Page 10 of Call Don't Fall

“You gotta stop that. I’m going to melt into the sheets.”

“Under different circumstances I’d brag about that,” Kirk smirked and everything inside me fluttered like a field of butterflies.

“Are they keeping me?” I asked, suddenly filled with the need to escape the hospital and be alone with him. “And can you shower? Are you still on the clock? Who do I need to tell this to?”

“Slow down, mate,” Kirk laughed and helped me as I started to sit up. “They probably won’t keep you overnight. Just until your wolf proves he can eat and walk in a straight line without taking an accidental nap. I am allowed to shower. Didn’t before leaving because I didn’t want to stress you out more. I’m not on the clock. And I don’t know whose important enough to you to tell right now. I’ll help you make the calls if you need me to.”

“No, I meant who do I need to tell so that you weren’t on the clock,” I shook my head.

“I took care of that. In some ways, HR knew about our response before you did,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck with the hand that wasn’t massaging my shoulder.

“Keep doing that,” I said, and he did – for a moment, at least.

Then he climbed into bed behind me and wrapped his arms around my middle. I sighed before I could stop the sound from bubbling over my lips and leaned back into his broad muscular body. The brush of fur played at my back as Kirk’s inner beast reached out to say hello. My own groggy wolf stirred, raising his head, before tucking it right back under his massive grey paw.

“Poor guy,” Kirk murmured as if he saw what went on inside my soul.

I twisted in Kirk’s arms, careful of the needle shoved into my vein, but I needed to get a whiff of him. I believed my wolf and his recounting of the events that unfolded while I was conked out. Still, I needed to smell him for myself. I started with the crook of his neck, inhaling deeply and searching out his scent. Nothing but some fading fruity aroma filled my head. I growled and my wolf opened one eye as if to see what I was muttering about as I tried the other side. Still no fucking luck.

“What? Is it a lotion?” I growled and Kirk laughed.

Pushed against my hip, his dick hardened. He was big – girthy and long. I licked my lips, and my wolf lifted his head again, making sure he wasn’t being left out of anything too fun. I took a long, slow breath and let it out. Then I sniffed his armpit. Still getting nothing, I wiggled around and lifted his scrub shirt until I could wiggle my head under it and sniff his bare skin. I was just about to be nose-deep in his hairy armpit when someone knocked on the door and opened it. I didn’t have time to squirm into a less awkward position before they saw what was going on.

“Should I give you two a few minutes?” A perky sounding red haired man asked.

“No,” Kirk said, pulling away and righting his scrub top.

“You sure, Kirk?” the man double-checked.

“Yes, Lar,” Kirk said, looking like he was fighting off the urge to roll his eyes. “He was trying to find somewhere the pheromone blocker has worn off.”

“Try the groin and feet. That’s usually where all of them wear off first,” Lar shrugged.

“I’m not going to ask how you know that,” Kirk laughed.

“I could tell you but that would be divulging a trade secret,” Lar wiggled his eyebrows. “I’m here for vitals and to see if you’re ready to shift and walk down the hall.”

I glanced up at Kirk.

“Don’t look at me. I’m not the one he’s asking,” he said.

“Maybe not but am I? You’re the nurse.”

“But I’m not inside your head,” he countered.

“Yet,” I said, scoring the winning point.

“And I won’t be unless you’re cleared to go home tonight.”

I pouted for a second because that last line definitely outdid me. My wolf wasn’t exactly ready to come out but I tried to give him a mental shake anyway.

“I don’t think he’s awake-awake yet,” I said, trying hard not to glance over my shoulder at Kirk.

“Don’t worry about disappointing me,” he said, sniffing my neck. “Worry about feeling better. I’m used to spending too much time in the hospital.”

“I’m not,” I sighed. “I’d like to go home and do stuff and not justthatstuff either.”

“Either way,” Lar interrupted, “still gotta get your vitals and check your sugar.”