Taming the Wicked Rogue

His scent

“What happened?” Matt, the middle-aged doctor, frowned at Olah’s grim expression. I bit my tongue in embarrassment and thought back to the varying reactions of the three people with me after that vomiting spell.

Olah had dialed a number, possibly Rhys, while Hammer, who was outside, had quickly returned in, blanched with worry. Jiro, the cool man that he was, merely wrinkled his brow.

“Quickly, let’s go to the doctor,” Olah announced. What surprised me the most was that Hammer crouched down low, his eyes flashing silver. And before my eyes, such an imaginable scene played out. He shifted. The change happened immediately and all at once. My eyes could only catch the ripple that ran down his skin, and then a giant, tawny-colored wolf was before me.

I held my breath as the beast approached.

“Yes, that’s right. We’ll get there faster in wolf form.” Olah’s voice pulled my soul back in place.

“What do you-“

Before I could complete my question, I was airborne, sitting astride something warm and furry. My hands involuntarily gripped the fur at the sudden movement and heard a soft whimper. It took seconds for my brain gears to click back in place before realizing I was atop a wolf – a werewolf. I stared wide-eyed at Olah, who seemed satisfied as she looked over my position.

“You don’t mean I ride him to the clinic?” I asked in disbelief, tightening my fist against the handful of fur. Another whimper sounded, this time punctuated with a soft growl.

“Dear, lighten up your hold.” Olah reminded me and helped me wear a coat. She then turned toward the wolf with a solemn expression. “Run carefully.”

Two words but the threat and consequences underlying them were hard to miss.

Hammer trotted out with a soft growl, passing Jiro, who was now back to his usual cold self, with a nod. I kept my position of leaning forward to keep my balance as Hammer ran across the forest. At first, it was uncomfortable, but as the wind whipped through my hair, the discomfort disappeared. This was fun. I wonder if riding Rhys wolf would feel the same. I remember his fur was as dark as night. Would it be soft to touch, just like Hammer’s?

In no time at all, we arrived at the clinic. To my surprise, Olah had also changed into wolf form. Her stature was slightly more slender than Hammer’s, but its sheer size could still scare anyone. She shifted, and I was stunned at her nakedness and looked away. My eyes met Hammer’s, who seemed amused at my reaction.

“Don’t you flash your body at me!” His amusement turned to horror. He lightly shook, probably motioning me to get off. I slid down with difficulty, and Olah was already fully clothed when I looked back. I didn’t quite know where she got the clothes.

She quickly strode towards the clinic and knocked – or more like pummelled the door, which brought us back to the present question. I cleared my throat, and Matt’s gaze slid to me. He took in my pallor and dark eyes and pursed his lips. “Come in.”

There were only four rooms in the clinic. The smallest was his office, and the largest was a room with four beds. It should be the recovery room for patients. The other room was the surgery room, and the last was a single patient room where I woke up before.

“How do you feel?” He asked gently as soon as I was seated.

“The nausea was gone, but I feel a bit tired.” In fact, I had started to feel better after throwing up.

“She also didn’t sleep well and woke up twice,” Olah added, which surprised me since I thought she was fast asleep every time I woke up.

He placed a gloved hand on my belly and felt around it with narrowed eyes. “Is the baby okay?” I asked

He gave a curt nod and straightened. “Do you feel better when you smell his scent?”

I quickly understood he was referring to Rhys. My cheeks flushed. I nodded hesitantly, remembering how I sifted through his clothes and chose the shirt with residual scent.

“This happens a lot with a human carrying a shifter’s baby. Your body is weak and is not designed to hold for pregnancy. It might sound strange, but the baby feels it isn’t safe and would crave the scent and protection that the parent could give.”

Matt rounded to his table and wrote down words on his notepad. Olah and I shared a worried look. “When will he come back?”

Olah shook her head and started pacing in the office. “I’ll call him.” She announced and quickly slipped out.

“I advise you to keep something of Rhys, anything with his scent on near you. It will keep the uneasiness for a bit, but it’s not a long-term solution.” Matt declared and handed me the note, which was actually a list of food, vegetables, and a suspiciously large amount of meat I should add to my diet.

“Eating more meat will be good for the baby’s muscles to develop well. You should also drink soup that could increase the milk you produce.”

I nodded despite the rising panic and embarrassment. He quickly caught on to my expression and offered me a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry. You just need to make sure to keep up your body’s nutrition. Avoid tiring yourself out but exercising is a must. I will also advise against emotional and mental stress.”

I managed a shaky smile and placed a hand on my belly. I thought before that I had accepted the pregnancy quite quickly, but I was wrong. The thought of a vulnerable life inside of me scares me.

Olah came back to the room, and we both thanked the doctor.

“What did Rhys say? Is he coming back soon?” I asked, my tone laced with worry.

She shook her head and sighed in distress. “Couldn’t reach him.” She glanced at me, and a comforting smile graced her lips.

“Don’t worry. Try to call him later. For now, let’s get you settled to the diner, or do you want to rest at home?”

I quickly shook my head. “No. Staying at home will be too boring. The scent of food relaxes me, so I’ll stay at the diner.”

Olah looked conflicted, but she agreed.

When we reached the diner, the booth she reserved for me was transformed into a daybed. It was filled with pillows. There was also a fluffy blanket and some books in a genre that made my brows rise. Rise of the Alpha. Bite of Desire. Chains of the Moon. The three books were all paranormal romances, either with a vampire, werewolf, or witch.

“Who got this?” I couldn’t help but ask, and Jiro, sitting with Hammer in a booth next to the daybed, jerked his chin in acknowledgment.

I rolled my eyes at him and let Olah lead me to the bed since dizziness had reared its head again.

She placed Hammer’s phone, which the weird guy had given to me already, and said, “Call him and let him know of the situation.”

I nodded and narrowed my eyes. If he didn’t pick up then, he better have a good reason when he comes back.