Dr. Wolf, the Fae Rift Series Book 1- Shockwave Read Online Free Page B

who had been, if not completely accepting, at least civil. He wasn’t in a cage; that was a plus, all things considered. Although he would probably be safer in a cage, if all things were really considered.
    He sighed. No matter what happened, he couldn’t leave creatures like the fairy to die out of ignorance, and Dark fae like the demon to attack innocent humans and wreak havoc on their lives. If he could still do something to help the exhausted hospital staff, he would.
    Aleric willed himself to remember what it felt like to be human. He thought of the way it felt to smile back when Sherian had been his life. His heart gave a human pang of regret. He pushed past it and thought of sunlight on his face and the feel of grass beneath his fingers.
    His body phased much more slowly than before. Werewolves generally phased at night. Moonlight made it easier to maintain the form, and the full moon demanded the phase. Phasing back and forth four times in the space of a few hours during the middle of the day was something Aleric had never done.
    He bent gingerly and picked up the hospital gown. He missed pants. Unfortunately, the white gown with the little blue dots was all he had. He shrugged into it with the reminder that at least he wasn’t naked. He was in the middle of fastening the ties along the back when the doors opened.
    The worried expression on Nurse Eastwick’s face relaxed when she saw Aleric.
    “Thank goodness!” she exclaimed. “I thought you might be dying in some corner somewhere. I know that creature tore you up.”
    “Demon,” Aleric corrected. “And one benefit of being in wolf form is the thick hide.”
    “Demon, huh?” she repeated. “Let’s hope we don’t have any more of those to deal with. We have it heavily sedated under Dr. Worthen’s orders. It’s going to take the orderlies forever to clean up the E.R. and we have two new patients.”
    “Fae?” Aleric asked.
    She shook her head. “They appear normal, or as normal as two guys brawling in a bar can be. Luckily, we can take them in the back rooms to treat black eyes, bruises, and a few stitches.” She winked at him. “We’d go with glue, but Dr. Worthen likes them to remember that fighting isn’t worth the scars.”
    That brought a smile to Aleric’s face. “I think I like Dr. Worthen. How’s he doing?”
    “He’s shaken,” the nurse said. Aleric heard her unsteady breath when she said, “Actually, we all are. I’ve never seen anything like that in my life.”
    “Me, either,” Aleric replied.
    She stared at him. “You’ve never fought a demon before?”
    He shook his head.
    Her eyes widened. “So you jumped on that huge beast and held onto its throat without knowing that cutting off its windpipe would work? Or that you wouldn’t be squashed like a bug?”
    Aleric shrugged. “I figured it was worth a shot.”
    She put her hands on her hips and studied him.
    “Aleric, where on earth did you come from?”
    “I’ll let you know when I figure it out,” he replied.
    She looked at him closely. “You’re exhausted. You’d better sit down before you pass out.” Her mouth twisted in a wry smile. “You know, changing into a wolf and fighting demons is against doctor’s orders after hitting your head.”
    “Oh,” Aleric replied. “I’ll have to keep that in mind.”
    “I’ll get you an icepack,” she told him. “Go rest in the D Wing. I’ll be there in a sec.”
    There was something about the familiar way she talked to him that made Aleric like the blonde nurse with the no-nonsense attitude. He could generally trust his instincts when it came to an assessment of the people around him. Nurse Eastwick, or Loreen, as Dr. Worthen had called her, felt like the pack aunt whose job it was to keep an eye on the youngsters and tag after the yearlings to make sure they didn’t get into trouble.
    Intent on following her orders to get some rest, Aleric pushed the door open to the D Wing. All thoughts of taking it easy fled