What This Wolf Wants (7 page)

Zan turned to Scott. “Check with Russell. See if there’s any intel on undesirables entering the country.”

“On it.” With those words Scott whipped out his cell and began punching buttons.

“And with that, I’m ready for breakfast. Or lunch since it’s almost noon.” Ben placed bowls of eggs, fried potatoes, sausages and a heaping platter of pancakes—when did he make pancakes?—and toast on the table.

If the men at her table were fully human, she might have to give a lecture. After all, she was a doctor and in front of them were steaming piles of artery clogging goodness. Between the pizza last night and the appetizing food she was about to eat, she vowed to have a healthy dinner to make up for it.

And because of the huge salad that loomed in her future, she dug into the bowls before any male had a chance to.

Chapter Six

In a mass, every iota of testosterone departed from her home, leaving her with a strange feeling of abandonment. Shaking it off, Jackie tackled the mess in the kitchen. Though the men had offered to help, albeit—other than Zan—half-heatedly, (Ben of course pulled the I cooked you can clean card) she waved them off. She just wanted a time out. And maybe a nap.

After tackling the kitchen Jackie tidied the house, but when she found her gaze, and her nose, lingering on the bed Zan had slept in, she let out a disgusted breath, changed clothes and headed outside to work in her garden. She loved her backyard, with it’s small patch of grass edged on two sides by raised flower beds. She’d created concrete stepping stones that not only led to the beds, but were placed strategically throughout the garden so she could pull weeds or prune without standing on the soil. At least that’s what she told people who commented on the pretty steps. In actuality, she hated the thought of accidentally squishing any worms living in and enriching her soil. She considered it a symbiotic relationship. She was careful with the worms and they were nice to her plants.

Unfortunately, the joy she usually felt from tending her flowers eluded her. Flashes of Zan would pop into her head. Zan sitting at the table, his hands deftly cutting potatoes. Zan standing by the edge of her bed, his green eyes intent with predatory awareness, as if about to pounce.

Zan, injured—and hello, naked—on the bed in her guestroom. To her delight—shame, she meant shame—the latter image caused her to react in a very nonprofessional way. And of course, it was the picture that seemed the most vivid, and repetitive.

What she needed was a mental and physical diversion.

A shower and grocery list later, she was pushing a cart through McKensie’s Market. And it was a hotbed of gossip. Already the arrival of Dean’s brother was well-known. When she turned into the frozen food section she also found out how well-known it was that five men had been seen leaving her house early that afternoon. The older of the two whispering women pressed her lips together and gave her a tight nod, though her daughter, Penny, gave her a genuine smile. “Hey Doc.”

“Hello, Penny. How’s that finger of yours?”

Penny held up her pinkie, the one she’d accidentally gouged with a knife during one of her shift’s as a waitress. “Almost healed. That cream worked like a charm.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” No lie. Penny was smart, funny, worked circles around most people, and didn’t hold anything back. If you don’t want the truth—aka does this make my butt look big—don’t ask Penny.

Jackie couldn’t help but adore the woman.

“So I hear you had a bunch of men leaving your place early this morning?”

Jackie choked on her spit while Penny’s mom let out a horrified huff. But seriously. Wasn’t it better to ask the question of the individual involved rather then to gossip about it, incorrectly at that? “Uh. Actually, it was about one. After they all ransacked my kitchen that is.”

“I also hear that one of ‘em was Dean’s brother. What’s his name?

Zack?” While Mrs. Vernon turned away, apparently showing her disapproval at the whole incident, she hadn’t moved away. And while Jackie shouldn’t care what people thought about her, she was one of the few doctors in the community and couldn’t afford to alienate anyone. Even one with a closed-mind.

“Zan Sutton. Yes. He was involved in an accident last night and they brought him to me to tend to.”

That got the older woman’s attention. “Accident? Like a car or chainsaw?”

Bloodthirsty female. Jackie rubbed her hand over her lips to hide a smile. “I really can’t say. Doctor-patient privilege and all. But he was badly hurt and when he was stable, Dean and some others came by to help move him to an appropriate location.”

Mrs. Vernon’s tight gray curls bobbed on her head. “That was right fine of you, Jackie. But surely you could tell Penny and I what happened.

It’s not like we’re gossips or anything.”

Talk about a one-eighty. And a big, fat fib. Even Penny rolled her eyes at her mother’s outlandish conspiratorial whisper. “Mom. You heard Jackie. Doctor-patient privilege.”

“Added to that,” a deep voice joined the conversation. “Until the investigation is complete, all information is confidential.” Jackie nearly sighed with relief when Caleb Bennett, the town sheriff and alpha shifter extraordinaire stepped up next to her. “Ladies.” He nodded at them all.

“Investigation?” Mrs. Vernon latched on to that word like a leech on blood. “What kind of investigation?”

“Ma!”

“Of what happened last night.” Caleb solemnly responded.

Mrs. Vernon blinked. “Well? What happened last night?”

“That’s what we’re investigating, ma’am.”

Jackie bit her lip to keep from laughing while Penny sent Caleb a saucy wink. Then she rested a hand on her mom’s arm, halting more questions. “Look, Mom. I just saw Mrs. Hargrove pass by. Didn’t you need to speak to her about the Senior’s Bingo this Tuesday?”

“Oh. Yes. Yes I did. Come along, Penny.” Barely acknowledging a goodbye, Mrs. Vernon hurried as quickly as she could down the aisle and around the corner.

Penny shook her head. “That woman will be the death of me. Now I gotta go rescue Mrs. Hargrove.” Then she pushed the loaded cart after her mom.

When both women were out of sight, Caleb turned to Jackie, all business. “I have the,” he then mouthed the words “silver bullet”. One could never be too careful in a town full of shifters and gossips.

Jackie glanced around. “Specific target or should all shifters be concerned?” Her tone was barely audible but she knew Caleb would have no trouble hearing her.

“Gut says specific, but I can’t say for sure. And if we can’t find this person in the next seven days, it won’t matter.” Meaning that when the full moon comes up, whoever shot at Zan will know there’s more than one werewolf in Woodcliff.

While many shifters choose to stay that night at Moon Haven, locking up nearly two hundred males—including the juveniles—would make this individual suspicious. And forcing the shifter populace to remain in their own homes for the change would not only be cruel, it would be next to impossible to enforce. There were maybe ten male shifters in town that could resist the pull of the full moon, not enough to handle the job.

Not even with the help of the female shifters who couldn’t turn. The females, and certainly not the humans that knew about them, didn’t have the physical strength to subdue a full-grown wolf. Either they would have to tranquilize the male shifter populace, repeatedly throughout the night, or the shooter needed to be caught. And soon.

“No leads?”

“Footprints that lead to a dirt side road out of the forest. Guy obviously got in a car and probably didn’t get on the main road until it was clear. We’re asking around without being obvious we’re asking around.

Last thing this town needs is another…” He paused to wind his finger next to his temple.

Jackie grinned. “That your professional opinion?” Caleb flashed his teeth. “Yes, ma’am. Better get what Tess sent me out for and get home. Otherwise she just might change her mind about making chicken pot pie for dinner.”

The sparkle in his eyes made Jackie want to sigh. Caleb was newly mated to Kaylie’s older sister, Tess, and was still walking on clouds.

Jackie longed for that feeling.

Just not with Zan Sutton.

Jackie frowned as Caleb walked away, her inner beast whispering seductively in her head.

Caleb has a dangerous job, but it didn’t stop Tess from being with
him.

Compared to Zan’s job, Caleb’s was a cake walk.

Not to Tess. It wouldn’t matter if Caleb sat on the couch all day,
Tess would still worry. That’s what a mate does. Loves and worries. You
heard Kaylie’s worry over Dean last night, and that wasn’t even physical.

Zan’s playing a dangerous game and the odds are stacked against
him.
Jackie argued back.

And you could be hit by a drunk or unaware motorist as you push
your cart out of this very store. You don’t know what’s going to happen.

I do.

Chicken.

Shut up!

If Jackie didn’t know that her wolf could speak to her she’d think she was going insane. As it was, she figured it was her beast that was insane. Her human half was the smart one in this situation, and needed to remain so.

But if that car her wolf warned her about didn’t zoom out of the parking lot and kill her, she was afraid this tug-of-war between her wolf, her body, and her brain just might.

Chapter Seven

Restlessness plagued her all Sunday night and by Monday early afternoon Jackie was ready to pull out her hair. Normally she enjoyed her days off, but right now she could really use a distraction from herself.

She checked her cell phone for the six-hundredth time. Nothing.

No calls from the clinic needing extra help. No calls from her family or friends, and certainly no calls from Zan.

It was the latter that twisted her up inside. As her mate he shouldn’t be able to stay away from her. Yet since she didn’t want him for a mate she should be thrilled.

Right?

Then again, as his doctor, she really should check on him. That had to be what this strange urge was to see him. To make sure he was healing properly and not hurting. It was simply the correct and professional thing to do.

Only, she didn’t know where he was or how to reach him. Which circled back around to, why wasn’t he getting in touch with her? Was he okay? Did something else happen last night? Could he even now be lying in the middle of the forest, bleeding out from another gunshot wound?

Yep. Definitely hair pulling time.

She jumped a foot when the phone in her hand rang. The number on the screen wasn’t listed and her heart began a fast thudding in her chest at the possible implication.

“Doctor Chavez.” She grimaced at the husky tone. So not professional.

“Hey, doc. You okay?”

At Zan’s definitely alive and deep voice, a shiver of heat scorched through her veins. Shaking from the unexpected rush of lust, Jackie sank down on her couch. “I’m good. How are you?”
Smart, doc. Real smart
. “I mean, how are your ribs feeling? Your side? Have you changed the bandages?”

“That’s actually why I’m calling.”

One brow arched in irritation. He wasn’t calling to woo her, he was calling for medical reasons? Really, how rude was that?

Okay. Maybe it was time she seek her own doctor. One that dealt with mental malfunctions.

She rubbed her forehead. “What’s wrong?”

“I think one of my wounds is infected.”

Doctor Jackie straightened. “Infected? Which one? Explain?” A pause. “The one on my back is healed and the one on my…it’s the one on my hip. I noticed the edges were really red when I took a shower, but I put that stuff on you gave me and re-bandaged it, but it’s starting to ache. And well.” His voice lowered to a whisper. “It’s starting to smell funny.”

Suspicious, Jackie frowned. One, while shifters were not immune from infections, they were rare, and two, if any of Zan’s wounds were to become infected, it would have been the deep bullet wound, not the gash on his hip. “Uh, huh.”

“I hate to bother you on your day off,” Jackie nearly snorted at that, “but I was hoping you might be available to check it out. Make sure it’s healing right. After all, you’re the doctor. You would know best.” Playing to her profession. Not an original tactic but of course it worked. Regardless of her feelings for Zan, she
was
a doctor and he
was
her patient. Of course she would go. In a totally professional capacity.

“Are you staying with Kaylie and Dean?”

“No. Dean put us in the old Kolter home.”

“Us?”

“Yeah. Joe and Scott have decided to stick around for a couple of days and Dean thought we’d feel more comfortable here verses the hotel.” At least she wouldn’t be alone with Zan. Then again. Men being men, his friends may disappear on the off chance their buddy might get lucky. Creeps.

Her eyes squeezed shut. God! What was wrong with her? She wasn’t a mean person. She just felt so…so…horny. Despite everything she was told by family, friends, and patients alike, she never expected the mating heat to be this intrusive.

“So, Doc. Can you come by or do you already have plans?” Beneath the casual question was an undercurrent of steel, as if Zan expected her to drop any plans she might have and come tend to his needs.

His tone made her want to snarl back that yes, she already had plans and he’d need to go to the clinic and get checked out.

Just as quickly she vetoed the idea. Jackie needed to sever whatever ideas Zan had about them and the sooner the better. Explaining so in person while she tended to him was the best course of action. It had nothing to do with this aching need to see him again. To touch him. To breath in his scent. Nope. Nothing at all.

“I’ll be there in twenty minutes or so.”

“Great. I’ll see you when you get here.” Zan hung up.

Female Jackie galvanized into action. She brushed her teeth, applied powder, blush, and some light eyeliner. When she realized what she’d done, she grimaced at her reflection.

Brushed her teeth? Seriously? Was she expecting him to kiss her?