by Erin Wade
“I … uh—” Eden mumbled.
“We should have lunch,” Liz suggested. “I’m sure Wink is hungry, and I know I’m starving.”
As they headed for the restaurant across the street, Wink hurried to catch up with Eden. “Are you married?” He gave her a shy smile.
“Recently widowed,” Eden admitted out loud for the first time.
“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that,” Wink muttered. “I know how it feels to lose a loved one. I lost my mother.”
You have no idea how it feels to lose your heart and soul, Eden thought.
##
A lovely young waitress named Pattie took their order. “It’s good to see you, Wink,” she said. Eden couldn’t help but notice her coy smile or the faint blush that crept up the young woman’s neck.
“I like seeing you too, Pattie.” He cast an appreciative glance at the waitress. “Are we still going out tonight?”
Pattie nodded and scurried away to turn in their order.
Eden watched their exchange with interest. She leaned over and whispered in Wink’s ear, “She’s the real reason you want help, isn’t she?”
Wink tried to hide his smile but failed. “Yes.”
They ate and returned to Bob’s office.
“Tell us about Pattie,” Eden said.
“We’ve been dating about a year.” Wink looked down at his feet. “I would like to marry her, but I can’t until I know what’s wrong with me.”
“Have you had relations?” Eden hid the twinge of pain as she thought about intimate moments with Darke.
“No!” Wink yelped. “I’m afraid to. That’s when I change. When I get excited. Pattie would be horrified.
“I know she wants me to ask her to marry me, and she won’t wait forever. That wolf Tyler keeps sniffing around her. Oh, I don’t mean wolf in the literal sense. I mean he’s a lowlife that would take advantage of her. She’s so darn cute.”
“Yes, she is,” Eden said.
“Wink, do you think you could transform for us?” Liz asked, getting back to the matter at hand.
“Here? Now?” Wink gasped. “I might hurt you.”
“Yes,” Liz replied. “We’ll take the necessary precautions.”
Bob led the way to an inner room with only one door and no windows. “This is my exam room,” he said as he gestured around the well-equipped space. “Wink, I can put restraints on you if you fear you’ll harm us.”
Bob led them to an exam table that had wrist and ankle restraints. “I sometime need these for my more violent patients.”
“I don’t like the idea of being bound,” Wink said as he backed away from the exam table.
Eden placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “We’ll be here. We won’t let anything happen to you or us. I’ll hold your hand if that—”
“That would help.” Wink grinned as he hopped onto the table. “You should bind me before I begin my transformation.”
For almost an hour, Wink attempted to turn himself into a wolf with no success. “I … I’m sorry. I can’t do it.”
“Liz, can you step outside with me for a minute?” Eden asked. She motioned for her friend to follow her from the room. “I don’t know how Bob made the video, but Wink is the most harmless person I’ve ever met. The idea of him turning into a wolf during sex is laughable.”
“Perhaps he needs stimulation,” Liz suggested.
“Like what?”
“Follow my lead, and don’t hate me for what I’m about to do.” Liz opened the door, and they stepped back into the exam room.
“Wink, Eden thinks you’re faking to get attention.” Liz glared at the man.
“What? No! I swear, I’m a werewolf.”
Eden scowled. “Liz, that’s harsh. I didn’t say—”
A resounding crack filled the room as Liz slapped Eden across the face.
Eden was stunned by the blow but not as stunned as she was by the low growl that rose from Wink’s throat. As the three watched in horror, he changed from a man to a wolf. Hair quickly covered his face, and fangs protruded from his mouth. His eyes glistened as he snarled at Liz.
Wink fought against his restraints as he tried to reach Liz. He frothed at the mouth, snapping and growling. His fingers became razor-sharp claws. Bob gasped as Wink ripped the padded covering of his exam table to shreds.
“Wink, I’m okay,” Eden said, her voice soft and reassuring. “Liz was just trying to get a reaction from you.”
Wink continued to fight his restraints and lunge at Liz. He was uncontrollable. Bob stepped behind the creature and stabbed a needle into his back. Within minutes, Wink slumped back onto the table. He continued to jerk and convulse as his body returned to normal.
“He’s out cold,” Bob said as he checked Wink’s pulse and looked under his eyelids. “I gave him a pretty strong sedative.”
“That was incredible,” Liz exclaimed. “If I hadn’t witnessed it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it.”
“I … I’ve got to get some fresh air,” Eden mumbled before rushing from the room. She was thankful that she’d never seen Darke transform. It looked painful. Of course, Darke would probably make the transition as sensuously as she did everything else, and she obviously had complete control over when and where she transformed.
Eden fought the urge to vomit—not because of Wink’s radical change, but because she knew she would never hold Darke in her arms again.
“Are you all right?” Liz slipped her arm around Eden’s waist.
“Oh, Liz, I’ll never be all right again.”
Liz held Eden in her arms as she cried. “Then neither will I, dear.”
Chapter 45
They worked with Wink all summer. Eden followed him in his daily routine. She monitored his heart rate and other vital signs. She found that any transformation was caused by stress or being startled. She always carried a syringe of sedatives just in case Wink became violent. He never did.
“Liz, I need to discuss something with you,” Eden said as they strolled along a rocky trail one afternoon. “I’m certain Wink’s condition is not lycanthropy.”
“Oh?” Liz looked up at the young woman she had come to admire. “What is it?”
“I know it would give us tremendous standing in the science world if we produced a werewolf,” Eden said, “but I believe Wink’s condition is more medical than psychological.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“I would like to take Wink to a hospital where we have access to better diagnostic tools than Bob has.” They stopped walking, and Eden raked both hands through her windswept hair. “I’d like to be as thorough as possible, so we don’t perpetrate a hoax on the scientific community. That wouldn’t bode well for our reputations.”
“But we have video footage and careful documentation of Wink’s … uh … episodes.”
“I’ve read everything available on werewolves,” Eden said. “They are mythical creatures who are immortal. They age until their midthirties, which is the climax of their virility, and then become immortal at the peak of their life. Nice daydream, but hardly something to present to our peers.
“Wink is late thirties, and he has aged normally as we’ve worked with him. So, I don’t see immortality in his future.
“Simple one-liner: Wink is not a werewolf.”
“How do you explain his transformations?” Liz asked.
“It has to be something medical. Will you agree to take him to a well-equipped hospital where we can do CRT scans, sonograms, and any other tests needed?”
“I’ll agree to anything you want, Eden.” Liz placed her hand on Eden’s arm. “Anything.”
Eden had a feeling they were no longer talking about Wink. “Thank you,” she said, sidestepping the situation.
Wink and Bob agreed to additional medical tests on the diminutive man.
“I just want to end this,” Wink told Eden. “Pattie is receiving more and more suitors. I must marry her or lose her.”
“Hopefu
lly, my theory will prove correct,” Eden reassured him. “If so, a simple surgery will cure you.”
Wink laughed. “Well, as long as it doesn’t involve neutering, I’m okay with it.”
“It won’t,” Eden said with a reassuring smile. “I promise you will come out of this intact.”
##
Just as Eden had suspected, the tests revealed a tumor on Wink’s adrenal gland. After the tumor was removed, nothing could induce Wink’s former changes.
“The tumor on the gland was causing an inordinate amount of adrenaline to be released into Wink’s body any time he was startled or angry. Any extreme emotion would trigger it,” Eden explained.
The four produced a documentary on Wink’s case and presented it to the medical society. The news media’s infatuation with werewolves and the beautiful doctors caused unprecedented coverage of Wink’s case, resulting in monetary offers for appearances worldwide.
Liz and Eden spent the remainder of Liz’s sabbatical appearing on talk shows and at medical colleges all over the world.
“It seems my appointment as the head of the psych department is assured,” Liz informed Eden as they unpacked their books in Liz’s new office. “I’ll sign off on your thesis, and you can move on to work on your doctorate.”
“Thank you, Liz. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Liz placed a soft hand on Eden’s. “You know, it’s been over a year since Darke—”
“Please don’t, Liz. I can’t talk about it.”
“You must,” Liz insisted.
“Must what?” Eden snarled. “Talk about how I feel … nothing? How losing Darke has left a huge hole in my soul and my life? Do you want to hear about how I hurt inside all the time? How nothing really matters to me? How I cry myself to sleep each night because she isn’t beside me? How I just go through the motions of pretending to be human, when I really want to rage against the world and the Gods who made it? Is that what you want to hear, Liz?”
Liz staggered backward and fell into a chair. “I … I thought that perhaps you had developed some feelings for me.”
“Feelings?” Eden squinted against the pain that was throbbing behind her eyes. “I feel nothing. I must keep my feelings locked down to survive. Do you have any idea what it was like to be loved by a woman like Darke—to love her? The truth is, I’d rather die than face a life without my wife.”
Liz was speechless. She hadn’t expected the tirade of raw emotion from the usually poised woman. She tried to gather her thoughts, but there was little left to say.
“I’m sorry, Eden. So sorry.”
Chapter 46
“Are you ready for our big show?” Liz asked as she turned her back to Eden. “Zip me, please.”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Eden said. “I don’t like doing these appearances. I’d much rather lecture young minds seeking new truths.”
“I’m afraid our public demands that we show up in the flesh occasionally,” Liz said. “I do try to keep these engagements to a minimum. I know how you dislike them.”
Eden leaned down and kissed Liz on the forehead. “Thank you.”
“After five years one would think they would be tired of dredging up Wink’s story,” Liz commented.
“Has it really been five years?” Eden said, a pensive look on her face. “I guess it has. You know, you haven’t aged a day.”
“Neither have you, dear.” Liz grinned. “You’re even more beautiful than the first day I met you, and I’m so proud of you. You’ve completed your doctorate and made a name for yourself in the academic world.”
Eden offered Liz just a hint of a smile as she opened the door. “They’re calling us.”
##
The TV show’s host introduced Dr. Elizabeth Crain and Dr. Eden Knight. “You two have traveled all over the world debunking werewolf stories,” the interviewer began. “You’ve treated many people with mental conditions that made them think they were able to transform into animals. Your success rate is phenomenal. To what do you owe your success?”
“We have been fortunate to work with some severe cases and have learned from them,” Liz said, nodding to Eden.
Eden’s smile lit up the homes of TV viewers around the world. “We begin with one basic truth: there is no such thing as a werewolf.”
A groan of disappointment went up from the studio audience. Eden’s laughter floated over the airways.
“Let’s take a quick survey,” she said to the audience. “How many of you have actually seen a werewolf? Raise your hands.”
No hands went up.
“That’s what I thought,” she said, beaming.
The interviewer wrapped things up with the question everyone had been waiting to hear. “Dr. Crain, I understand you’re getting married.”
Liz beamed at Eden. “Yes, next Friday night. We’ll vacation in Italy and then return to our respective jobs.”
“We wish you all the best life has to offer.” The host smiled at the camera as they faded to a commercial.
“Wow!” he said as he unclipped his mic from his lapel. “Our ratings were off the charts tonight. Thank you so much for coming on my show. And again, Dr. Crain, I hope you and Dr. Brandt will have a happy life together.”
“Thank you,” Liz replied. “I’m sure we will.”
##
Eden stood at the window, looking across the lawn toward the tree line. God, I’d give my soul to see her and Caz running across that lawn , she thought. She closed her eyes, and Darke’s face loomed before her. Everyone had told her time would ease the pain. Everyone was wrong. It had only gotten worse. Misery was the one constant in her life
She walked to her desk and picked up the important-looking manila envelope from the Medical University of Varna in Bulgaria. She turned it over and examined the back.
After minutes of hesitation, she slid her letter opener along the flap and removed the contract that would make her the psych professor at the university for one year.
She signed the contract, placed it in the return envelope the university had provided, and tossed it onto the corner of her desk. She was looking forward to meeting the guest lecturers the university had arranged, especially Raven Vankov. She didn’t know if Vankov was the same Raven who’d been Darke’s friend, but she hoped she was. Maybe Raven could answer some of the questions that still haunted her.
##
Bulgaria’s climate was moderate. Varna was located on the Black Sea, so the winters weren’t extremely cold. Eden pulled her coat around her neck as she walked to the car that had been sent for her. She admired the architecture as they drove through the city to the university.
“You will be in the professors’ suites,” her driver informed her as he carried her luggage into the building. A stout woman directed them to the room that was to be Eden’s home for the next nine months.
She thought how wonderful the trip would be if Darke were with her. Sharing anything with Darke made it better. If she let it, the memory of Darke wrapping her arms around her and kissing the back of her neck would flood her mind.
Eden showered and laid out her clothes for the next morning. She wanted to arrive in class before the students.
##
Students crowded around the American professor. She was everything their other professors weren’t: blonde, glamorous, gracious, and gorgeous. She laughed at their comments and blushed when she mispronounced one of their names.
The head of the department entered the room and asked the students to take their seats. Eden sat down on the front row, so she could walk to the podium when she was formally introduced to the class.
“I know you all expected to meet Dr. Raven Vankov today, but something has prevented her from being with us. So, our guest lecturer today will be …”
Damn , Eden thought as the class erupted into applause and catcalls for the other professor. She’d dropped her pen and leaned over to retrieve it.
“I’m delighted to return to the university,” a
silky, soft voice purred. “I think all of you know me and have had me as a professor. Before we start, does anyone have any questions?”
Eden stood. “I have just one. Where the hell have you been for the past five years?”
Eyes locked and fires ignited as the two women gazed at each other.
Darke looked down and shuffled the notes she held. “Students, please welcome Professor Eden Knight from the United States. Many of you have seen Dr. Knight on television. I can assure you she’s even more incredible in person.”
Eden steadied herself as she walked to the podium. Her knees were shaking, and she had to fight to keep from vomiting, but somehow she maintained her composure. She welcomed the students and answered their questions.
“I’m going to do something now that will make me your favorite professor,” Eden said, smiling. “Class dismissed.”
Laughter rang out in the lecture hall, and students swarmed the beautiful blonde.
Eden was charming and visited with her students, but she never took her eyes off Darke, who sat in a chair beside the door. Eden ushered the last student out and then closed and locked the door.
“Where the hell have you been? Do you have any idea of the hell I’ve lived in for the past five years?” she screamed at Darke.
“The same one I’ve inhabited, I’m sure,” Darke murmured.
“What? Why? I don’t understand,” Eden sobbed. “How could you leave me? How could you …?”
“Could we take this somewhere away from the university?” Darke asked.
Eden grabbed her book bag and motioned for Darke to lead the way. They walked to a black BMW, and Darke opened the door for her.
“What? No extravagant experimental vehicle to blow my mind?”
“Get in,” Darke instructed.
Eden slid into the passenger seat and leaned her head back. Have I completely lost it? Am I hallucinating? If I don’t disturb it, will this dream continue?
##
The car stopped in front of a quaint chateau. Darke walked around and opened Eden’s door. “Let’s go inside so we can talk without others interrupting us.”