Page 42 of Spooks & Specters

A hundred fucking years.

“May I check you over?” Terry asked.

Axel woofed softly, letting Terry know that he understood his request and accepted it.

“Sounds like a yes to me,” Kage said.

Terry took his stethoscope from around his neck and slowly approached Axel.

Axel sat calmly in the middle of the hospital room. He might be weak and malnourished, but he was still a werewolf—he had sharp claws and formidable fangs, which meant he was dangerous.

Not that he would hurt Terry, of course.

But Terry’s cautious approach was completely understandable. Axel noticed that while Terry examined him, Kage had taken his cell phone out and was texting somebody.

From the soft smile on his face, Terry assumed Kage was texting his mate. He’d certainly never seen such a look on Kage’s face. Once more he waited for some negative emotion to hit him—anger, jealousy, resentment. Something.

But there was nothing.

If anything, he was happy Kage had found someone who was worthy of all the love Kage had to give. Because Kage deserved that. If there was any question that chapter in his life was over, seeing the soft smile on Kage’s face confirmed it.

“Heart sounds good, your reactions seem fine, but you’ve definitely lost some muscle mass, which isn’t surprising, all things considered,” Terry said as he straightened.

Axel woofed softly again. No, it wasn’t surprising. Actually, what was surprising was that he’d lived through it.

Terry walked to the door and opened it. “I don’t have any patients on this floor outside of you, so if you want to walk up and down the hallway for a little bit and get some exercise, that’s fine.”

That sounded like the best idea he’d heard in a long, long time. He padded outside, Terry and Kage following him. Axel stretched, his joints popping, then he trotted down the hall.

“Everything really is okay?” Kage asked Terry quietly.

Even though Axel heard Kage, he ignored him as a flood of new scents demanded his attention.

“As far as I can tell,” Terry said. “As I said, he’s lost muscle mass, and his wolf is much weaker than it should be. But plenty of food, exercise, and lack of stress, along with time, will help him more than anything.”

Axel sniffed every corner. Once or twice, he got into a cobweb and sneezed.

“Good. Not sure I can guarantee the lack of stress, though,” Kage added.

“Wolves are all about the drama,” Terry agreed.

No argument there.

“The Crimson Fangs pack thought Axel was their alpha. It was actually Nox masquerading as him, so now they have no leader. I’m sure they’ll find a way to blame Axel for that. We haven’t heard the last from them,” Kage said.

“Werewolf politics.” Terry shuddered. “Thank the gods we daemons don’t have that kind of crap.”

Axel almost laughed. Well, he would’ve, if a wolf could laugh.

Axel’s wolf plopped down on the floor, then he proceeded to roll from side to side, his hind legs thrashing about in the air with wild abandon. The sound of his happy grunts and the gentle thump of his furry body against the ground echoed around him.

Terry snickered at Axel’s antics.

“Well, our clan doesn’t,” Kage said, laughing too. “Can’t speak for other clans.”

Axel sat up, yawned, then ambled back toward them. He bumped his massive head against Terry’s leg, who scratched between Axel’s ears.

That feels fabulous!

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