else could explain why Liam was so willing to put up with her, to make her as happy as possible.
She was normally the one who took care of everyone, but Liam never once stopped trying to take care of her since the moment they’d met. It was the strangest feeling to having someone quietly thinking of her all the time.
Liam was starting to relax around her too. Like he knew that she’d make sure nothing bothered him while he took care of the domestic things. He seemed to understand that she would take care of everything else, even before she’d realized it.
He jerked awake and she jumped, anxiety spiking when he was suddenly up rolling off the bed and yanking on his boots.
“What’s wrong?”
Liam stilled, his silver eyes finding her in the dark without hesitation. “More of them are coming.”
She was up and pulling on some slippers and a sweater before she could think twice. “I woke up a few minutes ago, but I couldn’t hear anything.”
“I can hear the cars,” he said, taking her hand and pulling her out of the bedroom. “They’re driving faster than they should. If I listen hard enough, I can hear how many hearts there are.”
After she’d dealt with Rodriguez and the hospital, Liam had gone on a run with her, training her how to listen at the same time, but it still felt like a skill that came and went. He’d promised it would get more reliable the closer to the full moon they got.
Then she would shift, and it would all be hers. Brand new senses at her fingertips – speed and strength to fight for those she cared about.
Zoe was cleaned up and prepped by the time the new patients were brought to her. It was a relief to slip into that mindset of problem solving. Liam and Noah helped her just like they had the last time.
If she was lucky, she’d be able to save most of them, but there were two she wasn’t sure about.
It was concerning enough she’d woken up Chris. They worked together just like they’d always had. It was second nature for him to do exactly as she asked without hesitation, making suggestions where they were needed, taking care of most things without her having to say anything at all.
By the time they were done, all the patients were mostly stable. Some would wake up in a few hours, and the rest would be a waiting game just like with the others.
“Just like old times, huh?” Chris asked, holding out his fist.
She punched it with her own, feeling like it would be impossible to go back to sleep now. This was when they were usually awake and working. Her body was ready for another ten hours on shift, but that wasn’t how things worked here.
“You and your mate should go into one of the guest rooms upstairs,” Zoe told him, wiping the sweat from her forehead with her arm. “We need all the space for patients we can get.”
Chris followed her to the main room, stripping off his gloves as he watched her. They cleaned up, washing their hands, and then started making notations on the paperwork one of the pack members had set up for all the new wolves.
It helped keep track of them all, and there were attached pictures. It was all very organized, and Zoe vaguely remembered the big one, Alexander, asking what else she might need for supplies.
“I heard you called Rodriguez,” Chris said carefully. “What did you tell her?”
“I told her we had a hiking accident and that I’d fax over my paperwork, but I was resigning so I could fully recover. Then I asked for a letter of recommendation and assurance I could use her as a reference.” Zoe shrugged, pulling off the sweater.
It was a lot warmer down in the basement thanks to limited air flow, but it was still mostly winter. Maybe she was finally getting used to the cold like Liam.
“Nothing else about me?” Chris asked, turning to lean against the sink.
“Nope. I just said I’d have you fax over your paperwork as well.” Zoe crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. “What?”
“You have a mate.” The teasing smile on Chris’s face made her narrow her eyes.
“And?”
Chris shrugged, that ridiculous smile spreading. “It’s kind of adorable. I had no idea you’d be into someone like Liam.”
Zoe looked away, feeling her cheeks heat. She wasn’t used to Chris seeing her like this and it was