Page 10 of Doctor Wolf's Human Nurse

Hastily, he let go of her.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She nodded. “I think so. It did feel like I just ran smack into a solid wall.”

Sawyer flexed his muscles and grinned. “That’s me, Dr. Wall.”

Georgia walked by them and raised her eyebrows.

Abby pointed at Sawyer and said, “He plowed over me like a freight train. It was a hard hit.”

“My brother said that you were a linebacker on the high school football team. I didn’t know you were practicing on staff.” Georgia laughed.

Sawyer shrugged. “It’s unethical to practice on patients.”

Martha put her hands on her hips and shook her head. “Okay, children, playtime is over. Back to work.”

Sawyer stuck his tongue out at Martha. “Party pooper.”

Everyone laughed and went back to work. Abby smiled at him and went into the supply closet, and the other two women went into the rooms where patients were waiting.

His body still tingled from when Abby was pressed hard against his body. He closed his eyes for a second and thought about how amazing it felt to hold her when they danced together at the reception. He had thought about asking her out when Xyla told him that Abby was planning on moving to Angel’s Creek, but then she applied for a job. That made her his employee and as such, put her off limits.

He had already crossed the boundary by asking her to have dinner with him, but he had reasoned that there was no law about them forming a friendship. Judging by his physical reactions to her, though, he might want to take a step back.

That evening, he went toHowlers’after Sean sent him a text suggesting he join him and some other pack members.Zac beckoned him over to the table where he sat with Josiah, Rory,Connor, and Sebastian. Sean joined the group a few minutes later.

“We have a bit of a situation,” Zac said. “A ten-year-old bear shifter youngling disappeared from his backyard this morning. His mother said he was there one minute playing with his trucks and when she looked out five minutes later, he was gone. She called Matthias, the alpha of the bear shifter clan, and we all formed a search party.”

Sebastian, who owned a globally recognized security company, said, “The boy’s scent ended about ten feet away from the yard. However, we found traces of a chemical compound in the area where he disappeared. I took samples and our lab got the results back pretty quickly. It was Anthera-X.”

Sean frowned. “What’s that?”

Josiah grimaced. “Anthera-X is a naturally derived compound from a rare plant species found deep within remote, high-altitude forests. The plant, known asLupinthera, produces pollen that interacts with the pheromones and scent glands of shifters, neutralizing their distinctive scent. Heat activated, ability to be quickly applied, so that shifters can spray it on right before they need it. It is a very rare, underground type product, often purchased on the black market. The lab would be able to produce it.”

“Someone went to great lengths to hide their scent so that they couldn’t be detected,” Conner said. “The question is whether the boy was specifically targeted or if the kidnappers were watching the area and waiting for a shifter to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“You would think that if they wanted to kidnap a shifter youngling, they would go to the park.”

“Parents are too watchful there. No one thinks that their cub is going to get kidnapped right out of their backyard,” Rory said.“I’ll make sure that Savvy and my folks keep an extra close eye on the pups until we figure this out.”

Sawyer rubbed his chin. “You mentioned that Anthera-X is manufactured in a lab. I wonder if there is any connection between the kidnapping and the new facilities built on the hill outside of town.”

Sean nodded. “I’ve heard people talking about it when they came in. The rumor is that everything is supposed to be top secret at that place and no one who works at the lab is allowed outside of the premises for now.”

“I’ve heard whispers that they are studying viruses and deadly bacteria at the facilities, and even have samples of some very deadly diseases. Word is that they are also creating variants of these diseases so that they can find cures for them,” Sebastian said. “The company who owns this facility has one in a couple of other remote locations as well.”

“Lovely, that’s all we need here,” Zac groaned.

“I did some research. The guy running the place is Dr. Rick Rogers. According to what I could find out, he was allowed to turn in his resignation instead of being fired from the last facilities he worked at. I wasn’t able to find out the details – just that he had been acting unethically, and the lab didn’t want that stain on their reputation,” Rory said.

“It either wasn’t enough for his medical license to be revoked or the old lab didn’t report it,” Sawyer said thoughtfully.

“I’ll do some digging and see what I can find out. Maybe someone from his old lab would be willing to talk if I can get them alone and grease some palms,” Sebastian said.

“I hope so,” Zac said. “I have a very bad feeling about that place. I don’t know if it’s related to the missing bear cub or not, but it is a coincidence that he went missing a week after they finished building that place and started trucking in personnel.”

Sawyer got a sick feeling in his gut. He was sure that something evil was coming out of that lab. They talked a little while longer about the lab and then started talking about their families. Everyone at the table was happily mated with little ones running around.

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