Page 25 of Fool Moon First Aid

“Whoops!” I chuckle nervously, giving Ethan’s chest a pat. “All good here. No harm done. You can let go now.”

“And what?” he rumbles softly, his voice laced with a concern that contradicts his tough exterior. “Let you fall again?” He shakes his head and strides off, not toward Eloise’s car, but his own sleek, black vehicle. He opens the passenger door with a fluidity that speaks of strength and control.

“Ethan!” I protest, thumping his chest in a futile attempt to assert some control. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Without a word, he gently places me into the seat, then he has the nerve to buckle me into a seat so plush and luxurious, it feels like I’m sitting on a cloud. It’s distractingly comfortable.

Before I can fully process my plush predicament, Ethan shuts the door, leaving me in solitude. In a huff, I lock the doors, determined to show him I’m not just a damsel in distress.

Ethan lets out a full-bodied laugh that somehow makes this whole absurd situation a bit more bearable. Is he laughing at me?

“Well, that’s just rude,” I grumble, my fingers fumbling clumsily with my phone. Ethan might have handled me with the care of a rare porcelain doll, but I’m all thumbs and impatience. I tap on Mia’s smiling face on the screen, hesitating for a moment. She’s usually chest deep in spiritkin and human affairs, stressed to the point where she’s often pulling out her hair. Even so, I still call her.

“Ava,” she answers in her deep cigarette voice, which always sounds like she’s halfway through a pack at any given moment, despite her never smoking a day in her life. “It’s Saturday night. Where are you?”

I swallow down a lump of nerves, keeping a wary eye on the guys who are deep in conversation with Eloise. “Mia, listen,” I say, forcing a calm I don’t feel.

“Oh no, what did you do?” Her voice sharpens instantly, brimming with concern that’s tinged with the expectation of my usual shenanigans. “Listen, if you need help burying a body, you are going to have to give me a half hour.”

“Why do you always think I’m in trouble?” I retort, feeling annoyed and guilty. I mean, yes, I am in a bit of a jam, but her lack of faith stings.

“Ava, sweetheart,” she murmurs, her voice crackling through the phone like a distant radio station. “Is this about Dr. Brody?”

“Wait, you know?” My voice pitches up in shock, and I loosen my grip on the lock button just enough for Tyler to sneak the door open. “You knew about the accident?”

“Yeah, the doctor mentioned a bookshelf took you out,” she says nonchalantly, as though she’s distracted by something other than this call. “I called to check on you, pretending to be your sister. I had to make sure you were all right.”

“You knew,” I repeat incredulously, “and you didn’t even call?”

“He assured me you were okay. Besides, Eloise kept me in the loop when she went to break you out,” Mia says, sounding more relaxed than a woman whose bestie was recently in an accident.

“That’s not the point! I’m laid up with broken bones, and you…” I pause for dramatic effect. “You didn’t check in!”

“Eloise said she’d handle everything.” Mia’s tone shifts to a scolding one, sounding like the motherly figure she often is. “You should be resting. Hand Eloise the phone.”

“Excuse me?” I start to protest, but Tyler snatches the phone, swiftly passing it to Eloise, who’s waiting just outside the car with an unreadable expression. I swear there is mischief in her eyes.

“Ava,” Tyler says, his touch light as he gently turns my face toward him. “Let us take care of you.”

“Listen, I don’t know you,” I argue, feeling a pout forming on my lips. I pride myself on my independence, and the idea of being coddled by a bunch of guys, wolfish or not, doesn’t sit well with me. “I can’t just crash at your place.”

“And why’s that?” Tyler presses, his eyes searching mine for an answer.

“You might find a mate someday, and if she smells another woman in your house…” I trail off, not wanting to think about the consequences. “No more Ava for the stray wolves.”

“Maybe we’re the strays needing care,” he counters, a hint of playfulness in his voice.

I roll my eyes at his attempt to lighten the mood.

Sensing my hesitation, he adds, “We’ll pick Bean up first, then you can decide.”

I wiggle my nose, mulling over his offer. He sees the moment I start to cave, his smile growing into something mischievously charming. “Fine, but only for Bean.”

“Perfect,” he declares with a satisfied purr and closes the car door, but not before handing me a new bag of spring rolls.

As I sit in the car’s plush seat, its softness hugging me like a comforting embrace, I can’t help but wonder what I just agreed to. It feels like I’m stepping into a whole new world, one where my physical well-being might be the least of my worries.

Ava

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