The She-Wolf’s Mate (Book 2 She-Wolf Series)

Samantha

I sat for what felt like an eternity, watching Ivar closely and stroking his head. While I was sure that he was asleep, the hard lines on his face never seemed to relax. I wondered if that was indicative of his pain or a learned trait as a means of survival.

Eventually, I heard a car pull up in the drive and reluctantly left the king to greet the good doctor. Dr. Yvonne Martin was as put together as ever. Her hair was pulled into a tight bun and her white coat was crisp and clean. She moved with her usual no-nonsense attitude as she pulled a black leather bag from her backseat.

“Good afternoon, Dr. Martin,” I greeted when she approached.

“Alpha Paulson,” she said, bowing her head. “You were pretty vague on the phone. Where’s our patient?”

“Umm,” I hummed, biting my lip. “It’s kind of a long story.”

“Does it perhaps have anything to do with the headaches you’ve been experiencing?” She asked, knowingly.

On days where I could no longer manage the pain on my own, I sought her help. Werewolves didn’t get migraines, so she had to have known there was another cause. She probably heard the rumors about Ivar and I, but she never asked any further questions, sparing me having to explain.

“Sort of,” I muttered.

She nodded. “Okay, let’s see what we’re dealing with.”

As we entered the living room where Ivar dozed, I heard the doctor gasp.

“He looks like shit,” she murmured.

“Thanks, doc,” Ivar muttered.

“My apologies, King Ivar,” Dr. Martin hurried to say.

It was almost funny to see her so flustered, but I understood. Many werewolves had never met the king. It was akin to an audience with the Queen of England- if the Queen was an all powerful, thousand year old werewolf that is.

Ivar nodded once and slowly opened his eyes.

“I told your alpha this was a waste of time,” he said. “There’s nothing you can do for me.”

“Either way,” Dr. Martin started, “I would like to examine you, Your Majesty.”

Ivar grimaced but nodded.

“What happened?” She asked.

I filled her in on the circumstances of the day as she worked her way along Ivar’s body. She asked questions as appropriate and I watched her frown when she looked over his most serious injuries. After she finished, she stood up and met my gaze.

“So why isn’t he healing?” she asked.

“Alpha Paulson and I are fated mates,” Ivar explained before I had a chance. “She refuses to accept the bond.”

“That’s not quite the whole story,” I said, quickly.

“Pretty much sums it up,” Ivar muttered.

Before I could argue, Dr. Martin interjected.

“Whatever the case may be, you both understand this is not sustainable, correct?”

We stared at her silently.

She sighed, “You are both slowly deteriorating. I’m speaking as your doctor. I don’t mean it as an affront, but you’re going to have to make a decision about how to move forward. Whether you come to an agreement and mate… or choose to reject your bond.”

Ivar growled, “We will be mating.”

Dr. Martin gave him a measuring gaze.

“As a medical professional I feel obligated to inform you, Your Majesty,” she said, slowly. “While even in your current state you may be able to… challenge my alpha’s strength, you are in Redclaw Pack territory. Any harm directed towards our alpha will be met with force.

"With you at full strength, there would be no question of the victor, even with our numbers. Now,” she paused for effect, “I dislike your odds.”

Ivar narrowed his eyes at her. For a moment, I feared he would seek retribution. Instead, I watched him relax slightly.

“Understood,” he said, simply.

Dr. Martin nodded curtly before continuing, “I think the three of us understand the cause of both you having slowed healing abe other symptoms. We know what will cure it. Since we haven’t reached a decision on that front, I have a couple of ways to help things for the interim.”

She turned to Ivar, “You’re still showing signs of severe dehydration, so I want to start with a fluid bolus. I also want to give you a fairly strong anti-inflammatory to help with some of the damage to your joints and muscles from your journey. That could also temporarily improve your headache. The last one is where I think you might have some protest.”

She paused before saying, “I want to sedate you for at least twelve hours.”

I saw that Ivar was about to reject her outright so I spoke before he could.

“What would be the benefit, Dr. Martin?” I asked and she seemed relieved by my interruption.

“The king’s body is clearly exhausted. From what it sounds like, he hasn’t truly gotten any solid sleep since being here either. I’m hoping forcing his body out of ‘fight-or-flight’ will allow some of his healing to kick in. From my assessment, I don’t think he is healing any better than a non-werewolf at the moment.”

I looked at Ivar and saw that his face had become a mask of stone.

“Yvonne, do you mind giving us a minute?” I asked her.

“Of course, Alpha,” she said, bowing her head. “I need to grab some supplies from my car anyway.”

As she exited out the front door, I met Ivar’s cold stare.

“I’m not going to be sedated,” he said, firmly.

“Why not?” I sighed, knowing the answer.

“I can’t be that vulnerable,” he argued. “I can’t be unable to defend myself and the kingdom for twelve hours.”

“I’m not sure how to tell you this,” I told him. “But you already are that vulnerable.”

He looked away, appearing disgusted.

“I’ll stay with you,” I offered, quietly. “I won’t leave your side. I’ll make sure you’re okay.”

He looked into my eyes and I silently prayed he could sense my sincerity.

“Fine,” he finally relented.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

As the doctor walked back in, I informed her of the decision and she set to work getting things ready.

“Which bedroom would you like me to use, Alpha Paulson?” she asked.

Without thinking I answered, “The master is at the top of the stairs.”

I felt myself blush, but Dr. Martin seemed unfazed.

“Of course, Alpha,” she responded and started carrying her supplies upstairs.

I felt Ivar’s eyes on me.

“If we’re going to be there for twelve hours, it’s the most comfortable room,” I felt obligated to explain.

He didn’t respond but I saw him smirk. The doctor swept back down the steps a moment later.

“Everything is ready,” she announced. “Let’s get going.”

We both helped Ivar to my bedroom at the top of the stairs where she set an IV and started the fluids. Then she administered the anti-inflammatory. During that time, I took the opportunity to change into comfortable clothes, grab a snack, and freshen up. When I returned, I already noticed a difference in Ivar’s demeanor. Much of the tension seemed to have dissipated and he looked significantly less pale.

“Okay,” Dr. Martin said, “I’m going to administer the sedative. You are going to feel a little woozy as it takes effect. Try to stay relaxed.”

I saw Ivar’s jaw immediately harden and his eyes darted nervously. I reached for his hand.

“Hey,” I got his attention, “It’s okay.”

He nodded tightly.

“I’m not going to let anything happen,” I assured him.

“This is the first time I’ve taken medication,” he muttered.

“Oh,” I said, trying to mask my shock.

He nodded again. “Never had much of a need.”

“I imagine not,” I agreed. I thought back to when I had been sedated previously. “It’s just going to feel like you’re floating and then you’ll be asleep. I’ll be right here.”

“If Alpha Paulson needs to wake you up for any reason, she will be able to,” Dr. Martin explained. “You’ll be groggy, but not completely unresponsive. It’s not general anesthesia or anything.”

That seemed to help him relax slightly.

“Okay,” he said, finally.

“Go ahead and lay back,” she instructed.

I gave his hand a squeeze and was surprised when he returned it. He stared into my eyes as Dr. Martin administered the medication. After a couple minutes his eyes glossed over, and I ran my fingers through his hair like I had done earlier. Within seconds he was softly snoring.

As Dr. Martin cleaned up her supplies, she turned to me.

“Alpha Paulson, he is in bad shape,” she said, quietly. “I don’t mean from his more recent injuries. His overall health is deteriorating.”

I nodded. “I know,” I said, quietly.

“Again, I don’t mean to overstep, but I was serious when I said you two needed to make a decision,” she explained in a stern tone. “Fated mates are meant to be together and the magic that binds you is tearing you both apart. I hope that after some rest, he will start to heal again, but if he doesn’t I’m afraid it could only get worse.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, confused.

“Eventually, he will start aging,” she said. “As will you.”

“I do age,” I responded.

She gave me a curious look and my confusion grew.

“Alpha Paulson, I don’t think you do,” she explained slowly. “There was some work done on the genetics of werewolves a few years back. It’s rare - more rare now than in the past - but there is a mutation that causes the immortality that Ivar has. Werewolf genetics have been heavily diluted by inter-species mating, but occasionally one is born.”

I was completely taken aback. “What makes you think I have the mutation?” I asked.

“It’s just a hunch honestly,” she continued. “But the strength of your wolf for one, and the fact that your son has matured so quickly. Werewolves with it generally are ‘full grown’ by the time they reach adulthood, but aging dramatically slows at thirty. You’re not much older than that so it’s hard to tell, but it would become more apparent. I would be happy to have your DNA sequenced?”

“I think I’ll hold off for now,” I said after a moment. “That’s a lot to absorb.”

“Okay,” she said with a small smile.

“So, what does it mean if Ivar starts aging?” I asked.

She stared at the sleeping king.

“In a lot of ways he holds the balance of our world. He’s arguably the most powerful being in existence at full strength and he uses that power to keep the different species from continuing old grudges. Before Ivar, we are taught that there were many great wars.”

“I’ve read the stories,” I told her.

“Then you know why he needs to recover,” she said, firmly. “He’s too stubborn to know what he needs, Alpha. What he needs is for you to be the bigger person and make a decision for him.”

“I don’t understand,” I responded.

“If you don’t want him, reject him. If you do, then you’re going to have to find a way to make this work,” she said, pointing between us. “I’m sorry you’re in this situation, truly, but there’s more at stake than just the two of you.”

I nodded. Ivar had something similar, but I had been so angry with him I hadn’t heard his message.

“Would that even work?” I asked. “Rejecting him?”

My stomach rolled even at the thought.

“It’s hard to know for sure,” she explained, carefully. “There’s a few old werewolf legends that talk about tragic love stories where fated mates reject each other. None of them end particularly well, but it’s hard to sort the truth from the fiction.”

I nodded, staring at the now peaceful king. Sadness and longing washed over me like a bucket of cold water.

“Again, I don’t mean to interject, Alpha,” she quickly continued. “I just want to make sure you’re thinking things through logically as well as emotionally.”

“I appreciate your advice, Dr. Martin,” I told her. “You’ve given me a lot to think about.”

“Okay,” she said. “I’m going to leave you to it then.”

Before she left, she gave me side effects to watch out for and told me to call her if anything was amiss. I walked her to the door before returning to the king’s side.