The Patient Is a Shark [Shape-Shifter Clinic 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (8 page)

Oh well, he could stay awake and watch over Quinn and Wynter if he needed to. Wynter had to rest and Quinn had done most of the driving so was certain to be tired, but he was the support person, so once he got Wynter settled he could also be her guardian if that had to happen. At least these people had a swimming pool, and by now her skin would be starting to get rough and sore. Perhaps she could swim twice while they were here, once now and once tomorrow before they left.
I wonder if that would help her.

The gate opened and they drove through, then it closed automatically behind them. Quinn drove slowly up the access road which wound through lawns and gardens, then circled a large and imposing house. More of a mansion, really, than a mere house. When they got to the back of the building, there was an open area with several vehicles already parked there. A man with a flashlight waved them over to one side of the space where there was plenty of room for the car and trailer.

“Do you need the swimming pool immediately, or have you got time to see your rooms and have some food first?” the man asked.

Rainer turned to Wynter. “Wynter?”

“Because we swam this morning I can last another hour or so yet.”

Good. I’ll make sure she swims before we leave tomorrow as well then, because it’s going to be a much longer day.

“Right, follow me then.”

Rainer offered his arm for Wynter to lean on, but she shook her head and walked very slowly beside him. He almost cried at the thought of the pain she was suffering to take each determined step, but he had to let her move on her own. After sitting all day she needed to be upright even though it must be hurting her a lot.

Fortunately it wasn’t far. They entered what seemed to be a guest apartment, where there were three bedrooms and a living area. A table was set with a pristine white cloth, and a cold meal laid out ready for them. The man showed them the bedrooms and bathroom, then walked them outside again and pointed to a path.

“The pool is only a hundred twenty feet down that way. The lights come on automatically when you approach it. Our Alpha has ordered that no one is allowed near the pool until after you leave, so the lady can swim for as long and as often as she needs. The telephone in the apartment is a direct line to the security room in the house. If you have any concerns, anything at all, please call. If you want to stay here tomorrow as well for the lady to rest, you are most welcome. The kitchen will bring breakfast at whatever time you ask. If you plan to leave very early tomorrow, please leave a message tonight so your food will be ready for you. Have you any questions?”

“Is there internet in the apartment? Can I check my e-mails?” asked Wynter.

“Yes, the Wi-Fi will work in your apartment and also poolside.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much for letting me stay here. You can’t know how much it means to me to have your help,” she said.

For the first time the nameless man smiled. “Madam, we all understand that it isn’t always easy to be a shape-shifter in a human world. And for you, it’s even more difficult than for us wolves. We’re also indebted to Dr. Thorne for his clinic. It makes a world of difference knowing there’s a doctor who understands our unique needs. You’re welcome here for as long as you want to stay.”

Wow.
Rainer felt humbled by the man’s speech. He was just a human, just a worker for Dr. Thorne. Nobody important. Yet these wolves had welcomed him, too, and taken care of his needs, because he worked for the doctor and because Wynter needed their help. They were all good people indeed.

“Have there been any signs of the person who threatened the clinic?” asked Quinn.

The man’s face darkened again. “All the Alphas are in constant contact about that issue. If someone has betrayed the pack they will be dealt with. Permanently. Should you have any troubles on your journey, you have our number, and help will be with you as fast as possible. Please let us know of any worries you have, anything at all that seems strange or dangerous. You aren’t alone. We have friends in every state, and every major city.”

“Thank you,” said Quinn.

Rainer nodded. That was really good to know. They had such a long road trip tomorrow the last thing they needed was trouble to make their journey even longer.

They walked back to the guest apartment and sat down at the table. Once again Rainer was hungry and eagerly lifted the lid on a large pot placed centrally on the table. “Gazpacho. Awesome.”

He filled a bowl and handed it to Wynter, then did the same for Quinn before taking one himself. Rainer sniffed the soup. “Ah, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, and a range of spices and sauces. Perfect.”

Wynter opened a long parcel wrapped in aluminum foil. It was bread to go with the soup. She handed him the plate, and he took a few pieces before passing it to Quinn. The food was absolutely delicious.

After they’d eaten, Quinn went back to the car and collected their swimming things from the trunk. He also brought in Wynter’s small bag with her night things in it.

“Before we swim, Wynter, please be honest. Will you be able to travel again tomorrow? We can stay here tomorrow if you need to rest. You heard the man say that. When we leave here it’s a long way to our next accommodation, just this side of St. Louis. Fifteen hours driving plus stops, so it could be as much as seventeen, eighteen hours in the car.” Rainer watched her carefully. He wasn’t sure she’d be honest, and he needed to see her body language and her face, not just hear her words.

“Truly, I’m fine. Having the entire backseat to myself is just like being on the couch in my old apartment. I can wiggle around as much as I need to change my posture. It’s not even ten o’clock yet. Even by the time I check my e-mails and swim I can be in bed at eleven. I should be ready to leave at six tomorrow, if that’s not too difficult for you two.”

“Will that allow time for you to swim again tomorrow? With such a long’s day’s drive it’d be good to hydrate your skin before we go.”

Rainer nodded. Quinn had said exactly what he’d been thinking himself.

“Yes, I thought of that. I’ll have a quick swim before I shower tomorrow.” She smiled and left the room, returning very quickly wearing her bikini and carrying a towel.

Rainer walked with her, still fully dressed. Quinn stayed behind to change. Rainer didn’t care whether he swam or not. He was there to care for her, not to go swimming. But when Quinn arrived at the pool, he decided to go back to the apartment and change. She was having such fun in the pool he wanted to join her. There was a rock waterfall at one end, and she’d swim up then leap out of the water to be splashed by the cascading flow of the waterfall. Rainer guessed he wouldn’t be able to do that, but he could stand underneath it and watch her.

When he returned Quinn pointed to a large plastic beach ball on the chaise longue next to him. “Throw that to her. Let’s see how she reacts.” Quinn grinned and tossed the ball to the great white shark. She leaped out of the water and batted it back to him with her snout. Instantly the three of them were playing their own version of baseball, with the two men tiring long before the shark did.

Rainer dived into the pool and swam up to the waterfall. He stood under the water, amazed at how much colder the water seemed when it splashed on him. Quinn joined him, bringing the ball. Once again they played for a while, then Wynter swam to the shallow end of the pool.
She’s tired. We’ve exhausted her.

He hurried out of the pool and snatched up a towel to wrap her in. “Are you tired?” he asked as soon as she’d transformed.

“A little perhaps, but it was fun. I’ve never played with people in my shark form before.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve never played ball with a shark either,” said Quinn, making them all laugh.

Quinn picked her up and carried her back to the guest apartment, while Rainer put the ball back on the pool chair and collected their towels and Wynter’s bikini.

Quinn carried her all the way into the bathroom, and Rainer said, “Are you sure you’ll be okay to swim at about five tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, I’ll order breakfast for five thirty then, and we’ll aim to leave here at six.”

Rainer left the message about breakfast and their estimated time of departure in the morning, and Quinn ate another bowl of gazpacho.

“That was really nice. Is there any left?”

“Enough for a bowl for you, yes.”

“Thanks.” Rainer reached for the platter of bread and took a piece, handing the last slice to Quinn.

“Yum. She wanted to check her e-mails. I’ll go and get her laptop and our bags so we can shower and change, too.”

“Thanks, Quinn. We did all right today, didn’t we?”

“Yes, but tomorrow is going to be the difficult day.”

Now that was true. Almost a thousand miles to travel, and it was their second day so the road trip was no longer going to be fresh and exciting. Oh, well, at least he didn’t feel hungry going to bed tonight. Although it was a shame he couldn’t hold her lovely body in his arms again tonight. What had driven her to want them early this morning? Would she wake them again tonight? Was he brave enough to ask her for an explanation of her actions?

Wynter had intended to think about why she’d had sex with the men this morning. Apart from the fact that their scent called to her on the deepest level of her being, that they were irresistible and in her bed. But during the day, whenever she’d looked at them, she’d been distracted by their conversation and the way they cared for her. She’d even napped a few times along the way, and despite sitting in the car all day, she fell instantly asleep the moment she wiggled deep under the covers of the lovely, soft bed. Oh yeah, high-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets. The softest, most luxurious bedding in the world.

Once again the pain woke her in the middle of the night.
Fuck it! Why didn’t I remember to take some pain pills before I went to sleep?
But she knew why. She’d been tired and had fallen asleep before she had time to think about anything at all. Wynter leaned up on one elbow and turned her pillow over then wiggled down in the bed again to try to get herself comfortable but ten minutes later knew it wasn’t going to happen. The deep throbbing in her knee was radiating pain all the way down to her toes and up to her hip. She’d have to take some pain pills or she’d risk waking the men with her moaning.

When she tried to stand, Wynter knew it was going to be one of the days when her leg completely refused. Well, she’d developed a system to deal with that, too, when she’d been determined to return the hired crutches, which were costing her more than she could afford to pay for them on a daily basis.

She hopped to the nearest wall, faced it, then with her hands flat against it, hopped her way down the hallway into the main room, where the luggage had been left.

“Fuck!”

Rainer had apparently taken his luggage into his bedroom with him, and she didn’t know which of the other two bedrooms was his and which was Quinn’s. She looked down the hallway and groaned. Both doors were shut. Oh well, at least she could get some water to wash the pills down with while she was here, although she could only put a little in the bottom of a mug or it’d all spill as she hopped back up the hallway.

She hopped into the kitchen area, took the largest mug she could find, and put an inch of water in the bottom of it. Hopefully that wouldn’t splash out. She really only needed a mouthful to swallow a couple pills anyway.

Then she made her way slowly back up the hallway, past her bedroom to the next one. She opened the door and looked in. It took long moments for her eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room. Whichever man was sleeping here had pulled the curtains tightly closed, and her own body in the doorway was blocking out most of the light from the living area, where the light had been left turned on. Finally she could see the luggage was Quinn’s, so she quietly closed his door and hopped out again to the final room which had to be Rainer’s.

She opened his door and saw his luggage just to the right of the doorway. Sighing with relief, she rested her mug on the floor and opened his bag. The medications were right on the top.

She was balanced with her leg stuck out behind her, one hand on the luggage and the other reaching for the pills, when she wobbled and slammed her hand flat on the floor so she wouldn’t fall. However, she knocked over the mug with a crash and dropped the bag of medications, sending containers rolling in every direction.

Rainer sat up in bed, blinking at her, saying, “Wynter?”

Quinn raced into the room and grabbed her. “Wynter, what if you fell? What do you need? Pain pills?”

Quinn scooped her up and placed her on the bed, in Rainer’s arms, before he switched the light on and began to collect the spilt containers of pills. He handed the bag and what he’d collected to Rainer then crawled under the bed to get the rest.

“I’m sorry. I spilled the water.”

“It’s not much. I’ll get a cloth and wipe it up and bring you more, when I’m sure I’ve picked everything up,” said Quinn.

Wynter felt tears of failure gathering behind her eyes. Every little thing was too hard for her now, and once again she’d screwed up.

“Aw, sweetie, don’t cry. I know the pain’s bad, but in fifteen minutes you’ll be getting better again,” said Rainer, hugging her.