at him. Yes, they were the wolf’s eyes. Not Rex’s. His beast was close to the surface, and although she’d only known Rex for a very short period of time, she suspected this was highly unusual for him.
The man screamed self-control.
“They can do a better job of trying.” He leaned over so close to the women behind the desk he could have bitten them if he wanted to. Elizabeth was afraid he was about to let his teeth do the talking. “It’s called manners.”
She pulled on his shirt. “This is a bad idea. I’m fine now.”
“You’re not.” His eyes held in her check from complaining again, not from anger but from the sheer intensity in their depths. Yes, she was seeing Rex’s wolf firsthand and he wasn’t covered in fur. He hadn’t lied; he really did share his body with another entity.
The shifters didn’t simply change form when they felt like it. They were actually two creatures. The magic involved in making the shift happen must be astounding.
“The woman has been knocked on the head. Hard. She was in an accident.” Elizabeth flinched. They should have worked out their story before they came into the hospital. Everyone here was going to think she’d been beaten now. “I slipped. Getting out of the car.” She tried to smile as she put her hand on her still sore head. Her magic might have righted the world for her again, but Rex was right, she did need medical attention. If she could get a doctor to look at her long enough to give her some…
Rex put his hand on her shoulder. “You will show her to a bed. Now.” Both women nodded like they’d followed his instructions their whole lives. “Come with me.” Elizabeth knew she’d never have gotten them to move as quickly on her own. They hadn’t even asked her for health insurance. She whispered to Rex. “How is this happening so quickly? Don’t we usually have to wait in chairs?”
“Humans like to do what I tell them to do.” He shrugged. “I think they instinctually understand I am a predator even if they don’t actually get why they feel the way they do.”
“Should we be speaking about it this loudly?” She kept whispering, and Rex kept answering her in his normal voice.
“No one will comment. It goes in one ear and out another. It’s a magic thing. My father can wage war on us in public and no one notices. Humans just continue to move on with their day.”
“Goddess, this is complicated.”
If she actually intended to be mated to Rex, then she would have to start figuring out how she could fit into all of this. But since she was only information gathering, then she could catalog these things as fact instead of newly discovered aspects of her own life.
There was no reason the things he told her should be making her feel nervous. None at all. So why were her hands shaking?
“Not really.”
“What?”
They rounded a corner and the nurse shuffled them into an enclave that was a sparsely decorated patient room. A TV, currently turned off, hung from the wall. A white sheet covered the hospital bed with a gown folded on top.
“Put the gown on.” The woman who had brought them here scurried from the room after delivering her instructions. Elizabeth didn’t know if it was the ugliness of her face, Rex’s attitude, or a combination of both making the woman so skittish.
She pointed to the gown on the bed. “I really don’t want to wear the outfit they’ve left for me.”
He picked it up and she watched transfixed as his fingers played with the paper gown for a moment. “I cannot blame you for not wanting this on your delicate skin.” He shook his head, a strand of his black hair falling over his eyes. Seemingly without thought, he shoved it away. “But if this is the protocol, you should put it on.”
“But…”
He interrupted her by placing his hand on her cheek. “You’re delicate and I will not have you hurt in any way. If we were home, my sisters-in-law or a female member of the pack could fix you. We are not there. I must rely on this to make you better.”
“I’m not delicate.” Even she could hear there was no force to her statement.
Compared to the wolf-man in front of her, yes, she was weak. But how could she argue when his hand caressed her cheek, and she wanted to melt into a puddle
on the floor?
Oh hell, what was wrong with her? She took a step back to avoid his touch and moved toward the bed. “Turn around. I won’t undress with you staring at me.” He nodded and did as she asked. For a second, she didn’t move, her eyes drifting down to admire his tight rear end. It was squeezable. Inwardly gasping, she whirled around, which only made her head spin. Again.
She quickly changed into the horrible paper gown and climbed up onto the bed.
Halfway up, she started to sway and tried to right herself even knowing she wouldn’t be able to. Rex’s arm came around her as she faltered. She felt warm and safe pressed up against his back. In another world, and if he were another man, she could close her eyes and revel in the feel of him. But Elizabeth had never been able to exist in any world except the one she lived in. She was a realist. Rex was a wolf. She was probably concussed. Fantasizing about what-if would not change the situation. Even if he smelled like sandalwood and the forest they’d just been through.
“You were supposed to be turned around. How did you know I was going to fall?” He made sure she had lain completely down before he answered. “I smelled the sudden spike in your adrenaline.”
“You move fast.” She pulled the covers up so her bare legs weren’t visible. Not that she was cold. Elizabeth felt so much heat traveling through her body she thought she might have to start fanning herself to keep her body temperature down. The doctors were bound to think there was something really wrong. “Your nose is really something.”
“The best in my pack.” He nodded, his eyes suddenly distant as if he wasn’t really present in the room with her but seeing something else, somewhere she couldn’t join him.
“I didn’t realize there was a difference between wolves in terms of their scenting ability.” Another piece of information the coven might want. She would use anything to get her family back.
“Are all witches the same? Do you all have the same powers and abilities?” He crossed his arms over his chest but he still didn’t seem to be really looking at her.
“No. I used to be very powerful but the curse dimmed my abilities for me too. So I guess it makes sense. You have a strong nose.”
“The best, unfortunately.” He walked away from her. “When the next human comes in to speak to you, I am going to temporarily steal their cell phone.” She tried to digest what he’d said. “What did you mean ‘temporarily steal?’ How do you accomplish it?”
“I’m going to steal it and then, eventually, I’m going to give it back. So, the theft is not permanent. It’s temporary.”
“Rex.” She scooted back in the bed, hating the fluorescent lights. “That doesn’t even make any sense. You could ask to borrow the phone rather than take it.”
“They might say no.”
“Yes, they might. But you won’t know unless you ask.”
Elizabeth suddenly felt like she was talking to a child. Why was she explaining morality to Rex Kane? The Westervelt Wolves were not exactly known for their ethics.
Of course, he would steal a phone and feel it was fine because eventually he would give it back. Why was she even surprised?
Still, it sat funny in her chest. He’d looked so perplexed when he’d told her the person might say no. Something was hidden in his eyes, something a part of her wanted to reach out and touch.
She closed her eyes instead. “Don’t get caught. I can’t go get you out of jail.”
“I never get caught. Not by humans, at least.” He shrugged. “I’m not a good man.
But I have a chance to prove my loyalty to my pack right now and I intend to use it.” A doctor chose that moment to enter the room. He was tall, gray-haired and wearing a white lab coat which looked like it had seen better days. His eyes nearly bulged out of his head when he looked at her appearance. Elizabeth forced herself to remain calm even as Rex started the deep growling noise telling her he was really angry at the man’s response to her looks. She glared at him. Growling wasn’t going to help this situation, even if she did appreciate the sentiment.
Rex came up behind him, and faster than Elizabeth could see with her human eyes snatched a cell phone out of his pocket. He waved it behind the man so she could see it and scooted out of the room. Her eyes tracked him until he disappeared down the hall.
Crossing her arms over her chest, she listened to the doctor who mumbled something about neurological tests and a CT exam even as he couldn’t look her in the eye. The older man seemed to be doing his best to look everywhere but at her. Elizabeth hoped she wasn’t really hurt in any way requiring help since she assumed it would be necessary to be actually examined to receive assistance.
She nodded to a question he asked about the injury. Yes, she’d fallen. No, she wasn’t pregnant. Yes, she was certain.
By the time the doctor—who she learned had the last name of Smith after she read his name tag not because he had actually introduced himself—had performed his neurological tests on her making her close her eyes and touch her nose, Rex had returned to the room. If it was possible, he looked even more remote than he had before he snuck out of the room. He made no moves toward the doctor, which meant he didn’t yet intend to return the poor man’s cell phone.
She narrowed her eyes as she stared at the wolf. Temporarily steal. Bull-crap.
Goddess help her, he was a lot to deal with.
“Is she going to be all right, Doctor?”
The older man gasped and turned around. “Have you been standing there the whole time?”
Rex nodded. “Well?”
“So far I’m not detecting any obvious neurological damage. But I’m going to want to run a CT scan just to be sure.”
“How long will the test take?”
When Rex asked questions it sounded like he barked orders and Dr. Smith responded as if his life depended on it. The faster Rex spoke, the quicker the doctor answered. Liz was getting enough of it. She was the patient, not the wolf with the attitude problem who apparently saw nothing wrong with taking other people’s property whenever he felt like it.
So why wasn’t she outing his theft to the doctor? She bit down on her lip. Sure, she needed his information to trade for her family. But was it something more? He acted like he genuinely cared about her condition. When was the last time someone had?
“Is that fine, Elizabeth?” She looked up as Rex addressed her directly. Both he and the doctor stared at her. Well, the doctor winced more than stared, but he got credit from her for making the effort.
“Is what fine?”
Rex turned his attention to the doctor. “Should she be losing track of conversations like this? Is this normal?”
The doctor scratched his head. “I think she was just not listening in this case.” He paused for a second. “Who are you to her exactly?”
“I’m her husband.”
Elizabeth couldn’t suppress the little shriek escaping from her mouth at his pronunciation. Married? To a wolf? It was bad enough he’d declared them mated. He wouldn’t be announcing them married without so much as a by your leave by her.
Unless wolves behaved strangely was what mated meant. She groaned. There was no question about it; she was in a ton of trouble with this wolf. Even if he had dreamy near-black eyes and an intensity which made her want to shiver. Goddess, what was the matter with her? Maybe she really needed a CT scan.
“Is he not your husband?” The doctor looked at her with such sincere concern mixed into his disgust at viewing her that she had to smile at him.
“Oh, yes, he’s my husband.” Rex smiled a look of pure male satisfaction at her announcement. “But only because I felt sorry for him.” The doctor looked back and forth between them. “Sorry for him?” She could imagine what he saw. Rex—tall, strong and intense—married to her—
someone who appeared to be the most physically horrific person he’d ever laid eyes on.
Why would she feel sorry for Rex?
“Well, we only got married because of his problem.”
; “Problem?”
Rex crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t think the doctor needs to hear about my problem, Elizabeth.”
“Oh, but, sweetheart, he asked.” She sat up in the bed feeling more jovial than she had in years. Life might have picked her up and shoved her into her own personal hell but that didn’t mean she couldn’t poke fun when she wanted to. At least for now. With the twins from hell, she could never make jokes.
“We don’t have to share.” Rex said the last word like he might choke on it.
“Rex, I think he can hear our story.” She turned her attention to the doctor. “Rex grew up in a cult. If he didn’t get married, his people were going to have him killed.” The doctor looked between them. “A cult.”
“Yep, a cult.” She was enjoying this. If she wanted to, she could give Rex any past history she could invent and he wasn’t going to be able to say a damn thing about it unless he wanted to expose them. “They thought they could become wolves.”
“Did you say something about a head CT, Doctor?” Rex seemed calm, but Elizabeth felt she could sense currents of anger radiating from his very pores.
“I’ll order it.” The doctor turned on his heel and exited the room fast.
Rex stared at her in silence, but Elizabeth didn’t feel intimidated. By contrast, her heartbeat was fast from excitement. She’d thrown down the gauntlet for Rex. He wasn’t going to get to run this show simply because he could be scary.
“I am going to wait and see if your head has been damaged in any significant way.” She raised a challenging eyebrow and hoped he took it the way she meant it. “And?”
“And when I am assured you will fine…” He walked to the bed and leaned over her until his head was just above hers. “I am going to punish you for your little stunt, witch.”
“Making physical threats now, wolf-boy?” His breath was warm, and she couldn’t help but wish he’d lean down just a little bit more so she could feel the firmness of his mouth on hers again.
“No. You need never fear me.” He smiled. “But I think we both know there are other ways I can amuse myself with you, Elizabeth. There will be ways to make you pay for your stunt.”