Having rich ethnic heritages on both her parents’ sides was something Eira was quite proud of, even though that was a mainly human sentiment.
Most supernaturals did not bother with things like country of origin. They were more into dividing by species.
Eira’s father was the Werewolf of the lot, originally from the Northern Indian state of Punjab. He met his mate, a London native, while she was touring Amritsar. The two met, fell in love, and her father had uprooted himself to follow his small human mate.
They made their home in England, where her Dad married Eira’s full human mother according to the traditions of her people, whose ancestors could be traced back to the earliest Viking invaders.
Eira’s memories of her early life were of her parents being so completely in love, inseparable, really. Must have been true after all, they had six children together.
When Eira’s mother had been offered the chance to show off some of her art at a renowned gallery in Manhattan following Eira’s birth, the entire family had upped and moved across the pond.
They’d loved it so much, the family never left. Life was busy and riotous for the family of eight.
Having five older brothers, all Wolf Shifters like her, Eira did not know how her poor mother dealt with it all. It seemed the family was constantly visiting their local ER, given the boisterous nature of Wolf pups, and eventually, old Doc Morris had joked it would be cheaper for them to have a doctor in the family.
Fortunately, Eira had the grades and stamina to pull it off. Her older brothers, Balvinder, Michael, Clark, Veejay, and Damon, were all blood shy. In fact, they tended to get quite nauseated at the sight of the old red stuff.
Such wimps.
But it was something that had delighted her to no end, especially when she’d been in medical school and came home still smelling of cadavers and lab work. The sounds of retching could be heard along the entire street if the boys were home.
It was true, having supernaturally enhanced senses made working with injury or ills difficult, but it was also an advantage.
Eira had learned to sniff out certain ails, and she could also call on her Wolf’s strength when setting bones and such. It was why Emergency Sports Medicine appealed to her so.
Here she was now, in Maccon City, home of the biggest group of Wolves in all of North America, the Macconwood Pack. Having received the blessing of the Alpha to move into town, Eira had spent the last six months getting acclimated to Jersey life.
So far, it was fine, if a little lonely. But that was the life of a busy Emergency Department doctor, she supposed.
“We’ve only just learned Vin isn’t going to make it home. His boss has him stuck somewhere in Alaska, with storms and all their planes are grounded until further notice. If you’re not here, you will leave me with that slutty Geraldine,” her mother said on a gasp, as if she just remembered Michael’s horrible girlfriend would be in tow this Christmas.
“Mom, you shouldn’t call her a slut,” Eira chided her mother.
“What? She is a slut, darling. She said so herself.”
“Yes, well,” Eira replied, pausing a moment. After all, what could one say when a woman was perfectly happy and even proud to demean herself? Oh well. She supposed there was nothing to add.
“I’ll do my best, Mom.”
“I know you will, darling. Kisses.”
Eira hung up the phone and shook her head. Her mother was so sweet, but she really did not like Geraldine. The Lioness Shifter came on a little strong. But that was none of her business.
Michael should have known better than to bring the she-Cat to Thanksgiving. It was almost as if he wanted his parents to dis-invite him to the holiday meal. As if they would.
The Sidak family made it a point to get together once a month or more for family meals, and the holidays were even more important to them. Significant others were always welcomed, but Eira had never brought anyone before Rick, and now she wished she hadn’t.
Sure, she was slightly inattentive, but she was a doctor, for fuck’s sake. Not a nursemaid or short-order cook. The man wanted her to do his laundry and prepare his meals, then he wanted her to fuck him like a porn star. As if she could, even if she wanted to.
Eira was a bit of a prude if she were being honest. Unusual for a Werewolf, she knew, but she simply did not understand how anyone could be so free with themselves. Probably because of her knowledge of the body and everything that went in and out of a person during sex. It was just so, so unsanitary.
All kinds of germs and fluids, she thought with a scrunched up nose. Being a Shifter made it very difficult, if near impossible, to catch diseases, particularly STDs, but that didn’t mean a girl should not be cautious. Her last boyfriend had called her cold, but that was not entirely true.
She wasn’t frigid, she just wanted more than a quick wham, bam, thank you, ma’am. Hard no thank you, was more like it. What was wrong with a little more talking and a little less sweating, anyway? She was a cerebral person. She enjoyed books and music and movies.
Surely, there was more than one way to relate to people. Perhaps using words rather than her vagina.
Eira shivered, and turned her head, hearing the ambulance turn the corner long before the humans on staff would. Eira shook her head and grabbed a pair of sanitized gloves, it was time to get her head back in the game. This was the part she loved.
The rush of adrenaline and the certainty that she, a trained professional, was the best person for the job. Helping people, be they supernatural or human, was her life’s work.
Of course, she would love it if no one ever got hurt ever, but that simply was not reality. She walked towards the EMT, noting with interest the freshly fallen snowflakes that clung to his fleece jacket.
She took the chart he offered, ignoring the sudden tightening of her stomach as she smiled down at the mud-covered patient, her standard greeting on her lips.
“Hello, I am Dr. Eira Sidak, and I am going to take care of you.”