Progress on Wolf's Duty
Today, I have a preview snip for my readers, but at this point, I can't tell you which chapter it will be in when the book comes out.
Seldom do I write a book in the order that the finished book is in. After all but the last two or three chapters are written, I sit down and work out which order to put the chapters.
Events that have been mentioned in previous books that are not closed with this final book will be dealt with in a series of short stories over the summer.
I look forward to working on the spin-off series I have planned for this world.
Preview of Wolf's Duty
After both Nate and the general gave their
reluctant approval, Don glanced at his phone to check the time. Amelie would be
off in half an hour. When he offered to pick her up at work, Nate agreed. It
still felt strange to Don that everything he did with Amelie had to have Nate’s
approval, but since the shifter who was a father-figure to Amelie was also the alpha, Don didn’t have a choice in the matter.
Taking his keys from his pocket, he
grabbed the roll bar and pulled himself into his Jeep. After leaving the ranch
dirt road, he cruised down the farm-to-market road toward Travis Ranch. Nate
recently bought the ranch next door and set up both a school and a hospital for
shifters there. He named it for the doctor who agreed to run the hospital.
Travis supervised the hands-on training for shifters who wanted to be nurses
and medical technicians. Over the previous week, a few, well-vetted humans were
hired to work as trainers and hospital staff.
Don pulled into the parking lot at the
hospital and texted Amelie to let her know he was there. A few minutes passed
before the front pneumatic door slid open and she walked out. With a wave, she
waited for him to pull up in the circle drive, then climbed into the Jeep. Don
put the Jeep in Park and leaned toward her. “Hey, you.”
“Hey!” She met him half-way.
His lips gently caressed hers for a
moment, then he leaned back into his seat. “Buckle up!”
When her belt clinked, he grinned at her,
put the Jeep in Drive, and pulled out of the driveway. At the ranch entrance,
he turned toward Hallettsville. “I need to talk to you about something. How
about a burger?”
“I’d love a burger. Or two. Maybe even
three!”
Don laughed. “Rough day?”
Amelie hunched down into her jacket. “Ugh!
Dr. Travis insisted we clean everything! All the rooms, including the exam rooms
and the surgical center.” She shook her head and huffed. “It hasn’t even been
used since the last time we had to clean it.”
With a grin, Don turned back to his
driving. The only time his superiors insisted they clean when it wasn’t needed
was when there was nothing else planned for the day. “Did you watch a movie,
yesterday?”
Her puzzled gaze turned to him. “We did.
We watched a documentary on how diseases spread. How did you know?”
“Sounds like Dr. Travis might be a bit
overwhelmed and hasn’t finished his lesson plans.”
“You mean we had to clean because he
didn’t have anything else for us to do?”
“Happens sometimes. Even in the military.”
She harrumphed and glared out the
windshield. “He could just let us go home for the day.”
“And cut your pay? I bet you’d rather
clean.”
“I guess so.” Her head bowed, she cut her
eyes at him. “So, what do you want to talk about?”
“After we get some food and go to the
park, we can talk.”
Fifteen minutes later, Don pulled into the Hallettsville City Park. For January, the temperature was still a little chilly for a picnic, but they both had on light jackets. Carrying a bag of burgers and fries in one hand and his soda in the other, he led Amelie to a table in an empty picnic shelter.
Fifteen minutes later, Don pulled into the Hallettsville City Park. For January, the temperature was still a little chilly for a picnic, but they both had on light jackets. Carrying a bag of burgers and fries in one hand and his soda in the other, he led Amelie to a table in an empty picnic shelter.
He waited until she unwrapped her first
burger and took her first bite before speaking. “So, I’m on leave a few days
next week. My folks called to see if I could make it to my mother’s birthday
party. Would you like to go with me?”
Sitting perfectly still, her mouth full
and eyes wide, Amelie stared at him. After a moment, she blinked, then chewed
and swallowed her bite. “You want me to meet your parents?”
“Sure. You don’t want to meet them?”
She took a sip of her soda, then leaned
back, her forearms resting on the concrete table, the burger held in both
hands. “Did you ask Nate?”
“He said it’s okay if you want to go.”
“He did?”
“Well, he made a few threats if I let
anything happen to you, but yeah, he did.”
The corner of her mouth twitched, then she
pressed her lips together. “What did your parents say?”
“They said I could bring you.”
“And . . .?”
Don leaned forward, sliding his arm across
the table and rested his hand on her forearm. “If we’re gonna get serious, I
want them to meet you.” He raised one shoulder. “I want you to meet them.”
Amelie scrunched her mouth to the right
and bowed her head. When she looked up, she was biting her lip, and he couldn’t
tell what she was thinking. But then, he never could. “I’ll go. I’d like to
meet your family.”
He let out a sigh of relief. “Great. The
party is on Saturday. I’m off Friday, so we can shop for a birthday gift and
then drive up on Saturday morning. We’ll stay with them a couple of days, then drive
back Monday afternoon. If that’s okay.”
“I’ll have to ask Dr. Travis.”
“Nate said he’d take care of it if you
want to go.”
“Still, Dr. Travis is my boss. I want to
talk to him, first.”
“Okay. My folks have several extra rooms,
so you’ll have your own room.” He squeezed her arm. “Thanks, Amelie. It means a
lot for you to go with me.”
A smile touched her eyes. “It means a lot
that you asked me.” She took another bite, chewed, swallowed and then grinned.
“You will put the top on the Jeep for the trip, right? You never know. It might
rain.”
Later,
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