Heart of a Wolf

Fallen’s hand was on my arm in an instant, calming my wolf before she could throw me into a shift.

Fallen wasn’t supposed to come us, but when she refused to stay behind, Zander agreed to take her in the guise of Ash’s escort.

Considering how well Fallen’s standing apparently was, the reason for her going with us was never questioned.

So as we neared the hospital, she stayed close to me, keeping my wolf in check with Ash’s help.

“It isn’t quite like you remember, is it?” Ash asked with a knowing smile.

“It certainly smells how I remember on the day of my first shift. My sense of smell changed first, followed by some strange fever I couldn’t explain.”

“That was your body reacting,” Zander explained, stopping just outside the doors.

“But why did it take three months for me to shift? That was two full moons where, according to Fallen, my wolf should’ve been out of her mind.”

“The shift doesn’t always happen immediately, though three months is a long time,” Zander admitted. “Tell me, were you put on any suppressors?” When I frowned, he explained.

“Any medications that may have been masked for what they truly were?”

“Not that I know of.”

“But you were on medications, weren’t you?”

“I was, but they looked exactly as you’d expect. They weren’t pills I couldn’t recognize.”

“Yes, but if this trickery goes as deep as I fear, then the reason your shift took so long to occur is because someone

else put you on suppressors without you realizing it. You wouldn’t have needed any heart medication after a surgery such as this due to the healing we wolves have.”

“Which wasn’t noticeable, either.”

“Because y

ou hadn’t shifted yet,” he added. “If my theory is correct, someone inside this hospital did an illegal surgery, then personally changed your medication to cover it up.”

My heart dropped into the pit of my stomach. “But this kind of surgery requires a huge team. Someone would’ve known.”

“And considering how in debt most of them are, there’s always a price to shut them up.”

He had me there.

“You said you have a friend in here?” Ash asked.

“Jeremy. He works in ortho, same as me, but he also helps with other surgeries from time to time.”

“Then we’ll start with him and go from there.”

Nodding, I opened the front doors, thankful when Fallen’s presence kept my wolf under control. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything she could do about the nerves swirling in my stomach.

As luck would have it, Jeremy walked out of surgery a minute later. He didn’t see me at first, doing a double-take before meeting me at the reception desk.

“Jo! No one told me you were coming here. How have you been? I keep calling Val, but she won’t pick up. Is everything okay?” He paused, then looked at those behind me. “Those your folks? I thought you said they passed away.”

“They’re family,” I said, gesturing at one of the private waiting rooms where we could talk. “You have a moment?”

Looking from Ash and Fallen to me again, he offered our small group a nod, closing the door once everyone was inside.

“What’s going on? You snap at me, leave without a trace, then