Page 15 of A Wolf's Wound
Some of the cases are difficult.Some of the animals are downright pissed to be here—not that I blame them.I get grumpy when I’m sick too.But no matter how challenging the patient, I’m delighted that after all these years of school and training, I’m finally getting to practice in my field.The sense of accomplishment buoys me all afternoon until the last patient is out the door and Lori moves to the front door to flip the “Open” sign around to “Closed.”
Before she can, the door is flung open.“Please help me!”a voice calls.I run over in time to see a wolf shifter limp inside.
His face is pale with pain as he stares at me beseechingly.Although I hadn’t expected to be called upon to be a healer on my first day, I immediately put my arm around him and help support the shifter, who looks ready to fall over.
“What happened?”I ask as he leans heavily against me.Lori comes around to his other side and we help him into the closest exam room, where he collapses into a chair.
“I think I tore something in my knee,” he groans.I crouch down in front of the shifter and carefully run my hands over his legs.Sure enough, his right knee feels warm and swollen.I roll up the leg of his pants and see the misshapen joint.
“Looks like you injured your patella,” I explain.
“Hurts like a son of a bitch,” he grouches, his breathing not as labored now that he’s sitting down.“Can you fix it?”
“Yes,” I answer.I concentrate, calling up my training.Then I carefully put my hands on his knee and begin to work.
When I’m done, the wolf shifter stands up.He tentatively puts some weight on his right leg and then breaks out in a grin.“Hot damn!You’re amazing.”
“Thanks.”I grin back, pretty proud of myself.“I’m glad you feel better.”
“Stone would’ve been pissed off if I’d been out of commission for too long,” the shifter says conversationally.“Thanks for getting me patched up so quickly.”
“Stone?”I echo.
“Yeah, Gavin Stone.You know him?”
“I met him this morning.”I follow the shifter back to the front and hand him over to Lori to check out.It shouldn’t be a surprise that this shifter is part of the Stone pack.Still, I wonder how long it’ll take before I no longer reflexively startle at the mention of that name.It’s a natural side effect of growing up with my stepfather, I guess.
The door opens again, and I look up to see what crisis is coming in now.But it’s not an animal or even a wolf shifter.It’s Ryder.
“What are you doing here?”I ask before he can say anything.
Ryder grins at me.“I believe you’ve met my mother and older brother already.Given that, I figured I should properly introduce myself.”
“What do you mean?”
Lori comes out of a back hallway then, and Ryder nods in her direction.“That’s my mom, and Gavin is my brother.”
“You’re a Stone?”I ask.
“I’m the second-oldest Stone brother,” Ryder says.“Gavin is the oldest.”
That’s why Gavin looked familiar.I look at Ryder’s mother ,and all of a suddenly I can see the resemblance between her and her sons.I feel like an idiot for not putting it all together sooner.
I already thought my life in Stonehaven had gotten off to a complicated start.Being attacked on your first night in your new apartment tends to make a girl think that, after all.But I had no idea just how complicated life could really become.
Ryder Stone as in theStone pack.
Oh, fuck.
Chapter 8
Hannah
Ryderwavesatake-outbag with a conciliatory smile, and the scent of Chinese food entices my growling stomach as I digest what he’s just said.
I’m working with his mother, and his older brother is the pack’s alpha.Of course, he is.
It’s one thing to be a shifter.It’s another to be a beta—a leader in his pack.
