Chapter 8
Thea gasped awake. She shot bolt upright in bed, and her upper body flung forward as she drew in great lungs-full of air. She was hot and achy and disoriented. Her eyes scanned the room, and it looked like she was in a hospital. Looking down, she saw wires and needles attached to her body.
She’d taken nursing in college and had done the job for a year and a half before she realized she wanted to teach, so she knew enough to reach up and turn off the infusion pump to prevent the alarm from blaring before she removed her IV.
Several other pieces of equipment that were beyond the scope of her knowledge were simply unplugged before she removed where their wires were attached to her chest and back.
Once she was completely unhooked from everything, Thea climbed from the bed on wobbly legs. She had no idea how long she’d been in the hospital, or which hospital she was in. What she did know was that she felt off. That all-consuming demanding sexual ache felt like it was simmering just below the surface. It felt like at any moment, the slightest jolt would trigger another attack. Sweat slickened her back and chest as she thought about how mortifying it would be to go into one of those attacks here without anyone to see to her needs.
Wobbling to a window that looked out onto a hall, Thea peered into the dimly lit corridor. Instantly, she recognized the infirmary at StoneCrow Estates. Sometimes her students experienced their first partial or full shift, and she’d have to bring them to the infirmary for Jenny to look at before their parents were contacted. Now though, the realization of where she was had panic nearly seizing her. The only thing that could be worse than having another one of the attacks she’d experienced with Marko was doing it here among Skin Walkers who could scent her emotions and needs!
Turning her back on the window, she scanned the room for her clothes. A closet in the corner revealed her blood-stained shirt and bra. Her jeans and socks were folded underneath.
Thea made quick work of dressing, and as she hiked her jeans up her hips, she gasped when the material brushed her sex and sent a jolt of lust tearing through her.
No! No, no, no, no, noooo!
Inhaling slowly, to steady her heart, she contemplated her options. Inevitably, she decided that she’d rather try to make her escape in her hospital gown than chance forcing herself into a second attack.
Striping her jeans down, she kicked out of them and shoved her socked feet into her boots. She looked like an idiot dressed in a hospital gown with thermal socks and hiking boots.
Yanking her coat off the peg in the closet, she shoved her arms into it and stilled as a voice carried down the hall. She held her breath as her heart hammered against her chest while she prayed no one was coming to check on her. For a second, she considered climbing back into bed to pretend she was still asleep, but one look at the tangle of sheets, wires, and tubes dangling all around and she knew there’d be no fooling anyone who came looking. Sudden heat swamped her and had her moving quickly for the door. That was as far as she made it before her breathing turned to sharp little pants from the friction of her panties on her engorged clit.
No! This can’t be happening. Not here!
Bending, she ripped her panties down her legs and stepped out of them before shoving them into her pocket. As she opened the door, she considered peeking out and acting all covert but decided that just waltzing out like she owned the place was probably best. No one would question her if she acted like she was supposed to be leaving…right?
In the hall, she fought the urge to shed her coat.
It’s so hot!
Attempting to seem causal, she tucked her hands into her pockets and headed down the hall. When the heat became stifling, she mopped at her face with what she’d thought was a kerchief before realizing she didn’t carry kerchiefs. Her cheeks singed as she shoved her panties back into her pocket and doubled her pace.
“Thea?”
Dread skittered down her spine as she kept right on walking like she hadn’t heard anything.
“THEA!”
Oh God! Definitive footsteps were slapping down the linoleum hallway toward her. For a second she considered running, but honestly, right now she was lucky to be walking. Each step sent excruciating bolts of electricity straight to her clit.
“Hey!” A hand on her arm spun her around.
When she faced Stoney, she forced a smile. “Hey.”
“What are you doing?”
She fidgeted as Stoney studied her face. She knew she was flushed and sweating way too much, but tried to cover it up. “Um, heading home. I’m feeling much better.”
Stoney’s eyes narrowed at her, and the nurse’s nostrils flared as she inhaled.
Oh crap! “Gotta go. Hey, thanks for everything.” She threw a wave over her shoulder and made it one step before Stoney’s hand clamped on her arm.
“You’re not okay! You’re back in heat, Thea.”
Oh, God! She let her head fall back as she pinched her eyes closed and tried, “I’m fine. Really.” But her voice sounded brittle even to her own ears.
“Hey! What’s going on? Where in the hell is she trying to go?”
Thea actually groaned at the sound of Jenny approaching.
“She’s trying to leave,” Stoney informed, but it sounded like an admonishment. “She’s back in heat, Jen. Smell her.”
Thea whirled around and whisper yelled. “Do not smell me! I am not in heat. I’m going home!”
To her credit, Jenny’s expression morphed into one of understanding as she grabbed Thea’s other arm and steered her back toward her room. “Look, let’s talk. There are things you need to know about what’s happening to you and clearly,” she eyed the hall, “you aren’t going to be comfortable having this discussion out here. Come on,” she tugged a little harder when Thea locked her legs. “Let’s talk privately, shall we?”
Reluctantly, Thea let the nurse and doctor lead her back to her room. Jenny guided her back to the bed, and once there, Stoney made quick work of stripping Thea of her coat and boots.
“I didn’t say I was staying,” Thea snapped.
“Look,” Jenny stood over Thea and reattached the IV and monitors. “You were injected with a tranq dart that held a designer drug. It’s a form of one we know has been used on wolf-shifters, but,” Jenny stalled long enough to pull the stethoscope from around her neck and check Thea’s vitals. “But, I believe this drug is different even from that one. Eleanor, the female shifter it was used on went into one heat. And from everything I’m gauging right now, it looks like you’re about to go into your second.”
“Heat? Wh-what do you mean heat?”
“Physiological changes that are induced by reproductive hormones in most mammalian therian females.”
Thea closed her eyes and lifted a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose begging, “English! Please!”
“Estrous,” Jenny answered simply. “Your body has gone into a cycle that is receptive to mating.”
Thea kept her eyes closed and dropped her hand. “Jesus! Can you stop it? Turn it off?” She looked at Jenny, hoping to see an affirmation, but her belly clenched when Jenny frowned and shook her head once.
“Not yet. I’ve got your blood work being looked at by the lab and a small sample of what they used on you, but until I know what I’m dealing with, I can’t defend against it. That means all we can do right now is monitor you for changes and keep you comfortable. I’ve got Marko on-call in case…”
“In case what?” Thea snapped as color suffused her cheeks. “In case I need a good rutting?” Turning, she gave Jenny and Stoney her back.
“This isn’t your fault,” Stoney cut in. “You can’t control what’s happening to you. And no one blames you or Marko for what you two had to do to...”
“Stop,” Thea breathed and then more loudly, “Just stop!” Turning she shot Jenny and Stoney her most lethal glare. “No one. I repeat, No. One. Is going to contact Marko for anything. He is not my on-call fuck friend!” She settled back on the bed and jabbed a finger at Jenny. “If I agree to stay here, then you both agree that under no circumstance are you going to contact Marko. I can get through this without any man needing to make me comfortable!”
When Stoney shot Jenny a look, Thea sat up and grabbed the IV Jenny had reinserted.
“I mean it! And you both need to agree to it now. I stay and no one calls Marko, or I walk.”
“Thea,” Jenny began in her most authoritative tone. “You need medical attention right now and you can’t…”
“I’m a grown ass woman,” Thea snapped. “I can and I will if you both don’t agree to my terms right now. You administer whatever medical attention you think it is I need, but no more Marko. No more sex!”
Jenny sucked in a breath and looked at Stoney. “Fine. We agree.”
Thea slid her eyes from Jenny to Stoney. “Say it.”
Stoney looked pissed, but eventually heaved, “Agreed.”