When the Dead Speak, Bailey Bradford [new ebook reader .TXT] 📗

cool pet, and found out there was an error or two in their theory. Like the fact that you can’t domesticate a wild animal.” He continued his inspection, running his hands over the wolf’s torso, hips, and legs. The vet slid his hands down the wolf’s belly and Gabe felt the wolf’s body tense. Shaking his head at Gabe’s worried look, Adam brought his hands back up to the wolf’s side and nudged Gabe. “And this beautiful wolf is a male as I just found out. That’s why he tensed up, I hope, since I groped the poor guy.” Chuckling softly, Adam nodded at Gabe. “I want you to move around to the other side, up by its head. I need to look in his mouth.”

While Gabe slid around to the other side, he murmured soothing words to the wolf, not wanting it to be spooked, and wondered why the hell it irritated him hearing that Adam’s hands had confirmed the wolf’s sex. Gabe shook off the ridiculous surge of anger and watched as Adam pulled on the skin, tugging it up to check for dehydration. Nodding to himself, the vet moved on to the wolf’s mouth, looking inside the muzzle then checking his eyes. Gabe wondered if Adam realised he was no longer worried about being bitten.

Adam continued to inspect the animal for other injuries in his usual efficient manner. The only obvious ones he found were the crease and the neck wound, along with the dehydration and malnourishment.

“Alright, I don’t feel any obvious breaks, but it wouldn’t hurt to do a series of x-rays to make sure, and I’d like to draw some blood and run a few tests on that end, too. We’d have to take him to the clinic for that, though.” Adam looked at him and Gabe shook his head. He knew it was more dangerous to take the wolf to the clinic unless it was absolutely necessary. While he didn’t like the idea of taking chances with the animal’s health, Gabe couldn’t risk taking the wolf to town unless there was a pressing need for it.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Adam. The clinic is in the town, has and there’s a law against wolves and wolf-hybrids in the town limits. You can’t tell me Sheriff Kaufman wouldn’t jump at a chance to throw that law at us and force euthanasia.” Gabe knew the bastard would get his rocks off by doing so. The wolf whimpered and scooted up against him, almost as though he understood the conversation. Well, maybe he did, or at least the emotions behind it.

Adam sat considering, then nodded. “Yeah, you have a point. The problem is, if there is some internal damage that I’ve missed in this quick exam, he could very well die.”

The wolf whimpered again, pushing closer into Gabe, almost knocking him on his ass. He flung an arm back to catch himself, not wanting to sprawl out and risk scaring or hurting his wolf.

What the hell? Why was he thinking of this beautiful, wounded creature as his? Gabe pushed that thought out, because it made him just as much a monster as the bastard who had hurt the wolf in an attempt to own it, didn’t it? To want to keep the wolf for his own rather than nurse him back to health and return him to the wild.

“Do you think that’s the case, doc?” He stilled, waiting for the answer.

“I don’t think so, but I can’t swear on it, Gabe. You do have a point about Sheriff Kaufman, though, so I think we’d better get him to your place, put him on an IV to re-hydrate him, clean and dress the wounds he has. I’ll leave you some sedatives in case you need them, too.” Adam ran his fingers over the wolf’s head, gently scratching behind the twitchy ears. “You’ll need to watch the wolf closely in case something is damaged inside of him. I don’t think there is, but…” Adam shrugged and stroked the wolf’s dark head. That surge of anger coursed through Gabe again as he watched the vet’s strong hand brush over the wolf’s head. What the hell was wrong with him? Christ, he was acting like a jealous lover!

Todd jogged towards them, motioning for them to hurry up, looking worriedly from his friends to the road.

“Y’all need to hurry it up. Kaufman radioed to see what the hold up was here, and he sounded suspicious. I wouldn’t put it past the fucker to come screaming down the drive any minute.” Todd nodded towards the wolf. “Think he’s going to be okay, Adam?”

Gabe watched as Todd’s gaze roamed over the other man, taking advantage of the vet’s preoccupation with the wolf to admire his broad shoulders and the tight ass that seemed to have Todd tied in knots. Gabe suspected his friend of having a…thing…for the vet for about a year now.

Not that the man seemed to notice. Todd jerked his gaze back around to the road as Adam and Gabe rose together, cradling the wolf between them. If Gabe just had some hint, some clue that Adam might be interested in Todd, he wouldn’t worry over the situation. Yes, Todd had always kept the closet door shut up tight, not wanting to deal with almost certain rejection from his family, and it was a sure bet Sheriff Kaufman would find some reason to fire him, too. But Gabe knew, and Todd knew he knew.

Hell, Gabe wasn’t even sure that Adam was gay. He realised that he’d never seen Adam out with a woman, but he’d never seen him out with a man, either. He almost groaned at the hopelessness of his friend’s situation.

Grunting, Gabe and Adam carried the wolf to Gabe’s truck. Todd ran over and opened the door to the crew cab, holding it while the other two men gingerly slid their patient onto the blanket in the back seat. Todd was acting spooked, and Gabe knew they