One moment they were shivering from the Chicago winter winds, the next practically broiling under the New Mexico sun. When she started to remove her coat, Etain shook his head. "Better keep that on. I'm not saying that it's cold in the city, but it's nowhere near this warm." He led them to the edge of the canyon where another warrior waited for them. His body language was completely different than the other two. He looked completely relaxed, his face smiling until he saw them approach. Then his features took on a tragic expression; he clutched at his chest and swayed. For a moment Ellie was concerned, but then he opened his mouth. "By the gods! Look at these two heavenly creatures. Have we been blessed by Fate that these two gorgeous women will brighten the halls of our dismal city? Who might the two of you be?" he asked smiling at them charmingly.
Ellie felt her cheeks heating up. "I-I-," she stammered.
Her grandmother chuckled. "Young man, this beautiful young woman is my granddaughter, Dr. Eleanor Kimball, and she is currently single."
"Gram!" Ellie hissed out the side of her mouth.
"And you..." The rogue wagged his eyebrows at her grandmother.
"Marjoram Johanson; I am unavailable and old enough to be your grandmother."
The man shrugged. "The older the berry, the sweeter the juice." He winked at them both.
Ellie felt her mouth drop open as her grandmother blushed furiously. "And what's your name?" Ellie asked curiously. She had never met a unit warrior before today; she didn't think they'd be so personable. She assumed they would all be like Etain, sensible and strong.
"Micah. Micah Sageson. I'll be helping you two ladies get settled. Now, if you will allow me the honor of escorting you down, we can get out of this blasted heat." Micah offered his arm to her grandmother, and Etain gave a half bow before lifting his forearm for her.
Together, the two warriors lowered them to the ledge. Once their feet left solid ground, Ellie closed her eyes, and she didn't open them again until she felt hard rock under her feet. A huge ornate door swung open, and the strange writing etched around the arch glowed. Once inside, Micah and Etain walked them through the open cavern to a huge hole in the floor.
"What's this?" Ellie asked.
Micah smiled. "This is a transport tunnel. It runs vertically through the city. Noctem Falls is made of many levels. They tend to get more prestigious as you work your way down. Level Six is a market level where vendors sell their wares and foods. It's also where we set up the refugees. Our witches carved out homes for them to make it easier for them to get acclimated. By residing on the market level, they don't have to rely on the transport tunnels for food. Below Level Six, there are the residential levels for the founding and noble families. About halfway down, the unit warriors live on the level between three and four. Level One is designated the royal level where Prince Magnus lives. We'll be taking you to Level Six, which is right below this one."
Ellie pointed to the side wall. "It's pretty well explained by the map."
Micah turned and frowned. "When did that go up?" He glanced up eyeing the small camera. "I bet Meryn did this."
Ellie suppressed a smile. "It was a very nice explanation though." She leaned over and looked down the dark seemingly bottomless tunnel. "How far does it go down?" she asked in a timorous voice.
Etain patted her hand gently. "Don't worry, we haven't dropped anyone yet." She gulped and closed her eyes again. Etain chuckled beside her as she felt him pull her forward, and then she was floating. When they reached the next level, she sighed in relief. "That's it? No more floating?" she asked.
"No more floating," Etain promised.
Her grandmother took her hand. Ellie looked over and smiled her thanks. She had never really been good with heights. The two men led them through the open marketplace toward the middle of the large cavern where a spacious seating area was filled with people eating their lunches.
Ellie barely had time to gawk at the vast array of vendor stalls set up in a bazaar-like fashion. She couldn't get enough of the brightly colored fabrics, the rich scents of spices and incense, the meandering aromas of cooked food, and the jovial remarks being shot across the cavern. Once the children were feeling better, she couldn't wait to explore.
They veered off toward the left, and she could see where a section had been carved out of the walls to create a long street. On either side of the lane, rows of stone houses stood side by side, looking every bit as homey as her own brownstone.
"This is remarkable," she said, looking around. Even though she'd believed Kari in her heart, she'd truly feared the city would be nothing but closed spaces, but this didn't seem so bad. At the third house, they walked up to the door and knocked.
It swung open almost instantly, and a haggard looking man greeted them. "Thank the gods!" he exclaimed. "This way."
Etain leaned down. "That's Tobias; his daughter Clara was one of the first to get sick. He and his mate are also foster parents to Benji. His parents were murdered in the city a couple weeks ago. Next door, the Hamiltons have two boys who are ill. Two more families from across the street also stepped forward this morning with their children: two boys and a girl."
Ellie hurried to catch up to Tobias, following him through the house and out the back door. Where the four houses met, an open courtyard was filled with anxious looking people. Six small beds were laid out in the center and worried parents looked on helplessly from the perimeter.
Three men and a woman walked between the beds, trying to soothe the children. Ellie frowned.
Why just them?
"Are you Dr. Kimball?"
Ellie nodded to the man walking toward her. "Yes, I'm Dr. Eleanor Kimball, and this is my grandmother, Marjoram Johanson, and you are?" She extended her hand. The man took it and gave her a firm handshake.
"I'm Dr. Nathaniel St. John, and I'm very glad to see you. Did you have a chance to go over the symptoms I sent you?"
Ellie nodded. "Besides additional patients, have there been any changes?" she asked.
Dr. St. John nodded. "Yesterday, they barely had a low-grade fever. It was about hundred and one, which even for human children isn't that high. Today, all of the children have fevers over a hundred and three. For a human child that would be concerning, for a shifter child it's not that bad since we run around one hundred degrees. They are even more restless today and are complaining of stiff legs and hurting backs. They seem to have little to no appetite, and dehydration is becoming a concern since they are adamantly refusing food and water. They are extremely cranky for lack of better term. Like wounded little animals."
"Like wounded animals?" she asked.
He nodded. "Exactly. A wounded animal doesn't know you're trying to help them--" He was about to continue when one of the children began to shriek behind them, screaming, 'No! No! No!'. The child's small fists beat at the woman's chest as she tried to comfort him. Beside the struggling pair, a harried looking man whom Ellie assumed was the father knelt down, trying help his mate.
Ellie walked quickly toward them, Dr. St. John at her side. Just before they got there, an older man plucked the child from the mother's arms, and surprisingly, the child began to calm. The man whispered quietly into the child's ear and rubbed his back soothingly. Bouncing him gently, he began to walk the courtyard as the child laid his head on the older man's shoulder and began sucking his thumb.
"What just happened?" she asked, looking around the room.
Dr. St. John stared at the pair. "That's Demetrio Bolivar, he is the Wolftown's old alpha." He pointed two cots down toward another man who looked to be a younger version of the one who'd just walked away. Like the old alpha, this man spoke in gentle tones as he sat with another child, rubbing his hand over the girl's brown curls. "That's their current Alpha, Stefan Bolivar."
Ellie looked at the doctor. "I don't understand."
Dr. St. John snorted. "Welcome to the club. The children are reacting more to the alphas than their own parents. They won't calm down unless one of the alphas steps in." He po
inted to a beautiful older woman. "That is Stefan's mother, Adora Bolivar. Between the three of them, they haven't gotten much sleep. They keep trying to get the children to rest, but it's a losing battle, just as one child calms down another starts a fit. The only other person who has been able to help is Grant Douglas. He's a wolf shifter with the Eta Unit."
"And where is this Grant?" she asked.
"Just over there." Dr. St. John pointed across the courtyard.
Ellie watched a very tall, lean muscled man walk back and forth with a toddler in his arms. His stoic features looked so severe that his scowl seemed to be his normal expression. She was concerned for the small boy until she watched him dip his nose into the child's neck and nuzzle him gently. Her breath caught as she watched the unguarded moment between man and child. It had to be one of the most beautiful things she'd ever seen.
"Is that his son?" she asked.
"No, that's Benji Wolfrun. Susan and Tobias are his foster parents. Benji isn't showing any symptoms; he's just fussy without Grant. So Grant has been helping with Benji. When the baby goes down for his nap, Grant relieves either Stefan or Demetrio to let them get some rest."
"Is Grant part of their pack?"
The doctor shook his head. "No, which makes his involvement even more of a mystery. From what I've been told, his birth pack is from a completely different part of the country."
Looking up, her eyes met Grant's. He frowned deeper and walked toward them. "Are you the doctor?" he asked.
She nodded as his deep voice seemed to resonate throughout her body. Suddenly, she was finding it hard to concentrate.
"Can you take a look at him?" he asked, turning Benji in his arms.
She stepped forward to take him when the most delicious smell overwhelmed her. It was an intoxicating mix of vanilla and freshly cut grass. She staggered back until her grandmother placed a supportive hand on her back.
Grant secured Benji in one arm; with his other, he reached out to put a hand on her shoulder, concern on his face. She shook her head. For some reason, she couldn't seem to catch her breath.
"Are you all--" He stopped, his eyes widening. His nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply. A low growl emerged from his throat, and the background chatter in the courtyard ceased.
"Oh dear gods! He's your mate!" her grandmother exclaimed.
Shocked, Ellie's head snapped up, and they stared at each other, breathing hard. "Give me the child before you drop him." Her grandmother reached for Benji and plucked him from Grant's arms. "As much as I would like to say that the two of you should get to know one another, I think maybe that should wait until the children have been looked at," her grandmother reminded them gently.
Ellie nodded absently, still feeling a bit fuzzy. "Of course," she agreed. Grant's hand on her shoulder seemed to burn right through her clothing. He was also nodding his agreement, but neither one of them moved. Ellie couldn't believe that the man in front of her was her mate. For decades, she'd wondered if she'd been forgotten by Fate. That maybe she wasn't good enough, thin enough, or pretty enough to deserve someone. Even now, looking up into his face, she couldn't determine whether he was glad at finding her or not.
She wanted to throw herself in his arms but hesitated. How would he feel about being stuck with her? They stared at each other for a moment more until the screech of a child made them turn. Immediately, they went to the cot of the thrashing child who was slapping at his parent's hands.
"Dr. St. John, there should've been three silver cases brought down here by the warriors. One of them is labeled cold storage. Could you bring it here please?"
Dr. St. John jumped up and ran for the case. He wheeled it over, and she opened it. She quickly took out a syringe and a clear bottle. He watched her closely as she carefully measured out a dose. "This is a fever reducer, pain killer, and mild sedative. I am giving one and a half the normal dosage that I would give a human child. If there is no change at all, we'll double it. But this should get us started."
Dr. St. John nodded, grabbing another syringe and a bottle. He went to the other side of the room, and between the two of them, they quickly delivered medicine to all the children. Nearly all of the twitching and restlessness began to quiet down as the medicine began to kick in.
Ellie looked at her grandmother. "Could you start charts?"
"Of course dear, one step ahead of you." She held up a clipboard. "Anything in particular you want in addition to the normal?" she asked.
"Recent foods, bowel movements, temperature, any change in temperament, water intake, and anything you can possibly think of to help chase this back to the source."
Her grandmother made a few more notes. "I'm adding a one week timeline as well."
"Good call." Ellie looked up at her mate. He had stayed with her the entire time she was administering the medicine, helping to keep the children calm.
"I'm sorry--" she started.
He tilted his head. "For what?"
"This can't be how you imagined meeting your mate." She chewed her lower lip.
He reached out and tapped her lips. "Those are mine to nibble."
She stopped chewing her lip because her mouth opened in shock.
A hint of a smile tugged at his lips. "The kids are sick, and you're a doctor. Of course, they have your attention. I'm not going anywhere. But I would like to know your name."
Both hands flew to her mouth in embarrassment. "I'm...I'm..."
"Deep breath," he instructed.
She took a deep breath, but that didn't help anything, all she did was inhale his scent, making her more aware of her body.
"My name is Eleanor Kimball, but my gram calls me Ellie."
"It is an honor to meet you my mate. I am Grant Douglas, unit warrior of the Eta Unit. How about we check on the children so we can get to know one another better?" he suggested.
She blushed. "Okay."
For the next half hour, Ellie went from cot to cot and examined each child. She checked their eyes, nose, and mouth. She was surprised to find nothing that pointed to the reason for their abrupt change in behavior.
Dr. St. John walked alongside her. Everything he said was true. All the children had a slightly elevated temperature and flushed skin.
Her grandmother walked over to where she and Dr. St. John stood off to one side going over the results of her examinations. "Ellie, the dosage of the painkiller and fever reducer has helped to settle the children, though some are still whimpering in their sleep. They calmed down when any of the Bolivars or Grant laid a hand on their heads. In all my years of nursing, I have never heard of a sick person acting differently because of someone in the room. It might make sense if the children were reacting to one of their parents, but I can't figure out why those four."
Ellie chewed on her bottom lip, thinking about what her grandmother had said, when she felt a warm hand at the small of her back. She practically jumped out of her skin.
Grant scowled. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to frighten you," he said in low tones.
She shook her head. "It's not your fault. I was lost in my own little world." She turned to the doctor. "Dr. St. John--"
He held up a hand. "Call me Nathaniel, please," he practically begged. "Everyone here calls me Doc. I think I'll forget my name if someone around here doesn't use it. Besides, we'll be working together, and Dr. St. John is a mouthful."
She smiled. "I know the feeling, and you can call me Ellie."
"You can call her Dr. Kimball," a deep voice murmured from behind her. Her grandmother snickered, and Nathaniel gulped. "Dr. Kimball..." he started, reverting back to the more formal address. "I'll help your grandmother keep an eye on the children while you head to Level One. I believe Prince Magnus wanted an update as soon as possible." He sighed and cracked his back. "We had hoped to brief you before throwing you to the wolves, so to speak. Looks like you will get the baptism by fire."
"Isn't that always the way? I did my residency in the ER."
He grinned. "So did I."
A low growl caused her to turn; Grant was shooting daggers at the smaller framed doctor. She should be furious at his caveman behavior, but she was thrilled down to her toes. No one had ever been jealous or as possessive on her account before. She ducked her head to hide her smile.
Nathaniel paled. "On that note, I'll go take another look at our patients." He hurried away to the center of the room where the cots were. Her grandmother pecked her cheek and grinned at her. "I'll speak with Adora some more to see if we can figure this out. While you're gone, I'll also start getting blood samples." When her grandmother walked away, she turned to her mate.
"That was rude," she said, staring up his face.
He shrugged, and then he looked around, his eyes searching the room until they landed on Adora who was holding Benji on one hip.
"He'll be fine with her," she assured him.
"I was just making sure he was okay," he refuted as he blushed slightly.
Had there ever been a more beautiful man? She swallowed hard and twisted her fingers in front of her. "Could you go with me to Level One?"
He nodded shortly and began walking away. Confused, she watched him walk out of the courtyard through the back door of one of the houses. Hearing a chuckle beside her, she turned to one of the mothers. "I think he means you to follow," the woman explained.
"Oh." Ellie didn't know how to interpret that.
"It's not you, sweetie; he doesn't talk much," the woman volunteered. "My name is Susan Garcia, and I'm Benji's foster mother. Trust me when I tell you he's one of the good ones. It takes a special man to care for another's child." She winked. "You better hurry. There's no telling if he'll figure out you're not there."
Ellie blinked. "Right." She quickly waved at her grandmother and hurried out of the courtyard. She caught up with him just outside the house.
He was scowling. "I thought you were behind me. Sorry."
"I didn't know if you wanted me to follow."
"Did you still want me to show you Level One?" he asked, sounding confused.