The Doctor's Alpha Mate

Chapter8.

Hope's POV.

"Hope. Hope, can you hear me?" I hear nurse Jenny's voice as if it's coming from far away. My thoughts are not here. They're back in the forest with Malakar.

I can't seem to stop thinking about him and the conversation we had. Malakar is a werewolf. Not only that, but he's the alpha of his pack. What I know about werewolves is what I've seen on TV or read about in books. I must be the one losing the plot now. How can I believe all of this? How do I still want to get to know him? Why am I not running for the hills? It makes no sense to me at all. I am a doctor. I believe in science. I believe in that which can be researched, tested, and proven. I don't believe in anything supernatural. Well, I suppose I didn't until now.

I have a very uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach about all of this. In all the movies and all the books, werewolves are dangerous and unpredictable creatures. They hunt and kill without mercy. They are violent and ruthless, and, above all else, they have little to no control over their wolf side and the dangerous urges that come with it. I should be scared to death of Malakar, and in a way I am. I should want to stay as far away from him as possible, but I still find myself drawn to him. He intrigues me. He fascinates me.

I can't stop thinking about him. The way he looks. The way he smells. The intense look in his eyes. The slow and easy drawl of his voice. The heat radiating from his skin. The aura of primal masculinity that seems to cling to him. The charm that seems to come so naturally to him. The way he makes me feel. Nervous and excited, hot and bothered. No other man has ever had this kind of effect on me. I have never wanted to be close to someone this much. I have never longed for someone that I barely even know in the way that I long for Malakar. It's driving me crazy!

"Hope!" I jump and almost spill my coffee when nurse Jenny places her hand on my shoulder. She's staring at me with wide eyes.

"What?" I sound dazed. Like I've just come out of a trance. I suppose that I have.

Jenny narrows both eyes at me and gestures at the air around us with an agitated hand. "Don't you hear that?"

I finally manage to draw my mind back to reality and realize, with a large amount of shock and surprise, that the incoming emergency alarm of the E.R is ringing out over the speakers. I put my half-empty cup down on the table in front of me and jump up from the chair. I clear my throat uncomfortably.

"s**t! Sorry, Jenny. My mind was somewhere else."

"Clearly." She rolls her eyes a little too dramatically and rushes out of the staff room and into the E.R. I shake my head hoping that it will clear my mind of all thoughts about Malakar and help me to focus on my job. I follow Jenny out as well.

The E.R doors burst open just as we step inside. Two E.M.Ts are pushing a gurney with a man on top of it. The man is writhing around in pain and the E.M.Ts are shouting out his vitals as Jenny and I rush towards them.

"We got a call and found him in Black Hollow Park. There was no one else around by the time we got there."

My heart sinks into my stomach. Black Hollow Park is right at the edge of the forest. Did he come from there? Did he get hurt in there? Did Malakar hurt him? I have no way of knowing for sure, but my gut is telling me that Malakar is the one responsible for this. I always trust my gut.

Jenny and I finally join up with the E.M.Ts and help them to push the gurney into one of the emergency bays. The sight in front of me is truly gruesome. The poor man is completely covered in his own blood. His shirt and coat are torn into tiny shreds, and he has five long gaping wounds across his chest and torso. The wounds are so deep that I can see right down to his bare bones. The flesh, tissue, and muscles have been torn apart completely. I can tell by the look on their faces that neither Jenny nor the E.M.Ts have ever seen anything like this before. I have. Once before, when I was a little girl, but I don't have time to think about that right now. I have no idea how this man managed to survive, but he won't for much longer if I don't do something to help him.

He writhes around in agony as he clutches at the gushing wounds on his body. He groans miserably. I feel sick to my stomach. Knowing about what Malakar is is one thing, but actually seeing what he can do is something that I'm not at all prepared for. My chest constricts painfully, but I have no time to think about myself right now. I have to help this man. I have to save his life. I cannot let him die. Not like this. Not at the hands of Malakar.

My instincts and training take over. I tell the E.M.Ts to hold him down and start shouting instructions at Jenny. She jumps into action immediately.

"Sir! You need to try and calm down. I'm going to help you, but I need you to be still. Please?" I begin working on him, but he's a real mess. His wounds won't stop bleeding and there's barely enough flesh and muscle left for me to close them back up again. The man won't stop moving, and he keeps tearing the wounds even more.

"s**t! We're going to have to sedate him. We need to get him into surgery right now!"

Jenny begins to administer the anesthesia, but the man suddenly breaks free of the E.M.T's restraint and manages to grab hold of my throat. I try to back away from him, but his grip is too tight. I can feel my airway begin to restrict, and I struggle for breath. The E.M.Ts and Jenny try to pry him away from me as well. He stares into my eyes. His are filled with a sort of horror that I have never seen before. It's the kind that makes my stomach turn and my skin chill.

"Werewolves!" The man shouts. It sounds like a warning.

Then, just as suddenly as he grabbed my throat, he lets go again and falls back onto the gurney. His entire body goes limp and he flat lines.