Saving the Beast(4)

“What?” she snapped, beyond caring about the flash of temper she revealed.

“Where is your head at today?” the Professor demanded. “We were discussing possible other options for Lydia. I asked your opinion.”

“How the hell should I know?” she answered louder than she’d intended. “You all seem to have forgotten I’m not an M.D. I have a Ph.D. in Biology. I specialized in zoology, specifically large cats. I’m known internationally as an expert on lions. Lions, not people.” She gave a short bark of laughter and shook her head. “Now I’m operating on humans. Pulling bullets out, closing wounds, digging out foreign objects. I’m taking blood and running test after test after test, searching for God only knows what. I’m so far out of my element, it’s not even funny anymore. You want my opinion on other options for saving Lydia? I don’t know. I just don’t know.” She took a deep breath. Even she could hear the hysteria edging into her voice. Jesus, this was not the time or place for her to lose it. She glanced up warily.

Stunned silence descended over the room as they all stared at her. Diane sighed wearily and wiped tears off her cheeks she hadn’t realized she shed. She took a deep breath and did her best to regain control over her emotions. “I’m sorry. That outburst was uncalled for. You asked a simple question. I don’t know of any other options for Lydia right now. I’ll keep researching and looking. In the meantime, I’ll do all I can to keep her as comfortable as possible.”

“Diane?” Abby held her hand out and made a move as if to walk toward Diane.

Diane took a step back and held out her hands in front of her, stopping Abby before the other woman could cross to her. “I’m not feeling well. I should have excused myself earlier. I’m sure the Professor can handle any other questions you have. I’m going to head back to the lab.” She looked at Tah and almost cringed at the stark concern on his face. “I apologize. I’m fine. Really. I’ll see you all later.”

She didn’t wait for anything else to be said. She turned and headed into the hall and back toward her lab and everything that was waiting for her. She wanted the peace, the quiet, but instead found Orsai, sitting as if he’d known she’d be coming down to join him.

“You’ve been crying,” he stated softly.

She wiped her cheeks again and crossed to the computer she kept her notes on, typing in her password to unlock it.

“I’m fine,” she whispered, emotion still clogging her throat. “May I help you with something?”

“There are many questions I have, but one stands out greater in importance than any other.”

Diane glanced up when Orsai didn’t elaborate further.

“Okay.” She should probably ask what the main question was, but God help her, she really didn’t need any more on her plate right now.

“Are you my nephew’s mate, Dr. Renway?”

“I…I… What?” She couldn’t engage her mouth to form coherent sentences, which was fine since her brain wasn’t coming up with any to say.

Orsai just stared at her, as if he could peer deep inside her and find the answer there. If he did, she hoped he’d share them with her.

“Call me Diane. Everyone does,” Diane finally said. “Zane avoided me for the most part. I’ve seen how mating works with Tah and Abby, Reno and Amia, and most recently Logan and Clara. Zane doesn’t have that type of…reaction around me.”

“Ahhh,” Orsai said with a smile. “Is that what you think?”

“It’s what I know,” Diane countered, getting angry and having no idea why. That wasn’t true. She knew exactly why it made her angry. Because, damn it, she wanted to be Zane’s mate. She wanted to have the type of relationship she was witnessing among the three, mated couples, and she wanted it with Zane.

“All you know are the actions of two shifters who are only learning who and what they are. You know the passion of a shifter who found herself captured and pursued by a mate unwilling to let her hold back. You do not know the mindset of a confident shifter fully integrated with his animal spirit—one who has always known who and what he is.”

“You think Clara didn’t have a choice? She doesn’t really come across as the easily tamed type,” Diane countered.

Orsai grinned. “I’ve know little Clara since she was a child. I knew her father and her mother before they left this world. I consider her Uncle Thomas a dear friend. It brings joy to my heart to see Clara so in love and happy with her mate. It will bring me much more to see my nephew bonded with his mate.”