“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Casanova.” Polly threw her head back and chuckled, knowing good and well that I did not want a mate. A tiger shifter herself, she’d been with her mate for forty years and made a frequent hobby out of teasing me about how much I enjoyed the uncomplicated life of a bachelor.
“Hardly.”
Parker grinned and winked at me. “We’ll see about that.”
I snarled and peeked into the reception area. There were a few patients waiting. Billy Hill was back. Poor kid. His high-strung mother was convinced there was something wrong with him because of his occasional bedwetting.
Even Billy’s mom was a welcome distraction from Polly and Parker joining forces. I glanced again at the two women and backed away. “Billy? You want to come on back, buddy?”
The kid rose with all the pep and vigor of Eeyore, the children’s character from Winnie-the-Pooh. With head low and eyes on the floor, he lumbered toward me. His mom was wringing her hands, a magazine in the crook of her arm, as she followed Billy. Her giant purse dragged along the ground when she stooped over to hurriedly shove her magazine back in the rack. “Wait on me, Billy.”
Billy wasn’t waiting. He stepped up his pace, clearly trying to get as much distance between him and his mother as possible. Grumbling as he walked past, he made a beeline for the room that Parker and Stella had just vacated without waiting for me to give him instructions.
“Don’t forget to drop off the paperwork to Laila!” Parker called out as she held open the door of the clinic on her way out. “And get that massage. I didn’t want to say anything, but you look a little tense, Doc.”
I turned and hurried after Billy, suddenly realizing I knew exactly how the kid felt.
3
Fern
“Do not drop me off in front of the school, Mom. I mean it.” Kinsley slid down in her seat and groaned. “I do not want to be seen in this ghetto-mobile. Oh my god, I’m going to die of cringe.”
I stepped on the brakes of my minivan a little too firmly, and the car behind me on Main Street tapped their horn. “Watch your mouth. And there’s nothing wrong with this van, Kinsley. There was nothing wrong with it when I used it to drop you off at your last school.”
“Oh my god, Mom! Everyone is going to see me! You’re making a huge scene!”
I stared over at my daughter and drew in a deep breath. “Kinsley, it’s too early in the morning for your attitude. We’re in front of the school, there’s a line of cars behind me, and you need to get out. Please. Just get out of the vehicle.”
“No! No freaking way. Pull around.” Ducking even lower, Kinsley glowered at me. “Are you kidding me? Do you see those Beamers and Escalades? And you’re really dropping me off in the ghetto-mobile? Do you even know how much shit I’m gonna get? This is just great. The entire school gets a front-row ticket to watch my popularity take a nose dive.”
Taken aback by her cruel attack on me and my finances, I stared at her for a second, speechless. Another horn—this one from a Hummer behind us—brought me back to reality. My anger boiled over and I saw red. “Let me tell you something…”
But, what? What was I going to say? I really want to go off on her, tell her how much of a struggle it was for me to keep a roof over our heads and all the bills paid, and do it all by myself. I wanted to point out that although they may not be the top of the line, her clothes and shoes were trendy, and she had her own cellphone. And that I’d had to work extra hours to provide her with those luxuries. I knew better, though. Been there, tried that. No matter how many times I explained, she never understood.
Instead, I shifted hard into park, threw my door open, stomped around to the passenger door of the minivan, jerked that open, and gestured for her to get out. Then, I used words she would understand. Loudly. “Out! Let’s go sugar booger, apple dumplin’, puddin’ pie. I have to get the ghetto-mobile back to the run-down trailer park, but we can discuss this later over an ice-cold glass of get over yourself.”
“Ugh! I hate you!” She jumped out of the minivan and kept her head down as she raced into the school, almost at an all-out run.
“Smooches!” I shouted after her.
The Hummer honked again, and I smiled politely while grinding my teeth so hard, my jaw hurt. I really had to fight to keep myself from flipping them the bird. “I’m going!”
Getting back in my ghetto-mobile, I forced myself to drive carefully and slowly out of the lot, despite wanting to burn rubber. It was never-ending with her. There was always something wrong, something awful, or something embarrassing that I was doing to wreck Kinsley’s life. My anger still sizzled under the surface, but guilt was slowly replacing it. I hated losing my temper with her, but I was only human for Christ’s sake, and she knew how to push every single one of my buttons. I hadn’t even realized I had some of the buttons she found to push.
By the time I drove the short distance to work at Jammie’s Salon, my anger and guilt had me on the verge of tears. The morning had been an overwhelming shit show. Boots, our new puppy, had pooped on the kitchen floor as soon as Kinsley let him out of his crate in the morning. I told her to take him right from the crate to the backyard, but she didn’t listen. Then, and I’m not really sure how, his awkward puppy paws ran straight through the poop and slipped and slid around before he raced through the house making a game of me chasing him. Smeared poo everywhere.
Of course, Kinsley wouldn’t touch the dog poop with a ten-foot pooper scooper. Fresh out of the shower and before my first cup of coffee, I bathed Boots, washed the kitchen floor, scrubbed the poop spots out of the carpet, and ended up having to shower again. As an added bonus, I got to be the target for a mouthy teen’s cutting insults. Plus, I was awarded the grand prize of stress, frustration, and feelings of parental inadequacy—all before eight in the morning. Lucky me. Still never got that first cup of coffee, either.
My neck and shoulders were so tight that I was already picturing the ice pack in the fridge at work draped across them. When I entered the salon, though, Laila and her friend Parker were standing together in the small back corner that served as a breakroom.
I’d met Parker a couple of times and her sweet little baby girl, Stella. She was always friendly, but my current mood was in the dumps, so I wanted to avoid conversation. I wouldn’t be surprised if my own personal storm cloud was hanging over my head following me wherever I went. I just wanted to slip into my room and have a couple of minutes alone to regroup.
No such luck. Laila spotted me. “Hey! We were just talking about you!”
I told my face to smile, but when nothing happened, Laila’s expression turned to one of concern. Seeing her concern, I burst into tears. Fat, ugly tears that I knew were ruining my mascara and leaving streaks in the bronzer I’d brushed over my cheeks to look like I wasn’t a newcomer to the island. I’m sure I looked stupid, but damn if the tears didn’t make me feel better.
“Oh, Fern!” Laila hurried to my side and wrapped her arm around my shoulders while Parker grabbed tissues and lightly dabbed at my face. “What’s going on?”
Parker swallowed so loudly that it was audible in the small kitchenette. “Oh no. I’m going to cry, too. Crap.”
I laughed through my tears and patted her on the arm. “Don’t cry. I’m done. It was just a much-needed momentary stress reliever. ”
Laila raised a brow. “What the hell, Parker? Why are you crying?”
“Since the baby, I can’t help it. It just keeps happening.” She waved a tissue at me. “Ignore me. Tell us what’s wrong. Whose ass do we need to kick?”
“Are you opposed to throttling teenagers?”
Parker shook her head while Laila rolled her eyes and squeezed my shoulder. “Kinsley? She’s a tough one alright. What happened?”
“Apparently, my minivan is a complete embarrassment, and I’m a woefully inadequate joke.” I sniffled and took a tissue to blow my nose. “And our puppy pooped all over the kitchen floor this morning because she let him out of hi
s crate and didn’t take him right outside. No one ever warned me that my sweet little angel would grow into a vicious monster.”
“I don’t want to picture Stella as a moody teenager. I like my little cherub so much right now.” Parker cried harder and leaned against the kitchen counter. “Oh god. She’s going to grow up too fast and she’s going to go through the bratty stage and think her parents are old, stupid, and out of touch, isn’t she?”
Laila held up her hands and groaned. “Both of you, knock it off. Stella is perfect, and Kinsley’s going through a phase. We all went through it. It won’t last forever.”
I huffed. “I don’t know about that. She hates me. It’s not just me. She hates everything.”
“How old is she?” Parker’s eyes had dried and she leaned in.
“Fifteen.”
“Fifteen! No way. What, were you five when you had her?” She leaned in closer and stared at the skin around my eyes looking for wrinkles.
“I was fifteen.”
Laila slapped her friend’s arm and winced. “Sorry. Parker didn’t mean to be so nosy.”
I waved them off. “No, it’s fine. It happened. It’s a part of me. No big deal.”
“Is she…” Parker wrinkled her nose and looked up, like she was trying to spot the words in the air.
Laila nodded, reading her mind. “She’s a shifter. Wolf.”
“But, you’re not.”
I shook my head. “Nope.”
“You should take her to see Dr. Daniels. He’s a pediatrician. He sees shifter kids on the island up until age eighteen, sometimes longer. I just took Stella to his office yesterday.”
I made a face. “I don’t think she’s ill. Just a moody, sullen smart-ass. She’s on birth control, for obvious reasons, so she’ll have to see him eventually, but I think she’s okay right now.”
“He could talk to you about the hormone changes she’s going through right now. It might help. Plus, he’s hot and single.”
“You better hope Maxim doesn’t hear you say that.”
Parker stared at me with an interested look on her face. “Maxim is super hot. And taken. I also gave Dr. Daniels one of those coupons for a free massage, the ones that you were giving out when you first started working here. I still had mine, so I used it as an incentive to get him to fill out the paperwork for Cybermates. I told him he could drop it off here, but if he doesn’t, he’s getting another visit from me.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. With Kinsley, everything’s a struggle. Dragging her to the doctor, well, I don’t know if I’m ready for that fight yet.” I sighed. “You really think it’ll help?”
“Yes, I do. You won’t regret it. A fifteen-year-old shifter has more hormones raging through her body than a fifteen-year-old human. It’s not just her human side that’s undergoing an incredible transformation. There’s an animal in there, too, that’s changing and growing. All those hormones can make a person crazy—especially a female. We get hit harder, for some reason. Doesn’t seem fair. Half of her fury is probably just hormones right now. Dr. Daniels could talk you through what to do.”
“I’ll give it a try. Although, I don’t see how he can help…unless his answer is duct taping her mouth.”
4
Harrison
“Sara’s throat looks great. How’s she been with the recovery?” I sat on my stool across from little Sara Brooks and her mother, Jeanie.
“Wonderful. You did such a great job, Dr. Daniels.” Jeanie Douglas ran her hand up and down my arm affectionately as she spoke. Was the woman actually batting her lashes?
I shifted slightly away from her and forced a smile. “All I did was recommend she have her tonsils removed. Dr. Dean did all the hard work.”
“I got to eat ice cream all week long.” Sara wiggled on the exam table and stared at the basket of toys in the corner of the room.
“That sounds like—” Muffled shouts drifted in from somewhere on the other side of the closed exam room door. Something was going on in the clinic. I glanced back at the door and frowned. It was solid wood. My shifter hearing was good, but someone was really shouting up a storm out there. “Excuse me.”
I left Jeanie and Sara in the exam room and slipped away to find the source of the ruckus. I found it. A girl, midteens, red-faced, arms waving, was hollering hysterically at a woman whose back was to me. I sniffed the air. The girl was a shifter. A wolf. And the woman…
“I’m not a child! I can’t believe you brought me here! You tricked me! You’re such a liar!”
Polly stood by the pair, trying to de-escalate the situation. “Honey, calm down. Your mother is concerned about you, is all. You shouldn’t speak to her that way.”
“Mind your own business, old lady!”
“Kinsley! Watch your mouth! There are children here and you’re setting a bad example.” The woman, whom I assumed was the mom, ran her hands through her hair and sighed. “Can we please just sit and discuss this quietly?”
“I’m leaving! You can’t make me stay here.”
I growled low in my throat, making my presence known. “Both of you, sit down!” The bellowing command that emerged from my chest was more of a growly roar, not quite human.
The woman jumped and spun around to face me, her eyes wide. The startled sound she made as her hand flew to her chest made me instantly regret scaring her.
“Thank god, Doctor. Kinsley here thinks she’s too old for a pediatrician. Want to enlighten her?” Polly walked away, her hands thrown in the air in frustration.
The girl, Polly, and everything around me faded away as I focused on the mom. The sweet scent of wild honey filled my nostrils, and my entire body buzzed like I was touching an electric fence. Mate.
My bear urged me to grab her, take her, toss her over my shoulder, and claim her. Fortunately, although my body leaned toward her, I managed to override the animal instinct and keep my feet firmly planted where they were.
I had to force my eyes away from the—human?—woman in front of me to stare down at the angry little wolf shifter. She was still standing, scowling at me with her arms crossed angrily over her chest. Worse, she was snarling at her mother with every other glance. “Sit down and be quiet.”
“You can’t talk to me like that!” Rage filled her young eyes—eyes, I noticed, that were a shade darker than her mother’s lovely emerald ones. “Mom, tell him he can’t talk to me like that.”
Her mom blinked and turned to her daughter before stealing another glance back at me. “He most certainly can. This is his clinic and you’re out-of-control behavior warrants it, Kinsley.”
Clearly irate and indignant, I witnessed her wolf flash into her eyes again and again. She seemed to be struggling with her animal. Kinsley glared but sat heavily in one of the waiting room chairs. “What. Ever.”
Her mom released a tired breath and also sat—three chairs down from the angry teen. The woman’s cheeks were bright red and, as I watched, the color spread down her neck and across her chest. When it disappeared into the modest neckline of her shirt, I found myself leaning forward, wanting to see how far that blush went.
“Sorry, everyone.” She looked tired and defeated.
“Don’t apologize for me. I didn’t do anything wrong. You’re the one who dragged me to a stupid little kid doctor. This is humiliating.”
I growled at the teen, louder than I meant to. When she froze, I forced myself to step back and regain my composure. “No more fighting in my reception area. I’ll be with you both soon. And you, young lady, don’t move from that chair until I return. Got it?”
The girl shot me the stink-eye, but I was pretty sure I’d sufficiently intimidated her. I left them there, the daughter still fuming and the mother near tears. Instead of going back into the exam room with Sara and Jeanie, I stepped into my office and closed the door. Turning, I braced my arms against the solid-wood door, taking a moment to compose myself and suck in a much-needed lungful of air.
“Dr. Daniels?” Polly tapped
her knuckles on the door. “Sara Douglas is still waiting in exam room two to finish up with you, and then you’ve got three other appointments ahead of Kinsley Day. This is not a good time for a break.”
I shoved my hands through my hair and tugged at it. “Polly, I need a minute.”
I needed more than a minute. I’d just been hit with the equivalent of a sledgehammer to the chest. That woman… That human… I sucked in another breath and forced myself to blow it out slowly. She was mine. She was the one—my mate.
“Sonofabitch.”
“Excuse me?” Polly was right next to the door, eavesdropping.
“Never mind, Polly. Go away.”
“Don’t play Dr. Grumpy with me, mister.”
I swore again and straightened. My mate had just walked into my office with her angry little wolf-child. My mate. How she’d found my clinic, I didn’t know. The whole thing was scarcely believable.
“You’re getting my clinic backed up.”
I was going to strangle Polly. I jerked open the door and frowned at her. “Woman, I am having a personal crisis right now. Do you mind?”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, I mind. I’d like to get home at a decent hour tonight, so I suggest you get over your, ahem, personal crisis, ASAP and resume doctoring. Your scheduled appointments await.”
I didn’t like the way she said personal crisis, as though it was something trite and trivial. Growling loudly enough to rattle the walls, I stomped back into exam room two with Sara and Jeanie Douglas, slamming the door harder than I’d meant to. When Sara jumped, I winced, instantly remorseful.
“I apologize.” My mate is in the waiting room, and my destiny beckons. I bent the metal of my stethoscope. “Sorry. Um, where were we?”
Jeanie’s flirty looks recommenced. When she reached out to touch my arm, I moved, deftly avoiding her reach. “I think we’re all set here. Sara looks great. She’s healing nicely.”
Charmed Mate (Cybermates Series Book 2) Page 2