“I’m not dating her or thinking of any such thing. We just enjoy working with each other.” And so much more, but he couldn’t mention it to any of them.
Lori took another deep breath. His mother had taken a seat in front of the doctor’s desk and was looking concerned, her brows knit together in a tight frown.
“She died,” Lori said.
Allan felt dizzy, like the world had slipped out from under his feet. “You—”
Lori held her hand up to stop him from speaking further. “We didn’t have anything to do with it.”
“You said she was in the ICU. In stable condition. What the hell—”
“She died in the ambulance. They brought her back a second time.”
Allan stared at Lori, shocked to the core. Should he have gone to her rescue faster? But if he hadn’t removed the rounds from Tara and done CPR, she wouldn’t have survived.
“Because of what she witnessed—” Lori said.
“She was in shock. She couldn’t have seen anything.”
“Allan, she saw Tara shift.”
He sat in the chair, his legs no longer able to hold him up. “She’s in the ICU. How—”
“She came to, but they’re keeping her in there a little longer. She was terrified, her words slurred because of the heavy-duty pain medication she’s on, but she wanted us to know she saw a wolf turn into a woman. And she said her partner knew all about it.”
Allan felt the air leave his lungs. “What now?” His voice sounded oddly hollow to his ears. He realized how much he cared for her. She wasn’t just another human or his dive partner, but someone real and caring and devoted to helping others.
“It’s done.”
Allan’s mouth gaped. “What?” He felt light-headed. He couldn’t remember a time he’d felt like his mind was in such a fog except when he’d been shot on a mission and lost too much blood.
Lori bit on her lower lip, then said, “She’s…one of us.”
“What?”
Catherine patted his arm. “Now you can date her.”
Allan stared at his mother’s concerned expression. He wasn’t grasping what had happened. “Someone bit her?” He was ready to tear into whoever would have done so when she was in such grave shape.
“She received some of my blood intravenously,” Lori said. “No one bit her. But she was going to die if she didn’t have our healing genetics.”
He gaped at Lori. He still hadn’t grasped the situation. “Wait, you didn’t do it because she’d seen Tara shift?”
“Partly, yes, but, Allan, she was in critical condition. She still is. But our faster wolf healing abilities will help her to pull through. We could have let her die. She would have without our help. She wouldn’t have made it in a human-run hospital.”
He couldn’t believe Lori and… “Does Paul know what you’ve done?”
Lori smiled. “Of course. We were in total agreement as soon as we learned she would have died without our intervention. And that she’d seen Tara shift. Not only that, but you were headed down a path of no return with her.”
“I wasn’t dating her.” He couldn’t even think in those terms right now. This was going to be a complete nightmare for her.
“Our original pack members—your mother, sister, me, Paul, and my grandma—will take turns watching her.”
Allan noticed she had left him out of the loop on that one. “And me?”
“Only if the two of you are agreeable. She’s going to have to be taught our ways. She’ll have to be watched because to begin with she’ll have trouble having control over her shifting. And of course she needs to realize how important it is to keep our secret. We could send her to another pack, like Hunter’s, where they know better how to deal with newly turned wolves, like his mate and her brother are.”
Hunter Greymere was their SEAL wolf team leader, and Allan was certain he’d love to have another newly turned wolf under his command. Not.
“But Paul and I believe that if we all work together, the rest of the pack included, we’ll get through this just fine.”
Allan bet Paul hadn’t expected anything like this to happen when he and Lori took over the pack. He was always saying how glad he was that he didn’t have a newly turned wolf in the pack. Allan guessed it was inevitable that it would happen someday.
“When can I see her?” Allan asked, feeling overwhelmed with negative emotions. No way in hell had he wanted her to have to experience all that she would without being given a choice. And now she would be just as much a werewolf hunter’s target as the rest of his pack.
“Maybe not right away,” Lori said pragmatically. “She knew that you saved Tara’s life before she turned into her human form. Debbie may be afraid of you. It might help if she sees someone she won’t automatically connect with Tara.”
“Everyone’s connected. Her brother, her mother, my sister who’s married to her brother. Me. Paul, because we were raised together. My mom. You, because you’re mated to Paul. I just don’t see how any of us are going to be able to see her and not make her think we’re all in cahoots.”
“For now, the doctor and the nurses will see her. She will get used to them and not know we’re part of this whole situation.”
“She’s my partner. I have to see her.”
Lori shook her head.
His mother said, “I think Lori’s right.”
“She’s going to have to learn about us sooner or later,” Allan said. “Hell, the full moon appears in a few days.”
“Which is why we need to make sure she stays with one of us at all times,” Lori said.
“I’m seeing her,” Allan said, and no one was dissuading him. Both his mother and Lori looked worried, but he asked, “Is that all?”
“We need to know what the shooter looked like,” Lori said.
Allan’s jaw dropped a bit. “This isn’t all about that, is it? She was turned so she could live and tell us what she saw?”
“Allan,” his mother said.
Lori held up her hand. “No. As important as the information is and as much as we need to know it as soon as we can, that’s not why we did it. We knew how much she meant to you.”
Allan swallowed hard, and tears sprang into his eyes. Hell. He quickly rose from the chair and headed for the door. “I’ll be in the waiting area for when she comes out of the ICU and then I’m seeing her.”
Pack meant everything to them, and he realized then that not only had they given Debbie a chance at life, as different as it would be for her now, but they’d done this for him. And yet it could be a real problem for all of them. For them, if she was totally out of control. For him, if she hated what she was now. For herself, if she was so horrified about what she had become that she didn’t want to live.
* * *
Debbie felt like hell. She didn’t think she’d ever felt this out of it.
For a while, she just lay there, trying to recall what had happened to her that she needed to be in a hospital bed.
Then she remembered flashes of scenes—the gunman shooting the wolf three times, even after she told him to drop his weapon, then him turning the gun on her and firing. Her firing a shot back and hitting him in the shoulder, she thought.
And the wolf near death. She meant to shoot it and put it out of its misery. But then Allan was there, saving the wild wolf. Was he crazy? An injured dog could be dangerous, but an injured wolf? She wanted to stop him, but she couldn’t muster the strength. She remembered him telling her to get a blanket for the wolf, but she didn’t have the energy. The next thing she knew, she was sitting on her butt on the snow-covered beach.
She had seen the concerned look on Allan’s face when he was trying to save the wolf and again when he glanced at her and saw her sitting there. The pain hadn’t hit yet, since the bullet had severed nerve endings, but she could see the blood p
ooling in the white snow. She had watched it for a moment, thinking it looked like cherry coloring spreading over ice in a snow cone.
She thought Allan would come to her aid, but instead, he was giving the wolf mouth-to-nose resuscitation. She’d never seen anyone do that before. She had been fascinated in an abstract kind of way, as if she wasn’t quite there, just watching from far away.
And then the wolf turned into a woman—Tara, if Debbie recalled her name correctly. She was the sister to Everett, the man married to Rose, and really quiet. She was lying in the snow, bandaged after Allan had removed the rounds from her body. She was naked, and Debbie hadn’t gotten the blanket for her like Allan had asked her to. She remembered feeling bad she hadn’t done so.
She had been so cold herself, she felt as though she was naked as Allan rushed to take care of her wound. She must have passed out because the next thing she knew, she was in an ambulance, and that’s all she remembered.
“Debbie,” Allan said, and she opened her eyes to see he was holding her hand, a worry frown etched across his brow.
Dozens of roses filled a nearby table, and she wondered who would have sent all the flowers. Everyone in the sheriff’s department? Did anyone even know she was here?
She swallowed hard and with a dry throat said, “Allan.”
“God, I’m so glad to hear your voice.” He hurried to get her a cup of water. “How are you feeling?”
“You don’t want to know.”
“Okay.” He pulled up a chair and took her hand again.
“How much work have I missed?”
“None.”
She frowned at him. “You’re an awful liar. How many days have I been out?”
“Three.”
She sighed. “Any news about the case we’re working on?” Then she grew concerned because Allan seemed so worried about her. “I’m not…dying, am I? Unfit for duty?”
The worry frown remained. “You’re not dying,” he said.
“But I can’t work.”
“Not for a while.”
“How long?”
“We’re not sure. We’ll have to see how quickly you can get back on your feet.”
“But I’m going to live. Not physically incapacitated from diving?”
“No. But you’re going to have to take it easy. And you’re going to need around-the-clock care for a while.”
She smiled just a little bit. “You wouldn’t be volunteering for the position, would you?”
His jaw hardened. “Hell, yeah, if you’re all right with it.”
She relaxed a bit. “I know you won’t be able to be there around the clock, but—”
“I’ll make arrangements to have someone come in and stay with you whenever I need to be out.”
She smiled and felt better. She knew Allan cared for her. She wouldn’t have wished anything like this to happen to her on purpose, but looking on the bright side, maybe this would turn out to be the best thing that ever happened.
“How will your family feel about that?”
“They’ll be glad to hear it.” He motioned to the flowers. “From family and more.”
“They’re beautiful.” She eyed them, trying to determine which might be from Allan, if he’d gotten her any.
“The one with the dozen roses,” he said, as if reading her thoughts.
“They’re beautiful.”
The nurse knocked on the door, then came in. “We need to do some more blood work on you, Debbie, if you don’t mind.”
“As long as I’m going to live, no, not at all.”
Chapter 14
Allan left the room, hating the deception of the whole matter. All the pack members had been both welcoming and wary about the situation.
For the last ten days, he’d practically been staying at Debbie’s room at the clinic, though often when she woke, he’d been taking care of business and the nurse had been attending her. So he was glad to finally see Debbie awake and conscious enough to talk and recognize him and everything around her.
But he hated that she didn’t know what she’d become. After what Lori had told him about Debbie being suspicious of him as far as Tara was concerned, he’d worried about Debbie’s reaction to seeing him.
So far, she seemed fine. He assumed she hadn’t seen it happen, or if she had, she didn’t believe her own eyes. After all, who in their right mind would believe it? And she’d been in really bad shape at the time.
He knew he had to tell her sooner than later, because the sun was nearly lighting the moon to the fullest extent, and she would most likely shift. That would be a terrifying experience, he imagined. Having been born a lupus garou, he’d never given it much thought. They were proud to be who they were.
Everyone was affected differently too. Some newly turned wolves were more accepting of the enhanced abilities they had. Others were not, particularly about the shifting when they didn’t have much control over it during the pull of the full moon. Or that they had to be watched at all times by other pack members. It could be frustrating if the man or woman was used to being alone or doing things their own way in their own good time and without being accompanied.
He talked to Dr. Christine Holt, wondering if Debbie was really well enough to go home with him.
“She’s healing just fine, Allan. You know how our faster healing abilities are. She’ll need to take it easy for another week or so, but after that, she’ll be able to do anything she wants to. As long as she’s being watched because of her wolf condition, she’ll be fine. Do you think you can handle it?”
He wanted to say it would be no problem, but what did he know? She was a wild card until he told her the truth and she shifted, and then how would she react? He had no idea.
“Paul said you wanted to do this alone if she was agreeable to stay with you,” Dr. Holt said. “But I still wonder if it wouldn’t be better if we had more pack members involved. Maybe some of the original members and someone on the medical staff in case she needs a sedative.”
Allan shook his head. “We’ll try my idea first. If it doesn’t work, we can have a wolf pack intervention.”
“All right. Paul was wondering if maybe one of the newer turned wolves of Hunter’s pack could come and talk with her. To share how he or she felt in the beginning. One of them might be able to show her that there’s life after being turned and that new wolves are perfectly comfortable in their new skins.”
“Maybe. If this doesn’t work out, we could call Hunter and see if his mate wants to talk with Debbie.” No way did Allan want a male wolf to speak with her. He could see one of them sympathizing with her, and the next thing he knew, she’d be angry with Allan and the rest of the wolves who were born that way and join Hunter’s pack.
That notion didn’t set well with Allan in the least.
“Are you really okay with taking care of her?” Christine asked. “It’s a big responsibility. I know you’re a highly trained SEAL and have dealt with all kinds of crises, but this is different. It doesn’t take guns and bullets or teeth. It takes a lot of patience, loving, caring, and understanding.”
“I understand. I can handle it.” But he wasn’t sure how it would all work out. How could anyone be? He had no idea how she’d react to what she was now. But he had every intention of giving it his best shot and hoping to alleviate her fears as soon as possible. She’d trusted him before this, cared for him, knew him the best, so he figured it was better if he worked with her than someone else. “When can she go home?”
“She needs to stay for three more days at the clinic. That will give you time to get your place ready for her to move in. Make sure that you can secure the house so that she can’t get out in case she tries to run. And don’t hesitate to call any of us if you need some help with this.”
“We’ll be fine.”
Afterward, Paul and Lori talked to him
about what he needed to do, and even Hunter’s mate, Tessa, called to give her two cents.
The day Allan went to pick Debbie up, she was as cheerful as she always was when he visited her. Which meant? She couldn’t possibly know what had happened at the shoot-out. He thought she looked positively thrilled to see him because he was taking her home from the clinic. Only not to her home. He’d already talked to her about it, and she seemed eager to do it. But first, she wanted to go to her place to get some clothes for her stay at his cabin.
As he helped her into his hatchback, he thought she still looked pale and tired. He pulled a blanket and pillow out of the backseat, tucking the pillow behind her and wrapping the blanket around her.
“How do you feel?” Allan tried not to look as worried as he felt, but tonight the full moon would be out in all its glory and he had to tell her what to expect.
He pulled out of the parking lot and started driving toward Whitefish.
“So much better. I can’t believe I could have been so bad off and feel so great.”
The faster healing genetics. Allan would talk to her about those later too. He glanced over at her, but she appeared to be drifting off to sleep.
When they were nearly to her place, she yawned.
“Feel any better?”
“Some. Still feeling a bit wiped out. I guess that’s why I need to stay with someone for a while. I guess we’ll be missing the Penguin Plunge in Whitefish.”
“There will always be next year. And I’ll definitely take you to it.” He would take her to anything her heart desired, if she was still speaking to him by then. “Paul said you told him the man who shot you was so bundled up, you couldn’t tell what he looked like.”
“Yeah, unfortunately. I was hoping I could positively identify that friend of Lloyd’s, Otis. The man was wearing a ski mask and a bulky winter parka so I couldn’t tell. He wore snow boots and he was dressed all in white—to blend in with the snow, I imagine. Zeta did say that Otis wore a white parka when it was snowy out.”
“True. It’s a wonder he didn’t get shot by a hunter. Did you see the color of his eyes?”