Chapter Six

Kirk

I woke up as dawn peeked in through the windows. Lar was there to do his last vital check on Chasten before shift change. My mate stirred as Lar took his pulse and blood pressure and snapped his teeth half asleep when he pricked his finger to check his blood sugar. I crossed my fingers, hoping that meant his wolf was fully out of sedation this morning.

"Is it behaving? What's it at?" I asked while Chasten flashed my co-worker a sleepy-eyed, dirty look.

"One-oh-three," Lar nodded. "Not bad. Pretty good actually since we just started management yesterday. Are you hungry?"

"I need about three gallons of coffee."

"Hospital coffee sucks," Lar and I said at the same time.

"But your guy can order some real coffee in for you if you like," Lar added. "After breakfast we'll give you another go at walking around."

"Is he awake?" I asked Chasten.

"Sort of. He wants coffee too," he said, stretching out reaching for the headboard with his fingertips and stretching his toes toward the end of his bed.

"I can do that as long as you eat. Well, I will either way. Gotta stop putting on my nurse voice with you," I said, torn between wanting what was best for Chasten and not wanting to sound like a cave-alpha.

"It's sorta sexy," Chasten shrugged. "I'll eat if it's good food. Maybe not a bloody deer leg this early in the morning."

"You're in luck. The doctor didn't place a special order for your breakfast like he did your dinner," Lar laughed on his way out. "They'll have it in here soon."

"And I'll order coffee," I said, reaching over and grabbing my phone. "Oh, that reminds me. Did you let them know you were okay?"

"Who?"

"Your friends."

"Oh, yeah. We talked a bit last night before you conked me out."

"How did I conk you out?" I asked, opening the Coffee by Drone app on my phone.

"You were warm and comfy. Hard too but this is your job and---" he let his words trail off.

"What do you normally drink?" I asked, trying hard not to think about the morning wood that died off as soon as Lar entered the room.

"Anything iced or frapped," he said, turning to rest his head on my shoulder.

"And let me guess, it's pumpkin season?" I chuckled.

"What other season could it possibly be?"

"It's gonna be diabetic friendly. Don't need you spiking up this morning," I said, praying he wasn't about to bite me again. This wasn't the time or place for foreplay after all.

"That will be acceptable," Chasten frowned at me.

"It'll take awhile to find the stuff you like but it'll be worth it not to faint again."

"It'll be worth it to be back in my own bed or yours. I guess at some point we have to talk about that too. Do you own your house?"

"Nope. I have a roommate."

"Lar?" Chasten asked.

"Nope," I laughed. "I've never lived with him. He still lives with his litter mates."

"Will they be mad if you move?" he asked.

"Probably not. We're not really friends. We both needed a decent place to sleep when we weren't working. It was just easier to find one apartment. We can both afford it and it won't take Tank long to find another roommate. Nurses are always looking for roommates. Someone's always moving hospitals, territories, or finding their mates. Do you?"

"I don't have a roommate and I do own the house. I bought it with erotic art money," Chasten smirked.

"Good money then," I shrugged and finished placing our coffee order.

"So, it's decided then? You'll move in with me?" he asked, looking up at me hopefully.

"If you'll have me."

"I might have to drag you there anyway if you don't come willingly. I've grown rather attached to having you by my side already. Me, my wolf, and the magic aren't going to put up with you sleeping somewhere else."

"Cave wolf," I teased him as the kitchen worker rolled in his breakfast cart.

***

After breakfast and coffee, it was time to test how well Chasten's wolf was doing. This time I shifted with him. Normally, I wouldn't shift at the hospital, but he needed the moral support. Both of us being in our wolf forms held up the test a bit because there was a lot of tail wagging and sniffing around each other, but I took it as a good sign that Chasten's wolf felt up to being playful and friendly.

Doria, the nurse on morning shift, was patient. She was an older she-wolf with more grandkids than kids at this point. If my memory served correctly, she was even expecting her first great grand pup. She humored us as Chasten and I walked small circles around each other, nuzzling and licking.

Then Chasten's eyes lit up with mischief and before I could tell him to take it easy at first, he took off down the corridor like a bat out of hell. I was in the backseat to my wolf who threw his head back and howled for Chasten to get his furry tail back here – right now! The corridor with its familiar items and faces passed in a blur as my paws slapped against the floor as my wolf chased Chasten passed the elevators and around the long loop that brought us back to where we started. He didn't stop the first time or the second. My mate gave in to a full-blown case of the zoomies much to Doria's delight.

Eventually he skidded to a stop by the elevator and popped up to push the call button. I tried to poke at him over the pack link but that was a vast network of links that overlapped, and the hospital had magical barriers to stop most communication over it to protect patient privacy. He slipped between the doors as soon as they chimed open and I followed him inside. Doria squeezed through at the last second laughing like we were nothing more than naughty pups.

Doria and I looked to Chasten to see where he was going. He popped up and hit the button for the ground floor and stood tail wagging waiting for his stop. We sank down into the belly of Mercy of Frost. The front doors opened to the lobby and a crowd of nurses, other staff, patients, and visitors all waiting for a ride upstairs. He dashed past them, winding his way through everyone's legs. Unable to do anything else, I followed on his heels. He led me and Doria outside into the bright morning sunshine.

Chasten flopped down on the grass and rolled in circles. I joined him as Doria watched over us, nodding approvingly. His case of the zoomies left no doubt in my mind that his wolf was no longer acting under the effects of the sedative. He let out one loud bark before shifting back into his human form

"Can I go home now?" he laughed.

"We'll have to see what the doctor says, but I think so," Doria nodded.