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“Oh, my God,” Chloe says as she and Nick rush over to me. “Ethan, what happened?”
“We kissed, and then she just went pale and limp in my arms. Is your dad on the pack grounds tonight? I need him here as soon as possible.”
“I’ll call him,” she says.
“What can I do?” Nick asks.
“I don’t know,” I say as I sit on the couch in front of the fireplace. I settle Olivia on my lap with her head resting on my chest. “I’ve never had anyone just pass out on me before.”
“My dad was already close and is on his way,” Chloe says as Olivia starts to stir.
I can feel her stiffen as if she may panic again, so I tighten my hold around her. “Olivia, shh,” I whisper against her hair. “Stay calm. You’re okay. I’ve got you.” Her lips part when shelooks up at me with her glassy green eyes, and I brush a stray hair away from her face. “I’ve got you,” I say again. “You’re safe with me.” I look at Nick and nod my head toward the concierge office. “Could you go get a key for a guest room so we can do this somewhere more comfortable and private?”
“I’m on it,” Nick says.
“I’m okay,” Olivia whispers as she starts to struggle against me.
I secure my hold again, pulling her close to my body. “Olivia, please just try to stay calm. You passed out in my office, and you need to be seen by a doctor. Chloe’s dad is on his way,” I say just as Dr. Max Harper walks through the pack house doors.
“I’ve got the key,” Nick says.
“Good. Let’s take this upstairs,” I say as Dr. Harper joins our group, looking quite puzzled.
“I’ll explain on the way upstairs,” Chloe says, hanging back with her dad to fill him in.
I stand up with Olivia in my arms, and she stiffens in my hold. “What are you doing?” she asks. “I said I’m fine. Just put me down.”
“You are not fine, Olivia. There’s no way in hell I’m putting you down, so just stop fighting me, and let me take care of you.” Her scent is already clouding my thoughts by having her this close, but my heart pounds even harder in my chest when she puts her hands around the back of my neck as I climb the stairs. I don’t think she even realizes she’s done it, but she just reached out to me for me for security.
Nick unlocks the pack house guest room and opens the door to allow us to pass through. I gently set her on the bed, and then fluff some pillows behind her back before taking my place next to her by her feet. I pull her legs onto my lap, remove her shoes, and start to massage her feet.
“Ethan.” She immediately tries to pull her legs back, but I hold them on my lap as I look over into her uncertain eyes.
“I said, let me take care of you.”
She stops fighting me when Chloe’s dad pulls a chair over next to the bed.
Olivia
“Olivia,” he says, giving me a sympathetic smile. “It sounds like you’ve been through a lot tonight.”
I’ve come to know Chloe’s family well over the last few years, or so I thought. I initially met them when they would visit Chloe at school, and later even spent holidays with them at their vacation home in Lake Tahoe.
“You can trust me, sweetheart,” Max says.
I raise my teary eyes to meet his. “Is it true? Are you?—”
He nods with a small smile. “Yes, sweetheart. It’s true.”
The tears trickle down my cheeks as I think about the enormity of the situation. Everything begins to sink in. Having it further confirmed by someone as gentle and honest as Chloe’s dad makes it feel very real. Werewolves, mates, secrets…how do I process this?
“Olivia, don’t worry about what you’ve learned right now,” Max says. “Just know you’re safe here. You have time to explore all the details later. For now, I’d like to do a quick exam to be sure everything is okay.”
I nod for him to proceed, and Max checks my blood pressure and temperature, and then listens to my heart. Ethan never once stops massaging my lower legs and feet, and he never takes his eyes off of me.
“Everything sounds good,” Max says. “I think you probably collapsed due to the stress of everything you learned tonight.
“She’s okay, then?” Ethan asks.
