Panic flashed through his eyes as he shook. “It’s never been this bad. I don’t know what?—”
I scrambled out of my chair as his limbs stretched, contorting in a way that looked painful. He cried out when his jaw lengthened and he hunched over. Fur sprouted across his skin in shades of gray.
Thoughts raced through me as I slowly moved to put the desk between us. Time stretched on, but it was likely only minutes before a wolf stood in Eli’s spot. I knew about shifters, of course. Everyone did. But I’d never actually met one. And there was nothing in Eli’s file to suggest he had shifter heritage. Did he have control over his animal? Could I get him to shift back?
“Eli, are you okay?” I kept my voice low and calm, careful not to show the fear that spread through my body. “Can you shift again?”
The wolf spun to face me, growling and stalking toward me. My stomach tightened. I held my hands up to show I meant no harm, though I didn’t know how much he understood in this form. “I won’t hurt you, Eli.”
He snarled, showing his teeth. The lines of his body were rigid with tension. Before he reached the desk, he turned to the side, his jaw snapping around a pillow from the closest chair and tearing it apart. I swallowed, throat dry. I needed help. But from who?
I slipped my cell out of my pocket as I considered my options. I didn’t want to call the police, worried they might view Eli as a threat. He was still just a teenage boy. And paramedics would be no help. Neither would anyone I worked with. I could only think of one option. I did a quick search and found the number of the local vet.
The call was picked up quickly. “Johnson’s Vet Clinic. How may I help you?”
“Um… hi. I don’t know if this is the right place to call. I’m a social worker, and one of my charges just shifted into a wolf. We’re in my office, and I don’t know how to help him turn back.” My voice only wobbled slightly, though even I heard the hysteria hanging off the edges. “Is there someone you could send to help me?”
Silence greeted me. I kept my eyes trained on Eli, who was watching me from the corner of his eye as he continued to destroy my furniture. Just as I wondered if she’d hung up on me, her breathless voice answered. “Oh my. Can you give me the address?”
I told her and listened to her call out to someone on her end. “Is Emily still here? Can you grab her before she leaves? I have a house call for her.” When she returned, her voice was reassuring. “Dr. Miller will help. She knows shifters. I’ll send her right over. Why don’t you stay on the line with me until she gets there? Our clinic isn’t far.”
“Thank you.”
Eli was pacing in circles now. The chairs and pillows were in pieces. He stopped occasionally to scratch at the door. I hopedthat no one in the building opened it. The situation could easily escalate. Shifters made most humans nervous, and I didn’t want him to get hurt.
Time dragged, but probably only ten or fifteen minutes had passed before someone knocked and called out. “Hello. It’s Dr. Miller. I’m going to open the door in a minute. Can you tell me where the wolf is in the room?”
“He’s to the left of the door. About five feet away, near the window.”
A woman with brown hair pulled back in a ponytail slipped inside and raised a dart gun. She quickly found Eli and pulled the trigger before ducking back outside. The wolf swayed and stumbled, growling and slowing with every step before falling to the floor with a hard thud.
I rushed out from behind the desk as Dr. Miller entered the office again. “Will he be okay? He’s only fourteen.”
“He’ll be fine.” She kneeled next to the wolf and checked him over. “Was it his first shift? He’s the right age.”
“Yes. We had no idea he was a shifter.” I cautiously laid my hand on his head. “He was agitated. Pacing and unable to sit still. What do we do now? How do we get him to shift back?”
“My mate’s on his way. We’ll take him out to Shifter Ranch. They’ll be able to help him there.”
“I’m not leaving his side. I’m responsible for him.”
She smiled. “Of course. Do you want to follow us out or ride with me?”
“I don’t have a car.”
“With me it is. I can answer questions you have on the way.”
The door creaked farther open, and a tall, handsome, blond man walked in, his gaze immediately going to Eli. “How long will he be out?”
“Should be long enough to get him home.” Dr. Miller stood, moving aside for the man to scoop up the wolf. “Can you carry him on your own?”
The man shot her a grin and a wink. “Of course, Em. I’ve got lots of muscles. I can show you later, if you need a reminder.”
A smile toyed with the corner of the vet’s mouth. “I’ll look forward to it.” Then her gaze slid to me, her cheeks flushing as if she had just remembered I was here. She cleared her throat. “Do you need anything before we leave?”
I grabbed my purse and followed them outside. The man loaded Eli onto the backseat of a truck, while Dr. Miller led me to an SUV parked next to it. The drive went by in a blur. Emily, as Dr. Miller told me to call her, gave me a brief rundown about shifters. The man driving Eli to the ranch was Austin, who she called her mate. Which she described as a husband, but more.
My mind was still whirling when we pulled into the yard of a large, sage-green farmhouse. A tall, dark-haired man with a scruffy beard was waiting for us. He wasn’t as traditionally good-looking as Austin. He was more rugged, but something about him had my stomach fluttering. It was probably the powerful arms crossed over his muscular chest. Strong arms were a particular weakness of mine.
