Page 60 of Ethan
“And in serious cases,” Devon reminded me, “you don’t just tell. You set a follow-up date. You put it on the calendar. You call the day before if you have to.”
My frustration boiled over. “They could’ve come in any time! They knew I’ve been in this damn clinic twenty-four-seven! You think I’ve got time to chase every patient around, asking if they’re free between the hours of three and five o’clock? I’ve been drowning handling all this alone, plus with the enforcers doubling patrols?—”
Devon ran a hand over his face, clearly worn out. Pretty sure he was going to yell at me any second now.
And, hell, I realized, I’d been the only one yelling so far. Loud enough that someone outside must’ve heard.
Couldn’t deny it, though. Finally letting everything out felt weirdly cathartic.
Devon finally broke the silence. “I know you’ve been busy. I know you’ve been healing every single scrape and stubbed toe that’s walked in here.” His gaze flicked toward the shelves lined with salves and tinctures. “But we’re not miracle workers. The pack doesn’t expect us to be. Save the actual healing for when it matters.”
“Save it for what, paperwork? Because that’s what most of my day seems to be.” The bitterness in my voice made me wince, but I didn’t take it back.
To my surprise, Devon didn’t deny it. “You’re not wrong. Being a pack healer isn’t just about patching wounds. Most of the time, it’s logistics. Records. Supplies. Making sure everything keeps moving.”
I scoffed. “Easy for you to say. When you were here, I was at your beck and call. Now I’m doing everything alone.”
Something sharp flickered across Devon’s expression. “Then why didn’t you hire someone to help? Or tell Cooper you needed backup?”
My mouth opened, then shut again. What was I supposed to say? That I didn’t know I could?
That I thought Devon was only gone for a little while, and asking for help would feel like admitting I couldn’t handle my own clinic for a few weeks?
My pride burned hot in my chest. I should’ve been able to handle it. I wanted to handle it.
I looked up, ready to argue, but the words caught in my throat when I saw Devon’s face.
I’d never seen him look like that at me before. For the first time, I could feel his patience thinning.
“You need to understand something,” Devon said, voice low but steady. “You’re going to be in charge soon. This”—he gestured around the clinic—“this was supposed to be a trial run for you. A chance to see how you’d do as head healer. When I leave, you’ll be the one running this place.”
It had to be a joke. Head healer? Me? Either I should be furious that I’d been tested without even knowing it, or laughing at the idea that I could ever fill his shoes.
Devon sighed. “Maybe this was my mistake. I should’ve explained more, given you time to settle into it instead of throwing you into the deep end.”
I could hear the regret in his voice, but all I felt was a sting in my chest.
He didn’t say it out loud, but I knew it anyway: he was disappointed in me.
I almost wished he’d just yell at me instead. Anything would’ve been easier to stomach than this quiet letdown.
“Go home for today,” Devon said quietly. “I’ll cover the clinic. Come back tomorrow, and we’ll talk again.”
My chest felt hollow. All I could do was nod.
The fight drained out of me all at once, leaving only the weight of exhaustion pressing down on my shoulders.
By the time I stepped outside, I wasn’t sure if I was more tired from the past few weeks or from realizing just how far I still had to go.
Chapter 14
Dean
I woke to an empty bed.Again.
The sheets on Ethan’s side were untouched. Like he hadn’t even crawled in sometime during the night. This was what, the third morning now?
A hollow ache settled in my chest as I rolled onto my back and stared up at the ceiling. I missed him.
