Wolf Bite (The Blue Mountain Wolf Pack #5) - Emma Dean Page 0,57

it.

“I care about you,” she said, turning so she could face him. Zoe forced herself to look up into his eyes and hold his gaze with just as much confidence as she had Kai. “I want you to be happy. I think you and Noah would be happiest here. I haven’t lived in the same state as my father and sister in years, so it doesn’t really matter to me. The Blue Mountain Pack doesn’t seem so bad.”

Liam’s eyes were shining, but he wasn’t smiling. It almost looked like he was about to cry, but she couldn’t tell if it was because she’d upset him or not. “I don’t want you to make a choice like this because of me,” he murmured, sliding his hands back up her arms to cup her face. “What if you resented me for it one day?”

She shook her head. “I’ve already decided I want the mate bond. Staying here was the best choice for my mate and I will never regret that.”

Liam stared at her like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “What did you say?”

“I said—” Zoe turned when she heard something crashing in the other room.

Had one of the wolves woken up?

She ran toward the sound, only thinking of her patients. This was not her area of expertise, but she was going to make sure they lived if she had anything to say about it.

“Zoe, wait!”

She slid to a stop when she saw the half human, half wolf creature standing in the hallway, blood covering its face, torso, and hands. She didn’t think it was its own blood though. Zoe couldn’t even really tell which one of the patients this was.

“Zoe,” Liam whispered. “Slowly back away. Don’t take your eyes off him. No sudden movements.”

Her hands were shaking. Zoe took a step back, but the sick wolf followed, snarling as his silvery eyes narrowed. She stopped, trying to keep her breathing even. They would be okay. She had to operate just like she would as a trauma nurse.

What were the protocols?

Zoe slammed her hand into the keypad, activating the emergency lockdown system for the basement. Liam’s shouts as the doors slammed closed around them barely registered. It was just her and the wolf in the hall, but now he couldn’t access any of the other rooms.

Her heart pounded as he dropped to all fours. Zoe braced herself, knowing she had no idea if she could take him, but she had to try.

Liam was hers to protect.

19

Zoe

The half-wolf half-human crouched lower to the ground, lips pulled back in a snarl. The sharp teeth were jagged in a way she didn’t remember seeing when Liam had been a wolf. Everything about this poor wolf was distorted like the bite had only been partially accepted and the rest of the body was rejecting the strange magic.

Zoe supposed there were differences in genetics that would potentially explain why some were born as wolves, why some could successfully become wolves, and why others rejected the bite.

Not that this was the time to think about that.

She turned her body slightly so she could see behind her. Liam was pounding on the door that separated them. It was a smart design choice and gave three layers for a feral wolf to have to get through. The one behind her, the one at the bottom of the stairs, and the one at the top.

Taking self-defense classes meant she was more prepared than someone like Chris, but Zoe had no idea how much strength she had as a wolf, or how much speed. Could she take on something feral? Could Liam?

Either way, Zoe knew she couldn’t do this alone. She didn’t have the experience or practice. All she could do was trust Liam’s promises to her. He wouldn’t abandon her.

Something inside her rumbled and she felt her knees bend on instinct as she waited for the wolf to come after her. Zoe didn’t have any sedatives on her and no access to any. Could she knock this guy out without killing him?

What was the protocol for this anyway? Could he even be saved?

“Zoe,” Liam snarled, his anger clear in the way his growl seemed to reverberate through the walls. It sent chills down her spine, but she didn’t dare take her eyes off the wolf in front of her.

He licked his chops, features mangled thanks to the incomplete transformation.

What should she do? Could she actually take this thing down?

“Stay alive until I get in there,” Liam growled, slamming against the