Total pages in book: 218
Estimated words: 212458 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1062(@200wpm)___ 850(@250wpm)___ 708(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 212458 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1062(@200wpm)___ 850(@250wpm)___ 708(@300wpm)
As I stare out at the darkening sky, I catch motion from my periphery.
He’s walking toward me with a gleam in his eyes, making me clench my thighs, hoping he’s about to initiate something, though I’m doing my best to act nonchalant.
His phone rings when he’s about five feet away.
He pulls it from his pocket and answers.
“Hey?”
His eyes go concerned as he listens to the phone and I straighten up, wishing I had the supersonic hearing he does.
“Okay. Right. On our way.” He thrusts his hand through his hair and pockets his phone while turning his gaze toward me. “Your sister is at the clinic,” he says. “She’s sick and since you’re a nurse…”
“What?” The blood drains from my face and plummets to my feet.
“She’s with Cat, the pack’s healer. She hasn’t been able to get the fever down and we should go there.”
“Oh my God.” I shoot to my feet.
“It’s not far.”
Oh God, Ivy. What happened now?
And how long has Mason known about this? He didn’t even seem surprised when he announced, “on our way”. That phone call seemed just a little too quick for him to have gotten all the information he just relayed to me.
***
We move past a reception desk and empty waiting area into an exam room. There’s my sister, on a hospital bed. The huge, long-haired guy beside her looks me over and tilts his head curiously, dark brows furrowing. A dark-haired woman with a stethoscope around her neck stands beside him.
What the fuck has happened? My little sister is someone I’ve always felt protective over. Right now, I’m feeling more than protective. I’m incensed. Not only did she get bit by a snake last week, not only did she come home distraught like I’ve never seen and trying to hide injuries from me, but then she went missing after me finding out three men took her from her house and here she is in a hospital bed. And I’m angry with Mason right now, too, because he’s kept me from her and now look at her!
I storm over to the giant, muscled, dark-haired man who I immediately know is the source of her problems.
“What’s wrong with her? What the fuck did you do?” I demand, and before I can stop myself, I slap his face.
Maybe not my best idea, but I sort of just saw red.
He barely flinches with the force of my slap, of which I used lots, but looks dismayed at my reaction. Immediately, Mason is pulling me back by my waist, whispering some sort of placation into my ear.
I struggle in his grip, so, so angry. Angry that Ivy’s hurt. Angry that this guy thinks it’s his job to hold me because he thinks it’ll help. Angry that I’m only finding out about this now despite that it’s obvious Mason has known far longer than me that something is wrong with Ivy.
Not only do I blame this Tyson guy for my sister getting bitten by a venomous snake, but everything else, too. I don’t even know yet what he’s done to her, but she keeps getting hurt!
I’m so furious I could spit. And so upset I could cry. Sensing this I guess, Mason starts to do that vibrating low purr he does, and I can’t help but sink into his frame.
He kisses the bite mark on my neck and as my body reacts, he turns me and buries my face into his throat, holding my head.
And damn it, damn damn damn it, it feels like it helps.
“Is Ivy okay?” Mason asks.
The lady with Tyson answers.
“Her fever is finally coming down a little. We’re hopeful. If it spikes again, we’ll have to evac her to St. Jude. Amelia?”
I twist to meet her gaze.
“I’m Catrina Savage. Can I ask you some questions about Ivy’s medical history?”
I pull out of Mason’s hold and move to my sister’s bed again, dropping a kiss on Ivy’s forehead. Shit: she’s really burning up.
“Her face is so pale. She’s so hot. What is it? I’m a nurse, so talk to me.”
I assess the set-up. This is clearly a doctor’s office, but I’d feel a whole lot better if Ivy were in a hospital. I lift an infrared thermometer and take her temperature. Shit. A hundred and two point six. And it’s already come down a little?
“It came on suddenly,” Catrina says. “She’s weak, high fever, and vomiting, unable to keep even water down. I’m rotating ibuprofen and acetaminophen to try to tackle the fever. Tell me about any allergies, major illnesses. She was here when she got bit by a snake and said there was nothing, but are you aware of anything she might have forgotten to mention? Any allergic reactions, anything like that?”
“No, nothing I can think of. I’ll call my mother and ask her. Do you have a phone I can use? Somebody took mine.” I glare at Mason.