The Wolf King’s Possession

Felicity I trudged to the nurse’s station, then leaned heavily on the med cart, feeling like I’d just power-walked through quicksand. Every muscle hurt, from my head to my feet. “God, I’m starving,” Lexi complained, swiveling her chair around behind the desk. Her long, pastel-pink hair swished as she clutched her narrow ribs, pouting. “I swear, I haven’t eaten a single bite all day.” “You want a granola bar? I’ve got one back in my locker.” One that I’d been planning to scarf down during my ride home, but I could spare it. “Or you could snag a Jell-O cup. We’ve got no shortage of those around here.” At Evergreen Hills, Jell-O cups, applesauce, and probiotic yogurts were rarely far out of reach. “That’s okay. I wanna stay skinny for tonight.” She beamed up at me, her hunger already forgotten. “TGIF, baby! This weekend’s gonna be so awesome. I’m stoked.” I checked the time on my watch, then the large whiteboard behind the desk where we kept track of our residents’ care. Everything had been signed off for this shift—even the skilled-care patients who needed more attention than the others. Good. At this rate, I’d be home in under half an hour. “Do you have big plans for your days off?” I said to Lexi. She was the only other RN on shift today, and she’d worked almost as many hours as I had this week. Most of the time, I tried to stay out of Lexi’s business since it usually involved either gossip or drama, but I could tell she was waiting for me to ask. Lexi smirked. “Of course. There’s this huge rave happening in Boston tonight. Bright lights, loud music, and hot, sweaty shifters. This sexy panther guy I met on Growlr organized it.” “And he’s inviting humans?” Growlr was a dating app for paranormals—and only paranormals. But I knew Lexi was on it, just like hundreds of other human women hoping to lock down a lion, tiger, or bear of their very own. In shifter circles, Lexi was what they called a tail-chaser—a human with a shifter kink, doomed to run after something she’d probably never catch. “He’s inviting human women,” Lexi corrected. “I guess even shifters get horny for a taste of the exotic sometimes. Actually, you should come. You’d love it.” “I dunno.” It sounded like exactly the kind of thing I’d hate. Lexi was a bottle-pink wildfire; I was a scented candle at best. Overpriced drinks in a loud, overcrowded bar weren’t really my cup of tea. As for men, I preferred them non-sweaty and fictional. I’d had far more luck with Mr. Darcy than with guys in nightclubs. “I’ll probably have to pass.” “Aww, no! Why?” “I’m pretty exhausted. These twelve-hour shifts are kicking my butt.” And they’d continue to do so until management bit the bullet and hired more staff. Both our charge nurses had been fired last month due to abuse allegations, to which I said good riddance, but they had yet to be replaced. “I talked to Roger today,” Lexi supplied. “He says they’re bringing in new LPNs next week. They should help lighten the load.” “On the budget, maybe.” But not for Lexi or me. Hiring a bunch of LPNs was cheaper, but if management would loosen the purse strings a bit, they could replace the RNs. Even if all the new hires were IV-certified, they’d likely be wet behind the ears and need a lot of direction, so Lexi and I would still be in charge of care plans, oversight, and a dozen other things. “If we’re getting fresh meat in, I don’t think I can afford to be hungover the entire weekend.” “Oh, come on. That’s exactly why you have to come out tonight. Take off the scrubs, put on a hot little number, and trade those stinky old Crocs for some heels for a change.” I glanced down at my powder-blue Crocs. They were old, yes, but stinky? I certainly hoped not. They were definitely ugly, too, but they were the comfiest shoes to wear when I spent most of my days on my feet. “A few drinks, some slutty dancing, a few more drinks…” Lexi continued. “It’s the perfect way to blow off steam, and you’ll be recovered by Monday.” She added in a sing-song voice, “You can bring Lieutenant Fire Hazard!” I grabbed a stack of clipboards and turned away so she didn’t see me roll my eyes. Lieutenant Fire Hazard was Lexi’s name for Xander, my best friend. It was a step up from the last nickname Lexi had given him. Before he’d started volunteering at the Evergreen Fire Department, she’d called him Wolfy Big d**k. Flattering for Xander, maybe, but not exactly pleasant to my ears. “I’ll definitely think about it,” I lied. I cross-referenced the residents’ charts with the marks on the whiteboard to make sure everything corresponded with what we were putting on file. We were supposed to log everything in the complicated system that management had installed on our computers a few years ago, but that was a bust. That system was down more than it was up. Even when it was working, it was still half-broken. “Thinking’s for suckers. C’mon. Just say yes,” Lexi whined. “And don’t give me any of that I don’t have anything to wear crap, either. You can totally squeeze into something from my closet. I’ve got tons of stuff you can choose from.” “Uh, thanks.” I was only half paying attention. My brow knitted into a frown. Something on the charts wasn’t adding up. “It’ll be a real night to remember. Especially if you can rope Xander in,” Lexi yammered on obliviously. “Is he seeing anyone these days? I mean, he’s an alpha, so he probably is, but a girl can dream…” “Xander doesn’t really see people. He’s got as much on his plate as we do. Weirder hours, too.” Why hadn’t Mrs. Rodriguez’s evening meds been logged in her chart? Mr. Murray’s were missing from his chart, too. My frown deepened as I juggled the conversation and the bad feeling stirring in my gut. “Even if he wants to come, he might have to split if he gets called in.” “Bummer. Ask him anyway for me? I’ll send you loads of pics.” Lexi checked her watch and sprang up from her chair. “Anyway, it’s quittin’ time! I’m outta here.”