"Apparently there was a caution sign on the sidewalk. Watch for ice."
My cheeks flushed hotly.
"No, I didn't," I mumbled, wishing a meteor would strike me. "I was, um, distracted."
Dr. Daemen chuckled. "No worries. It happens to us all."
I got the feeling the sexy doctor had never slipped and fallen on his ass in his life, but I appreciated the sentiment.
"Nah, I'm just clumsy," I said.
The doctor flipped through paperwork on a clipboard. "We ran some tests and found alcohol in your system, but not enough to warrant any major motor impairment or your ability to read." He put the clipboard down and met my gaze. "So, yes. A little clumsy."
Great. Now the sexy doctor knew I was a bungling oaf.
Dr. Daemen looked amused, but I couldn't tell if he was laughing at me or with me. Probably the former.
"Then again, black ice is quite dangerous," Dr. Daemen went on. "There's no way you would've noticed it unless you were paying close attention. And you mentioned you were distracted. Don't beat yourself up over it."
"I'll try not to."
Lies and fallacies were coming out of my mouth. I 100% intended on mentally kicking myself over this for the rest of the night. Though I guessonegood thing did come out of slipping and falling on my ass in front of a crowd, and that was the fact that I got to meet sexy Dr. Daemen.
Not that it meant anything. He was just a momentary pleasant blip in the embarrassment that was my life.
"Why don't you try and get some rest?" Dr. Daemen suggested. "You're not in bad shape so I feel comfortable discharging you later tonight, but I'd like you to gain some strength first."
I nodded then remembered that was a bad idea, on account of hitting it against the concrete and all. "Sure."
He smiled that blindingly white smile. "Excellent. I'll be back before you know it."
When he left, the nurse who had been standing in the corner of the room shot him a puzzled look. She looked back and forth between me and the doctor, then followed him out.
I sighed and sank back into the hospital bed. I wasn't really tired before, but after Dr. Daemen's suggestion, Ididfeel a little sleepy. It was like he knew me better than I did. I closed my eyes and took his advice, slowly dozing off surrounded by the white noise hum of the hospital room.
Daemen
One Hour Earlier...
It was a slow evening.My paperwork was up to date, all my patients were attended to and I had nothing to do except flip through anOmegas Illustratedmagazine in my office.
Was it a bit unprofessional to be looking at mostly naked omegas at work during my break? Maybe. But hey, I was a demon, after all. I couldn't be expected to act morally correctallthe time.
It wasn't like any of the photos actually did anything for me. My eyes glazed over as I swiped through page after page of practically identical model omegas. Ripped and oiled and shiny, all sporting six packs.
So not my type.
I liked an omega with some heft. A man who wasn't quite picture perfect, according to this society's view. One with a soft belly and a fuzzy coating of hair. I liked them older, too. Not enough to be grey, but not ones who were barely old enough to drink either.
The cherry on top would be finding my fated mate. But it hadn't happened yet on my years on this planet, and I was getting impatient. I tried to forget about it. Block it out of my mind. Focus on work.
Even though I was a demon, I liked helping humans. Sue me. They're cute and fragile, like hamsters or something. I enjoyed using my demonic powers to heal them instead of hurt them.
Not all of my patients were humans, though. My hospital had earned a hush-hush reputation for catering to shifters as well. Hell, I'd helped the pregnant mate of a manticore give birth this past year. That was satisfying. It was the stuff that truly brought a tear to my eye.
I wasn't a shifter, not in the traditional sense thatactualshifters used the term. I technically did shift, but not into an animal or a mythical creature. Just my true demon form.
Unfortunately, since my patients would probably shit their pants if their doctor sprouted spiralling horns, leathery wings and a devilish tail, I kept them hidden.
