Chapter 11

11

EMMA

A certain kind of peace can be found in work you’re passionate about. The last week in Solaris has been a whirlwind of unease and serenity. Getting used to the fact that the humans I am doctoring are also wolves was a little terrifying. Still, every patient I have seen understands our new situation.

The discussion with Hunter went so much smoother than I had anticipated. I’ve never felt heard before, or at least not in a professional capacity, and Hunter was more than willing to work with me. He didn't fight me on my stipulations, even when I told him I’d throw his wolf outside. I’m not exactly sure what I would do in that situation—I doubt I could throw a wolf out.

Holly was the first patient in the clinic. Hunter had her come in just after our meeting ended that afternoon. Holly talked to me about all of the symptoms she’s been having. She allowed me to ask several questions about her, her wolf, and her life. At this point, I have gathered samples from healthy shifters and the sick. My centrifuge machine won’t arrive until later next week, so I have to hold off on blood samples. I just ran a basic urinalysis, blood pressure, pulse oximeter, weights, and heights. I would be interested in discovering if wolf size is relative to people's size, but I haven't been brave enough to ask Hunter.

It's a dreary morning and the first day off I’ve had since we opened the clinic. Truthfully, if it weren’t for Hunter insisting I take a day off, I would be at the clinic. I can bury my worries and stresses under the workload of starting a new clinic. My hands slide over my phone. I have not turned it back on since the whole wolf shifter thing. Life has been so much easier not to worrying about Cole calling. I’m sure he’s figured out I had my phone off, and the consequences of being distant scare me.

But I need to call my mom and check-in. I’d love to spend an hour or so telling her about my week. I did call her from the office phone, so she’d have that number just in case. My fingers swipe over the airplane mode button, and I set the phone down on the bed and back up as if it were a bomb.

My eyes grow wide as the amount of texts and calls tick up. M aybe it will explode . After nearly three minutes of alerts, my phone falls dark. This was a mistake. I should have changed my number. I should’ve thrown my phone off a freaking cliff. Picking up the small device, I tap the screen.

The first text is a picture of Cole smiling. Behind him is my house, which is here in Solaris.

He’s here.

The fear that shoots through my body is like a lightning bolt, searing and burning every part of me that's been allowed to heal this week. It destroys any safety net I’ve built here with my friends, work, and Hunter.

I drop my phone and run. My feet are bare as I push through my back door. The leggings and baggy shirt are not ideal for running, but I need to get away. The adrenaline surges through my body, giving me a little extra push as I break through the heavily forested trail that sits in my backyard.

As I push further into the dense woods, the branches and trees slash and tear at my shirt. The sky and ground are almost the same color as a dark storm rolling off the sharp mountains surrounding our valley.

A howl pierces through my racing mind. I’m comforted by the sound for the first time, knowing the demon haunting me can do far more damage than a wolf.

However, running blindly into the forest wasn't my brightest move. Now that I feel far enough away, I realize this wasn't the safest idea either. I’m lost. I was so distracted by the thought of getting safe that I am now lost in a dense forest with no sun or landmark to point me home, surrounded by old pines that all look the same.

My body is in riot over the adrenaline rush, triggering my fight-or-flight reflex. The anxiety is catching up to me like a wave about to wash away a small child. I’m helpless to stop the tears as they cascade down my cheeks.

Dread coils in my stomach, thinking about the day Cole attacked me—the calls, the threats, the fact that he knows where I live now. The sobs twist and torment my stomach, and I feel it clench painfully as I fold over myself, dry heaving into the pine needles. Of course, his dark, inky tendrils still seep into my life, tainting everything they touch.

I slowly calibrate to my surroundings. The feeling of being watched has my skin pebbling. There may be monsters in the forest. The burn of my lungs grounds me as I back up to a large pine tree. What are my best survival options?

My hands run down my arms as the weight of this situation sinks in, and I fall to the forest floor. The shock of the situation wears off quickly when a twig snaps not far off. My ears strain to hear what's coming. My legs push me further back into the large pine. My attempt at hiding is futile because my baggy shirt is neon pink with the Nirvana logo in bright yellow in the middle.

My voice is weak as I call out into the forest, “Hello? Hello!”

It's quiet once more, but I can feel someone watching me. I feel eyes on me, and the thought that it could be Cole has me hiding my face in my hands. “Oh, God.”

Another branch snaps, this time much closer. I keep my hands up to muffle my cries. Then, a slight whine breaks the silence. The sound is so at odds with the forest that I peek my eyes open and see the wolf—the same wolf from the clinic—Hunter’s wolf. He’s here. The relief that washes over me has the tears drying up.

Without a warning, the man kneels in front of me, completely bare. “Emma, look at me.”

My eyes meet his, and for the faintest moment, it's as if a cord has tied us together. It's so thin and fragile; I’m afraid it will break if I even breathe. And right now, there's nothing left of me to break. A tiny blink breaks the thread, but in the depths of Hunter's ice-blue eyes, I see…hope.

“Hunter?” My voice is a hoarse whisper.

“Emma,” he says with way more confidence than any man should while kneeling naked in the forest.

I don't respond to him, instead covering my eyes once more, embarrassed at being found in the woods like this and that his junk is well…I'm trying not to look, but it's hard as he crouches beside me.

“Emma, I would like to get you home, get more clothes on you.”

I laugh out loud at that comment. “You're one to talk.” I peek my eyes open to catch him, and they almost crease at the side. He's fighting off a smile at my naked joke.

Then his brow furrows again, and he says, “Are you hurt?”

I roll my eyes. That's a loaded question.

“Not physically,” are the words that slip out instead. My hands quickly cover my mouth. Hunter's gaze drops to my wrist, still tinged slightly yellow in spots. A growl pulls from his throat.

“Emma, I am fighting every instinct to not sweep you up and carry you home.” His hand slides over his head. The movement is magnetizing. “But I’m only going to touch you if you ask me to.”

God . That sounds glorious—a true knight in shining armor. Shaking my head at him, I instead push off the wet dirt. I'm a strong, independent ? —

My hands and feet suddenly simmer with a cold heat, and I sway lightly.

“Emma.” My name is a low growl in his throat as my hand finds the tree behind me for balance.

“Hunter, I don't feel so good…” As the last word falls from my lips, I slip into darkness.