Embracing the Wolf (Ritter Werewolves #2)(3)
Author: Catherine Bybee

She hadn’t thought of that. Kate pinched the bridge of her nose and tried to ignore the growing ache behind her eyes. “I’ll call a cab.”

“I’ll give you a ride.”

His constant ‘take-charge’ agenda began to annoy her. “You don’t let up, do you?” If she didn’t know better, she would think he was flirting with her. He shook his head and smirked. “Nope.”

“Okay, whatever.” She gave a wave of her hand dismissing him. “Can you get a nurse in here? My sitter has to go to work, and I need to get my son off to school.” There… that ought to puncture his sails.

It did. He stood back. His expression went from smug to contemplative.

Figures, she thought, just another guy gun shy about kids. At least now, maybe he will leave me alone.

“Can’t dad take him?” He stood up straight.

“Ha!” Her gruff laugh erupted so quick it made her headache pound. “Ah, no! Dad couldn’t stick around through the first trimester, let alone get Joey off to kindergarten,” she snapped.

“I see.”

Doubt creased his expression, making Kate realize she had just gone off on a complete stranger.

“Listen, I’m sorry. I need to get out of here. I’ve had a bad night…” Understatement of the year. “…and I need to get home to my son.”

Ritter pushed away from the wall and headed for the door without further questions or commentary. Kate was a little surprised at how rapidly he left.

Outside her cubical, Kate heard him talking with one of the staff members. Laughter came from beyond her door before he and a very pregnant nurse walked back in.

The nurse smiled and tapped his arm. “Richard tells me you need to bolt.”

Kate considered them both, then glanced down at the nametag on the nurses I.D badge.

Janet Ritter.

What a schmuck. The jerk flirted with her and his pregnant wife stood only feet away. Kate’s eyes flew to his, her sneer pointed.

“Yeah, I need to get home.” Kate’s hackles rose.

“How are you feeling, Miss Davis?” Janet asked while putting on a pair of latex gloves.

“Fine, I’m fine.” Even Kate heard the hostility in her short words.

Janet and Richard both glanced at each other.

Ignoring the mounting tension in the room, the nurse moved forward and removed the small piece of gauze covering the bullet wound. Kate took notice of it as well, and felt what blood had risen to meet her anger drop to her feet. “Oh my,” she whispered. The room started to spin.

Richard moved forward, pulled her legs up and onto the gurney. “You look like you’re going to pass out.”

She felt like she was going to pass out.

Janet’s swift movements leaned the gurney back and Kate along with it. With her head lowered, the room came into focus again.

“You’re all right,” the nurse assured her.

Richard placed a hand on her shoulder. “Are you sure there isn’t someone to watch over your son?

You’re not in any condition to leave.” Kate glanced at his hand, then back to his face.

“Why don’t you let your wife work? I can’t imagine she likes having you hover over her patients.”

“My what?” Richards’s brow pinched together as he digested her words.

Kate turned her head to Janet who had stopped taking her blood pressure, her mouth opened. “Your wife… Janet Ritter.”

Janet burst out in laughter. The corner of Richard’s lips pulled into a smirk.

“Janet is my sister-in-law. Not my wife.” Kate regarded them both. “Oh,” she said, somewhat embarrassed about the assumption she’d made. Janet continued to chuckle.

“Max is going to love that one.” Janet removed several packages of gauze and antiseptic from a cupboard and set them up on the rolling table by the bed. “Max is my husband and Richard’s brother.” Richard’s amusement fell flat when Miss Davis glanced back down at her wounds. Her face went pale again, and for some reason he felt a need to distract her so she wouldn’t keep surveying the damage to her body.

He could see her wheels turning, realizing, maybe for the first time that night that she survived a brush with death. Her resolve to leave the ER in an effort to get home for her son, exceeded her ability to think rationally about her condition.

Obviously, she was used to taking care of others before herself.

He dragged a chair alongside the gurney and made himself comfortable. “So, tell me about your son.”

“What?” Kate stared up at him, then back to her arm.

“Your son, Joey is his name, right?” She turned her head his way and leaned back while Janet cleaned her wound.

“He’s six.”

“What does he like to do? Ride bikes, skateboards or build forts in the dirt?”

“He loves his bike, but our neighborhood isn’t the best.”

Richard listened while Kate went on about her son’s life. Apparently, video games ruled when you lived in an apartment.

He raised an eyebrow to Janet who noticed his antics and nodded her approval.

Kate was distracted. Something told him if he’d asked questions about her personal life, she wouldn’t be so forthcoming with information. Talking about her son came easy, however.

It took almost an hour for his sister-in-law to clean up the mess made by the thugs who robbed the restaurant. By the time Kate held her discharge papers, she had no less than three shots, five bandages, and a dozen stitches.

Richard excused himself when Janet walked out of the room.

“Are any of those scratches bites?” he asked in a hushed whisper.

“Hard to tell,” Janet said. “Her right leg was cut up by the glass. Did the witnesses see the dog attack?”

“Most of them cowered under the tables when the gun went off. One witness said the dog went ballistic and jumped on her.”

Richard glanced back toward Kate’s room. “Now what?”

Janet lowered her voice and stated the obvious.

“Even if he turned her, we won’t know until next month, Richard.”

He ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, but she has a kid. And if the wolf marked her, he may come back tonight to seal the deal.”

“Maybe Max can track him?”

Richard nodded. Yeah, but will Kate let him anywhere near her?

Chapter Two

Wearing nothing but paper scrubs, Kate walked out to the nurse’s station and caught his eye. His lips pulled back into a small smile. Her straight brown hair came free from the rubber band holding it together. Her immobilized arm was swathed in bandages from elbow to shoulder. Small cuts on her wrists sported bandages and stitches.