Page 12 of Fool Moon First Aid

“Butterfly, I hate to break it to you, but you had an entire shelf of snow globes,” Tyler remarks, his tone gentle as he adjusts my position on the gurney.

Had. Tears blur my vision as a wave of nostalgia and loss washes over me. The snake around my neck feels like an added weight to my sorrow.

“There’s a snow globe in my leg, isn’t there?” I ask, the pain meds muffling any physical sensations.

“No,” Tyler starts, his voice calming.

“Yep,” Ethan cuts in matter-of-factly. “Can’t remove it right now, tempest.”

“Butterfly. Tempest.” I sniffle, the medications amplifying my emotions, and memories of being emotional after my wisdom teeth removal resurface. “Do you call all your patients that?”

Tyler carefully tucks my phone by my side, his warm fingers brushing against my skin. He leans over, his eyes locking with mine, and I see a mischievous twinkle in them. “Only the extraordinary ones,” he flirts, “who smell like lavender and wildflowers.”

“Don’t make her feel too special, Ty,” Ethan jokes, setting the kit down.

“Buy me dinner first, big guy,” I tease, a laugh bubbling out of me like I’m floating on a cloud of wine and chocolate.

“She’s definitely feeling good,” Tyler observes, rolling the gurney.

“I need to lock up,” I remember suddenly, reaching for my phone. Eloise is on her vampire date. A thought strikes me—if I hadn’t downloaded that dating app and thrown my phone in a fit of embarrassment, I might have met a much grimmer fate in that office.

“That is quite the story,” Tyler says, his voice laced with amusement and intrigue.

“I said that out loud, didn’t I?” I swallow, trying to suppress my embarrassment. The cool night air brushes against my skin, reminding me of the reality of my situation. Tomorrow, I will face the consequences, but tonight, I’m just here, caught in this bizarre moment.

“Otherworldly Connections, huh?” Tyler smirks, the corners of his eyes crinkling in mirth as he rolls me out into the night. The stars twinkle above, indifferent to my plight. “I used to be on there. In fact, we all were.”

Is he flirting with me? The thought dances through my mind, but in my current state, I’m strangely detached from it. “What did you give me?”

“Witch’s morphine,” Ethan answers, looming over me like a protective giant. The shadows created by the ambulance’s lights play across his face, giving him a mysterious appearance. “Tell me where the keys are.”

“Forceful,” I comment, tapping into my usual sass. “Just because you have a penis doesn’t mean a girl wants you to jackhammer it into her.”

What the hell am I talking about?

Ethan’s expression flickers with a ghost of a smile, but it disappears as quickly as it came. “Keys,” he insists, his voice a deep rumble in the quiet night.

Rolling my eyes, I tell him, “Front desk, there’s a key rack for all our keys. The alarm code is four-twenty.”

Tyler bursts into laughter, his guffaws echoing across the clinic’s exterior. The absurdity of the situation strikes me, and I can’t help but crack a smile.

Ethan shakes his head in disbelief and walks away, his tall frame moving with purpose. I just silenced the big, growly wolf, and a small sense of triumph bubbles inside me.

“Let’s get you locked and loaded,” Tyler announces, his voice cheerful as he maneuvers the gurney toward the ambulance. “Ethan, call in to Mystic.” He shouts down the hall.

“Mystic Medic.” I chuckle, the name sounding like something out of a Saturday morning cartoon.

“Do I look like a cartoon?” Tyler teases.

I have got to stop thinking out loud.

“It’s cuffing season,” I retort, my mind momentarily drifting to thoughts of cozy evenings full of binge watching shows and enough snacks to supply a fuck-a-thon.

Tyler pauses as he secures me in the ambulance, his touch careful and sure. “Don’t make offers you can’t follow through on, butterfly,” he quips, sliding me into the ambulance with practiced ease.

“Show off,” I mutter, a blush creeping onto my cheeks. His presence is unexpectedly comforting. “So who’s joining me back here? You or growly bear?”

“Don’t call him a bear,” Tyler warns, chuckling as he climbs in with me. His movements are efficient yet gentle as he arranges medical supplies. The interior of the ambulance is a flurry of activity, yet there’s a method to the madness as they move around.

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