Jackie nearly sighed with relief when Caleb Bennett, the town sheriff and alpha shifter extraordinaire stepped up next to her. “Ladies.” He nodded at them all.
“Investigation?” Mrs. Vernon latched on to that word like a leech on blood. “What kind of investigation?”
“Ma!”
“Of what happened last night.” Caleb solemnly responded.
Mrs. Vernon blinked. “Well? What happened last night?”
“That’s what we’re investigating, ma’am.”
Jackie bit her lip to keep from laughing while Penny sent Caleb a saucy wink. Then she rested a hand on her mom’s arm, halting more questions. “Look, Mom. I just saw Mrs. Hargrove pass by. Didn’t you need to speak to her about the Senior’s Bingo this Tuesday?”
“Oh. Yes. Yes I did. Come along, Penny.” Barely acknowledging a goodbye, Mrs. Vernon hurried as quickly as she could down the aisle and around the corner.
Penny shook her head. “That woman will be the death of me. Now I gotta go rescue Mrs. Hargrove.” Then she pushed the loaded cart after her mom.
When both women were out of sight, Caleb turned to Jackie, all business. “I have the,” he then mouthed the words “silver bullet”. One could never be too careful in a town full of shifters and gossips.
Jackie glanced around. “Specific target or should all shifters be concerned?” Her tone was barely audible but she knew Caleb would have no trouble hearing her.
“Gut says specific, but I can’t say for sure. And if we can’t find this person in the next seven days, it won’t matter.” Meaning that when the full moon comes up, whoever shot at Zan will know there’s more than one werewolf in Woodcliff.
While many shifters choose to stay that night at Moon Haven, locking up nearly two hundred males—including the juveniles—would make this individual suspicious. And forcing the shifter populace to remain in their own homes for the change would not only be cruel, it would be next to impossible to enforce. There were maybe ten male shifters in town that could resist the pull of the full moon, not enough to handle the job. Not even with the help of the female shifters who couldn’t turn. The females, and certainly not the humans that knew about them, didn’t have the physical strength to subdue a full-grown wolf. Either they would have to tranquilize the male shifter populace, repeatedly throughout the night, or the shooter needed to be caught. And soon.
“No leads?”
“Footprints that lead to a dirt side road out of the forest. Guy obviously got in a car and probably didn’t get on the main road until it was clear. We’re asking around without being obvious we’re asking around. Last thing this town needs is another...” He paused to wind his finger next to his temple.
Jackie grinned. “That your professional opinion?”
Caleb flashed his teeth. “Yes, ma’am. Better get what Tess sent me out for and get home. Otherwise she just might change her mind about making chicken pot pie for dinner.”
The sparkle in his eyes made Jackie want to sigh. Caleb was newly mated to Kaylie’s older sister, Tess, and was still walking on clouds. Jackie longed for that feeling.
Just not with Zan Sutton.
Jackie frowned as Caleb walked away, her inner beast whispering seductively in her head.
Caleb has a dangerous job, but it didn’t stop Tess from being with him.
Compared to Zan’s job, Caleb’s was a cake walk.
Not to Tess. It wouldn’t matter if Caleb sat on the couch all day, Tess would still worry. That’s what a mate does. Loves and worries. You heard Kaylie’s worry over Dean last night, and that wasn’t even physical.
Zan’s playing a dangerous game and the odds are stacked against him. Jackie argued back.
And you could be hit by a drunk or unaware motorist as you push your cart out of this very store. You don’t know what’s going to happen.
I do.
Chicken.
Shut up!
If Jackie didn’t know that her wolf could speak to her she’d think she was going insane. As it was, she figured it was her beast that was insane. Her human half was the smart one in this situation, and needed to remain so.
But if that car her wolf warned her about didn’t zoom out of the parking lot and kill her, she was afraid this tug-of-war between her wolf, her body, and her brain just might.
Chapter Seven
Restlessness plagued her all Sunday night and by Monday early afternoon Jackie was ready to pull out her hair. Normally she enjoyed her days off, but right now she could really use a distraction from herself.
She checked her cell phone for the six-hundredth time. Nothing. No calls from the clinic needing extra help. No calls from her family or friends, and certainly no calls from Zan.
It was the latter that twisted her up inside. As her mate he shouldn’t be able to stay away from her. Yet since she didn’t want him for a mate she should be thrilled.
Right?
Then again, as his doctor, she really should check on him. That had to be what this strange urge was to see him. To make sure he was healing properly and not hurting. It was simply the correct and professional thing to do.
Only, she didn’t know where he was or how to reach him. Which circled back around to, why wasn’t he getting in touch with her? Was he okay? Did something else happen last night? Could he even now be lying in the middle of the forest, bleeding out from another gunshot wound?
Yep. Definitely hair pulling time.
She jumped a foot when the phone in her hand rang. The number on the screen wasn’t listed and her heart began a fast thudding in her chest at the possible implication.
“Doctor Chavez.” She grimaced at the husky tone. So not professional.
“Hey, doc. You okay?”
At Zan’s definitely alive and deep voice, a shiver of heat scorched through her veins. Shaking from the unexpected rush of lust, Jackie sank down on her couch. “I’m good. How are you?” Smart, doc. Real smart. “I mean, how are your ribs feeling? Your side? Have you changed the bandages?”
“That’s actually why I’m calling.”
One brow arched in irritation. He wasn’t calling to woo her, he was calling for medical reasons? Really, how rude was that?
Okay. Maybe it was time she seek her own doctor. One that dealt with mental malfunctions.
She rubbed her forehead. “What’s wrong?”
“I think one of my wounds is infected.”
Doctor Jackie straightened. “Infected? Which one? Explain?”
A pause. “The one on my back is healed and the one on my...it’s the one on my hip. I noticed the edges were really red when I took a shower, but I put that stuff on you gave me and re-bandaged it, but it’s starting to ache. And well.” His voice lowered to a whisper. “It’s starting to smell funny.”
Suspicious, Jackie frowned. One, while shifters were not immune from infections, they were rare, and two, if any of Zan’s wounds were to become infected, it would have been the deep bullet wound, not the gash on his hip. “Uh, huh.”
“I hate to bother you on your day off,” Jackie nearly snorted at that, “but I was hoping you might be available to check it out. Make sure it’s healing right. After all, you’re the doctor. You would know best.”
Playing to her profession. Not an original tactic but of course it worked. Regardless of her feelings for Zan, she was a doctor and he was her patient. Of course she would go. In a totally professional capacity. “Are you staying with Kaylie and Dean?”
“No. Dean put us in the old Kolter home.”
“Us?”
“Yeah. Joe and Scott have decided to stick around for a couple of days and Dean thought we’d feel more comfortable here verses the hotel.”
At least she wouldn’t be alone with Zan. Then again. Men being men, his friends may disappear on the off chance their buddy might get lucky. Creeps.
Her eyes squeezed shut. God! What was wrong with her? She wasn’t a mean person. She just felt so...so...horny. Despite everything she was told by fa
mily, friends, and patients alike, she never expected the mating heat to be this intrusive.
“So, Doc. Can you come by or do you already have plans?” Beneath the casual question was an undercurrent of steel, as if Zan expected her to drop any plans she might have and come tend to his needs. His tone made her want to snarl back that yes, she already had plans and he’d need to go to the clinic and get checked out.
Just as quickly she vetoed the idea. Jackie needed to sever whatever ideas Zan had about them and the sooner the better. Explaining so in person while she tended to him was the best course of action. It had nothing to do with this aching need to see him again. To touch him. To breath in his scent. Nope. Nothing at all.
“I’ll be there in twenty minutes or so.”
“Great. I’ll see you when you get here.” Zan hung up.
Female Jackie galvanized into action. She brushed her teeth, applied powder, blush, and some light eyeliner. When she realized what she’d done, she grimaced at her reflection.
Brushed her teeth? Seriously? Was she expecting him to kiss her? Just the idea of his lips pressed to her in a hot open-mouthed kiss sent a burst of anticipation through her.
Agh. No kissing. No mating, no encouraging of any kind. You have a clinical objective, both medical and personal. Not a romantic one. Of any kind.
She stalked off to change into a pair of khaki pants and short-sleeved top. Then she grabbed her medical bag and headed out to the Kolter house.
Less than ten minutes later she slowed as she drove up the long concrete driveway, admiring the large garden that took up nearly half the right lawn. Bright and cheerful flowers of all sizes and shapes lifted their faces to the sun. A variety of green plants were blended throughout, providing a lush touch. A large bubbling fountain reigned in the middle of the circular garden. Decorative stone and wood benches were scattered throughout, inviting a passerby to come sit, take a load off and simply enjoy all the natural beauty.
Jackie exited her truck and took a deep breath. The scent of lilacs and honeysuckle tickled her senses. Several butterflies danced from one flowing bush to another and she sighed with longing. She even took one step toward the garden when the front door opened.
Slowly she turned her attention away, only to let out another sigh of longing. This one brought on by the man leaning against the door frame, watching her with piercing green eyes. He didn’t even try to hide his interest. Instead, Zan took a thorough visual examination of his own. Starting from her face down to her toes and back again, only pausing at her breasts and the junction between her thighs.
She should be upset at his blatant perusal, and she was. Really mad. Only at how her nipples tightened under his predatory gaze, and the long liquid pull of desire that swirled low in her belly.
No, she hissed at herself. It wasn’t pleasant to be scrutinized in such an obvious way. It was rude. Women didn’t stare at a man’s groin when they checked him out.
Of course that was when she realized she was looking at the front of his pants, and the subtle rise of the soft material. She jerked her attention to his face, unsurprised to find a satisfied smile on his face.
Clinical objective, she chanted silently to herself before taking a step towards Zan.
“Thanks for coming.”
I haven’t yet.
Aghast at her immediate response, and praying to God she hadn’t said that out loud, Jackie flattened her lips in a thin line. “Of course. A doctor always has time for a patient.”
A gleam of something, irritation maybe, flashed in his eyes and then was gone. “Glad to hear it. Come on in.”
Jackie followed Zan in the large house, trying desperately not to notice the breadth of his shoulders, and the way he carried his muscled body with easy grace. And his ass!
She tightened her grip on her bag to keep from reaching out to touch his butt and forced her head to look at the inanimate surroundings. “I didn’t think the place was furnished.”
“It’s not really. One bedroom is and I took that. Dean was kind enough to obtain cots for the boys.” Meaning Joe and Scott. He pointed to a room on the right. Pocket doors were slid back in their housings. Light streamed in from the large windows and filtered over a beige leather couch, two fabric chairs, black coffee table and an enchanting armoire with foldout doors, open to reveal a large television set. “The den still has furniture and the kitchen has the basics, along with a table and chairs. Other than that, it’s empty.”
He led her to the back of the house where the kitchen was. More windows opened into the backyard, giving her an unobstructed view of the enormous, lush lawn backed by the forest. Off to the left was a sparkling swimming pool and next to that was a jacuzzi.
Jackie felt that longing unfold inside her again. She loved swimming. And she was going to kill Kaylie, then Dean, and finally Zan. First, her Lupa put the idea of using the house as both Jackie’s living quarters and off-site medical arena for shifters. Jackie could push that off, especially since she not only didn’t have the funds to rent—much less buy—such a magnificent home. Then, Dean plops his brother into the house for the duration of his visit, which meant when Zan contacted her, Jackie had no choice but to make a house call. Now that she’d seen the garden, the pool, and the front part of the house, which would be ideal for a doctor’s office and waiting room, Jackie wanted it all.
Male shifter included.
Chapter Eight
“I thought the kitchen would work. Unless you want to use the bedroom.”
“What? No. I mean...” Jackie drew in a deep breath to steady her nerves. “The kitchen is fine.” She set her bag on the table, opened it, and applied some hand sanitizer. “I want to check your back first.”
“It’s fine.”
Jackie raised a brow. “Aren’t you military men supposed to obey orders?” She twirled one finger in the air. “Turn around.”
Grudgingly, though Jackie saw his lips curl up, Zan obeyed. “And take off your shirt.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Zan whipped the tee off and presented her with the wide expanse of his back. The white bandage wrapped around his ribcage only emphasized his dark skin and the mouthwatering masculine build of his torso. Between his shoulder blades was an angry welt, but nothing compared to the gash that marred his skin Saturday night. The sudden urge to lick and kiss the ugly mark took her off guard and she fisted her hands to gain some control.
But she had to touch him.
With one hand she outlined the healing wound, fascinated by the texture of his skin. Zan’s muscles tightened underneath her exploring fingertips and she dropped her hand. “This should be gone in the next day or so.”
Zan merely grunted in response.
“Now I’m going to check your ribs. I don’t want to undo the bandages, but I will be poking and prodding. Let me know if I hurt you.”
She thought standing behind him would be better. Call her a chicken, but that way she wouldn’t have to look in his eyes or feel the weight of his stare as she touched him. Boy was she wrong.
Her arms wrapped around him, bringing her into closer contact with his body. While her fingers pressed carefully over his ribs to assess the damage, her lips were so close to his back that if she stuck out her tongue she’d be able to taste him. And despite all her mental warnings, she really wanted to taste him.
Abruptly she stood back. “You’re a fast healer, even for a shifter.” She blurted, hoping he didn’t hear how ragged her breathing was. “Couple more days and I think you’ll be good as new.”
Another grunt or growl, she wasn’t certain, was the happy response.
She really needed to get her libido under control, especially since the most intimate part of this checkup was at hand. She flapped the hem of her shirt, needing some air to combat the growing heat of her body. At the same time she flipped a chair around and sat near the edge.
When he shot her an undecipherable look over his shoulder she waved him over. “Let’s have a look.”
She had to wipe suddenly damp palms on her thighs before reaching the waistband of his. When her fingers touched his flesh he let out a harsh sound. “Did I hurt you?” She craned her neck to see his upturned face and closed eyes.
“Only in the best possible way.”
Her fingers flexed and she took two deep breaths before cautiously edging down the material. As she did, it pulled tighter and lower across his erection. While he didn’t pop free—she told herself she wasn’t disappointed—a thick mat of dark hair began to reveal itself and she nearly passed out. The man wasn’t wearing any underwear.
Another one of those long liquid pulls came and she felt damp and swollen between her legs. She’d close them to ward off the need, but Zan’s legs were in the way. And with him being a shifter, there was no way to hide the scent of her arousal from him. He could smell it a mile away.
She took another deep breath and tried to concentrate on the task at hand.
Clinical, clinical, clinical.
“Hold this down.” she ordered, referring to his pants.
“You know,” the husky timbre of his voice made her look up, and she gulped. He knew what his nearness did to her and by the heat that blazed in his eyes, he was doing it on purpose. Tricksy wolf. “You could just pull my pants down lower.”
A ringing began in her ears. The blood in her veins moving at ludicrous speed no doubt. As much as she wanted to yank his pants off, the sight of that bad boy springing to full attention might be the death of her. “We’ve already had that discussion, Zan.” She referred to her less than friendly quip yesterday about using his pants to strangle him. “Just hold the material. Please.”
Once again Zan complied, stretching his pants wide, and a little too low for her comfort. Doing her best to ignore the extra flesh bared to her thirsty sight, Jackie used a nail to pry the tape around the bandage and partially pull it off. When she saw his wound she straightened, a frown marring her face. There were no raw edges. No odd smell. No infection. In fact...
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