Chapter 6
So shifters were real, werewolves were scary, and Hank was both terrifying and kind. None of that really computed in Cecilia’s brain, but Mother collapsing? That made total sense.
She crossed quickly to the woman’s side, going to press her fingers to Mother’s neck except she was still gripping the Swiss army knife and…God. She shuddered as she realized she was covered in blood. And not only that, she’d killed. She hadn’t tried to restrain or contain, she hadn’t done it as a science experiment. She’d done it because they were being attacked and she knew how to kill the monster attacking them.
And that made her sick to her stomach.
With a gasp, she dropped the knife on the coffee table. Or more like threw it. And then she tried to get control of her shaking hands and the suddenly too rapid beat of her heart.
Sammy, however, had no such problems. She shoved Cecilia back with a glare.
“Who the hell are you?”
Pride came to her rescue. When every other part of her body and mind were scrambling to absorb what had just happened, certain patterns remained solid. Like the one where she defended her credentials to every doubter that she came across. And there had been many.
“I’m a doctor,” she snapped. “And I’m trying to help.”
Then she forced herself to put action to words as she quickly wiped her bloody hand on the last clean part of her lab coat, then went again for Mother’s carotid.
Weak and uneven. Worse, her eyes were panicked, and her breath was gasping, as if she couldn’t get enough air.
“Does she have a heart condition?”
“Yeah.” Then the girl suddenly brightened. “Yes! Hank gave her pills.”
“Get them.”
Sammy straightened up, but she needn’t have bothered. Hank had already grabbed Mother’s big tote bag and was bringing it over. And what a sight that was seeing the bright fabric handles clamped between his bear teeth, a big butterfly tote swinging back and forth. Cecilia grabbed it from him thinking that that was probably the most surreal thing she’d ever seen. And given this night’s work, that was saying something.
Meanwhile Sammy started digging in the bag without even pulling it from Cecilia’s hand. She yanked out a little plastic baggie of pills with triumph.
“Here!”
Cecilia looked at the bear. Seriously, she looked straight into the bear’s eyes and asked the question. “Nitro?”
Hank’s head dipped in an obvious nod.
She grabbed a pill and gently opened Mother’s mouth to set it underneath her tongue. Then she sat there, holding Mother’s wrist as she monitored the woman’s pulse. Five seconds. Ten.
Mother’s heartbeat stabilized and grew stronger. Her breath evened out, too. And in a moment, her expression eased, and her shoulders drooped.
“I’m getting too old for this wolf shit,” she murmured.
“Is there ever an age for wolf shit?” Cecilia asked.
The woman’s eyes narrowed then a grin split her face. “Oh hell yes, honey. Those wolves make the best damn lovers you ever seen. Wild and fast. But they do like it doggy style—”
“Mother!” Sammy cried in shock, and Cecilia felt herself chuckle at the hot color in the kid’s cheeks.
The woman snorted. “I wasn’t born this old.” Then she quirked an eye at the girl. “And you’re one to talk, parading around naked in front of Hank.”
So yes, Sammy had been naked all this time, but everyone had been focused on other things. Certainly Sammy had been until Mother’s words. And if she’d been blushing before, now her face burned red hot as she gasped and grabbed the blanket off the couch to wrap it around her thin shoulders. Then with a horrified look at the black bear—who was looking straight out the window as if it hadn’t even occurred to him to look anywhere else—she dashed down the stairs.
Mother chuckled, though the sound was weak. “Girl never thinks about clothes. Most shifters don’t. It’s how I knew she was one of ’em.”
“Really? What are the other signs?” Cecilia might’ve been shaky and splattered with blood, but intellectual curiosity always won out. And suddenly she had a whole new vista of study to explore.
“There’s the way they eat. Less cooking, more raw.”
