AllFreeNovel
Share Us
* * *
“Sir, if you cannot control yourself, you’ll need to leave hospital grounds.”
Wes growled at the nurse standing in front of him in the emergency room waiting area. She growled back, her eyes turning to jade as the humans in the waiting room gave each other nervous looks.
“You don’t frighten me, lion shifter,” the nurse said. “So, knock it off with the growling.”
He growled again, his ability to control his lion entirely out the window. “If you’d let me see Eleanor, I wouldn’t be -”
“I’ve told you three times, sir, you can see your friend when the doctor is finished with her.”
“Is she a damn prisoner back there?” Wes snapped. “She’s not allowed even one visitor?”
His body swelled even more, and the nurse looked to the security guard standing near the entrance. The guard ambled over, and although he was a cougar shifter, he was at least seventy, and Wes could smell his cougar’s apathy toward the situation.
“I want to see Eleanor, and I want to see her now,” he snarled. “If you think you’re going to stop me from -”
“Wes, chill out, man.” A hand clamped around his arm, and Boone’s scent filled his nostrils.
He growled at Boone. The tiger shifter squeezed his arm hard and gave him a pointed look before smiling at the nurse. “Sorry. My friend will behave himself from now on.”
“See that he does,” the nurse said with a sniff of disdain.
“He will, I promise, gorgeous.” Boone laid on the charm like thick honey. The Boone charm was notoriously effective. Usually, it had women – human and shifter alike – ready to drop everything for him. The nurse only looked him up and down this time, rolled her eyes, and walked away. The security guard returned to his entrance post as Boone guided Wes to a quiet corner of the waiting area.
“Calm down, Wes.”
Wes bared his fangs at him, and Boone said, “I know you’re worried about your driver friend, but if you shift, they’ll kick you out, and you won’t get to see her at all. So, take a fucking breath, buddy.”
Wes snarled but then closed his eyes and took four deep breaths. His lion growled, and Wes soothed him quickly.
She’s okay. I promise she’s okay. We’ll see her soon.
His lion quieted, and Wes stared at Boone. The younger man clapped him on the back. “There you are. Better?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Nan’s at this hospital. She’s up on the fourth floor. Cooper called me and asked me to come down to emergency.”
“Why? Cooper said he was on his way.”
“He is, but apparently, there was something in your voice that made him think you were on the verge of freaking the fuck out,” Boone said.
Wes flushed as the entrance doors opened and Cooper, his mate Daisy clinging to his hand, strode into the emergency room. He headed toward them, clapping Wes on the back and nodding to Boone. “How is she?”
“I have no fucking idea,” Wes said. “She’s been shot in the arm. That’s all I fucking know. The ambulance took her away, but I had to stay behind to talk to the police and give them a description of the guy. I took a cab to the hospital as soon as I could leave, but they won’t let me see her.”
His voice turned plaintive. “They won’t let me see her because I’m not family or her mate. I should have lied and said I was her mate. Why didn’t I say I was her mate?”
“It’s okay, Wes,” Cooper said. “I’m sure she’s all right.”
“There was a lot of blood,” Wes said, his voice cracking a little.
“Is she in surgery?” Daisy said.
