Page 64 of Doctor Wolf's Human Nurse

However, when Beth called to tell him Abby was too sick to come to work, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He knew that Beth wouldn’t lie to him, but he was certain that there was more to the story than the witch was letting on. Sawyer couldn’t explain why. It was something in his gut that screamed out to him.

Maybe it’s because we’re connected. However, I need to respect boundaries. If Abby wants me to come visit her, she will let me know.

The fact that she was too sick to call him herself bugged him.Something’s not rightkept repeating over and over in his mind.

He called Sean after the clinic hours were over. “Has Xyla heard from Abby?”

“No. She tried calling Abby, but Beth had her phone. Beth said that Abby was sick and they were helping her and it was best that Xyla didn’t come by since she was pregnant.”

“Damn. I’m worried.”

“I’m sure you are. But I’ve known Beth for a very long time and I promise that Beth will let you know if there’s something seriously wrong.”

“I guess.”

“Zac called me a few minutes ago. He, Josiah, Matthias, and a few others are going on the mountain hunting for Jerome and the other rogue shifters. If you want to come with us, you’d be welcome and it could help get your mind off of Abby.”

“I suppose. Are we meeting up at your place?

“Yep. Can you be here in twenty?”

“Give me thirty. I want to get out of these clothes first.”

Zac had a map of the mountain laid out on one of the tables. He had divided the likely areas that the shifters might be hiding in and assigned two shifters to each zone. “The dragons will fly over to see if they can spot anything from the air. Since a lot of the trees have lost their leaves, it will be easier now than in the summer. Let everyone know if you spot anything.”

Sean and Sawyer were partners. Sean drove.

“I told Abby that I loved her the other night. She said it first. I didn’t intend to say it, but the words just slipped out.”

“That’s because they came from the heart.”

Sawyer sighed. “I’ve always heard that a person should never tell another they love them right after sex because it’s just the hormones talking.”

“You’ve had a lot of female friends who treat you like a brother, haven’t you? That’s advice a woman would give,” Sean teased. “But, even if it’s true, do you still mean it? Do you love her?”

“Yes.”

“Then hormones or not, you have nothing to worry about.”

They got to the mountain and everyone walked up the trail to the shifting tree. Luckily, the knot hole was big enough for almost everyone’s clothes. Everyone else hid theirs in the crooks of the branches.

Sawyer patted the tree like it was an old friend. “If this tree could talk, think about the stories it would tell.”

“All the naked bodies, for one. The secrets people told each other here.”

“Not to mention the fights. A couple of times hunters waylaid shifters here,” Zac said. “Maybe in my next life, I’ll be a tree. I’ll amuse myself with the birds, squirrels, and other forest animals, as well as human drama. When there’s no one else around, I’ll simply enjoy the peace and quiet, breathing in carbon dioxide and exhaling oxygen.”

Josiah laughed. “Until some lumberjack came along and cut you down so you can be turned into toilet paper.”

Everyone burst into laughter.

Zac pretended to growl at him. “Leave it to you to ruin a good dream.”

Then everyone got serious and shifted, and headed up the mountain to scout their assigned zones.

An hour later, Sean nudged him. A half-eaten deer had been dragged under a tree. The snow would keep the meat from spoiling. They scouted around and several feet away, they saw bear tracks.

Sawyer said telepathically,Bears are hibernating this time of year. It seems we have ourselves a shifter.

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