Page 34 of The Coyote's Veterinarian Omega

“I was.” I lifted a brow.

“And then you walked off and came back in your fur …” He trailed off, clearly trying to piece together my motivations.

I sighed. “I didn’t want to deal with Marnie. She’s spent enough time trying to patch me up lately.”

That made Aunt Caroline frown, but Cal crashed on with the story. “So Cam comes trotting around the side of the house, and Wyatt is freaked out a bit—”

“I wasnot.”

“Were so,” Cal retorted, and I was suddenly fifteen again, listening to my brothers argue. I slid a side-long look at Wyatt.

It was like he’d always belonged here, at the table, in our house, arguing with Cal and whoever else.

I never wanted him to leave again.

The thought rocked me, so I sank my teeth deep into my lip, hoping to keep myself from blurting out anything that crossed my mind.

Were my aunts right? Was there something to this fated mate mumbo-jumbo?

“I wasn’t freaked out,” Wyatt was informing my aunts calmly. “I was surprised, sure. Most wild animals don’t come trotting right up to you, especially not when they’re wounded—but here was this coyote, strolling up like he’d been scheduled for day surgery and had almost missed the appointment.”

Karla snorted. Cal waited a beat, then rapped his knuckles on the back of his chair. “Anyway, so Wyatt operated.”

“Got me all patched up, and now I’m good as new,” I offered, rolling my shoulder. It twinged a bit with pain, which made mewince, but it was nothing like it had been just two days ago.

“Stop that,” Wyatt scolded. “God knows what you’re doing to the ligaments—let alone what shifting’s done.”

“The liga-what?” I asked, and both of my aunts burst out laughing.

“Well,” Caroline said, getting to her feet, “I think you’re gonna have your hands full with him, Wyatt.”

Wyatt startled, then colored up to his ears. “Er,” he said, slowly turning to look at me. His eyes were wide, full of apprehension.

I felt my own gut curdling with similar fear. What had him so freaked out?

“It’s late,” Caroline said as she sashayed into the kitchen, dropping her cup in the sink. “I’m going to turn in—don’t stay up too late, and don’t get into too much mischief.”

Wyatt rose from the table, the legs of his chair scraping across the floor. “I’m sorry,” he said, “I didn’t think about the time. I’ll get out of your hair.”

Karla shot him a look which, from anyone else, might have counted as a death glare. “Leaving?” she asked. “I don’t think so.”

Wyatt blinked in confusion, and I probably looked just as bewildered. Cal pursed his lips. “Karla,” he started.

She waved him off. “Boys, the good doctor looks dead on his feet. You’re not letting him drive home,” she declared.

“But,” Wyatt started.

Cal sighed. “I suppose we got room,” he murmured, eyes raking back and forth across the ceiling as he thought. He looked at me. “How’s Cash’s room?”

I grimaced. We’d closed the door and forgotten about it since our brother had shipped off to Canada.

Cal lifted his brows.

“Sounds like you need a maid,” Karla muttered.

Connor and Cody’s room was obviously spoken for, which leftCal’s room and the guest room, which were also clearly occupied.

That left one other room in the house—one that hadn’t been touched in years now.