She heads south on Highway 42, passing stone cottages with kids playing out front, thick stands of evergreen trees, and occasional glimpses of the teal waters of Green Bay visible through the trees.
“How was your evening?” I ask, hoping she didn’t enjoy herself, which makes me feel like an ungrateful heel.
“It was fine. But I actually think you had more fun.” We both chuckle, and my heart lightens in my chest.
At the risk of annoying her, I push Sophie for more details because I have to know. “And your prospective boyfriend?”
Sophie snorts. “A real turkey.”
“I see,” I say casually, but enough fireworks to light up all of Door County are going off inside my head. “Are you… um, disappointed?”
Sophie shakes her head but keeps her focus on thetwo-lane highway as we round a couple of twisty curves. “Nope; just annoyed that I have to spend three more evenings with him.”
I know I took a few blows to the head last night, but this doesn’t make any sense. “Why do you have to see him again?”
Sighing, Sophie explains about her friend Pru’s upcoming wedding, and the fact she’s a bridesmaid and the non-boyfriend is a groomsman. I get the sense she’s not disclosing everything, which makes me uneasy, but she’s obviously done talking about him. “Tell me about last night,” she says, changing the subject.
I’m careful to avoid anything Jake would consider sensitive pack information as we chat. When she asks me how many werewolves I wound up besting, I shrug. “Enough.”
Sophie chortles and turns into the driveway of a rustic log cabin. A hand-painted sign in the yard says, “Doc Demetrius, Serving Your Pets Since 1898.”
“You’re taking me to see a veterinarian?” I stammer, feeling indignant on behalf of my species. “I’m entirely human at the moment; there’s not a snout or tail in sight.”
“Very funny,” says Sophie. “Doc serves as the staff doctor for Jake’s pack and for the Riddle Hill Fire Department, which consists of mostly werewolves. He’s board certified in both veterinary medicine and internal medicine, which makes sense since many of his patients are shifters.”
I pull open the door to the clinic and usher Sophie in ahead of me. Stepping into the gloomy interior, shewaves at a vampire with a Bride of Frankenstein beehive; the woman must have a pound of white-and-black hair piled on top of her head. Sophie introduces me to Elvira, who collects some basic information from me and asks us to wait until the doctor is ready.
“The doctor’s a vampire?” I hiss, noting the dim lighting, the dark burgundy drapes and wallpaper, and the odd assortment of photos on the walls. Apparently Doc Demetrius treats everything from griffins to dragons.
“What were you expecting? The Faerie Queen herself?” Sophie shakes her head at me, but her eyes are sparkling with good humor at the unhappy expression on my battered face.
“I’ve never been examined by a vampire before,” I whisper. “Our two species were not quite so cozy back in Michigan.”
“Ooh. I’d love to hear all the details sometime,” Sophie teases; I roll my eyes, which appears to be the only part of my face I’m able to move without flinching.
“Just… never mind,” I stammer helplessly, unable to resist smiling at Sophie.
A deep voice booms, “Mr. Leslie Theodore Barker, I presume?”
We both rise, and a tall, slender, silver-haired man with spectacles offers me his hand. “Doc Demetrius.” After we shake, he adds, “Congratulations on joining the Bay Howlers; it’s a fine pack.”
“Thank you.”
He gives Sophie a sympathetic smile. “You know I never interfere in faerie matters, and I trust Catbeam’sjudgement. Nonetheless, I was sorry to hear about the wing-clipping.”
Sophie sniffs. “I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later; I haven’t exactly been a model faerie—” she waves her hand at me “—but we’re here for Teddy; just look at him!”
I stare adoringly at Sophie, my heart thrumming in my chest. I think she’s actually concerned about me—at least a little—until she adds, “I’ll never get the bakery opened in time without Teddy’s help.”
My mouth twists, but I don’t want Sophie to see how much her words sting, so I glance away. What did I expect? Just because her date last night was disappointing, it doesn’t mean Sophie is suddenly going to see me as anything other than her business associate.
“Help yourself to some coffee,” says Doc kindly to her. “Teddy and I won’t be too long.”
The vampire doctor impresses me with his professionalism and quiet efficiency. He checks me over, cleans and re-bandages the deeper cuts, and prescribes an anti-inflammatory to help reduce the swelling in my jaw and hands, which are bloodied and bruised. “I recommend you avoid any more ‘sniff and tussles’ for the time being; your body needs time to heal.”
“Since I prefer conversation over fisticuffs, that won’t be an issue.”
“Good; that solves at least one of your problems.” Doc Demetrius claps a hand gently on my shoulder. “Does she know?”
