Run! The Black Wolf's prey.

Chapter 10 - Magnolias at daybreak

“Are you kidding me?!” Emma stared at her with her mouth wide open. “NO way.”

“Shhhh!” Isabel shushed. “Keep your voice down. This must stay between you and me.”

Isabel looked around, but it didn’t seem like anyone else in the coffee room had paid attention. They had just finished the rounds and had gone for a quick morning coffee when Isabel had told Emma about the weekend events.

“Of course, sorry,” Emma rearranged her ponytail, her wavy brown hair was just about long enough to be able to put it up. “I just can’t believe you’re even here, you must be in shock? I would have been home in bed or maybe admitted to the psychiatric ward or something, after that experience.”

“I’m OK,” Isabel smiled faintly. “But yes, I was in shock the whole day yesterday. But still, I’m not sure the wolves really wanted me any harm. I think maybe I just got in their way.”

“And that is why one of them pressed you to the ground?” Emma objected. “I still… I can hardly believe it to be true.”

“It is, I promise,” Isabel laughed uneasily. “But I’m OK, and I’m back in the city. I will stay at my mom’s place for a while.”

“You can come stay with me if you want? At least on Friday night. Or maybe you’re not up for going out, after everything?”

Emma’s eyes were full of concern, hardly believing Isabel could be so calm after the weekend’s horrible encounter with the wild.

“Oh, but I am!” Isabel leaned forward to pat her friend on the shoulder. “Don’t you worry about me. I’m fine. And I can’t wait for us to go out dancing.”

“OK… but it’s OK if you change your mind. We can just stay home, or go to the movies, or something.”

“Sure. But actually, I’m really longing to go out! It’s like this break-up has awakened something inside of me,” Isabel mused. “I want to run, scream, shout, dance… I don’t know, I guess do everything a mature woman shouldn’t be doing.”

“Haha, OK,” Emma laughed and dropped her shoulders. “Whatever you need!”

“I had the weirdest of dreams last night,” Isabel whispered. “And it was not at all unpleasant,” she blushed.

“Oooh, tell me more,” Emma’s eyes sparkled.

“Later,” Isabel promised and drank up the last drops of her coffee. “But now, work. Duty calls,” she sighed. “Will you tell me when Mrs Brown’s test results come back? I have to go finish her epicrisis.”

It was a busy day in the ward, so they had no time to meet for lunch. Isabel liked being at work, it kept her mind busy. She was usually somewhat of a brooder, but when she was tending to her patients, she forgot all her own troubles. And there was no shortage of patients needing help! It was if they never had sufficient bed capacity at this hospital. Especially not this summer, when there seemed to be an endless stream of elderly who were suffering from the heat.

Isabel was just about to discharge a patient who had been treated for severe heart failure, when her phone started buzzing. She looked at the display. 'Mom' it said, showing a photo of herself and Miriam, both smiling. Isabel was considering rejecting the call, but after some hesitation she decided to answer. Her mother used to know how to keep things short.

“Hi mom,” Isabel excused herself from the patient’s room and went out in the corridor. “I’m a little busy.”

“Oh sorry, honey. Just wanted to know what time you will come home? If you want dinner?”

“I’m on call tonight,” Isabel was looking at her other hand, realizing she had forgotten to cut her nails. They were way too long for someone working in health care! “And our night shifts are usually really busy. So I guess I’ll be home tomorrow morning and go straight to bed.”

“Ah OK. I won’t disturb you any longer, you go back to work.”

“No worries, mom. See you tomorrow.” Isabel hung up and went back to the patient's room. The old lady was patiently sitting on the bed, smiling graciously at Isabel.

“I’m so sorry,” Isabel said apologetically.

“No problem at all, dear,” the old lady replied. “I have all the time in the world.”

Isabel’s work phone started beeping, the display flashing red.

“I’m so sorry again,” Isabel apologized as she ran out into the corridor with the phone glued to her ear.

“Massive car accident. Several cars involved and many injured. One myocardial infarction. Ambulances will start arriving in 15 minutes. All doctors shall report to the emergency unit immediately.”

She ran as fast as she could to the elevator and pressed ‘Ground floor – Emergency Unit'.

***

The heat of the day was finally subsiding as John drove back to the city. He felt restless and was in a very bad mood. Things had developed too fast! He could clearly see that the end of his freedom was near.

After the Emerald Lake pack’s departure, his family had gathered to discuss his future. HIS future. It bothered him greatly that his future was so clearly something they all thought they were entitled to engage in? The discussions had been difficult, his father unreasonably furious and John himself fuming with anger as they had debated whether he should quit his job and leave the human world or not, and whether he could take over as the pack’s Alpha even though he still hadn’t found a Luna.

They had eventually agreed upon him resigning from his job. With major disturbances among werewolves in both the north and in the east, they couldn’t afford to have him occupied in the world of humans any longer. He had mixed feelings about this... On one hand, he was starting to grow tired of humans and he felt the need to focus on the pack, but on the other hand, he had become used to having his freedom. He really appreciated being on his own, and coming and going as he wished. This would change dramatically if he moved back to the pack permanently... But of course there was no other way. He had always known that one day he had to step up and take his responsibility. This week would be his last at work in the city.

"For f***k's sake!" he growled, having to steer the car abruptly to the side. Traffic was really bad today. These humans were really terrible drivers! Couldn't they just stay in their lines? He shook his head and sighed, continuing his ruminations.

Another thing they had agreed upon, which was really bothering him, was that he was to go on a long trip to visit other packs and tribes in their nearby regions. The official reason would be to pay honorary visits and to strengthen their alliances, but in reality, he was getting a final chance to find a mate. His parents had given him three months to find her. Three months! He clenched his teeth. It was way too little. He had been looking for years, and now they wanted him to find the one he was to spend the rest of his life with within three months?

If he didn't, he had agreed upon taking over as pack Alpha without having his prospective Luna by his side. This was not a problem for him - even if it was unusual. This was only done in those rare cases when the pack Alpha had died and the son had to step up, with or without a future Luna in mind. It was well known that wolves who had just found their true mates were terrible leaders. The newfound couple was usually fully absorbed by each other in the beginning, and it was preferable they met before they had to shoulder the responsibility of being the Alpha and Luna couple.

No, his problem wasn't that he was to become the pack Alpha without a Luna by his side. His problem was that, in such a case, his parents would choose a mate for him. They would, of course, try their best to find someone to his liking, but he would have to accept.

He hated this part of the deal.

The thing was, he had lost his hope of ever finding his true mate... And he knew he had to find his Luna eventually, who could help him rule and bear his children, or the future of the pack would be endangered. The world of the werewolves had unquestionably evolved; however, it was still very conservative and its ancient traditions were supposed to be honoured and respected. If the Alpha didn’t have an heir, the pack was often put in a very unstable and frail situation where rouges and lone wolves would come try to take over the pack.

He sighed and shook his head. At least his family wasn’t in such a bad situation! He had two younger siblings and no outsider would ever dare to attack his pack as long as they were still considered to be such a strong and powerful family. Besides, he still had his parents to support him in urgent matters, even though he suspected they would highly enjoy withdrawing from power.

Arriving at work, he pulled into the parking lot and cut the engine, feeling a heavy sense of finality wash over him. This was it - his last week at work. His last week of pretending he was human, not having to deal with werewolf business. His last week of freedom.

Upon entering the building, an unfamiliar sensation washed over him, causing his wolfish instincts to stir within him. Something was different from the last time he had been here, he could feel it in his bones. Something that was triggering his wolf to stir in his chest, making the beast curious. But what?

It was not until he was in the elevator that he could pin-point what it was – it was a scent. A faint, but heavenly wonderful scent...

He closed his eyes and inhaled fully, his mind sparkling with sensations and memories. Several pictures started to unfold in his mind – long and wavy honey blond hair shining in the morning sun. Soft and tender bare feet running in knee-high green grass... and blooming magnolias at daybreak with a hint of morning dew.

He opened his eyes in surprise. What on earth was this? He hadn’t seen any magnolias since he went to visit the southern packs last spring, it would be a wonder if someone could find magnolias in full bloom at this time of year and in this part of the country. Besides, this scent was not only of flowers, it belonged to a woman.

The elevator reached the lower ground floor with a ‘ding’ and the doors opened.

“Dr Hendricks! Are you on call tonight? There has been a big car crash, it’s apparently a blood bath. You will be needed as soon as possible.”