Wolf Quest (3 page)

She hadn’t made much noise as she entered the kitchen, but he’d known she was there. He definitely had sharper senses than the average person. It would be interesting to learn the extent of his werewolf talents.

“There might be something out in the red barn. The previous owners had a lot of lumber scraps that I kept. Sometimes I use bits of them to cobble together things I need for the animals.” She moved into the room and toward the door, grabbing her jacket from the hook on the wall as she went. “Speaking of which, I need to go check on everyone and do the morning feed.”

He didn’t even have to be asked. He stood, throwing his assault rifle casually over one shoulder. The strap that held it looked well worn, and he carried the giant gun as if it belonged there. As if he always went about heavily armed. Like a soldier who had seen more than his fair share of action in dangerous places.

“So what do I call you? Major? Major Moore? Jesse?” she asked as they left the kitchen through the broken door. He took a moment to secure it as best he could.

“Jesse’s good.” Apparently he was a man of few words.

“I’m Doctor Maria Garibaldi, as you no doubt already know.” They walked quickly through the brisk morning air.

The sun was up and the day beginning to warm, but there were still sparkling droplets of dew in the grass and on the leaves. It was a magical time of morning that Maria usually enjoyed in solitude, listening to the whispering song of the leaves and grass.

“
Doctor
Garibaldi,” he spoke her name in a respectful tone, emphasizing her title. “Our intel didn’t include that little fact. We were operating on very little information, but I’m glad we arrived when we did.”

She decided to give him a little credit. “Me too. Not that I wasn’t already handling the situation, but I’d rather not involve the local sheriff in anything I don’t have to.”

“Why’s that?” He looked at her sharply, and she instantly regretted her words. She probably shouldn’t have mentioned her problems with local law enforcement to this guy she barely knew. Too late now.

“Let’s just say, a few folks weren’t very happy when I set up my shingle here. One or two of the local landowners objected strongly to the idea of a wildlife sanctuary in their midst, and the local sheriff…well… It might be too much to say that he tried to run me off, but it sure felt that way for a while. I’d rather not let him know that I had trouble here. It would only add fuel to the fire of those who want me gone.”

“I’m sorry,” Jessie replied. As if he had any control over the local biases. “We shifters tend to handle things ourselves and keep human law enforcement out of it as much as possible, so you’re in the clear as far as I’m concerned. If you continue to have problems with the sheriff, I’d be willing to have a few words with him if you like. I’m not sure what I can do, but I’d be willing to try.”

“While I appreciate the offer, I’ve learned it’s best not to have any dealings with the man that aren’t strictly necessary. He’s a real jerk.”

“Sorry to hear that.” Again, his concern seemed real. “Sally is a former police detective. She used to live and work in San Francisco before meeting my little brother and moving out to Wyoming to live. She might have some pull. She gets along well with other cops from what I’ve seen.”

“This is my supposed long-lost cousin you’re talking about, right? She’s a werewolf?”

“No,” Jesse was quick to clarify. “In fact, before coming to Wyoming, she had no knowledge of the existence of Others. Although, far back in her ancestry—and yours too—is a very powerful dryad. Sally has a little bit of wolf blood, but she can’t shift. She can do things with plants and trees though that would amaze you.”

“Maybe not as much as you think,” she mumbled as they approached the first outbuilding. “Are you still willing to help with the feed?” She turned to him as she slid open the oversized door.

He smiled at her and her heart literally skipped a beat. Damn. He really was too handsome for his own good.

“I’m happy to help.”

“Good.” She cleared her throat, trying to regain some of her usual equilibrium. “Take out the plastic bag full of red meat from the refrigerator and set it on the table.” She nodded toward the work island in the center of the kitchen area.

There were a couple of freezers and one big industrial refrigerator on the perimeter of the area. There was also ample counter space and some very large knives in a wooden block on the counter by the sink. The cabinets were full of the tools of her trade—medicines and supplies to help her treat her furry patients.

Maria opened the medicine cabinet and took out what she needed. She used a mix of her own healing energy and manmade drugs to help her patients. There were too many for her to heal all by herself. If she tried—as she had when she was a youngster—she would be knocked unconscious from the strain. She’d learned through trial and a lot of error that she gave of her own energy when she healed and a complex or prolonged healing could push her to dangerously low levels.

So she’d decided long ago on a compromise. She’d gone to veterinary school and gotten all the knowledge and credentials she needed. That, combined with her innate abilities, had made her a much more successful vet than most.

Jesse sniffed as she neared, holding a few of the pills she meant to incorporate into some of her patients’ meat.

“Oral antibiotics?”

“You can smell that?” She set the paper cup that held the pills on the table near the bag of meat he’d retrieved.

“Yep. My sniffer is very sensitive.” His lips quirked in a small grin that was altogether too charming. She had to be on her toes with this guy. He could too easily trick her into liking him.

“Interesting,” was her only comment. Frankly, she didn’t know what to say to that.

The idea that he could shift form into a giant wolf made her knees weak. She’d met only one shifter, and that one had been female and young. The werecougar woman hadn’t been all that intimidating when she was in her feline form, and when she was human she was frail as a willow.

This guy was the most imposing man she’d ever seen up close. His size was on the enormous scale and his muscles had muscles. If he ever did turn into a wolf in her presence, she’d probably wet her pants.

Maria went about her work silently, inserting the pills into flaps she cut in the meat. It wasn’t the most efficient way of delivering the drugs, but it would have to do for now. She didn’t want to take too many chances with her newest guest, a young bear with a badly infected gunshot wound. He’d been anesthetized when he came in, courtesy of a friendly animal control officer, and she’d been able to dig out the bullet and stitch him up while he was still out.

She’d also been able to administer antibiotics and other medicines by injection while he was safely unconscious. Now, however, he was up and about. Even in pain, he was really not happy about being caged. He attacked the bars and paced every time she entered the barn, watching her with an angry expression. She tried not to take it personally, but she was still kind of surprised by his violent reaction. He really was a wild one and refused to let her near. She didn’t want to tranquilize him any more than necessary.

Maria placed the spiked meat back on the tray and went to get a few pounds of chicken she’d had thawing in the refrigerator. She used this building as her surgery and prep room. The barns were where she kept her larger patients while they recovered. It was easier and more secure, also quieter for the animals farther away from the house and the driveway.

She prepared the chicken and some more beef for the cats, adding portions to another tray. When she was done, she loaded Jesse with the larger tray and picked up the smaller one herself. Might as well take advantage of having him around while he was here. They walked toward the first barn, which was full of cats. She could hear the uproar already as they neared.

“They smell me.” Jesse stopped short of the door. “Maybe I’d better wait outside or they’ll never settle down.”

Maria listened to the unusual ruckus inside and hastily agreed. “I’ll be right back.”

She took the larger tray from him and left him with the smaller one, rushing into the barn and making her rounds quickly. The patients were all doing well, if agitated by the werewolf scent outside. They quieted down when they got their meals and Jesse didn’t come any closer.

Rejoining him outside the door, she smiled tentatively and pointed to the tray he still held.

“This is for the new bear. He’s in the next building.” She led the way, chattering a bit to cover her surprise at the cats’ reactions. “He’s a juvenile and not happy about being here. Hopefully he’ll take the pills this way. If he doesn’t, I’ll have to try something else.”

“What’s wrong with him?”

“He was shot a few days ago. Animal control tranq’ed him and brought him to me when he strayed too close to somebody’s house. I took the bullet out and stitched him up. He was unconscious most of the first day. Yesterday, he was back to his ornery self. Nearly ripped my hand off when I strayed too close to his cage, but he needs more antibiotics. His wound was already infected when they brought him to me.”

“What kind of bear?”

“Grizzly,” she answered as she opened the barn door. She noticed when Jesse’s head came up suddenly, his eyes peering intently into the darkness beyond the door.

“He’s more than that.” Jesse put the tray down on the table just inside the door and went inside ahead of her. “Stay back, Doc. Let me talk to him.”

“Oh, Lord. Do you mean to say I’ve got another shifter in a cage? Crap!” She was upset. More than upset, to be honest. She knew about shifters now. They were people, not just animals. They didn’t need—or deserve—to be caged. “No wonder he’s not happy with me.”

She tried to push in front of Jesse, but he wouldn’t budge. He approached the cage and stared down at the small bear inside. Jesse cursed under his breath and crouched down, way too close to the bars had this been a truly wild animal.

“Hey, sport,” he greeted the youngster. “You’re safe. You can shift now. The doc didn’t know you were
were
, but she knows about us and she’s safe. Are you well enough to take your skin and talk to me? Tell me where your parents are and I’ll get them. They must be worried sick.”

The bear only growled, in obvious pain as it lay panting on the floor. It glared at Maria over Jesse’s shoulder.

“I’m so sorry,” she tried. “I didn’t know you were a shifter. I’ve only met one before. If I’d known, I would’ve done this differently. I’m really, really sorry.”

The bear sniffed in her direction, then focused his nose and his gaze on the werewolf in front of her.

“She’s on the level.” Jesse looked at the lock holding the cage closed. “You lock them in, Doc?” His tone was full of condemnation, and she felt just awful, but she had her reasons.

“It’s to protect them. I had problems once before with someone trying to steal the animals in the middle of the night. Some of my patients are worth a lot of money on the exotic-animal black market.” She reached into her pocket and produced the key, handing it to Jesse.

“If you use simple latches, we can shift form and let ourselves out if we get caught in our fur by mistake. Of course, a full-grown grizzly shifter could probably break this little lock, no problem, but an injured youngster? No wonder he’s mad at you.”

“I’m so sorry,” she repeated herself, but she couldn’t help it. She felt like a villain. Lower than pond scum. She inhaled and realized there was the faint scent of magical shifter pine around the bear, but it was so obscured by the other scents that she wasn’t too surprised she’d missed it.

Jesse unlocked the small metal fastener and unlatched the cage.

“Stand back, Doc, just in case he’s not quite with us. Pain and fever tend to bring out our wild sides.”

Taking his advice, Maria retreated a few steps. The young bear lurched to his feet and growled. Jesse reached right into the cage and held his hand out to the bear, daring greatly, in Maria’s opinion.

“Come on, sport. I’m not the enemy. Your people and mine have been allied for centuries. I’ll help you, if I can.” The bear swiped at the back of Jesse’s hand with his tongue. Maria gasped when she saw its mouth open and then sighed when she realized it was tasting Jesse, not biting him. “Who shot you, son?” Jesse’s voice crooned, speaking to calm the young bear. “I’m Major Jesse Moore. My brother, Jason, is the Alpha of the Wyoming wolf Pack. I was Special Forces and I came here tracking
Venifucus
agents who kidnapped a wolf child last week. We got him back. We took care of him—a young boy maybe just a bit younger than you. They kidnapped him and strapped a bomb to his chest, but we rescued him and he’s fine now, back with his parents. Me and my men—that’s what we do. We protect the Pack and other shifters. Anyone on the side of Light who needs us. And we’ll help you too, young bear of the Grizzly Clan. You have my word on it.”

The bear went still, seeming to measure Jesse’s words. Maria didn’t realize she was holding her breath until the bear nodded slightly, moving forward, out of the cage.

“How do you want to do this, sport?” Jesse was still talking to the bear who moved beside him. “If it was me, I’d want someplace soft to land when I retook my skin. How about we find you a bed where you can recuperate in more civilized style?” Jesse’s teasing grin seemed to catch the bear’s attention. It moved its head up and down, as if nodding agreement. Jesse turned to her. “How about your guest room? When he shifts, he’s going to be naked and weak. It’d be easier to let him shift on or near the bed.”