Chapter 5
FIVE
Quinn
I hurry as fast as I can across the grass and down the sidewalk. I don’t know how much time I have before that crazy man realizes I’m gone.
Jesus, what is wrong with me? The first time I start to fall for a guy, he turns out to be freaking insane. Maybe it’s for the best that I never dated. God knows who I would’ve been with if left to my own devices.
I set off down the sidewalk, ignoring the strange looks from people passing by. I need to get my bearings so I can make it back to my hotel room, pack, and get the hell out of this town.
Footsteps sound behind me, and I peek over my shoulder to see Christian jogging up beside me.
“I knew I should have exercised more,” I wheeze.
He shakes his head. “You shouldn’t be up and moving around. You definitely shouldn’t be running, especially not from me. You probably pulled a stitch climbing out that window.”
“You’re crazy,” I pant, still shuffling along the sidewalk.
Christian isn’t even pretending to jog anymore. He’s walking beside me, like he’s out for a casual stroll.
I glare at him, and he glares right back.
“I told you I can prove it,” he growls, pulling me to a stop.
Scooping me into his arms, he turns and walks back to the clinic. “Did you pull the IV out?”
I refuse to answer, but yes, I did. That’s why it took me so long to make my daring escape, working up the nerve to pull the needle out, then to find a bandage to cover the puncture wound.
I look around for someone to help me as Christian carries me inside the clinic, but no one is in the main lobby or the hallway.
Carrying me into my room, he sets me down on the bed and pulls my hospital gown aside to check my bandages.
He sighs at what he sees. “You might need another stitch. I’ll wait to see if it stops bleeding.”
I don’t say anything as he tucks me into bed, making sure the blankets are covering me. He drops into the chair next to me, rakes his hands through his hair, then pushes to his feet again.
“I’m going to prove it to you. I’m going to shift for you.”
“Uh-huh.”
He gives me a hard look as he pulls off his clothes.
“Hey!” I shout.
He holds up his hands, palms facing out. “I have to, or I’ll rip my clothes. My wolf is a lot bigger than I am.”
“Oh, my god,” I groan, burying my hot face in my hands.
I swallow, trying to get my emotions under control. Today has been a crazy day, like a dream, or maybe a nightmare.
“Watch me, mate,” Christian orders.
Something in his tone has me obeying. I look up, keeping my gaze locked on his face. He stares at me, his eyes drilling into mine as he nods.
“Watch,” he repeats.
Then, he… changes. His nails grow longer, fur sprouts over his body, and his features change, turning beastly. In seconds, the man before me is gone, and in his place is a wolf. A giant wolf.
“Oh my gosh!” I shriek, drawing my knees up in the bed as I scramble away from him.
The wolf steps forward slowly, and I suck in a shuddery breath. I freeze as the wolf moves closer and closer. He leans in, and I stare in shock as he presses his nose against my hand. I take a shaky breath, reaching out to place a tentative hand on the top of his head.
His fur is much softer than I expected. I relax a bit as I press my fingers more firmly against him. I pet him a few times, marveling at his size and strength.
When I pull my hand away, he retreats until he’s by his clothes. As fast as he shifted into a wolf, he returns to his human form.
I look away as he dresses and sits beside my bed again. I’m freaking out inside, trying to process everything.
“Do you believe me now?” he asks softly.
I nod wordlessly, licking my dry lips.
His eyes track the movement hungrily. “You must have questions.”
“About a million of them.”
He leans back in the chair. “Ask away.”
“How did you know you were a shifter? Do other people here know about you? Is it hereditary? Does it hurt to shift? How do you shift? Do you spend half your time as a wolf and the other half as a human?” Each question comes faster than the last.
“It’s hereditary. My parents were also shifters, and they told me when I was a kid. The other shifters here know about me. We’re all part of a pack. A few humans know, too, but they’re all mated to shifters.”
He pauses to let me absorb his words. “It can be uncomfortable to shift, but I wouldn’t say painful.
I’m not sure how it all happens, not technically.
I allow my wolf to push forward, and I shift.
I spend most of my time as a human, but I let my wolf out to run and blow off some steam as often as I can. ”
“Can you talk to your wolf?”
“Yeah. He’s in my head all the time. I can block him out, like when I’m operating or if he’s being particularly annoying, but the rest of the time, he’s there.”
“What’s he saying now?”
Christian gives me a half-smile. “He wants me to stop answering these questions and tell you about fated mates.”
“What about fated mates?”
“Well, we’re fated mates. We’re meant to be together, literally fated to each other. We’re a perfect match. No one will ever love you more than I do. No one will ever have this need to make sure that you’re safe and cared for as I do.”
I study him, looking for any sign of deceit and finding none.
“Shifters don’t date. We don’t have casual sex. We search for our fated mate, and we’re with them for life.”
“I don’t… I’ve never dated either or… you know,” I admit quietly, my cheeks heating.
“Good. We’ll be each other’s first and only.”
I frown. “You’re so confident, so sure.”
“I’ve known all my life that this is how it would work,” he explains. “And I know you probably need time. I’ll give you as much as you want. I just… I need to be around you.”
I gesture around me with a sardonic smile. “I’m not going anywhere.”
He smiles slightly and takes a deep breath. “There’s something else you should know.”
“Okay.” I brace for him to say something crazy.
“Shifters have this thing called the mating moon or mating heat. Every month, on the night of the full moon, we experience intense lust, an intense urge to be with each other.”
“Oh…”
“It’s coming up. We can fight it. I won’t pressure you to do anything you don’t want and never will. But I… wanted to prepare you.”
“Okay,” I whisper.
Jeez, this is a lot. I mean, I saw him shift with my own eyes, and I can still barely believe that any of this is real. It’s a lot to wrap my head around.
“I know this all seems crazy, but it’s real,” he says, seeming to read my mind.
What the heck do I do now? I wonder. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my future before today. And I certainly don’t know what to do now that a shifter fated mate has been added to the mix.
“Dr. McAdams! We need a hand out here!” Melanie calls.
Christian glares at the door, then returns his gaze to me. He steps closer, resting his palms on the blankets as he leans over me, caging me in with his arms.
“I’m not running,” I declare before he can say anything.
“Good. I’d catch you before you made it out of the parking lot.”
“Noted.”
He studies my face, then nods. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Stay put.”
With that, he turns and stalks out of the room.