Page 42 of The Coyote's Veterinarian Omega

What the hell was wrong with me this morning?

Tired, I told myself,you’re just really tired. And I was. I’d slept solidly once Cam was in my bed, but I’d been up way too long before that.

That was all. It was probably why I felt sick too.

Heaving another breath, I got back to my feet, flushed the mess, and rinsed my mouth. Then I marched myself back to the kitchen.

Cam was gone. I couldn’t help the way disappointment flooded me, sudden and overwhelming. I barely made it back to my chair at the table, collapsing into it.

Caroline was at the sink, spraying down some of the dishes. She gave me a quizzical look. “Cam went out to the barn,” she said.

I relaxed a little. That was a normal thing to do. Caroline turned the water off and stripped off the rubber gloves she was wearing. She clacked her way over to the table. “You feeling all right?” she asked softly.

“Not really,” I murmured.

She considered for a moment, then said, “Cam shouldn’t have bit you last night. He didn’t know what he was doing.”

“I told him to,” I offered. I was an adult; I could own my decisions.

She smiled gently. “Doesn’t mean he should’ve. So, Karla is going over how to bite with him, so he can fix that mess on your neck and bond you properly.”

My stomach twisted at the wordbond. “Is that why I feel like shit? Because he did it wrong?”

Caroline’s smile turned rueful. “Probably,” she said. “A half-formed bond would feel pretty strange.”

I glanced at her quizzically. Now she looked almost coy as she turned her head and lifted the pearl necklace resting around her throat. I couldn’t help the sharp gasp that escaped me when I glimpsed the scarring along her pale skin.

Caroline winked, then let the necklace fall back in place. “A bond is a wonderful thing, when it’s done right. Karla will straighten him out, and we’ll get you feeling right as rain.”

I nodded meekly, then eyed what was left of breakfast. It had probably gone cold, but …

“I can whip up something else, if you like,” Caroline offered.

I shook my head. “No, this is great. Just … needs to be heated up again.”

She reached over and patted my hand. “You sit tight, honey.” She loaded up a plate, then took it to the micro-wave.

“So,” she said over the beeping of the machine, “you’re a vet.”

“Uh-huh.”

“That’s pretty nice,” she said. “Working with animals all the time.”

“I like them better than people, usually.”

She laughed lightly. “Don’t we all,” she murmured.

A loud ring echoed through the house, nearly startling me out of my chair. Caroline frowned. “Now, who could that be …”

She wandered out of the room. A second later, I heard her melodic voice drifting back to the room. “Good morning, Rocky Ridge. Oh, hello. Yes. Yes. Oh, of course. Will do, doctor.”

There was a click, followed by the sound of her heels on the tile. “Dr. Martin wanted to know where you got to,” she informed me with a smile. “And he said to answer your Goddamn phone.”

I stared at her, then laughed. “Of course he did.”

Her smile broadened. “Of course, I think you should wait until after breakfast.”

I shook my head and darted back to the guest room to retrieve my “Goddamn phone.” When I returned, Caroline had put the warmed-up plate on the table.