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He rubs his arm. “It’s a little bit the answer.”

I laugh. “I gotta go. Keep me posted on Ezra, okay?”

He backs toward the main building. “Will do.” He gets serious on me. “And Aya? He’s probably giving you space. That’s what mates do when they’re trying not to overwhelm you.”

I don’t have a comeback for that. I watch him jog off until he’s lost in the crowd of students.

I lift my nose to the air and go hunting. Pine and fresh bread hit me first, with the flower gardens by the library sweet underneath. I dig past a campus full of shifters and the chemical tang of the science building. I turn into the breeze and try again.

But not him.

I hitch up my backpack and start the walk to the medical center. Wherever Ezra is, he’s not here. No matter how many times I tell myself I don’t care, my wolf isn’t buying it.

I miss him.

3

AYA

Wintermoon Medical is one of the few buildings on the mainland that don’t smell like the forest. The vents strip it down to almost nothing. They have to, with patients who can scent fear and pain from down the hall. My wolf grumbles about it. I push through the front doors, and the medical assistant at the desk waves me on without a word. He’s a young Ash Clan dragon in green scrubs.

My shoes squeak in the empty corridor. Most of the staff won’t be in for a while this early. Lately I’ve been matching Claude, who likes to get here before the rush. It used to be nothing but dragons in this building, with her and Sam in charge and Dominic over in pediatrics. More of us train in every year now.

When Amaya retired last month, Claude asked if I wanted her training spot. The luna of Zohar Pride had worked here a long time, but she was ready to step back and focus on her family. I said yes while Claude was still talking.

No one’s in the locker room when I slip inside. I trade my jeans and sweater for the pale blue scrubs that mark me as a trainee. Mine are soft from too many washes. After I tie my hair back and clip on my badge, I head out to the main floor.

Claude is already at the nurses’ station with patient files pulled up on a tablet, her white coat thrown on with the sleeves shoved to her elbows. Early shifts never wear her down like this. She keeps swiping without reading a word.

I slow down as I get closer, and her scent hits me wrong. She smells like sadness, the stale kind that’s been clinging to her for days. My wolf whimpers at it.

I stop beside her. “Morning.”

Claude’s green eyes brighten when she sees me. She has to dig for her smile. “There you are. Ready to make yourself useful?”

I prop a hip against the counter. “Depends. Are we doing anything more interesting than paperwork today?”

She hands me the tablet. “Prenatal appointment in ten minutes. Bear shifter from Axel Clan and his human mate. First pregnancy.”

I scan the file. High risk. Of course it is. No human body delivers a bear cub without a surgeon. I flip through her previous visits and the blood work. Everything reads fine so far. I hope it stays that way with what she’s carrying.

“They’re nervous,” Claude adds as she heads for the exam rooms. “First pregnancy, and she’s human. The whole bear cub thing is a lot to take in.”

I fall into step beside her. “How far along?”

“Four months. First detailed ultrasound today. We’ll be able to see the cub’s development clearly, check for any abnormalities.” She glances at me. “You’ll run the Doppler. I want you getting comfortable with the equipment.”

I’ve watched her do this plenty, but she’s never put the probe in my hands before. I wipe them down the front of my scrubs. “What if I mess it up?”

“Then I’ll fix it and you’ll learn.” She turns to face me. “Aya, you’re not going to break anything. The worst that happens is we get a blurry image and have to reposition. That’s it.”

I nod, but my wolf won’t quit pacing. The ultrasound isn’t the problem.

Claude picks it up in my scent. “You okay?” she asks. I can’t tell if she wants the real answer.

“Fine,” I blurt. “Just tired.”

She studies me, then keeps walking. “Room two. Let’s go.”