Wolf's Call (Wolves Next Door #2) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,4

the law, and she listened in a way she'd never listened to me. Probably because he was stronger, or more dominant. I was still figuring that part out.

So, Gabby could now ride to and from school with Roman, but nowhere else. This was her probation to see if she'd learned anything. Still, having her ride with her boyfriend was one less thing to keep track of, and with the holidays over, I was trying to settle into my new role here in Wolf's Run as the alpha female.

Granted, I still didn't really understand what that meant, but Ashley said it was ok. No one expected me to yet. For now, I was simply Ian's mate - which was equivalent to being a girlfriend, not a wife. Then there was the whole fated mate thing with Lane. He'd told me not to worry about that until I had the pack stuff figured out, but I was getting close. I was actually starting to feel like I could handle all of this without losing my mind.

Sure, it was crazy. I lived in an exclusive gated community that had been designed to allow werewolves to live in modern society. No matter how many times I said that in my head, it still didn't sound real. Although waking up with my face pressed into my boyfriend's fur did make it easier. And while Lane might be the only one who preferred his wolf form to his human body, my rule of one man and one wolf in the bed had been taken literally. I had to admit, Trent did have a really soft coat too.

Thinking about it, I was smiling at my monitor when the door to the office opened. A very petite Black - or possibly bi-racial - woman walked in alone. Her short, natural hair was dyed a honey-blonde that matched her eyes. She couldn't have been more than five foot two and looked like she weighed all of a hundred pounds soaking wet, but she wasn't a girl. I was pretty sure she had to be right around my age, in her late thirties to early forties. I greeted her with a smile.

"Welcome to Wolf's Run," I said. "Can I help you?"

Her golden eyes shifted to me. "I'm not sure. I had an appointment to speak with Ashley Langdon today?"

"Sure, and can I get your name?"

"I'm Dr. Bridget Wright."

I barely even pushed my chair back before Ashley stepped into the room, negating my need to go get her. With a smile, my best friend and boss walked toward the woman with one hand outstretched. The doctor smiled back just as brightly.

"Dr. Bridget!" Ashley proclaimed. "I'm so glad you came. Let me introduce you to the Pack Alpha's mate, Elena. She's new to the position, and still settling in."

Dr. Bridget's eyes widened a hair. "A..."

"Human," I finished for her. "Yeah, I'm still learning."

Ashley just chuckled. "Her daughter's a convert." Then she looked at me. "Elena, this is the doctor we've been looking for. She's a general practitioner, a wolf, and she'll be able to help."

I found myself sitting a little straighter. "A wolf doctor?"

"Mhm," Ashley almost purred. "And I bet she has some information about sexual transmission of lycanthropy."

I felt my face getting warmer. "Yeah, that, but she'll also be able to treat people without..." I snapped my mouth shut realizing how stupid I sounded. "Sorry."

Dr. Bridget just smiled at me. "It's ok. I actually became a doctor because my mother was too worried about seeing a human and potentially infecting them. I figured that someone should make sure our kind can get a little modern medicine. We heal well, but we still get sick and hurt."

"And," Ashley said, "she's looking to see if Wolf's Run will have what she's looking for." Then she gestured to the door. "The house I wanted you to see is just down the street. We can drive or walk. Your choice."

"Then let's walk," Dr. Bridget decided. As they headed outside, I caught only a few more words. "It's really a lovely place you're making. I never would've expected..."

Unable to help myself, I grabbed my phone and sent off a text to Ian, asking if he knew we might be getting a doctor. I figured that was something he should know. I also had a feeling this wasn't a done deal yet. Ashley still had to convince the woman to pick Wolf's Run over all the other packs that needed her services so desperately, but I was