Cannon’s eyes ate her up while she read off the list of questions necessary for him to be discharged. Stepping away from the petite beauty had been the most difficult fucking thing he’d ever had to do. But she was right.
As much as he wanted to claim the she-Wolf here and now, he could not, in good conscience, do that. This was her place of business, and from what he understood about the medical profession, which was basically anything he learned from watching television, being a resident was a pretty cutthroat.
She was obviously brilliant and had worked hard to get where she was, and Cannon was so ridiculously proud of her, he could not stop smiling. His Wolf howled and barked, the beast announcing again and again that she was the one. His fated mate.
He could hardly believe it. Of all the luck! Who knew bumping his head could have resulted in something so amazing? Surely, she could tell. After all, the second he’d gotten used to the antiseptic stink of the hospital, he’d scented her.
She smelled like virgin snow and fresh brewed tea, like oranges and allspice. Beautiful, fragrant, and sumptuous. He could not wait to get her scent all over him.
He cleared his throat, trying to remain still, but it was hard. Quite literally, actually. His dick had gone ramrod straight the second she walked into the room.
Poor little minx, she didn’t even seem to realize he was only doing what she’d asked when he had backed away from her. Didn’t she know all he wanted was her? Confused, he tried to ask her about it, but she ran through her list and refused to allow him even a word.
“Alright, I think that is all. The nurse will be in with discharge instructions, and I suggest you contact your regular physician for a followup appointment.”
“Wait a sec, Doc,” he said, moving to block her exit. “I want to see you again.”
“I don’t think that is advisable—” she started.
“Please, Doc, I have to see you again,” he said, willing her to look at him, but she kept her face averted.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Bartolf, but I do not think that is possible.”
Cannon’s heart squeezed in his chest as the skittish she-Wolf left his room and a nurse took her place. The male, a Bear Shifter, or so his senses told him, was curt and quick, handing Cannon a pair of clean scrubs before giving him a stack of papers to sign.
“Holy crap,” he muttered.
“Yeah, it’s a lot, but you know how the bureaucrats love their paperwork,” the male said.
“Yeah. Say, can I ask you something about my doctor,” Cannon began.
“Doctor Sidak? That all depends, I guess,” the nurse conceded, raising one Bearish eyebrow.
Cannon had to admit, those guys were fucking massive, but even though he stood there, wide as he was big, arms crossed over his chest, the Wolf was not intimidated. On the contrary, Cannon had his own impressive set of jingle balls, and when it came to his mate, there was nothing and nobody who could stand in his way.
“She seeing anyone?”
“Huh? No way, Wolf, I am not getting involved in her love life. I have 3 sisters who would kick my furry ass if I tried that with them,” the Bear said, and shook his head.
“What if I threw in a free Grizzly stack of honey nut pancakes?”
“A Grizzly stack of pancakes? Oh crap, you’re the owner of Wolf Down Diner! It’s the only place that offers Shifter sized plates without being obvious to normals! Heck yeah, I’ll take that deal and raise you a Grizzly side of honey baked ham,” the nurse— Cannon’s new BFF— said, practically skipping over to shake his hand.
“You got it, now, tell me everything you know about the Doc,” he asked, grinning as he filled out his discharge papers.
* * *
Cannon waited outside where his new pal and nurse, Pat Connor, told him the doctors parked. Apparently, Eira was just coming off a double shift and, since it was Christmas Eve, he was hoping she would be in a festive and somewhat helpful mood.
He heard the side door open and the goodbyes that rang out. Catching sight of her all bundled up in a white puffy coat with a green knit hat on her head, she tucked her chin down against the sharp breeze and the falling snow.
Cannon smiled, he couldn’t help it. She was so damn cute. She didn’t even see him until she almost walked into him.
“Ooh! You startled me,” she said, clasping her hand to her chest. “Sorry, are you alright?”
“Me? Yeah, of course. I was just, uh, waiting,” he replied, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Waiting? Outside in this mess with a concussion?” Her eyebrows disappeared beneath her hat, and he had a feeling she wasn’t buying his weak explanation. Oh well, he only had everything to lose, might as well tell the truth.
“Yeah, waiting for you, Doc. I wanted to see you off safely in all this snow, but uh, I also had something to ask you.”
“Mr. Bartolf—”
“Cannon.”
“Fine, Cannon, I already told you we can’t be a thing, I’m your doctor—”
“Not anymore, Doc. I was discharged. Now, I’m just a guy stuck outside in the snow hoping a kindhearted person will offer me a ride home?”
He gazed at her with the same look his first grade Math teacher had told him would let him get away with anything in life, and mostly. Mrs. Abernathy had been right about that. Most Shifters were good-looking, and Cannon had been blessed with a great body and thick dark hair and eyes like his Daddy’s, or so his mama had always said.
He was grateful for all his physical attributes now, hoping, as he supposed every person in the world hoped, that the object of his affections would find them pleasing or tempting, or both.
“What do you say Doc? I mean, I’m all alone on Christmas Eve, stranded and helpless—”
“Alright, I don’t believe you are helpless for a minute, but that was a pretty rough knock to the head. I suppose I can offer you a ride.”
“Thank you,” he said, and he could not stop his smile from splitting his face wide open.
“My car,” she gestured, and he moved to the passenger side of the old, but nice sedan.
He was trying not to lose himself in her tempting scent. It was stronger inside her car. But as he watched her maneuver, it dawned on him she was not all that comfortable driving in the snow.
“Do you want me to drive?” he asked.
“You have a concussion,” she reminded him, shaking her head.
“Well, why don’t you just head to your place, that way I know you are safe, and I will get a ride from there. You don’t have to let me in,” he blurted.
“First, I’m a Werewolf, and I have five older brothers and a father, all Wolves. No one is taking advantage of me, not now, not ever,” she said, giving him a tough-girl glance that bespoke her Brooklyn upbringing, and made his dick stand up and take notice. Thank fuck for that hungry Bear Shifter nurse who’d given Cannon the inside scoop on his soon-to-be-mate.
He'd learned she had a large family who’d emigrated from England and landed in Brooklyn roughly twenty-seven years ago. Her name, which she had yet to tell him, was Eira, Dr. Eira Sidak, and just thinking it made his beast howl aloud for the sweet-smelling, smart as a whip, and smexy as hell she-Wolf.
“Listen, I can render you immobile with one claw, using my knowledge of the human body with almost pristine surgical precision in thirty seconds. Now, what’s your address?” Her expression remained mostly blank despite her frank and somewhat gory remarks regarding her special skill set.
“Damn, Doc, you are so hot when you talk like that!” Cannon smirked and waggled his eyebrows, which, in turn, had her grinning and shaking her head.
Sassy, gorgeous, with a streak of violence, and a doctor too? Never mind claiming her, Cannon was pretty damn certain he was fated to marry this woman.
Mine!