The Doctor's Five Alphas (Steamy BBW Werewolf Pack Menage Romance) Read online

  While Pensley opened the trunk and retrieved my luggage, I glanced around at the village. We were parked on a small street, just outside a small, modern hut of some sort. There appeared to be many others in the area, connected by small streets. To the side was an incline, with larger buildings up the hill – probably the center of the village.

  It was clear that we weren’t exactly on the fringe of civilization, but that this was a predominantly rural community. My gaze drifted to two boys, watching the car and the two of us around it. As soon as they realized I was returning their gaze, they resumed playing with their leather soccer ball – well, futbol outside of the States.

  I guess that settles it. If there really WERE wolves, the boys would have seen them.

  “Well, come on then! Time to get you situated,” Pensley told me cheerfully. I followed him around the car to the front of the hut, and he withdrew a spare key from his pocket and unlocked the door.

  “Women first,” he chuckled softheartedly as I stepped inside. It was dark inside, and but I could see that the area was one large room, with minimal furniture.

  “Ah, there we go,” Pensley spoke aloud as he found the oil lantern on the counter. Lighting and flicking it on, he held it up to add a little more light to the room. “A bit on the sparse side, yes. I’m afraid the Chair was a bit rushed in securing things, and needed you here – where this friend of his apparently is.”

  I nodded, taking in the layout. The bed – standing out in the middle of the room, against the wall – was a full-size, perched in a thick, wooden frame. Two thick pillows helmed the bare but reasonable mattress, with a folded pile of sheets and pillowcases sitting neatly on the corner. To the right was the counter, stretching across the wall between a pair of thick cabinets, with a sink inset beneath a window. To the left sat a chair, tucked away behind the door and facing in, and another window in the center of the otherwise bare wall. Well, bare with the exception of a small dresser, diagonally positioned beside the bed.

  “It’ll do nicely,” I told him politely. “I can’t say I’ll need very much here…do you know anything about the water quality?”

  “The water in these parts is fresh, completely untouched by pesticides or chemicals – you shouldn’t have a problem with any of it.

  “Good. One less thing to worry about.” I realized the conspicuous lack of refrigerator and laundry…or power at all. “Where do I store my food?”

  “The cupboards will have to do the trick, I suppose.”

  “And cleaning my clothes?”

  “There’s a washline out back if you really need it, close to the well. But the Chair didn’t seem to think you’d be here long…I’m supposed to retrieve you in four days. You’ll probably be fine until then. Oh, before I forget…” he reached out his hand, “give me your phone. I’ll need to plug my number in, in case you run into any trouble.”

  “Yeah, sure thing.” I retrieved it from my pocket, unlocking it and switching to the contacts app. He input his number under the name Lionel Pensley.

  “Here you are! That would have been a problem, had we not sorted that little detail out!”

  I heard shuffling outside, and both of us turned our heads. A young village woman, just a few years younger than me, popped her head in through the door.

  “And here she is. Here’s your guide now!”

  “Hi,” the girl waved. “I’m Camilla – I live next door. Who are you?” Her accent was thick, her wording careful. English wasn’t her first language, but I doubted that much of the surrounding community spoke any English anyway.

  “I’m Alaina,” I told her, waving back. “I’m going to be here a few days.”

  “Yes, to take care of the wolf,” Camilla answered.

  “I’m sorry, the what?” I asked. A wolf? The Chairman knows I don’t have any veterinarian experience…surely this girl’s making a joke.

  “The wolf?” Pensley asked.

  “Yes, Dane and his pack,” she continued to explain. “The wolves are among our people here.”

  “Romania is a rich land, still very steeped in its rich mythology,” Pensley chuckled. “Legends abound of witches, wolves, and all manners of things in the night. This Dane, he’s the associate of Harry?”

  I nodded quickly. “Yes, that’s the name I was given before. No surname, though.”

  “He must be quite the fellow if the locals are calling him a wolf!” He chuckled lightheartedly, but let the good-natured laughter die quietly when he saw Camilla’s stony face. “Well, it looks like you’re in good hands, then. Camilla seems to know him, which will make things easier. And on that note, I’ve got to head back to Bucharest! After this little spot of adventure, I’ll be ready to get back to London I’m sure.”

  “Thanks for all your help,” I smiled, shaking his hand. He grinned back and gave Camilla a quick nod on the way out the door, before pausing with his hand on the doorway. “Camilla will be your translator and guide around here. Let her know if you need anything – and I’ll be back here at dusk four days for you. Give me a ring if you need anything.”

  I whipped my phone out quickly. Oddly enough, I had a small scrap of signal, even way out here. There must be a tower somewhere in the area.

  “Thanks a ton. Have a safe trip back,” I waved, and he disappeared from view. I heard the car start up shortly, and the thrumming engine disappeared into the distance.

  I turned to my guest politely. “I’m sorry, Camilla – he told me there was a well. Could you show me how to use it?”

  “Yes, it is back here,” she motioned, having me follow her out the back door beside the bed. She flicked on a lantern that lit the back area, exposing a scrap of small green land and a well prominently positioned in the center. Two tall posts to the side, sticking out at opposite angles, held a taut line between them.

  Camilla showed me the simple workings of the covered well, including the best positioning for leverage on retrieving the bucket. It was easier than I thought, if not heavy work.

  “What is that word the man said?” Camilla asked suddenly, as we made our way back indoors.

  “Which word was that?”

  “Mith-hollow-gee,” she answered, feeling the syllables out as she spoke. “I do not know this word.”

  “Oh, mythology. That’s the stories people tell, about their gods and their folklore. The tales you give down to your children from long ago. Things that are always made up.”

  “Made up?” She quizzically tilted her head.

  “Not true. Just stories, not real.”

  “The man is wrong,” she replied, staring me dead in the eyes. “Dane and his wolves, they are very powerful. You will meet them soon, I think. The wolf is not meth hollogy…the wolf is very real.”

  ~

  In the middle of the night, I awoke to the distinct feeling of another presence nearby. Reaching over to flick on the oil lamp, I watched the dim light flood my housing, illuminating all in a low glow. The shadows hovered, barely kept bay…relinquishing their grip just enough to reveal the man, seated in the chair across the room.

  “Who the fuck are you?” I screeched, pulling my blanket close and withdrawing against the back wall against the bed.

  But the man wasn’t watching me, nor did he move an inch at my outburst. Instead, I realized that he was slumped in the chair, his head dully hanging to the side. He was shirtless, dressed only in ragged leather slacks. Even in the minimal light of the room, I could instinctively tell that he was in some sorry shape, whomever he was. From here, I couldn’t determine what was the matter with him…I was going to have to get closer.

  Fearfully, I pulled myself from the bed and slowly approached, grabbing the knife from my bedside drawer. Summoning every ounce of courage that I had, I cautiously closed the distance between us in the room, watching his body in the shadows for even the slightest movement.

  “Water…” he suddenly spoke, still slumped in the chair. He didn’t move a muscle.

  “What are you doing here? W
ho are you?”

  “…Water, please…” he repeated breathlessly. His voice was hoarse, his body clearly drained of energy. I could see now that he was pale and sweating profusely – but it was too dark to determine if he was wounded or merely ill.

  Realizing that he wasn’t going anywhere, I angrily stomped out of the door, taking the oil lantern with me. I walked around behind the hut and hung it from the hook of the covered well, then pushed the bucket over the side. After a few seconds, I heard the telltale splash, then began to pull the thick rope as I lifted the filled bucket back up.

  I kept looking over my shoulder, half expecting someone – maybe even my sickly intruder – to come flying after me. I wondered what had even provoked me into coming all the way out here, to a country I’d barely heard of and some village in the middle of nowhere.

  The mental image of the Chairman’s smiling face pierced the night, and I grumbled to myself. Holiday pay. Pfft.

  Detaching the bucket after it reached the top of the well, I lugged it and the oil lantern back into the hut. Stopping to cast light into the room, I noticed that he was still slumped over in the chair. He hadn’t moved a muscle in the several minutes that I had been gone.

  “Alright, you…” I murmured to myself, bringing everything inside. I scooped some water with a clay bowl, then dropped to my knees beside the midnight bother and pressed the lip to his mouth.

  “Drink,” I commanded.

  He weakly parted his lips, lifting his head just enough to accept the rim of the bowl. I slowly, gradually poured a small amount of water into his mouth, and he turned away after a few sips. I tilted the bowl back, but some of it still spilled onto his chest.

  “What are you doing in my hut? Who are you?” I demanded to know. Even with the emotional investment of my profession, I was still wary of a stranger who quietly let himself into my temporary home in the middle of the night…and if he was sick, there was no telling what he had, or how contagious it might be.

  “I’m…sorry, doctor,” the man weakly answered. “Wanted to meet you…in the morning…too ill to wait…couldn’t last the night…”

  The obviousness dawned on me instantly.

  “Dane…” I murmured. “You’re Harold Chairman’s friend, the reason why I’m here. You are, aren’t you?”

  “Guilty as charged,” the shirtless man answered. “Could I have more…?”

  I lifted the bowl again, letting him sip another mouthful of water before cutting him off. He gratefully wiped his lip with his wrist, his head sinking back into the chair.

  “How did you know I was here?” I asked.

  “Watched you come in, by the road…”

  “I didn’t see very many people out there,” I replied, setting the bowl down by his foot. “And a couple of wolves, or at least I thought so. Must have missed you.”

  “Right…” Dane replied weakly, barely pulling himself into a more comfortable seated position. “Don’t worry…what I have, you’re not gonna catch. Very specific kind of problem…”

  “You seriously want to talk about this now? You could use some rest, by the look of you.” Despite his intrusion, I couldn’t ignore that he did need me, by the looks of things…and I guess it made things a little better that he was the reason I was even in the country.

  “You’re right,” he conceded. “It’s late…need light to…examine properly. Won’t last…too many more nights…full moon, soon.”

  I nodded, listening. He wasn’t making much sense at the end there, but I expected that out of his delirium. “Right. Well, you can’t sleep here in this chair. Come on,” I pulled at his shoulders. “Let’s get you into the bed. I’ll sleep on the floor.”

  “No,” Dane answered. “Fine with floor…you’ve had a long…trip. Need your rest too…”

  “Doctor’s orders. Into the bed.”

  “Can’t…need floor. Too heavy for you to…pull. Used up energy…getting here. Floor…fine.”

  I sighed, glancing around for the best spot, somewhere that he didn’t have to go far to find. “Alright, well…if you insist. We’ve got to get you out of this chair, though. Down you go.”

  Helping him ease out of the chair, I pulled one of my spare blankets aside and spread it out across the floor. “That’s right, down you go,” I repeated, helping him crawl onto the makeshift bedding. I lifted his head and placed one of my pillows beneath, then found another blanket to cover him. Finally, I set the bowl beside him, just within reach.

  “You sure about this?” I asked, concerned.

  “For the…best…wait until…morning,” he answered. “Goodnight…doctor.”

  “Goodnight, Dane,” I replied, crawling back into bed. I stared at the ceiling for several minutes, wondering about these recent events, until I could hear his breathing as he started to slumber.

  Exhausted from everything earlier, it wasn’t much longer before I drifted to sleep as well.

  ~

  The following morning, I awoke slowly, gradually. Stretching my arms and curling my fingers, I took in the unfamiliar feeling of the bed and the blankets. Oh right…Romania, I thought to myself. Mustering the strength to open my eyes, I gave a large yawn as I stretched again, sitting up in bed.

  My eyes lazily glided towards the chair across the room, and the memories of the night flooded back into my head. Throwing myself to the edge of the bed, I cast my gaze down to see…nothing.

  The blankets were folded and sitting on the small table in the other corner. As for the pillow, it was back in my bed.

  Well, that’s odd, I thought to myself. That guy was clearly in no condition to be moving around.

  Climbing out of bed and briefly surveying the room, I poked my head out the window. There was no sight of my mysterious overnight guest anywhere.

  Fine then.

  Bolting the door shut and closing the windows, I changed into my clothes for the day – a light outfit accustomed to the warm climate. I thought it was about time that I took stock of the village, so I pocketed a small handful of coins, locked the door behind myself, and knocked on the hut next door.

  Camilla answered almost immediately, a smirk on her face. “Up already?”

  I glanced up at the overhead sun, directly above. “I thought I’d get an early start on the day.”

  My guide chuckled pleasantly. “I take it you wanted to go into town? Buy supplies?”

  “If you’re not too busy…I can come back later.”

  “Shouldn’t be a problem.” She gave a quick smile before glancing over her shoulder and speaking quickly in Romanian. There was the sound of an elderly woman from inside, mumbling something loudly, and Camilla replied back. They exchanged a few more words before my guide finally stepped out, closing the door behind herself.

  “My mother, she is…difficult, sometimes. Very difficult. But this is good, she needs supplies too.”

  “Yeah?” I asked, falling into step beside my guide. We began to walk down the path towards the gathered buildings up the hill, passing an elderly couple who were lost in Romanian conversation.

  “Yes, she needs eggs, bacon, things like that. We have pigs before, but we ate one and the sow grew sick. Needed sow for litter. We will barter for extra sow later, but for now, we buy pork from farmers’ market.”

  “You eat a lot of pork here?” I asked her, stepping aside for a middle-aged man on a bike to roll past, grinning at me. I realized that I was probably a novelty in these parts, sticking out like a foreign, sore thumb.

  “Yes. But I prefer lamb, fish,” Camilla explained. “Pork is everything. All kinds of traditional meals. You get tired of it, sometimes.”

  “I can imagine.”

  We walked in silence for the rest of the small trip, until we finally met the small crowd as patrons crossed from merchant to merchant. With tarps and sheets forming overhead coverings, the townspeople with excess were selling all manner of vegetables, meat, livestock, tools, and anything else that was useful to their daily lives.

 
; Camilla led me about; translating for me and helping me make sound purchases. She advised me quietly against purchasing eggs from this vendor or from buying woven towels from that villager.

  Overall, we spent about an hour checking the merchants and snatching up our supplies, until we wandered the trip back home. The decline down the hill was pleasant, and we made small talk about her mother, about life in the village, and about the outer world.

  When I pushed the door open, I didn’t expect to see Dane standing quietly and smugly in the room…nor did I expect him to be in what looked like peak physical health.

  ~

  “Where have you been?” I demanded, gazing at the strong, shirtless man. Camilla gasped from behind, hiding by the doorway.