Page 19 of Breathe Again

“You’re already doing it. Just take care of her,” he said hesitantly.

“And be nice. No more fighting. That goes for the both of you,” Lily added as I pulled back and made the short drive over to the clinic.

Elizabeth

Chapter 10

I knew I’d lost a bit of blood from the gash on my leg, but that wasn’t what had my head spinning. That kiss had been so potent and passionate I felt like I’d never fully catch my breath again. I had dreamed about him for most of my life, and even my wildest fantasies couldn’t compete with that kiss.

Someone must have called ahead and alerted the clinic that I was coming in because they were waiting and rushed me into a private room immediately. My nurse, Lola, immediately shoved pain meds down my throat.

“You can wait in the lobby, if you’d like,” the nurse told Cole. He looked at me with panic in his eyes. I should have still been reeling over how mean he’d been, yelling at me and storming out like that—not that I didn’t feel I deserved it, but still. I couldn’t find it in me though. Cole wanted to be here, and I’d damn sure take that any day.

“Lola, it’s okay. He should stay,” I told her.

Lola looked back and forth between the two of us and shrugged. “Whatever you say, boss, but I’m going to need you to strip and put on this gown, so he can just step out in the hall till you’re done.”

Cole snickered, and I could feel his wolf start to finally relax some. “Would you like me to leave?” he asked.

I shrugged. “Doesn’t matter.”

Lola stopped at the door and turned to gawk at me behind Cole’s back, but I just gave her a look that said, “Get out already.”

When she finally left and closed the door, I started stripping. Lola, like everyone else in the Pack, thought I was a prude because I never stripped in front of people. Being a shifter, nudity really wasn’t that big a deal. I’d just always hidden my secret tattoo that I’d gotten the day I lost my virginity to the man standing before me. Taking my clothes off in front of him felt like the most natural thing in the world and didn’t faze me one bit.

“You’re going to make us the talk of the gossip train, you know,” Cole said. I knew he was watching me closely as I took off my shirt and bra. He most definitely was affected by the sight. That had to be a good thing, right?

“I don’t really care much about gossip,” I admitted.

“Really? So you were acting like a, what did Ruby call it? Ah, yes, a prude, was for what then?”

“You seem to think you know me so well, why don’t you just tell me.”

He smirked, and it melted my heart. I’d give anything to have this all the time. Just us, no pretenses, no bitterness or resentment. How I longed for that.

“You don’t want anyone to see my tattoo, do you?”

My eyes flew up to his. How could he possibly know that? “It’s not your tattoo,” I said stubbornly, but couldn’t deny it.

A soft knock on the door told me our time was up. I quickly threw on the gown Lola had given me. “Come in.”

Cole stepped around the bed and stood next to me, out of the way.

“Lizzy, I’m surprised to see you in here. When they said a Collier girl got injured on her horse and possibly attacked by a couple Larkens, I expected to see Ruby,” Dr. Brad said. He was an older man, slightly balding. He’d been caring for the wolves of Collier Pack for as long as I could remember.

Cole laughed softly.

“Sorry to disappoint you,” I said sarcastically.

“Never. Now show me what I’m dealing with and tell me what happened,” he said, taking a seat near my feet.

I lifted the dressing gown, careful not to flash him in the process, and showed him the gash on my leg.

“It’s already healing. You shifted after you cut it, didn’t you?” He scolded me like I was a small child.

“I sort of didn’t have a choice, Doc. The Larkens spooked my horse and I cut it on the stirrup when I fell off. I couldn’t just stand there weak and injured in human form. I had to shift to protect myself and to get away from them,” I said smartly.

He shook his head as he examined the wound, then called out to Lola to fetch him the necessary equipment and prep for surgery.

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