Page 13 of Damien’s Mate

She stirred, murmuring something unintelligible. Damien would have smiled if he wasn’t so worried about her.

An ambulance pulled up and two paramedics jumped out. They ran over and began checking Lila, crowding him aside.

“Was she injured in the blast?” one of them asked.

“No. Hit by a car as it was leaving. Just now.”

The two paramedics exchanged looks, but kept on with their assessment.

“Okay, we’ve got her. You her husband?”

“No, a… friend.”

“What’s her name?”

“Lila.” His lips felt numb and stiff, and fear clawed at his stomach. This was crazy—he barely knew her. And yet he was as terrified as if—

She’d started talking, though she was still barely conscious. “Got to get away. Damien…”

“Lila? Lila, can you hear me?” the female paramedic asked.

“Get away… help…”

“It’s okay,” her partner said. “We’ll get you to the hospital. You’re going to be fine.”

That seemed to freak her out. “No,” she said, a bit louder, trying to shake her head. “No… hospital… can’t…”

“Just lie still. Try not to move.”

“No… hospital…”

“Don’t be scared. We’ll take good care of you.”

Her objections turned to restless murmuring, and they loaded her carefully on a backboard and then onto a gurney.

Damien felt so fucking helpless, like he should be doing something, even if there wasn’t anything he could do.

They extended the legs on the gurney and rolled it toward the ambulance. Suddenly Lila’s eyes opened wide, and she said, “No! No hospital!”

She turned her head and saw him. “Damien!” she called weakly, trying to reach out to him. The paramedics restrained her.

“It’s okay,” Damien said helplessly. “I have your stuff. I’ll meet you there.”

“We have to take her now,” the female paramedic said. “She’s very badly injured.”

The male paramedic climbed into the ambulance and they rolled the gurney inside, retracting the legs. Lila’s body rippled and contorted.

“She’s seizing,” the male paramedic shouted. “We’ve got to go!”

One of Lila hands dropped down off the side of the gurney, out of the sightline of the paramedics, who were working to hold her steady.

As Damien watched, fur sprouted along the back of her hand and giant cat claws extended from her fingertips, then receded.

Before he could even take in what he’d seen, the fur was gone and her hand was normal again. The female paramedic slammed the back doors of the ambulance and ran around to the driver’s door.

“We’re taking her to St. Joseph’s!” she called over her shoulder to Damien. She revved the engine and they drove off toward the back gate, leaving him standing on the grass, unable to believe what he’d just seen.

Chapter 6