Wild Country (The World of the Others #2)- Anne Bishop Page 0,108

who had a scarf wrapped around the calf of one leg.

“Dog bite?” Virgil asked, coming up beside Tolya.

“Looks that way. I had called the doctor about another matter. He will be in his office soon, if he’s not there already.” Wondering what had happened to the puppy the woman had been holding, Tolya watched the two humans get in the taxi, which sped toward the medical building on the other side of the square. “There are things we need to discuss, but they can wait until Stewart Dixon arrives.”

“What is there to discuss?”

“The face of a potential enemy.”

* * *

* * *

The vet and Tobias used one of the blankets to carry Kane into a treatment room. Jana watched, not sure what she was supposed to do.

“Should we step out?” she asked, pointing to herself and Tobias.

“No,” the vet said too quickly.

Well, she couldn’t fault the man for wanting familiar humans in the room with Kane. Patching up one of the Wolfgard after a fight wouldn’t be a usual part of the vet’s training.

“I’d like to use anesthesia … ,” the vet began.

Kane swung around, snapping and snarling, and would have fallen off the table if Jana and Tobias hadn’t grabbed the Wolf.

“That’s not an option,” she said, hoping she sounded official.

“But I need to shave the fur around the wounds and …”

Kane’s snarls became more threat than warning, and the vet stepped back from the table.

Jana felt sorry for the man. He couldn’t use a muzzle or any other kind of restraint to keep himself and his patient safe. But working on Kane, who was already hurt and upset, with no kind of restraint? She wouldn’t do it.

Of course, she was the one holding on to both of Kane’s front legs, which put her hands and forearms in easy reach of those big sharp teeth.

She was an idiot.

“Vet’s right about shaving the area around the wounds,” Tobias said. “Doctors shave the hair around a wound on humans too. That sucks, but sometimes it needs to be done.”

“Stitching the wounds will hurt.” The vet was still standing back from the table.

“What about a local anesthetic? The objection is about feeling vulnerable, right?” Tobias’s first question was for the vet. The second was directed at Kane, who replied with a grunt and growl. “A local would numb the area around the wounds that need to be stitched and make it easier for everyone, but Kane would still know what’s going on around him.” Now he looked at Jana.

Since Kane couldn’t speak for himself without shifting—and that didn’t seem like a good idea right now—she, being his fellow deputy, was apparently his medical proxy.

“Local anesthetic.” She looked at Kane. Was she imagining the fear in his eyes? Remembering why Kane and Virgil were the only survivors of their original pack, she added, “I’ll stay here and keep watch.”

That must have been the right thing to say, because Kane lowered his head and sighed.

“You might feel a prick,” the vet said as he approached the table with a syringe.

Kane either didn’t feel it or was hurting too much to care. But the sound of the clippers had the Wolf rearing up and showing his teeth.

“It’s all right,” Tobias said, laying a hand on Kane’s shoulder. “The fur will grow back. Right, doc?”

Maybe it was the sound, or maybe it was the feel of something on his skin so close to the wound, but Kane wasn’t having it until Jana snapped, “Stop being such a baby about this. The vet is going to shave off the fur and stitch you up and that’s that.”

All three males stared at her.

She stared back and showed her teeth. “What? Is this Testosterone United?”

“When dealing with feisty women, we males have to stick together,” Tobias said. “It’s kind of the T.U. code.”

She might have said something unforgivable if she hadn’t seen the satisfied so there look on Kane’s face.

She gave them all a “Danger! Angry woman” face. Kane closed his eyes and pretended to ignore her. Tobias winked at her and said nothing. The vet worked.

After a few minutes, Tobias said, “If you don’t need me right now, I’ll step out and make a couple of calls, find out how everyone else is doing.”

Jana nodded. After Tobias left the room, she said, “Kane has some cuts on his face.”

The vet handed her a bowl filled with liquid and a clean cloth. “Wash them with this.”

As the vet went back to stitching up the worst of Kane’s wounds, Jana