Page 69 of Monster. Me.

The corgi immediately starts wagging his tail, which only makes the beta happier.

The cat is even simpler. After a brief examination, I determine it's a mild eye infection. Nothing dangerous. I explain how to keep the eye clean, what symptoms to watch for, and which medication will clear it up. The teenager listens carefully to every word.

By the time I'm finished, both owners are thanking me enthusiastically, and even more money changes hands.

"Thank you, Dr. Nolan."

"Seriously, thank you!"

"You've been a huge help."

I nod awkwardly, accept their gratitude, and decide that if I don't leave right now, somebody else is going to show up carrying a rabbit, a parrot, or possibly a goat.

A few minutes later, I'm finally sitting behind the wheel of my car. I lock the doors, start the engine, and enjoy several glorious seconds of silence.

They were okay, but this isn't the stage of my life for this. My level of inner turmoil is way too high to give these animals my full attention, and they deserve more than an unfocused, unhappy new vet.

Then I remember that I gave Davos my phone number. A long sigh escapes me as I pull away from the curb. It may not be over…

As the road stretches out ahead of me, I can't help feeling a little satisfied. Peaches is healthy. The corgi is fine. The cat is going to recover without any trouble.

For a completely unplanned first day on the job, things could have gone a lot worse.

◆◆◆

After pulling into the parking lot by the facility, I sit there for a moment with my hands still on the wheel, staring at the gray, minimalist building. It has that kind of gloomy heaviness that feels almost oppressive.

When I finally get out of the car, I lean against it for a second before turning toward the forest that starts right beyond the edge of the lot. The contrast is immediate. The building feels wrong in my peripheral vision, while the trees look like… an escape. Green, shifting shadows, the smell of damp earth and leaves, something that promises serenity.

So I just move. Straight into the tree line, letting the forest swallow everything behind me.

One quick glance over my shoulder confirms no one is following. I make my way to a small, dense thicket and hide there, shedding my clothes.

I shift into my cat form and take off running.

Yes! I need this. My feline nature loves exploring, taking in new territory and new trails. I race between bushes and tree trunks, leaping over roots, clumps of moss, and blueberry shrubs…

The forest helps me put things into perspective. I cut through undergrowth, between trunks and roots, jumping over moss and low shrubs. It’s just motion, pure and immediate.

Something pulls me in a particular direction, as if I'm being led on a string. I feel an urge to run that way, toward the patch of light I can see between the trees in the distance…

A clearing opens up suddenly, idyllic, serene. Sunlight floods the space. A stream spreads into a shallow pool, fed by a narrow waterfall that crashes into white foam.

That’s when I see him.

A human shape in the water, half-hidden by the falling stream.

Or is it human?

For a second, everything locks.

Fenn Drax.

He’s really there under the waterfall, completely naked. Unbelievable.

Can he leave the facility too? What a coincidence that I found him or… is it?

For the first time, I see him without his clothes, and I take my time studying him.