“Aw, you poor thing. No wonder you were whooping it up.” Margie threw the trap off to the side once she’d disengaged the metal from the flesh and bone it’d wreaked havoc on. As gently as she could, she started the task of cleaning up the blood and gore. She needed to see the actual wound before deciding on the method of bandaging needed.
“Margie. Connor?”
Skip’s voice was a welcome sound. Margie shouted back, giving the rest of the rescue team a way to find them. While she continued to play Marco Polo through the trees with Skip and Ian, she worked on the wolf’s leg. The trap hadn’t broken the bone—or at least hadn’t broken it in half. She’d have to do an X-ray to rule out a small fracture, but the lack of free movement in the leg was a welcome thing.
The trauma to the tissues was a completely different story. It looked as if the wolf had attempted to open the trap, or had been at a dead run when he’d stepped in the contraption. Skin, muscle and connective tissues were destroyed. She’d need to get him back to her office and get some stitches in him before he started to heal wrong.
“How is he?” Skip asked as he topped the small hill. The Alpha didn’t look winded at all, but she was fairly sure he’d run the full way.
“Right now I don’t know. The bone isn’t broken, or at least I don’t think so. He’s torn nearly everything in his foreleg from struggling or trying to open the trap in animal form. I need to get him stitched up ASAP.”
She hadn’t really turned her attention from the mess of a leg, but the silence pulled her from her observations. Ian, Skip and Cammie stood staring down at Connor, who’d slumped over and was snoring quietly. Oops. She’d forgotten about her cohort.
“Why is Connor sleeping?”
At least it was Ian who asked the question and not Skip. Margie tried to shrug it off. “I had to tranq him.”
Three sets of eyes widened and stared with a mix of amusement, confusion and irritation. “What? He wouldn’t back off the wolf and I needed them both to calm down. And…well, he looked tired. I didn’t give him too much. He’s sleeping on his own. He’ll be waking up soon with a slight headache and a fresh nap under his belt.”
Cammie shook her head. “Oh, man. He’s going to be so pissed at you.”
Margie could only shrug again. Nothing she could do about it now. “We need to get them both off this hillside. The wolf needs to go to my office. Connor should probably be taken back to Skip’s to get his truck.”
Her plan seemed logical. Get Connor to his truck, miles from her and her office. Give him time to cool off once he woke up and maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t come visiting with a loaded pistol and an attitude. She hoped. Glancing at the sleeping man had her second-guessing her actions. But the moment her eyes landed on the mangled wolf, she knew she’d done exactly what she’d needed to do. Even if Connor couldn’t see it.
Chapter Four
Fuck. Connor’s head was full of tap-dancing elephants. Was he hung over? He couldn’t remember drinking…or anything else while his brain throbbed in time with his heart. Fucking headache.
“Hmm. See you’re waking up finally. Geez, C. When was the last time you slept?”
That voice. There was a reason he didn’t want to talk to Zeke. Dragging a deep breath through his nose told Connor many things. Firstly, he hadn’t had any liquor. Secondly, he wasn’t at home, and from the smell he was hanging out at his Alpha’s house in one of the guest rooms.
“What happened?” Even in a whisper his voice sent shards through his brain.
“Slow, buddy. Margie said you’d have a headache, but I remember what that shit does to ya. You’ll feel better after a soda.”
Margie. A memory niggled at the edge of his mind but his head hurt too much to concentrate on it. A cold can ended up in his hand at the same time Zeke wrapped a strong arm around his shoulders and hoisted him up until he was sitting on his own. Connor moaned and didn’t even care if his friend saw him being a wimp. His head fucking hurt.
“Drink. I’m telling you, it’ll help clear the tranqs.”
Listening to the other man had Connor chugging the cold, fizzy cola. The moment it hit his stomach, a small shred of clarity came to him. “Tranqs? Margie shot me.”
“Yep. She did.”
Connor looked up and had to hand it to his friend. Other than a silly grin, Zeke was keeping his mirth under wraps. Margie tranquilized me. Me. The coyote he shared his body with growled, but the sound vibrated too much inside. A pitiful whine escaped his lips. “Fuck.”
Zeke chuckled and clapped him lightly on the shoulder. “Yeah. She needs to find something else to use when she needs to knock one of us out. That shit is nasty.”
Connor nodded. He couldn’t get past Margie’s actions. She’d shot him. His memory was still fuzzy but he couldn’t remember deserving it. Had he threatened her? Hurt her? His skin iced over with the possibilities.
“What did I do to her?” he whispered. He didn’t want to look at Zeke but he needed to see the man’s face.
The amusement slid quickly from his friend’s face before he answered Connor’s question. “Nothing, man. You didn’t even shift. She said you and the wolf were growling and weren’t listening to her, so she shot you both. I’d say it was harsh, but we’re talking about Margie. Nothing surprises me with that broad.”
What surprised Connor the most was his lack of anger. The woman had shot him, given him a horrible, brain-melting headache, and he sat there just bemused by the whole thing. Did that say something about what he’d come to expect from her, or that she could do anything to him and he’d accept it?
With a mental shrug he figured it was a bit of both. He’d have enough time to get worked up over her heavy-handedness with the tranquilizers, but at the moment he needed to take a piss and find another soda. Zeke was a smart guy. Connor felt better, clearer since drinking the first cola.
“I need another drink, and then can someone give me an update on the wolf?”
“Sure. Come on, I’ll help you get downstairs. Skip is someplace around here.”
Zeke manhandled him again but Connor couldn’t care enough to protest. His brain was less addled but he felt weak and slow. Damn chemicals. He dragged in a few deep breaths and noticed that Ian and Cammie’s scents were still strong, which meant they’d probably stuck around. A question struck him as they maneuvered into the hallway.
“How long have I been out?”
Zeke snorted. “She knocked your ass out about five hours ago. She said you’d be coming around about the time we got back here, but between the snoring and grumbling at us when we nudged you, we all guessed you needed the sleep.”
Five hours? Damn, maybe he’d really needed the rest. But did she really need to shoot him? Another thought struck him and he halted them at the top of the stairs. “How the hell did I get out of the woods?”
“I carried your heavy ass all the way to Billy’s house.”
Skip’s rough voice echoed up the stairwell and had both males cringing. Zeke bumped Connor’s shoulder in a show of support before bouncing down the stairs. When Connor made it to the bottom step, he came face to face with his Alpha. Tilting his head and showing respect gave him a second to scent the room.
“Thank you for carrying me. How was the wolf? Do you have him in one of the rooms here?” Connor wouldn’t admit to the real reason for the question, but his smirking Alpha knew.
“She’s not here. The wolf and Margie are at her office. She needed to stitch him up and do a few X-rays to verify that nothing is broken.”
“Alone? With an unknown wolf? Are you insane?”
“Watch who you’re talking to, C. I understand the pull and the connection you have with her, but that doesn’t give you the right to disrespect me.”
Connor relaxed his clenched fists, uncurling his fingers. Right. “Sorry, Skip.”
“Aw, pup, I know you’re fighting your attraction to Margie. I would never put her in danger. I left a few of the boys at her office with her while sh
e treats the wolf. I wanted to wait until you were awake so we can take a ride over there and see if the newbie can shift and tell me what he’s doing in our area.”
He nodded his thanks to his friend and leader. “Did you find any other traps? I’d like to take a few of the trackers up there and sniff around. If we’ve got poachers in the woods again, everyone needs to be on the lookout.”
“We didn’t smell anything, but then again we had a bleeding wolf and you to bring down the mountain. I was already planning a few scouting runs to make sure this was a freak accident and not a deliberate trap set up there. We’ll deal with it tomorrow.”
Connor nodded as he followed his Alpha out of the front door. Once again he became the passenger in someone else’s car when Skip waved toward the other door. Shit. Connor didn’t grumble, too much, and climbed into the car. At least he didn’t have to try to drive with the fuzziness still clouding his brain. But sitting in the small four-door sedan made him feel like a giant. It did help to spawn some level of irritation, though, which he fully intended to aim at the bane of his existence. Margie wasn’t going to get away with shooting him, nope. He’d fake anger if he had to, just to get his point across.
*****
“Thanks for calling and warning me, Cam. I owe you.”
Margie pressed the button on her cell at the same moment she heard the car approaching her office. Butterflies had taken up permanent residence in her stomach. She’d been waiting for hours for the call she’d just received. Cammie had promised to call the moment Connor was up and around. The man had obviously needed a nap. She knew she hadn’t overdosed him, which meant his body had needed the deep sleep she’d triggered.
She chewed on her lip. Would he be angry? Of course he’s going to be angry. She shouldn’t be allowed around normal people or shifters. Ever. Habits die hard, and when those tended to be reactions to stressors that were counter-intuitive to the general public, she ended up pissing everyone off.
With a sigh, she waited. Glancing over her shoulder at the still sleeping wolf, she noted his even breathing and the clean bandage around his leg. At least she’d had time to patch the poor guy up before Connor arrived to do…whatever it was he was going to do.
It’d taken much longer than she’d expected to get the shifter fixed up. His wounds were deep and the wolf had been really dehydrated. She’d started an IV with glucose and pain medicine to help take care of his deplorable state. Which led her to a new puzzle. What was a shifter doing running around their town in obvious distress?
Before her mind could play over the million ideas she’d thought up while stitching the wolf’s leg, she heard a car door slam outside. She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and prepared to be chastised for what she’d done to Connor.
Show no fear.
Her father’s words and voice bolstered her mind. She could handle Connor’s anger. Even Skip’s if she had to. There had been legitimate reasons for tranquilizing the coyote, and she’d be sticking to those reasons.
A quick knock preceded Skip. He stepped into the front part of her veterinarian office. The man was huge and his energy seemed to invade the air. Margie stood her ground and nodded stiffly at the local Alpha. The grin he sent her way was definitely not what she’d expected.
“Hey, Margie. How’s he doing?” Skip asked while peeking over her head at the wolf in the corner.
“Um. He’s…he’s doing good. I have him sedated still, but he’s all sewn up. I wouldn’t suggest any shifting for a day or so, though. Just in case that pulls the stitches.” While she answered Skip’s question, her eyes were trained on Connor as he stepped through the door and quietly leaned against the doorframe.
“Good. I’d like to take him to my house, if that’s okay. We can better watch him there. I’m not sure where he’s from, but there’s a story behind his appearance, I’m sure.”
“Yeah. Okay.” Margie was experiencing one of those times you see in movies when everything around the heroine fades out and becomes quiet as she stares at the hero. Connor had snagged her gaze with his, melting the world away. Time stopped. Nothing existed beyond his gray eyes, filled with amusement instead of the anger she’d expected.
“Margie?”
A light touch to her shoulder caused her to jump. “What?”
Skip laughed, a deep, happy sound. “You were gone for a few moments. I called your name a bunch but you were all googly eyes with our Connor.”
The flush of heat up her neck had her hiding her face and groaning. “So embarrassing.”
The sound of footsteps across the floor was followed by a slight tug as she was pulled into the best hug she’d had in years. What topped the warmth and strength of the arms around her was the crooning voice that whispered across her hair. “Don’t listen to Skip. He’s an ass.”
She snorted, pushed down the urge to beat Connor’s chest with a fist and instead snuggled like a puppy into his arms. She might have sighed or sniffed his shirt, but she wouldn’t admit to either if asked.
“Okay, love birds. Let’s get a plan in place for this wolf.” Skip’s words seemed to break the spell Connor was under. He stiffened under her cheek and slowly withdrew from her. The coolness of the air against her still-heated face was like a bucket of cold water. What the hell are you doing? Too bad her inner monologue couldn’t answer that question. Focus on the task, not the man. Right. Okay.
Clearing her throat, she answered Skip’s initial questions. “You can take him to your house, but he needs to be monitored. He’s really dehydrated and I’m guessing hasn’t been eating well either. The fluids I’m pumping into him will take care of the dehydration, but he’ll need to be fed small meals every couple of hours until I’m sure he’s eating okay. And no shifting for two days.”
Skip nodded throughout her instructions. “Fine. He’ll be unable to shift for a day anyway, with the injury and drugs. Amie or Libby can help take care of him. Can I move him with the tubes in him? Or should we stick around for a little bit?”
Glancing again at the black-furred animal, she did some quick calculations. “He’s going to be out for at least another hour. I’d like to be around him until he’s fully shaken the sedative, in case there’s some reaction. Either here or at your place is fine.”
Skip clapped his big hands together. “Good. Let’s get him to the barn and settled. You’re more than welcome to stick around and eat dinner with us if you’d like.”
Before Margie could respond, the big man stooped and carefully lifted the heavy animal, cradling it against his chest. He nodded toward the IV pole and she took the hint. Quickly unhooking the bags from the metal had her turning a few times, searching her vicinity for...
“What do you need?”
Connor’s voice made her jump. Damn man and his ability to shake me. “Can you hold these above him while we walk? I want to grab a coat hanger to use in the back of my truck to hold them up.”
Silently her coyote took the bags of saline from her hands and did as instructed, holding them above the wolf’s body.
She rushed into the back room and grabbed a roll of duct tape and a couple of hangers before motioning to the men to head outside. “Lay him in the back of my truck. There’s a blanket already in there.”
Watching the two men carefully place the wolf into the back of her truck had tears burning in her eyes. Skip could have easily hurt or killed the shifter for trespassing, but instead he was murmuring quietly to the animal and giving instructions to Connor about helping to position limbs and blanket layers to keep the injured creature as comfortable as possible. They worked together well, showing the friendship and well-oiled machinery that was their pack. Connor listened and obeyed without a blink, moving, tugging, cradling until they had the sleeping wolf exactly how Skip wanted him.
“Here.” She held out the hanger and tape. “Thread the top of the hanger through the saline bottles’ handles and then use the tape to secure them. The hanger can be taped to that hook.” She pointed to the
custom hook she’d had installed, which had a locking mechanism on it. The hanger could be placed on the hook and wouldn’t bounce loose no matter what potholes she hit.
Connor efficiently followed her directions, and within a few minutes she was in her truck, inching slowly and cautiously toward Skip’s farm. Every pothole, bump, swerve had her wincing. At least she’d kept the wolf sedated. He should be completely settled into whatever Skip deemed appropriate housing for a strange shifter in his area long before he woke.
The drive gave her some much-needed time to decipher the hug, looks and softly spoken words from Connor. It was like a dream. The memories were there, but her brain refused to believe they was real. How could her grumpy coyote take being shot and tranquilized without a single outburst? And it wasn’t even as if he’d been clenching his jaw on some obnoxious retort. If Skip had ordered him not to make a scene there would have been tension, scowling, something to give away the irritation he should have felt. She was more freaked out over the lack of anger than she would have been had he yelled at her.
“What the hell is going on?” Her whispered question met silence in her truck. She shrugged. Hell if I know. She snorted at her own confusion. “Damn man has my brain all twisted up.”
Chapter Five
“Holy shit.”
Connor turned to his Alpha and quirked a brow in question.
“You’re smiling, dude. You never smile.” Skip’s comment made him conscious of the full teeth-are-gleaming grin on his lips.
“Yeah. So? I smile all the time.”
Skip shook his head and chuckled. “Nope. You smirk or snicker but you don’t smile. Last time I saw that was…well, years ago maybe. I thought maybe you’d forgotten how.”
“Fuck you.” He threw the comment at Skip with a mock growl.
His friend laughed and smacked his arm. “You’re not my type, buddy, but thanks for the offer.”
Tempering Steel Page 4