Sage woke up confused for a moment trying to remember where she was and then she remembered the contract.
Kade had been there before she fell asleep but he was gone now, which made Sage feel relieved because she did not know how to talk to him in daylight.
She got up and found a robe, then went to the kitchen hoping coffee would help her brain start working again.
Marcus was already there leaning on the counter with a mug in his hand.
"Morning," she said and went straight for the coffee maker.
"You do not belong here." His voice was flat and cold.
She poured coffee and tried to ignore him. "Kade seems to think I do."
"Kade's making a mistake."
Marcus set his mug down.
"You're human. Weak. You can't shift, can't fight. What happens when enemies come? Are you going to hide behind him like a coward?"
"I'm a doctor." She turned to face him. "I save lives. That is what I do."
"You are a burden." He moved closer in a way that it made her heart speed up. "Everyone knows it. Half the pack thinks he's lost his mind bonding with someone like you."
"Then they can take it up with him."
"I'm taking it up with you." He grabbed her arm, fingers digging in hard enough to hurt. "You need to leave."
"Let go of me."
"Or what?" He moved closer and she could smell coffee and anger on his breath. "You gonna run to Kade? Prove my point about how weak you are?"
"Let her go." Kade's voice came from the doorway, quiet and dangerous.
Marcus froze but did not release her arm. "Alpha, I was just…"
"Now."
Marcus let go and Sage rubbed her arm where his fingers had left red marks that would probably turn into bruises by tonight.
Kade moved so fast she barely saw it, just suddenly Marcus was against the wall with Kade's hand around his throat.
"You touched her," Kade said, his voice barely above a whisper. "You put your hands on my mate."
"I did not mean…" Marcus's face was turning red.
"She is under my protection." Kade's eyes had gone completely black.
"That means she is untouchable. You question her again, you threaten her, you so much as look at her wrong, and I'll tear your throat out myself. Are we clear?"
Marcus managed a nod and Kade held him there for another long moment before letting go of him.
Marcus dropped to his feet gasping for air.
"Get out," Kade said.
Marcus left without another word and Sage just stood there trying to process what had just happened.
Kade turned to her and reached for her arm, examining the marks Marcus had left.
"What you just did was not necessary," she said.
"He hurt you."
"I can handle myself."
"Not against wolves." He looked at the bruises forming. "He is lucky I did not kill him."
"He's your Beta."
"I do not care." His eyes met hers. "Nobody touches you. Nobody."
There was something in his voice that made her chest feel tight. She pulled away. "I need to get to the clinic."
"I'm sending guards."
"No." She went back to the bedroom to change. "Bad enough I'm living here. I won't have your people following me around all day."
"Sage…"
"No guards, Kade." She turned in the doorway. "I mean it."
He looked like he wanted to argue but finally just nodded. "Fine. But you call me if anything happens."
She got dressed and left.
The clinic was exactly how she left it before the shutdown. Patients were already in the waiting room and she activated work mode, grateful for something normal to focus on.
Everything was fine until the woman came in seizing.
Her husband carried her past the door shouting for help and Sage laid her on a table. The woman was convulsing hard, foam in her mouth and pupils blown wide.
"What happened?" Sage checked her pulse and found it racing.
"I do not know, we were just walking and she collapsed…"
Then Sage smelled it. Bitter and floral, a scent she recognized from her childhood. Her stomach went cold.
Wolfsbane.
"Jenny, start an IV," she said and grabbed her phone to call Kade with shaking hands.
He answered on the first ring. "What's wrong?"
"Get to the clinic. Someone poisoned a wolf with wolfsbane."
"I'm on my way." The line went dead.
Sage tried everything she knew but wolfsbane was lethal to wolves and whoever had dosed this woman had used enough to kill.
The seizures slowed and then stopped completely. Her heart stopped.
Sage started compressions but she already knew it was too late. She kept going anyway because she had to, because stopping meant admitting she had failed.
Jenny touched her shoulder. "Dr. Monroe. She's gone."
Sage stopped and stepped back. Her hands were shaking and the woman's husband was crying and she couldn't find any words that would make this better.
Kade came through the door with three men behind him. He took one look at the body and his face went hard.
"Who did this?"
"I do not know." Sage pulled off her gloves. "But wolfsbane doesn't just appear. Someone's hunting wolves in this city."
"How do you know about wolfsbane?" His eyes were sharp on her face.
She met his gaze. "My father used it when he hunted rogues."
Something shifted in his expression but he just nodded. "This is an attack on my pack."
"The husband said they were just walking. Someone must have gotten close enough to dose her without them noticing."
Kade was already on his phone making calls, giving orders. Lock down the territory. Double the patrols. Find whoever did this.
When he finished he looked at her. "You're coming home. Now."
"I have patients"
"Jenny can handle them." He moved closer. "Someone's hunting wolves and you're connected to me now. That makes you a target."
"I'm not hiding."
"You will if I have to drag you out of here myself."
"No." She crossed her arms. "I won't run scared just because…"
He kissed her.
It was not gentle or sweet or anything like what a first kiss should be. It was hard and possessive, his hand in her hair holding her in place while he kissed her like he was trying to prove something.
She should have pushed him away. Should have been furious.
Instead she kissed him back.
Her hands grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer and the kiss turned desperate in a way that scared her.
When he finally pulled back they were both breathing hard.
She stared at him. "What was that?"
"Shutting you up." His eyes were still black. "You're staying close to me until we find who did this. That's not up for discussion."
He walked out and left her standing there touching her lips and wondering what the hell had just happened.