Guarding Mari (10 page)
Daniel pushed down the anger that swelled to life inside of him. Ryback hadn’t gone down without a fight. Her left eye was swollen, blood cut across her muzzle, and the fur around it stained with blood. Her eyes were closed, and she rested her head on her paws. Daniel moved around her, careful not to knock against her and lay down.
They’ll find us soon. Then it’s time to go home. Are you ready to come to my side of the mountain?
I’ve been ready for three years.
Mari growled in frustration when she bumped into the fence, again. Daniel insisted she use the wheelchair since her leg ended up being broken in three places. Wolves might have been able to heal at a faster rate but a broken bone still involved a long wait. Well, three weeks, and only if she kept off of it, hence she wasn’t using crutches. It drove her insane. So much for her new life on the bottom of the mountain. She’d been handled with kid gloves and, if it continued, well there would be hell to pay.
A few of the other residents of the compound glanced her way, but none came to help her. Mari had shouted at the last person who’d tried. Her attitude even pissed her off.
Where is my wonderful bedside manner
? Whatever happened to my never-ending patience? Doctors really do make the worst patients.
The wheelchair took on a life of its own and carefully pulled away from the fence. She snapped her head around, her heart suddenly in her throat. Nightmares about Ryback still plagued her. A part of her worried he’d come back, though she didn’t think it possible. Shifters could heal a majority of wounds, but being torn apart like tissue paper was pretty final.
She swallowed her retort of not needing any help when she rested her eyes on Daniel. She turned back in her seat and let him navigate through the fenced area. The Greyborn compound resembled the Black Paw Pack, the layout incredibly similar, and Mari figured that Daniel took the idea from the place he’d called home. It made the move less jarring, though she told Adam if he needed her, to call her.
“You were out of bed early this morning.”
“I couldn’t sleep,” she admitted reluctantly. “When is he coming?”
“Soon. I just got off the phone with him.” A slight pressure on her shoulder, as Daniel squeezed it gently.
“You know I could remove the cast for you,” Daniel teased. “Partially shift my claws and cut right through it.”
She snorted. “I’ve begged you to take it off. Hell, I made some pretty dirty promises if you would do it. I doubt that after handling me with kid gloves, you’d cut it off yourself.”
Daniel laughed behind her. “Yeah, you’ve been a real joy to be around. I think you’ve scared the others away. One girl described you as scary.”
A sigh escaped her. “I promise to make amends when I’m back on my feet again. I have a chocolate brownie recipe that will help.”
He paused. “Well, if you’re planning on making that, I would do it sooner rather than later.”
“Why, they’re not threatening to chuck me out of the compound are they?” Damn, maybe she needed to make three batches?
The wheelchair came to a stop and Daniel made his way around it until he faced her. She tried not to think about how close she’d come to losing him. As he knelt in front of her, Mari raised her eyebrows.
“You’re not going to propose are you? Because you already know I love you. You don’t have to do that. I know it isn’t a wolf custom.” The words left her in a wild ramble.
Daniel brushed his lips against hers. “Sweetheart, shut up. Actually, this has nothing to do with getting married, but it’s still important. I have no idea if you’ll hate me for going behind your back.”
Mari’s mouth hung open in confusion. She snapped it shut. “What are you talking about?”
“I’ve got you an interview for a job. It won’t be like the hospital. I wish I could do that for you, give you back your old life, but there isn’t a hospital close by.”
What kind of job is he talking about?
“Then where?”
“There’s a clinic in the town, Hoobes. The doctor there, Rosewarne, well, he’s getting on and is looking to split the days with another doctor. I brought you up, and he wants to meet you. It isn’t a promise, but an interview. I’m sure you’ll blow him away, though. You’ve got a ton of experience. Close your mouth, love, unless you want to start catching flies.” She closed her mouth with a snap but she couldn’t talk, her brain didn’t want to work. After a few seconds of silence Daniel started to look worried. “Are you okay?”
With one sudden motion, she stumbled out of the wheelchair and into his arms, ignoring the pull of the heavy cast on her leg. The kiss was clumsy, but heartfelt. “I think I’m going to be. I love you, Daniel.”
“I love you too, Mari.”
Ella Grey likes to tell stories which feature very human characters, even if those characters sprout fur or can conjure fire with a click of their fingers. Ella has been writing for over a decade and has been published for the last two years.
She currently lives in the UK with her son, partner and cat. She rarely sleeps and can often be found with a cup of coffee in one hand and her other hand on the keyboard.
You can visit Ella at:
http://www.ellagrey.wordpress.com
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