“He may not even be going home.” And since when did Laurel’s sisters decide what she was going to do?

A knock on the door sounded, and Ellie hurried to get it. “Your chariot awaits,” she said, then opened the door. “Hey, Brett, I hope your brother is all right.”

Laurel stared at Ellie. Her voice sounded sweet and demure, and Laurel swore her sister was looking coyly at Brett, like a she-wolf who was interested. Laurel wondered if that had anything to do with her involvement with CJ. Maybe Ellie felt it was okay to start dating a wolf too.

“CJ will be fine. Kind of growly, but he wants to go home,” Brett said. “If Doc releases him, he’ll want someone to watch over him.”

“That would be Laurel,” Ellie said, nodding sagely.

“I’m certain one of CJ’s brothers will be vying for the task.” Laurel joined them, giving her sister a look to behave. Ellie just grinned back at her. “Night, Ellie, Meghan. I’ll see you in the morning.” After making sure that CJ was okay, she would return and retire herself. To her bed this time.

Brett escorted her out to his car.

“Will the doctor release him?” Laurel climbed into Brett’s car.

“Yeah, if someone will watch over him.”

She really thought one of his brothers would.

Brett shrugged. “Between you and me, if he has a choice, he’s going to ask for you to stay with him. He’ll be on his best behavior. Believe me. With me, he’ll be a growly wolf to live with. Especially if you won’t go home with him.”

She chuckled. “I doubt it.”

“Yeah, well, he won’t show that side to you. Just to his brothers.”

“Is he really all right?”

“He was knocked out when he fell, bruised, and scraped up, but all that will heal in the next few days. He’ll be fine. The doc just wants him watched overnight.”

“What happened exactly? Lelandi said he saw the white wolf across the river and then told Darien he was going after it. She just said you all had found him.”

“He did go after the wolf. He swam across the river and then started searching for the wolf, but before he found it, he stepped on top of snow-covered deadfall rigged to cover the top of a killing pit.”

She felt her stomach drop. “How’d he survive?”

“Other animals had broken off the stakes.”

“Thank God for that. So he never found the white wolf?” Not that the wolf was as important as what had happened to CJ. She couldn’t imagine anything more terrifying.

“No, and neither did we, but then we began to search for CJ instead because none of us had run across him. Then he howled, and we knew he’d either found something or he was in trouble.”

“But he’s really okay.”

“Yeah. Just grouchy.”

She smiled, glad he was just ill-humored. That could be resolved with a little tender loving care.

Chapter 16

When Laurel and Brett arrived at the vet clinic, Brett went to see CJ while Doc Mitchell took Laurel into his private office and told her what he wanted her to do in case CJ began feeling bad. She hadn’t even said she was going to take care of him! She’d been torn between wanting to and not letting on that she wanted to while she let one of his brothers take care of him instead.

After Dr. Mitchell talked with her, he led her to a pet exam room where CJ was sitting in a chair in his human form, fully dressed, his eyes closed. As soon as CJ smelled her scent in the room, he opened his eyes. Brett was quietly leaning against the wall, waiting for her and Doc to get there. CJ smiled a warm, loving smile. Some of the knots in her belly untangled. He immediately stood, but wavered a little.

She rushed to steady him, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He wasn’t clinging to her as if he needed help standing, rather like he wanted to feel her touch and hold her close. Vastly relieved, she realized how much his disappearance had affected her when she had been trying so hard not to jump to conclusions. She slipped her arm around his back and gave him a squeeze, looking up at his darkened eyes and assuring herself he truly was fine.

“Sorry that we don’t have wheelchairs here. My patients don’t normally need them.” Doc Mitchell gave CJ a broad smile.

“I can walk,” CJ grouched, and Brett immediately winked at Laurel.

She smiled a little. She understood why CJ was irritated, probably feeling emasculated in front of her.

“Come on,” Brett said. “I’ll help you out to the car, and Laurel can get the doors for us.”

She thought she could have managed to help CJ all on her own. Then again, if CJ suddenly collapsed, Brett would be better able to handle him.

Once CJ was settled in the backseat of Brett’s car, she climbed into the front and Brett said, “I didn’t think to mention it, but we better run by your place so you can pack an overnight bag.”

“Uh, yeah, I guess so.” Laurel should have considered it, but then again, she hadn’t wanted anyone, her sisters included, to believe she had planned to stay with CJ all along. Yet, witnessing his bright smile when he saw her arrive, she had felt her heart flutter with happiness. How could she have done anything but agree to stay with him?

When they arrived at her place, she hoped to slip into the house and not wake her sisters, but being wolves, they both heard her shut the front door and had to investigate. She wasn’t certain if they wanted to ensure it was just her returning to the house, or if they wanted to know why she had returned and not remained with CJ.

As if choreographed, both of them opened their bedroom doors and peered out, frowned, and said, “What are you doing back here?”

She almost laughed at their growly looks.

“Don’t worry. I won’t ruin your plans. I’m grabbing an overnight bag.”

Instantly, their expressions brightened. “Oh good,” Ellie said. “Here I thought I’d have to go over there and stay with CJ instead.” As if Ellie would even consider such a thing!

They followed Laurel into her bedroom.

“You both can sleep. No need to keep me company. I’ll only be a second.” Laurel hurried to grab a change of clothes and some pajamas.

“Those?” Meghan started rummaging through Laurel’s sleepwear drawer. “What about this?” She held up a see-through, lace shorty nightie that Laurel loved.

“I’m not sleeping with him. And I’m not wearing that around him. And it’s for summer, not winter.”

“You’ll get hot. If I was sleeping with him, I’d get hot.” Ellie smiled.

“He’s bruised and skinned up. I’m not sleeping with him.”

“Oh.” Meghan pulled another pajama set out. “How about this one?”

Laurel grabbed it from her, shoved it in the drawer, shut it, and headed for the bathroom. “They’re waiting in the car for me, probably wondering why I’m taking so long. And you are not helping. CJ needs to rest so he can heal quicker.”

“He’ll heal quicker when you’re in his bed, guaranteed.” Meghan leaned against the bathroom doorjamb while Laurel grabbed some of her personal items, ignoring her sister’s comment.

“Even agreeing to stay with him probably cheered him tremendously.” Ellie moved out of the doorway to let Laurel leave.

Laurel jogged down the stairs, hoping her sisters wouldn’t follow her. She made a detour into the kitchen and grabbed the box of chocolate cake off the counter. She wasn’t certain it would lift CJ’s spirits, but if she were him and feeling like he was, the cake would definitely lift hers.

“You’re taking the chocolate cake?” Ellie said from the top of the stairs.

“We didn’t even get a piece of it yet,” Meghan teased.

Laurel knew they didn’t care or they would have gotten a piece already.

“Night!”

“Give him extra tender, loving care from us,” Meghan said.

“Pleasant dreams,” Ellie said.

Laurel shook her head at her sisters, then returned to Brett’s car. CJ was sound asleep, for which she was glad. She climbed in as quietly as she could, hoping that closing her door wouldn’t wake him. Brett just smiled at her and drove them to CJ’s house, located past a treed park and several walking trails. She thought how lovely it would be to run as a wolf there at night when everyone had gone to bed. She imagined that the park had been designed for wolves who lived close to town and still wanted a place to run.