Immortally Yours, An Urban Fantasy Romance (Monster MASH, Book 1) by angie fox

when a cool breeze whisked against my shoulder. It almost felt like the winds off the river back home until a bony finger dug into my arm.  
    "Oh, Petra..."  
    I was instantly awake—a trick I'd learned in residency.  
    "He's back," Horace said.  
    I got a sinking feeling in my gut. "Who's back?"  
    The orderly hovered at my left, the wings on his ankles fluttering like hummingbirds. "Your balls-to-the-wall special ops patient," he said. "The ambulance broke down."  
    "For the love of the gods." I sat up.  
    "I never heard of that," Rodger said, his fishing pole braced between his knees, a mess tent coffee cup in his hand. "The EMS fleet is in top shape."  
    Rodger was right. The army took impeccable care of equipment. We couldn't afford for something not to work.  
    I shuddered to think it, but, "Did Galen break it?"  
    "Who?" Rodger gave me a look like I was the crazy one.  
    Horace crossed his arms over his chest. "Imps nesting in the engine."  
    I felt my jaw tighten. "Put him on the next one."  
    "They did," he said, managing to sound both superior and offended. "That one ran over a horny-backed boar. The pig is fine, but the ambulance blew out two tires. Then they used the smaller ambulance."  
    My belly sank. "The one that holds four patients?" I knew where this was going.  
    "He didn't fit."  
    I dug my fingers under my sunglasses to rub at my eyes. "Let me guess. The smaller ambulance left without a hitch."  
    The sprite nodded.  
    Cripes.  
    Rodger's bushy eyebrows wrinkled like he didn't get it. "I saw Commander Galen this morning. He's fine. He can recover here."  
    No, he couldn't. "He's a troublemaker," I said in the understatement of the year.  
    Rodger settled back into his chair, tugging on his fishing pole. "He seemed okay to me."  
    "What do you know?"  
    "I know enough to keep my foot out of the popcorn bowl."  
    "Sorry." I moved my foot and sat with my elbows planted on my knees. "Maybe I can put him on a chopper."  
    "The winds are coming up," Horace said, scanning the horizon. "Nobody's flying."  
    "Of course they're not."  
    Besides, I didn't want to break any choppers. The ambulances were bad enough.  
    I eased the knife out from under my chair and stood.  
    "Hey, where you going?" Rodger asked.  
    "I'm going to see Galen of Delphi."  

Chapter Five

    Galen lounged in bunk 22A, chest bare, waiting for me.  
    Part of me was almost glad to see him, which was ridiculous. I was in charge of this operation, not him. At least I hoped that was still the case.  
    I made my way down the long row of beds, nerves hammering even as I tried to retain the aloof casualness that had served me so well throughout my career.  
    If I had any less pride, I'd be cringing.  
    I took his chart off the end of his bed. "Heck of a day. You must be tired."  
    His strong jaw flexed. "You wish."  
    Okay. I probably deserved that. "What can I say? I'm used to running the show."  
    "So am I." I saw a glint in his eye. A challenge? Oh hell.  
    I replaced his chart. He was healing well. No signs of infection. With any luck, I could ship him back to his unit in the next day or two.  
    And he would be sent into battle again.  
    I clicked my pen closed a little tighter than necessary. I'd told him I'd save his life, and I had. I couldn't save him from anything else.  
    No matter how much he fascinated me.  
    He rested his hands behind his head, a move that only served to draw attention to his well-developed arms and pectoral muscles. The man was built like every woman's dream.  
    Too bad I couldn't afford luxuries like that anymore.  
    Especially not with him.  
    "Do you want to know what's happening here?" he asked.  
    Not particularly, but that wasn't going to stop him.  
    "It's fate," he said.  
    "I'm a woman of science." Maybe I could dazzle him with my logic. I had to at least try before I lost my nerve. "You have pajama bottoms on?"  
    "Why do you ask?" he prodded, amused and