Page 17 of Guarding the Doctor
“Oh, you didn’t hear? They found Seth’s body in the woods at Squak Mountain State Park.” She winced slightly, but I could tell it was for show. “What was left of him anyway. Looks like he was trail running and ran into some wild animals. His ankle was broken so the authorities figured he fell trying to escape the bears.”
My stomach seized, making me want to get some of that Zofran for myself.
“And you know this how?” Darla demanded.
“I happened to overhear the hospital administrator talking to the police,” she said, tapping her ear in what I assume was a subtle acknowledgement of her shifter hearing. “Anyway, I’m sorry for your loss. I know he was well-liked here in the Emergency Department and I heard that the two of you spent quite a lot of time together outside of work.”
The doctor spun around, walking away faster in those high heeled shoes than any human would ever be able to manage.
“Bitch,” I mumbled under my breath.
By the tightening of her shoulders, Xi heard me despite being halfway down the hallway.
“I’ll text Lois,” Darla said, pulling out her phone, fingers flying over the keyboard. “Are you okay to get back to work?”
My pager buzzed, reminding me that patients were waiting. “Yeah.”
When we finished our shift, I was surprised to see Yuri waiting for us by the SUV.
“Where’s Martha?” I asked, realizing I hadn’t seen the other agent for the last hour or two of our shift.
“I stay with you tonight,” Yuri said. “Martha go home with mate.”
“I’m driving then,” Darla said, walking to the driver’s side.
I got in behind her so Yuri could push the seat back. He was so tall he was practically in the back seat with me.
“I am trained driver,” he told Darla as she pulled out of our parking space. “I drive very well.”
“You drive like a bat out of hell,” Darla corrected. “I don’t want my mate hurt.”
“She knows about mates?”
“I do,” I called from the backseat, not appreciating being spoken about like I wasn’t there.
Yuri turned in his seat to look at me. “You are lucky. This vampire will be good mate for you.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” I said.
At Yuri’s confused look I added, “I’m not sure I believe in all this mate stuff.”
Yuri laughed. “You humans, you never trust what is in front of your eyes.”
“Wait until you have the mate conversation with Stacy,” Darla told him, her voice dry. “She told us she’s sworn off men.”
“She swears off men, but I am bear,” Yuri said. “Is different. She will not be able to resist me.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at his self-confidence. Then again, if Stacy felt half as drawn to Yuri as I did to Darla she’d be helpless to resist him.
“How long until we reach house?” he asked.
“About twenty minutes, maybe twenty-five,” Darla said.
“Good. You will tell me about my mate please.”
I spent the rest of the ride answering Yuri’s barrage of questions about my friend. When we got to the house, Yuri stayed with me while Darla checked out the house to make sure it hadn’t been compromised. I liked the bear immediately. He was charming in an earnest, boyish way.
“What do you like to eat?” he asked when we entered the house. “I am good chef. I have restaurant with brothers.”
