Darkest Wolf(12)

He slowed down gradually, not wanting to jostle her around any more than he already had. Finally, he stopped entirely. She slid off his back and walked in front of him.

Holding out his clothes, she scratched her head. “I feel okay now.” We still need to get you checked. Her smell had improved but he wouldn’t take chances.

“I hate hospitals.”

I will not leave you alone.

“They may not let you be with me for the whole thing. Sometimes it’s only family.” I am your family.

He called the white light to himself, using his magic to stretch his bones back to their human state. His fur receded until he stood before her back in his two-footed form.

She gasped and covered her eyes.

“Nakedness embarrasses you?” Gently, he reached forward grabbing her hands and opened her fingers until he could remove his clothing from them. Her hands had gripped them like her life depended on her holding onto them.

“I guess. I mean I’m not used to being around naked men who I don’t know.” A surge of anger the likes of which he had never experienced almost forced his shift back onto him. He clenched his hands to hold back his claws. “But you are used to looking at naked men you do know?”

He’d not considered the possibility of a boyfriend. She didn’t smell like any male, which was fortunate or he might have to rip the man to shreds. Killing a rival wouldn’t, he was sure, endear him to her in any way. Still, he wasn’t human. He wouldn’t restrain himself to gentle sensibilities when it came to claiming her.

Her eyes flew open, her hand falling down. “What?”

“Do. You. Have. A. Man. In. Your. Life?” His words sounded more like a growl than a sentence. He couldn’t have controlled it if he’d wanted to.

She shook her head. “Rex, most people can’t look at me for more than a second at a time. My own mother weeps in my presence. No, I do not currently have a boyfriend. I have had boyfriends but not in years.”

This wasn’t surprising to him. He could see her as she was. Any man would be crazy to not want to be with Elizabeth. “And will any of them try to make a claim for you when you are returned to your beauty?”

Her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink. “My beauty?”

“Yes.” He could not make sense of her.

“Randolph.” She spoke his name as no one else ever did. For some strange reason, he didn’t feel like correcting her. “Why would I take back someone who didn’t stand by me when my life went to hell?”

He pulled his shirt over his chest. “You’re sensible, Elizabeth. But know this. I will kill any man who comes to you romantically. And I won’t even mind doing it.” Chapter Four

Elizabeth felt Rex’s hand on her arm as they walked into the emergency room together, like a beacon of light in the darkness of her life. How could a simple touch from a man she could not possibly allow herself to fall for make her feel so secure when everything had gone to hell?

They approached the receptionist’s desk, and she heard the gasps before she’d even looked up to see the people sitting behind it. One of the women jumped to her feet.

“What happened to your face?”

Elizabeth shook her head. Really, she should have anticipated this. It was impossible to go places. If she wasn’t careful, there were going to be a million doctors swarming, their eyes full of disgust, trying to figure out how to fix her. She could tell them—they can’t. If they operated, her face would return this way the next day. Early on, she’d tried it. The pain of the surgery had resulted in no help. It had, however, amused the twins to no end for some time.

Next to her, Rex actually growled. She turned to look at him. He couldn’t make such a noise in the hospital. They might come after him too.

“This woman is here because she is injured and you dare to look at her with anything but compassion.”

Rex stepped forward, and she grabbed his arm to hold him back. “They can’t help it.

It’s part of the curse. It’s utter revulsion. They can’t control it any more than they can help breathing.”

The wolf’s eyes were aflame. She blinked as she stared at him. Yes, they were the wolf’s eyes. Not Rex’s. His beast was close to the surface, and although she’d only known Rex for a very short period of time, she suspected this was highly unusual for him.

The man screamed self-control.

“They can do a better job of trying.” He leaned over so close to the women behind the desk he could have bitten them if he wanted to. Elizabeth was afraid he was about to let his teeth do the talking. “It’s called manners.”