“Now I want you to listen up—”

Dr. Luntz looked at Bo and he filled in, “Blayne Thorpe.”

“—Blayne Thorpe, because I hate repeating myself. Bold Novikov will be just fine. We have the best damn doctors on the Eastern Seaboard here in Ursus County, Maine. Finer than the boy deserves, and that’s a fact. But they stitched him up nice and tight and made sure that he’ll be back on the ice before you know it. The only thing that will ruin his career will be old age and the fact that he keeps willfully hurting people.”

“Only when they get in my way,” he tossed in.

“See? Even now he’s still as mean as a circus bear. So don’t fret. I just want you to breathe in and breathe out, real easy.”

Blayne did what she was told, several times, until she’d calmed herself down.

“There. Feel better now?”

Blayne nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Good. Until your fever is completely over, we can’t have you getting too upset, now can we? And you know why, don’t you?”

“Because I’ll flip out and you won’t be able to calm me down without the risk of killing me.”

“Right. So you stay calm and relaxed, for a little while longer. Okay?”

Blayne closed her eyes, waited a beat, before replying, “Yes, ma’am.”

“Good. Good. This is how I like things anyway. Nice and calm. Loud noises just irritate me. Now, are you hungry, Blayne?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“All right. I’ll get you something to eat.” Dr. Luntz began to pull away, gesturing to Bo when she did. When he only gazed at her, unsure what she wanted, she sighed and grabbed his hand. She pulled him toward the bed and pushed at him until he sat beside Blayne.

“I’ll bring you both something.” She patted his shoulder before walking out, taking Grigori with her, the door closing behind her.

“Who was that?” Blayne asked.

“Dr. Luntz. She was the doc who helped us out after your tragic badger assault.”

“Until you know what it’s like to be stalked by badgers, don’t mock me.”

“Wouldn’t think of it.”

She rested her head against his bicep, and Bo couldn’t help but smile a little. She felt wonderful against him.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“You’re not lying to me?”

“I’m not good at lying.”

“I know. That watch did not cost fifty bucks. More like a grand, right?”

“Uh—”

“It’s okay. I’ll let you off the hook because it saved our lives, right?”

“You have no idea.”

“I do.” Shelooked up at him. “Thank you.”

“Stop. You’re going to make me all weepy-eyed.”

She laughed a little. “Yeah. Right.”

Blayne brought her right arm out from under the blanket, and Bo cringed when he saw that at least three of her fingers were badly broken. Her forefinger and ring finger twisted over the middle.

Bo reached for her hand, wondering why Dr. Luntz hadn’t fixed this when Blayne was still unconscious, when Blayne grunted and the three fingers gave a loud triple “Snap!” And like that, Blayne’s fingers were back in place. She made a fist, then stretched out her fingers, and sighed. “I thought those would never pop back.”

“Pop back?” Christ, was that what happened to all those broken bones he’d seen last night?

“Yeah. You know.”

Not really, but maybe it was best not to ask. As a fellow hybrid, he knew they each had all sorts of good and bad that came with their mixed bloodlines, and to be honest, he was grateful that whatever mix Blayne had, had managed to keep his little wolfdog alive.

“Do you mind if I lay down until she comes back?” she asked. “I’m still sleepy.”

“Yeah,” he admitted, “me, too.”

“Then lay down with me.” Blayne gave him a smile he was shockingly grateful to see. She quickly got under the covers of her bear-size hospital bed and pulled the other side back for Bo to get in there with her.

“Uh . . . Blayne, I’m sorta naked here.”

“So am I. I won’t tell if you won’t.” Her smile grew, and he knew she was easing out of her fever. “Come on.”

Not sure it was the right thing to do but wanting to do it so badly, Bo got under the covers. Blayne turned on her side away from him and then commanded, “Spoon me!”

“Woman, I’m naked!” he said desperately.

“Don’t whine, don’t call me ‘woman,’ and just spoon.”

Positive this was not the right thing to do but with little choice, Bo moved in behind Blayne. He did, however, try to keep his lower half as far away as possible. Not very effective though when Blayne moved back until her ass pressed against his groin.

“Perfect,” she sighed. Then she laughed. “God, Bo. Your cock is huge.”

“You’re trying to hurt me, aren’t you?”

“Nah. I like you too much for that.”

Yeah, but did she like him enough? Of course, by the time he worked up the courage to ask she was asleep.

Marci looked up from her plate of honey buns. “What?”

Grigori sat down across from her at one of the cafeteria’s booths. “I thought you were bringing them food.”