Slate stared at Colton, then, turning to Juan said, “You’re right. We need Colton. How did we miss the obvious? He’s a genius. Do you realize what this will mean for the more remote packs?”
Colton blushed, ducking his head. He didn’t expect this reaction. A genius? Not at all—these ideas came from observations and thoughts about what would help a situation. He knew from listening to Logan how good design could have a positive effect on a person and it followed if a hospital room was calm, soothing and home-like, the patient would feel better and heal faster.
“Colton,” said Slate, “I want to implement your ideas for the hospital. Please figure out what’s needed in each patient’s room and include the waiting areas also. As soon as I have the list, I can expedite the orders. I would like this done before the official opening if we can.”
“Great!” agreed Dr. Luna. “In the meantime, I’m going to figure out what kind of training program would work. Having at least one medical professional in each pack would be excellent.” A buzzing sound caused Dr. Luna to fish his phone from his pocket and scan a message. “Slate, Colton, please excuse me. I have an emergency. Maybe I can meet you later at the site and see what has been done, sí?”
“We’ll get back to work,” Slate said, walking the doctor to the door. Locking it after he left, Slate turned and saw Colton had cleared the table and was in the kitchen putting everything away. Slate studied Colton, as he worked quietly and without fuss.What an extraordinaryfind! Wait until Steel hears about his ideas. He wanted to know more about what Colton wanted and, if he was really committed to joining Frontline Doctors, Slate would definitely offer him a job. Whether Steel would agree was another matter.
Colton finished cleaning the kitchen and then turned to see Slate gazing at him intently.What’s up with that? Nope, don’t want to open that door right now…got to focus on the job at hand. “Thanks for the great meal. I definitely need that recipe for Dakota. The guys are going to love it,” Colton said before pausing, puzzled at the look on Slate’s face. “Are you ready to head back to the hospital?”
“Yup, maybe you can tell me what I need to do so you can start on your list of items to be ordered.”
“Sure, that’ll work.”
After setting the security alarm and locking the door, Colton and Slate walked down the street toward the new hospital. Deeply engaged in discussion, neither saw the man slouched in the shadow of a building, watching them.
Chapter 9
Dr. Ian Wallace was fifteen minutes away from Jackson and Steel’s compound, flying over the northern California landscape—a radical change of view from where he’d spent the last six months. There, in the rugged mountains of Tajikistan, he was isolated and alone with only his hand for company, just the way he liked it. He was a loner, maybe because of his personality or maybe because he and his family were the last Scottish Wolves on earth. His people had been hunted in Scotland until the last known one was killed in 1888. But his parents foresaw the danger and left Scotland with him, moving to the Scandinavian Mountains where they hid.
There, he met Oracle and it was a day that changed his world. All through his youth he dreamed of becoming a doctor but feared it would be a futile quest; his parents were poor and barely eked out a living. When he heard an Oracle was coming to visit a small hamlet closest to where he lived, Ian decided to seek her out. His goal was to discover what the Fates had in store for him. Afraid it might be the end of his dream, he almost changed his mind. But in the end, he was too desperate not to go and so he went.
It still shocked him to think how fast Oracle had worked. Ian was sent to the university and his parents were moved to a shifter town and given jobs at Dire Enterprises. His parents safe and comfortable, he no longer needed to help out and he could focus on his studies. And study hard he did, completing four years of college in three. Breezing through medical school, he completed his internship and residency quickly before joining Frontline Doctors, which he never left.
Ian loved working with the most desperate and isolated shifters. Before he joined Frontline Doctors, he wasunaware of how many wolf shifters there were in the world. His family’s experience in Scotland led him to believe there were very few. But Frontline Doctors opened up his eyes. He committed his life to saving as many as he could. Sometimes he felt impotent—that what he was doing was only a drop in the bucket fighting threats shifters faced.
So many species were gone or nearly so—like the Scottish Wolf shifter of which his family was the last. At times, when he reflected on that, feelings of great sadness overwhelmed him and the urge to prevent total extinction surged from his wolf, determined to have him mate. But Ian would firmly push his wolf back because, at the end of the day, his love of medicine overruled everything. As a child, Ian learned his wolf could be troublesome so as the years passed, they reached détente—Ian took care of his wolf with plenty of runs and good food and his wolf accepted that Ian would never mate. The agreement didn’t make either of them happy, but it was the best compromise for both, given Ian’s Scottish stubbornness.
Through the years, his wolf’s desire for a mate slowly faded until Ian heard it no more. He was sure his wolf had long ago given up that goal, well, until his wolf had heard Colton’s voice. Now, it seemed all bets were off. His wolf’s reaction startled him, leaving Ian disturbed when his wolf wouldn’t settle down after that first call. And then, when he considered calling Oracle and begging off the assignment, his wolf went positively crazy, pacing and snarling until Ian assured him he didn’t mean it.Shit! Now they were landing and soon he and his wolf would be coming face to face with Colton.
After the blades stopped rotating, Ian unbuckled and took off his head set. He looked out the window and saw Oracle standing next to two men, one of which was huge and had his arms wrapped around the other who waspregnant.Mmm, that must be Steel, Oracle’s son and his mate Jackson. Strange that he never met either of Oracle’s two sons, but then, he was always in school or working in faraway places. After joining Frontline Doctors, he rarely saw Oracle. When she called and told him about her son’s mate, he couldn’t refuse—first, because of what she’d done to makehisdream come true and then because he was fascinated about Jackson being an Alpha/Omega hybrid. Rare didn’t even begin to cover it. There wasn’t a chance in hell he’d refuse. And he knew she knew it.
Robert, the helicopter pilot, opened the cabin door, taking his bags for him. Stepping out, he gasped when he saw the huge, gorgeous, timber and glass house nestled on the side of the mountain.Holy shit! Ian felt like Alice, falling down the rabbit hole. Less than twenty-four hours ago, he was living in a stark Quonset hut, lacking creature comforts and any feeling of home. He never complained though it was a favorite pastime game for the medical staff. But now, ‘luxurious’. didn’t even fit this house, and he couldn’t find a better word to describe it.
Ian narrowed his eyes, looking for Colton but didn’t see him. Actually, the welcoming committee seemed to lack a few members of the Blackwood Pack—like where were Jackson’s brothers? He knew about the massacre of the Fox River Pack and the danger facing those who’d escaped; Oracle told him all about it when she asked him to come. As he understood it, Jackson was one fierce Alpha who not only saved his brothers’ lives but formed the Blackwood Pack and built a pack house while living in tents. Ian knew Jackson would protect his brothers with his life—so they must be inside.
Walking toward the front porch, he saw no change in Oracle’s looks—if anything, she was more beautiful today than she was those many, many years ago. Oracleleft Jackson and Steel’s side, descending the steps to greet him. “Hello Oracle,” Ian said, taking her hand and raising it to his lips to kiss it. “It’s been a long time since we last met…just before I joined Frontline Doctors, wasn’t it?”
“Dear Ian, you are right, it has been a long time. Did you have a good trip?”
“Yes, but happy to be back on the ground. You know flying isn’t my thing. So, you’re going to be a grandmother, eh?” Ian asked, as they climbed the steps to meet the couple.
“I am. Let me introduce you. Alpha Blackwood, I would like to introduce Dr. Ian Wallace. Ian, this is Jackson, the Alpha of the Blackwood Pack and his mate Steel Valentin.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you Alpha,” Ian said, tilting his head in submission. Then turning to Steel, he said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, too. I owe your mother a great deal.” Then, they shook hands.
“Hush, Ian. None of that. You have more than repaid me by saving so many wolf shifters all these years.”
Jackson spoke, “I’m glad you’re here, Dr. Wallace. Colton has been impressed with your thoroughness. And as far as I’m concerned, his recommendation is the one most important to me.”
“Thank you, or I guess I should thank Colton. By the way, is he inside? I would like to meet him…I’ve been impressed with him right from the beginning when I received his equipment list.”
He saw a look of concern quickly cross Jackson’s face—and then it was gone before anyone else noticed.What did that mean? And why is my wolf pacing again? What the fuck is it with my wolf? Why does everythingconcerning Colton cause my wolf to go nuts?It’s going to be a bitch keeping him happy while working with this nurse.
“Let’s go inside shall we?” Steel said in a deep, smooth voice.
Fuckingbedamned!If he were in the market for a mate, Ian would want one with a voice like that.Shit why do I have a pain in my chest?Ian followed Oracle inside to the great room where Maximus sat on a modern, black leather sofa. “Hello, sir, nice to see you again,” Ian said, reaching out to shake his hand.Shit, Ian was always taken aback when he saw Oracle and Maximus. They looked perfect together. Not that Jackson was a slouch, oh no, he was just as gorgeous in his way as Steel was. They both made striking couples.
