“I need to leave. Next week. For a little while.”
“To look for her?”
Damn, he really was on the button today.
“Yeah.”
“So it’s about her. Not anything else?”
“No Armi, and that’s the truth. It’s all about her. Everyday is a fucking struggle and I made Delta a promise that if we hadn’t found her by this full moon we would spend a little while looking. Even if she isn’t close by, at least if I look he might get off my back.”
“I get that. Ozzy is fucking obnoxious as well. I’ve been thinking about doing something like that as well. An informal visit to the surrounding packs to revisit any contracts and such but also see if my mate’s there.”
“It’s exhausting isn’t it?”
For a moment, I actually see my brother falter. The man who carries himself with a stone expression, an infallible exterior as he must have in his position. I haven’t seen a crack in his exterior since we were teenagers. But standing before me now, I can see that he really is as worn down and miserable as I am. We just have different ways of dealing with it.
“Exhausting doens’t even begin to cover it.”
His head is down and he whispers it but I hear him loud and clear.
“I know.”
The silence fills the room, but its comfortable and I realize that I may have given him less credit than he deserves.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you what was up.”
“You know you can tell me anything right? We are brothers. And of all people, believe me, I get it. All of it.”
“I know, and likewise.”
The door swings open and in walks an irritated Clarice who is talking before she even steps in.
“Mr. Jones is here with his son, who once again was tree climbing, they just want to make sure it healed proper, Doctor.” the way she said Doctor could have frozen the hearts of most men. Clearly she wasn’t happy with my rejection earlier. But she had walked in without knocking and walked straight to my desk to drop the folder on it without realizing Armi was in the room. She shot me a look that made me raise my eyebrows at the pure hatred and disrespect but as she turned to leave her eyes met Armi’s.
“Oh, Alpha!” her hand went to her heart and she looked like a kid with her hand in the cookie jar, caught in the act. “I didn’t see you there, I was just.. um.. bringing the files to Doctor Remington for the new patient… and, uh I should get back there with them.” With that she practically ran from the office and once the door closed we both burst out laughing.
“Sweet apples and pie you REALLY pissed her off.” Armi says with a chuckle.
“She called me by my full name, as if that would appear innocent.”
We both laugh for a bit and then Armi comes over and extends his hand which I meet with my own.
“Leave tomorrow. I’ll find someone to fill in.”
I look closer to see if he is serous and everything in his eyes tells me he is.
“I will. Thank you Armi.”
“Anytime Remi, I know you’d do the same for me.”
With that, he walked out of the office and Delta began howling in my mind. But before we could leave, we had to go deal with the Jones kid and his 12th broken arm this year from his mission to climb to the very top of the tallest tree in the forest.
-3 months later-
“Is there anything else you may need for the new wing? You’re sure this is everything?”
I purposely allow a sigh to slip past my lips and sit in the air between us as Armi reaches my last nerve. He finally looks over to me and I give him my best bored look I can muster.
“Fine, I’ll leave you alone. I just want this to be perfect,” he says, throwing his hands in the air and shaking his head.
It’s been three months since the first trip I took to try to find my mate. I couldn’t up and leave the clinic because as it turns out, Armi couldn’t just find someone to fill in for me. So I was leaving for long weekends at a time. It would take me longer, but at least I was looking. I’d take what I could get, even if Delta was still being an impatient asshole.
Last month Armi approached me about adding to the hospital. He had gained the funding for it, and wanted to ask my opinion. It was desperately needed so I agreed, but it meant I hadn’t traveled in a few weekends. I was trying my hardest to give him 100% of my attention and effort but he was a bit much lately.
“Alright princess, relax. It’s going to be great. I already have all the supplies lined up for delivery this week, some of which already arrived. The beds are here, the new desk is being finished tomorrow. And I have interviews lined up with two new nurses and a pediatrician. All of whom come recommended from G-pop himself.”
“Good, I trust his judgement.” Armi nods.
pop was an older dude. A reliable source of information for us about other packs and the human villages. He was a werewolf and technically wasn’t a part of any pack, but somehow was apart of all of them. He was peaceful, lived in a cabin in no man’s land near the human village and in return for all the packs allowing that, he became the source of information for us on the humans as well as harmless information between packs, like which of the others may have nurses I can hire who can move here.
“No need to worry brother, it is handled. Why do you seem so… tense?” I looked him up and down and despite having spent most of the day with him this was the first time I saw how disheveled he was. “Are you wearing the same clothes as yesterday?”
His eyes widen. Geez, I should have known.
“Do I even want to know who she is?”
“You don’t know her. She was human. But it was weird man.”
“I do not want details about your sexual escapades.” I interrupt with my hands held up between us.
“Nah, not that. I have a bit of a system, don’t judge, for the morning after. A spiel, if you will, that I tell them. It lets them down easy, gets them on their way, things like that.”
“Unbelievable.”
“Anyway, but I was at her place last night, so this morning I wake up, see her come out of the bathroom fully dressed, and I begin the spiel but the edition that doesn’t involve the “Get out of my house part” since I’m in hers. I get through it all and she just nods her head and says ‘k, I’m gonna make some eggs, want some?’ and then walks to the kitchen and makes breakfast. I get dressed, come down, she hands me a plate and a coffee and sits down at the table. We sat there and talked, as if none of the night before or the spiel happened. After we eat, she stands up, tells me she has a busy day so I can see myself out, and then walks back to her room and leaves me there.”
“So you’re upset because…”
“I’m not upset. I’ve just never had a girl tell me to see myself out. I’ve never had someone not want more from me. I’ve never had a girl make me fucking eggs after I told her I didn’t want anything more from her. It was just, flustering… for lack of a better word.”
“Maybe she didn’t want anything more from you. So she wasn’t bothered by your spiel.” I counter.
“hmm.”
“Do you ever want to see her again?”
“Oh hell no, it wasn’t that kind of a thing.”
“Then let it go, what does it even matter. Find a new one tonight.” I can’t believe I actually said that, but lets be real, whether I advise for it or against it, he is going to find another one tonight.
“Yeah, I wish more girls took it like her though. I mean, its nice when they are a big upset they can’t stay with me, but it’d also be nice if they all knew I didn’t want anything serious.”
“Can we continue this later? I have interviews with the nurses and I need to get the office set up.” Actually I desperately just wanted out of this conversation but I did have interviews. They just weren’t till later.
“Yes of course, let me know if you think of anything else you need for the new wing.”
I turn and head back down the hall towards the new wing. Construction finished last weekend and now was just the final touches. I busied myself organizing the new storage room for all our non-medicinal necessities while I waited for the time to tick down until the interviews. Once I finished that, I headed over the new receptionist counter. I had thought about making Clarice the receptionist, but technically that would be a demotion and she was a good nurse so I needed to hire a receptionist as well. One more thing, I thought.
I was alphabetizing the records when the devil herself appeared.
“Doctor, one of the nurses is here for her interview.”
“Thank you Clarice,” I said without turning around. I finished the folder in my hand, sliding it into the P’s and then facing them. Much to my pleasure, Clarice had made herself scarce and there was only a woman I didn’t know standing there.
“Hi, my name is Cora.”
“Hi there, I’m Doctor Remington, but you can call me Doctor Remi.”
Cora was in fact a wolf, and she was probably in her 60’s. She was aging like a wolf though, so she still looked 35. I had memorized her resume and knew her background. She was mated, had three kids that were full grown with families of their own. She had been a labor and delivery nurse which is what interested me the most, as our pack grows we have more and more births here each year. And she has nothing but positive references.
“Nice to meet you Doctor.”
“If you don’t mind, the hospital is empty at this wing as its the new one and I thought we could just sit here at the reception and talk.”
“Oh of course, that’s perfectly fine with me.” she says waving her hand and bringing a stray chair over be across from mine.
We chatted for nearly an hour, but I knew within the first 7 minutes I was going to hire her. She lived up to her resume, plus she had a personality we desperately needed here. Happy, charismatic, mothering.
“Well Cora, if you can start next week, we would love to have you. Is it commutable though for you? Or would you need to move packs?”
“I think that the most reasonable way would be to move. I’ve already spoken with my Alpha and he was very understanding about it and the opportunity. We have a daughter who mated to a wolf in this pack, so we visit quite often anyway and would be with family.”
“Oh wonderful! Alright, well Alpha Armani is available to meet up tomorrow, so if you want to head home and tell your Alpha and mate about it, then we can get the paperwork and oaths started right away.”
“Thank you so much Doctor.”
“My pleasure Cora, I look forward to working with you.”
I shook her hand and she turned with a sweet smile on her face and walked back out the way she came. I smiled out of nothing but relief. One down, two positions left to fill. Cora was going to be Head Nurse though, despite how much that would piss off her devil-ness. Cora has the experience and the finesse that Clarice was still missing and wouldn’t get through anything but more years. Cora was best suited and with her I would be able to leave more because I could leave the hospital in her capable hands.
“Excuse me, the lady at the front sent me back here to find the Doctor?”
I was buried under the desk right when the voice spoke and I mumbled under my breath at the timing. I brought my head out but before I could speak I made eye contact with the face of the woman who was leaning over the desk, her weight supported by it as she peered over to see me. She had a soft smile on her face but it was her eyes that made my voice catch in my throat.
Solar eclipses.
I stared for a beat too long, I knew it but I couldn’t help it. Neither of us moved, seemingly frozen there in our trance.“I’m sorry,” she said shaking her head a bit and blushing. “I didn’t mean to stare. Or to startle you, I didn’t realize you would be..”“Sleeping under the receptionist desk? Isn’t that usually where you find the Doctor?”She smiled again and this time it was genuine and it was followed by a perfect melody as her laughter filled the room.“Yes, yes of course. That’s why I checked here first, obvious spot.”I rolled out from under the desk and stood up, dusting off my shirt as I turned to face my mate, my heart beating out of my chest at the reality she was here.“I’m Novaleigh,” she extends her hand out to me and I immediately take it, happiness overfl
“Yes?”“Are you at the clinic?”“Yes I am, what’s up?”“I just came by your place and you weren’t there. I was out for my morning run and got worried you ditched out again for another weekend of searching. Couldn’t sleep?” I wanted to tell him the truth but couldn’t in present company so I just kept it vague.“Nah, you either?”“Nope. Oh well, more time to work I guess.”“Yeah, but that isn’t always a bad thing.” her scent is getting stronger the longer we stand here and I can’t help but be torn about whether this was a bad thing or not.“Definitely not. I kinda need it actually, a lot going on with all the negotiations for new contracts business and truce wise that are up for review this year. Hey stop by later if
I thought more about that as I climbed into my car and fired it up, turning the heat to defrost the window. His eyes were the thing I found myself fixated on but damn if I couldn’t look at everything else just as much. He was a good 5 inches taller than me. He had dark brown hair and light brown eyes. His hair was shorter on the sides and wasn’t too long on the top, just enough to be messy but not enough to look unprofessional. He was also in deliciously good shape. I’d only seen him in long sleeve button down shirts but I could make out that he was strong and lean and a part of me was dying to rip them off him.Ok, and we are now turning down the heat cause I’m hot enough to warm the car. Get it together, Novaleigh.I drove down the road and crossed through the woods until town came into view. My mind was still reeling with thoughts of Remi but as soon as I saw the old sign for that bar I felt my stomach clench
Her scent was mixed with the smell of her blood and I focused on the tingles dancing on my skin instead of this because otherwise I was going to rage out of here and rip off Clarice’s head.We were like that for another 10 or 15 minutes before she moved slightly. I debated putting her down real quick, unsure how she would feel about me holding her, but before I could her eyes fluttered open and she groaned out loud as all the pain made itself known again. Her hand came up to touch her face and she flinched. Then her head tilted back and she looked up to my face. I just stared down at her, my heart broken that this was my fault.“Hello there.” she slurs and I chuckle cause she is adorable.“Hi, how are you feeling?”“Everything hurts.” She pauses a minute and closes her eyes before opening them again and blinking to adjust to the lights. “Did you have to
Her face is tucked down, her hair falling like a curtain around it. I can’t see her eyes but I can tell she is staring intently at the lid of her coffee. Her heart rate has increased and it only takes me a moment to deduce that she is extremely embarrassed about this, and genuinely worried what I will think. She regrets it.“Drunk night?” I ask, trying to keep it light and praying there was some other force at work that put them together that night.“The first and last of my life.” she breaths out slowly.“Quitting already? So young?” I half joke, half hope that’s true if this is what happens when she drinks.“Yep. 100%. Never a sip again. I’ve avoided it all my life because I’ve seen the decisions people make when they drink. One major fight with my dad and I became that person that I always judged and promised myself not to be. And i
I stretch out, my back making the irritating pains known from sleeping here, but those are quickly overpowered by the pain that hits me full force from my face and my head. Fucking hell.I groan and get up slowly to head over to the bathroom to find medicine. Once I’m properly medicated I draw a hot bath and crawl into it, grabbing my phone to ensure I don’t fall asleep. I unlock it to find a text from my sister, a few from my dad and one from an unknown number. I’m confused until I open it.-Doing good here at the clinic. Hope you don’t feel like a truck hit ya, but in case you do, try some of the herbs on your porch.-Giddiness rises up inside my chest at seeing a message from him. Not for the first time since I got this job, I wondered if taking it was such a good idea when I was clearly falling for my boss. But before I could overthink that again, I decided to deal with the headache first. Aft
“Hey you!” she calls from the front desk. I see that she is pulling togo containers from a bag and laying them out on the desk.“Hey, get some sleep?” “A ton of it. It helped, but not nearly as much as your concoction did.”“I resent the term concoction.” I defended and she laughed.“Fine… miracle tea. Whatever you want to call the witchcraft that healed my head, I appreciate it. Sometime you should share that with me.”“Sorry, I forgot to mention its a secret trick of the trade.”She looked at me with these ‘you have got to be kidding me’ eyes and they were so adorable it broke my stoic expression.“Fine, technically it isn’t mine. It was something I found through research and adjusted as needed for a patient awhile ago who had a
“If you want to hit me, Alpha or not, I’ll let you. If you want to fight me, I’ll also let you but I will defend myself.”“I don’t want to hit you, Armi. Well, I mean Delta does. But I don’t. At least not that much.”“I’d want to hit me.”“Yeah, but if you were any other random guy, no matter how much I’d be upset and want to murder him, I wouldn’t. Because he didn’t know she was my mate. And I am more upset because it was you, my brother, but the same thought process applies. You didn’t know.”“I never would have… if I did. Never. In a million years. Remi I swear.”“I know that.”“You know that’s why I stopped sleeping with wolves awhile ago. Because that is what happened. I slept with a girl. And a month later she