for her to mate. She’d end up mating with coyotes, and the result wouldn’t be pure red wolf, which is what has happened in Texas, nearly obliterating the original red wolf species until more recently.”
When she wouldn’t respond, the cop said, “We have to know what you were doing in the wolves’ pen, miss.”
She looked back at the blankets covering her, considered the I.V. attached to her arm, and wondered which floor of the hospital her room was located on.
Thompson sat in the chair beside her. “I’m not leaving until I have some answers.”
Maybe not, but perhaps he’d grow sleepy, or take a bathroom break, or...
The cop’s phone rang. “Yeah? I’ll be right down.” He hung up and then said, “The media man vanished. I’m going to help my partner look for the news van. The lady at the front desk gave out the wrong room number for wolf lady here.”
She couldn’t help but cast him a sardonic smile at the name he called her.
“You won’t be smiling when we put you in jail for this little stunt you’ve just pulled,” Thompson said, his tone harsh.
Wouldn’t that be ironic? If she sat in jail long enough, she could turn back into the wolf. Then the charges would be dropped against Bella, and she’d be returned to the wolf pen as Rosa.
“You might want to stay with her in the event someone locates her anyway,” the cop said. “Be back in a little while.”
“I’ll be here.”
The cop hurried out of the room and shut the door behind him with a click.
Fleeing seemed much more plausible now with Thompson all alone with her in the room. He leaned closer to the bed and tapped his fingers on the mattress, his eyes pinning her with authority. “We might not be able to make the charges of wolf-napping stick against you, but we can get you for trespassing.”
She closed her eyes.
He grunted. “You’re as stubborn as my ex-wife. When she’d made up her mind not to say something, there wasn’t anything I could do to convince her to open up.”
Bella wanted to ask why they were divorced, but she figured she was better off keeping quiet.
The door opened, and Bella opened her eyes. The nurse poked her head in. “The doctor said you have ten more minutes and then the patient needs to rest. Visitors aren’t normally allowed in the rooms at this hour.”
“But — “
The nurse raised her hand. “Doctor’s orders.”
Before she shut the door, another scent filtered into the room — Devlyn’s aromatic male scent.
Hell, he was coming for her, the traitor, and he’d return her to Volan posthaste.
“Get me out of here now, and I’ll tell you where Rosa is.” Bella’s voice was still little more than a whisper, which probably saved her butt or Devlyn would have heard her.
Thompson folded his arms and leaned back in the chair. “No. You’re too weak. Not until the doctor says — “
She glanced at the I.V. in her arm and then yanked it out. To stop the bleeding, she clamped her hand over the tape that had held the I.V. in place.
“Wait, miss — “
Jerking her blankets to the floor, she stumbled out of bed. What she wouldn’t have given for some swift wolf’s legs about now. Although she could run long and hard as a human, too, a nice warm wolf pelt would have been preferable in the cold winter weather to a human’s naked body.
Thompson jumped up from the chair and headed for her.
Her head swam, and she grabbed the mattress. The idea that she had completely recovered was a delusion.
Thompson skirted around the bed to help her. “I’m — I’m sorry. You need to return to bed, miss. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
She rushed past him into the bathroom. With only a flimsy hospital gown tied at the back and nothing else to clothe her body, she was out of luck. She locked the bathroom door and then looked at the window. No way to open it. No escape. She hurried out of the bathroom.
Thompson hit the nurse’s call button, his tanned face now pale. “I’ll get a
When she wouldn’t respond, the cop said, “We have to know what you were doing in the wolves’ pen, miss.”
She looked back at the blankets covering her, considered the I.V. attached to her arm, and wondered which floor of the hospital her room was located on.
Thompson sat in the chair beside her. “I’m not leaving until I have some answers.”
Maybe not, but perhaps he’d grow sleepy, or take a bathroom break, or...
The cop’s phone rang. “Yeah? I’ll be right down.” He hung up and then said, “The media man vanished. I’m going to help my partner look for the news van. The lady at the front desk gave out the wrong room number for wolf lady here.”
She couldn’t help but cast him a sardonic smile at the name he called her.
“You won’t be smiling when we put you in jail for this little stunt you’ve just pulled,” Thompson said, his tone harsh.
Wouldn’t that be ironic? If she sat in jail long enough, she could turn back into the wolf. Then the charges would be dropped against Bella, and she’d be returned to the wolf pen as Rosa.
“You might want to stay with her in the event someone locates her anyway,” the cop said. “Be back in a little while.”
“I’ll be here.”
The cop hurried out of the room and shut the door behind him with a click.
Fleeing seemed much more plausible now with Thompson all alone with her in the room. He leaned closer to the bed and tapped his fingers on the mattress, his eyes pinning her with authority. “We might not be able to make the charges of wolf-napping stick against you, but we can get you for trespassing.”
She closed her eyes.
He grunted. “You’re as stubborn as my ex-wife. When she’d made up her mind not to say something, there wasn’t anything I could do to convince her to open up.”
Bella wanted to ask why they were divorced, but she figured she was better off keeping quiet.
The door opened, and Bella opened her eyes. The nurse poked her head in. “The doctor said you have ten more minutes and then the patient needs to rest. Visitors aren’t normally allowed in the rooms at this hour.”
“But — “
The nurse raised her hand. “Doctor’s orders.”
Before she shut the door, another scent filtered into the room — Devlyn’s aromatic male scent.
Hell, he was coming for her, the traitor, and he’d return her to Volan posthaste.
“Get me out of here now, and I’ll tell you where Rosa is.” Bella’s voice was still little more than a whisper, which probably saved her butt or Devlyn would have heard her.
Thompson folded his arms and leaned back in the chair. “No. You’re too weak. Not until the doctor says — “
She glanced at the I.V. in her arm and then yanked it out. To stop the bleeding, she clamped her hand over the tape that had held the I.V. in place.
“Wait, miss — “
Jerking her blankets to the floor, she stumbled out of bed. What she wouldn’t have given for some swift wolf’s legs about now. Although she could run long and hard as a human, too, a nice warm wolf pelt would have been preferable in the cold winter weather to a human’s naked body.
Thompson jumped up from the chair and headed for her.
Her head swam, and she grabbed the mattress. The idea that she had completely recovered was a delusion.
Thompson skirted around the bed to help her. “I’m — I’m sorry. You need to return to bed, miss. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
She rushed past him into the bathroom. With only a flimsy hospital gown tied at the back and nothing else to clothe her body, she was out of luck. She locked the bathroom door and then looked at the window. No way to open it. No escape. She hurried out of the bathroom.
Thompson hit the nurse’s call button, his tanned face now pale. “I’ll get a