First Bite (The Dark Wolf Series) (4 page)

The hospital
stank
.

Barely inside the front doors, Travis shook his head, trying unsuccessfully to clear it. A human would only smell disinfectant,
which was bad enough. A Changeling smelled
everything
the disinfectant was supposed to hide. Topping the list of aromas were blood and urine, but emotions had a scent, too, and the acrid tang of fear was the strongest. It set his teeth on edge. Under normal circumstances, both his human and wolfen selves would have voted to leave this place as fast as possible.

He sighed and tried to focus on the job at hand, which was figuring out just where the woman was in the enormous building. Travis had no name, just a vague description based on what his natural night vision could tell him about her. Still, as a Changeling he had everything he needed in order to find someone: a scent. As with all things olfactory, his inner wolf had automatically filed it away. Memories could fade; the way someone looked or sounded could become fuzzy over time. But scents? They were never forgotten.

Travis followed the signs to the emergency ward, where he knew the woman would have been brought first. It was a tough place to pluck a specific scent out of the air, especially one that was already two days old. His wolf chuffed in disgust as it fought to sort out the tangle of smells. It came out like a human cough, and a nurse commented cheerfully on the dryness of the air as she hurried by.

Finally the wolf found what it was looking for.
Here.

Travis inhaled, and the wolf helped his human nose to perceive the woman’s scent. Light and airy yet spicy and warm, like wild roses after a rain…Travis started walking quickly. Trailing a scent always seemed to him as if he were trying to follow a single thread out of a vast conduit of fibers—like maybe a transatlantic cable. It would have been a helluva lot easier in lupine form, of course, but that option wasn’t open. All he could do was give his inner wolf its head and let it guide him.

Which worked until the elevator doors shut in front of his face.

Now what? What floor would she be on? Luckily, visiting hours were in full swing, and Travis was quickly joined by several humans. Several averted their eyes, however, and a few shrank away. Between his motorcycle leathers and his size, he probably looked like a badass to them. Normally that would be fine with him, but it wasn’t going to help him today. He whipped his sunglasses off in hopes of appearing less intimidating, barely remembering in time to wipe the frown off his brow, too. “Excuse me,” he said politely to an administrative-looking guy in a suit. “Where’s the orthopedic ward?” It was a flat-out guess, but it was a place to start. “Mom said my cousin’s in here with a broken leg, but she couldn’t remember the room number.”

“Adult? Probably on the fourth floor, south wing. Hope your cousin gets better soon.”

“Me too. Thanks.”

Several people got off at four, and he followed them. The wolf picked up the scent immediately, but beelining was out of the question. Both visitors and patients thronged the hallway. Travis shortened his steps so he wouldn’t run over a convoy of wheelchairs. Several flower arrangements sat on a cart just outside a room, and he scooped up one as he went by and tucked it in front of him without missing a beat. No one noticed. The hallway branched into two at the nurses’ station, and he smiled at the clerk behind the circular desk as his inner wolf steered him to the left.

This hall was crowded, too, and he hugged the east wall as he made his way through the people. Tripped on an IV pole and apologized to an older man in a plaid bathrobe. Still, the woman’s scent was getting stronger, and Travis knew he was close. Then he spotted his quarry through the open door on the opposite side of the hall. He expected his wolf to be pleased with itself (it was always terribly self-satisfied after a successful hunt), but this time
it was full-out triumphant. For a strange moment his human brain reeled, too, and Travis had to shake his head to clear it.
Weird.
Clearly his senses were just overloaded after tracking her through this olfactory nightmare.

Hidden by the tide of visitors and patients between him and the door, he watched her for a few moments. She was in an armchair, beside the bed rather than in it, which meant she was healing up fast, even for a Changeling. The long, faded blue bathrobe was hospital issue, but he liked the look of her dark-brown hair tumbling over it. Her face was pale in comparison with vivid freckles that marched up and over her nose and across her cheekbones. Her eyes were not just dark brown, but the deep color of rich coffee. Pretty eyes—but even from here he could see the desperation in them.

“Come with me if you want to live.”

Neva stared at the enormous hand the stranger extended to her. Her gaze followed the black leather–clad arm up to the massive shoulders, the strong jaw, and the thick lock of wavy blond hair hanging over his dark glasses. “You have
so
got to be kidding me,” she said.

He shrugged. “I always wanted to say that line. Except I’m not kidding.” With his other hand, the big stranger plunked a flower arrangement of purple irises and orange chrysanthemums on the bedside table. He yanked the tiny card off it and stuffed it into his jeans pocket, but not before she read,
To our valued employee, Bob.

“You stole somebody’s
flowers
?”

“Camouflage.” He opened and closed the drawers and closet. “No clothes left, huh? Guess you’ll have to come as you are.”

“Why would I go anywhere with you? I know what you are.” She practically spat the words at him, even as she grabbed the remote from the bed and poised her thumb over the red button for the nurses’ station. “You’re one of
them
.”

“Yeah, well, I know what you are, too, sister.”

Of course he would know, but it still stung. She didn’t want to be like him or any of the rest of the damned creatures under Meredith’s thumb. “Look, I know who sent you. And I can give you twice what she offered you.”

He laughed at that. “Trust me, nobody could pay me enough to come
here
. It stinks.”

“What about your pack leader?”

“I have no pack. I’m just here to spring you.”

Something like hope stirred inside her, and she pushed it down hard. Not only was this a werewolf she was dealing with, but he had screwed up her plans once already. She wouldn’t be fooled. “Meredith won’t like it,” she tested.

“Who?” He slid the sunglasses down his nose, revealing vivid blue eyes that studied her as intently as she was studying him. “Look, if you have a gripe with somebody, that’s your problem. I’m here to get you out of here. Period.”

From the set of his mouth, he looked like he was bracing himself for an argument. She was all set to give him one, too, then realized this was exactly the opportunity she needed. “Okay.”

“Look, we both know you can’t stay—
what
?”

“I said
okay
. I want to go. Go ahead, get me out of here. You messed up everything the other night and you’re responsible for me being in this place, so you owe me, mister. Let’s go.”

“Wait just a damn minute.” He pulled the sunglasses off completely then and pointed them at her. “I saved your frickin’ life, lady. If anybody owes anybody, it’s—”

“Just get me out of here and we’re even.” She started struggling to her feet as he opened and closed his mouth, obviously at a loss for words. He recovered enough to offer his big hand again, and this time she took it and used it to pull herself up, finding herself standing almost nose to nose with him. Or rather, nose to
chest
. Neva was tall herself, but this guy was huge. She eyed him warily. “No funny stuff. Get me out of here, and we’re done.”

He hesitated, his brow furrowed. “Anyone in their right mind would be happy to get out of here, but you’re a little too keen. You thinking of trying to off yourself again?”

“That’s none of your business. Are you going to help me get out of here or not?”

The frown deepened, but he didn’t argue further, just put his sunglasses back on. “Can you walk?”

“Not fast, but yeah.” Okay, technically she’d only shuffled around her room and limped partway to the nurses’ station once. She had no idea if she’d hold up any farther than that, but she wasn’t going to say so. Instead, she pulled the ties of her bathrobe tighter and grabbed her cane.

He placed himself on her left, her arm and leg casts against him, and threw an arm around her, his big hand curled around her waist. “What’s your name?”

“Why’s it matter?”

“Well, if we’re stopped, it’ll look pretty suspicious if I don’t know my own
cousin’s
name.”

Cousin.
Well, it was lot better than pretending to be his girlfriend—she wouldn’t have to feign affection. After all, if he was her own cousin, Alec, she would have punched him rather than hug him just out of childhood habit. Before she could say anything, however, her newly acquired
cousin
picked up her chart from the plastic pocket on the door.

“Geneva Rayne Ross,” he read.

“Just Neva.”

“Christ, you used your real name? I thought you were trying to hide.”

“Hey, I wasn’t exactly thinking clearly when they brought me in here. So who the hell are
you
, the werewolf police? Why do you keep interfering in my life?”

He was silent for a long moment. “Travis Williamson. No. And goddess only knows.”

She swung around and thumped the center of his chest with a right hook, which was all she could reach from the awkward angle. It was a point in his favor that he didn’t let her fall—she’d overbalanced and would have done a fine face-plant if he wasn’t hanging on to her.

“What the hell was that for?” he demanded.

“Luck.”

“Must be
extra
good luck since you already stabbed me in the same frickin’ spot,” he muttered. “Lean on me,” was all the warning she got before he abruptly propelled the pair of them sideways through the door and down the hall.

She’d been worried that she wouldn’t be able to keep up, but there was no need. Her feet barely touched the floor at all. She couldn’t be glued more tightly to Travis’s right side if he’d used duct tape to secure her. And despite the strength of that big arm and its sizeable hand, he somehow managed not to squeeze her
too
hard. As for the effort required of him, she might as well have been a sack of groceries as he negotiated a path through the busy halls.

To her surprise he smelled good. Her senses were so much keener now, which was a real drawback in a place like a hospital, where most smells were repellent at best. Travis’s scent was earthy and definitely
male
, but not in a stinky-gym-socks kind of way—instead, it reminded her of hiking trails in the mountains
and summers by the lake. And it was strong. This close to him, the scent of him canceled out all the others around her, and she was oh so grateful for that little perk.

“My goodness, girl, where are you going?” It was Fern. Breaking away from a group of nurses by the elevator, she came over and looked like she was going to start examining her patient for damage. Instead she folded her arms and glared up at Travis. “This gal’s in the hospital for a reason, mister.”

“My cousin and I were just heading to the gift shop for a few minutes and then maybe the cafeteria,” Neva said quickly. “I’m all right. I feel pretty good, and I’m really not putting much weight on my leg, see? Barely had to use my cane at all.” She waved it and smiled.

Fern looked unconvinced. “You’re going to wear yourself out.”

“He promised to carry me if I got tired.”

On cue, Travis swung her up into his arms. “I’ll take good care of her, ma’am. We want her to get better.” He leaned down to Fern and whispered, “Shopaholic. Neva won’t be happy until she buys a few magazines and some knickknacks.” Neva smacked him solidly, but he ignored it.

“Don’t keep her too long,” warned Fern. The frown was still there, but it had relaxed to two furrows instead of three. “I’m off shift now, honey,” she said to Neva. “I’ve got three days off, but I’ll check in on you first thing when I get back. I don’t want to hear that they had to double your pain meds because of this little escapade.” She patted Neva’s good leg and headed back to her coworkers.