Tuesday Teaser August 5, 2014: Wolf’s Lady Part 29

It’s time for another Tuesday Teaser already! So without further ado, here’s Amanda!

Sand was taken immediately into a room at the hospital, but the doctors told Amanda she had to wait outside while they examined him. The two Guardsmen stayed with her in the second floor waiting room. She had known Dean Erikson since he was an eighteen year old junior guardsman just posted to her neighborhood. For a few months they’d had a shy flirtation both knew would never go anywhere. His pay grade wouldn’t support a pet dog back then, much less have afforded a wife, and she was on her way to a bordello. Now, six years later, he’d moved up in the food chain to the rank of Lieutenant. But he’d never been one of her appointments.

“Please sit down, Mrs. Wolfe,” he said now. “I’m so sorry to have to disturb you at a time like this, but we have to ask you some questions.”

Amanda nodded. Their interrogation was keen and specific. She answered honestly about the three men, what they had said and done, but when it came to how her husband had defeated three armed opponents, she was vague. They wrote her answers down with no sign of suspicion.

Dr. Walsh came to find her. “Your husband has a bullet in his side that cracked two ribs on entry and nicked the lung. We are going into surgery immediately.”

She stood up so fast she almost lost her balance. “Oh, God,” she breathed. “That sounds bad. Is it bad?”

The doctor’s face was grave. “It can be a very dangerous wound. But Mr. Wolfe is young and strong. He has a chance of making a full recovery.”

That meant there was a chance he wouldn’t recover. “Oh, God!” she cried.

“I’ll come back when there is more news,” the doctor said, and went away.

Dean took her arm. “Sit down, ma’am. Your husband is in good hands. I need to go and brief the crime scene investigators, but Corporal Jones will stay with you. Be strong.”

Only two minutes after he left, Sky came up the stairs at a dead run, with no coat or tie, his shirt mostly unbuttoned. His cousin, Snow, was right behind him. “Amanda! What happened? Where is he?”

She flung her arms around Sky’s neck. “Sky! Sand was shot! He’s in surgery now. He … he might die.”

He squeezed her tight. Snow came and draped his arms around both of them. “No, cousin, he won’t die. Our family is hard to kill. I bet he’ll be up and about before you know it.”

Right. Sky told her years ago that wolf warriors recovered from injury very quickly. Her heart began to slow its wild beating. She gave Snow a wobbly smile. But not everyone knew what Sky and his cousins were. She put one arm around Snow and pulled both he and Sky closer to whisper. “Sand turned into a wolf and killed three men who attacked us. He doesn’t want anyone to know how he killed them, but anyone looking at the bodies would know he didn’t use a knife or a gun, and Dean Erikson is going to find out.”

Comprehension immediately came into Sky’s face. “Where are they?”

“By that empty lot only a couple of blocks from my house.”

Sky nodded. “Snow, go there. Drag the bodies to a hiding place and lure some dogs to them.”

“Hiding place?” Amanda tried to keep her voice down. “Why? He should bury them!”

“No, the Guards will find fresh graves pretty quickly, but if we can get the bodies mauled by wild dogs, they won’t know how they died.” He nodded at her blink of realization and turned back to Snow. “Then come back here.”

“And bring Sara back with you. My cousin Sara. She’s a nurse. She can help Sand. And it gives you a reason to leave and go in that direction.”

Snow smiled at her. “You’re pretty sneaky for a city girl,” he said approvingly. “But I’ll let my wolf out. He can run faster.”

They broke apart. Sky slapped Snow on the shoulder and spoke loudly for the corporal’s benefit. “Hurry then and fetch Miss Nelson. Sand will be glad to family nearby when he comes out of surgery.”

Snow nodded and left, and Amanda drew a long unsteady breath and settled down to wait for news of her husband’s condition.