Page 6 of Run Free

I rolled my eyes. “You guys don’t have to watch, but I’m not about to shred these clothes. I only have one clean set left.”

The second my shoes and clothes were off, I shifted.

“Wow!”

“That’s so cool!”

“You are a very beautiful wolf,” Dave said with a smile.

I nodded my big wolf head. I was struggling to stay in control. It was even harder in this natural form. My wolf tried to run off into the woods, but as I held her back, she sat back and howled the most haunting sound I’d ever heard. It was like her heart was breaking.Mine too, I thought.

I shifted back to human form and got dressed quickly. Nudity was no big deal amongst my kind, but I knew there was a possibility I was making my team uncomfortable, even if they were a bunch of doctors—animal doctors.

Tatum slowly crawled out of her cage, wincing the entire way. Bryon tried to intervene by shoving me out of the way, but I held firm.

“What hurts, Tatum?” I asked again.

There were tears in her eyes that she was trying to hold back. “My leg. I-I-I think it’s broke,” she stuttered. “And my shoulder might be dislocated. There’re some sores on my back too.”

She was young, naked, and so very vulnerable. My heart ached for her. I tried to stay positive, knowing that was what she needed.

I turned to the girl in charge of vector three with pleading eyes.

“Chelsea,” she said.

“Tatum, do you think you could go with Chelsea? She’s going to check your leg and shoulder, and clean up those wounds. She’ll get you some clean clothes to change into and some food to eat, if you think your stomach’s up for it.”

“Is she a shifter?” she whispered.

I shook my head. “No, she’s not, but she’s a friend. She won’t hurt you, and as soon as we have the others stabilized, I’ll come and check on you. I need you to trust me, Tatum. We’re all here to help.”

“If she’s human, how does she know about us?” Byron asked

I gave him a friendly smile. “They all work for a special group that protects our kind. They would never tell anyone outside of the group what you are. You’re very special to them, and they will help you if you let them.”

Tatum hesitated, but nodded. Byron was by her side and I wasn’t sure he was going to let them take her.

“It’s okay,” she told him softly.

Chelsea hollered to the newest arrivals. “I need a transport over here. My friend Tatum has a possible broken leg and needs a special chariot to get back to the clinic.”

Chelsea draped a blanket around the girl and Tatum giggled as two large men came over with a chair. They sat her in it and lifted her up, walking as quickly as they could without jostling her too much. Chelsea ran to catch up.

Byron looked a little on edge.

“You can go with her, if it will make you feel better,” I said.

“That’s okay?” he asked.

“Of course, no one’s a prisoner, Byron, and we’re only here to help.”

He nodded, and then took off as fast as he could to catch up to them. I could tell his body was stiff and weak, probably from weeks of being crammed into that cage. He also had a slight limp that I made a note to check out later.

I turned back to the remaining shifters and divided them up between the team. Two operating rooms were prepped when we arrived back at the clinic. Dave took one, and I took the other as we got to work on the worst two cases that both required surgeries.

Six hours later, I emerged. Exhausted, and aching all over, I gave Chelsea my report and asked about Tatum. She was well, still taking IV fluids, and having some trouble keeping food down, but her broken leg was set, the shoulder was banged up but not dislocated and was put in a sling for precaution, and the wounds on her back were not as severe as I first feared.

I headed for the showers and then changed into my last clean outfit. I needed to find a local laundromat to wash my things. I looked down and laughed. Why would I think white scrubs would be suitable for a job like this?

---