(Alexis' POV)

Pain.

That's all I can feel. Nothing else.

A never-ending wave of pain that's attacking my tired body. I try to move but pain shoots up my leg, through my stomach, while my shoulder screams out in protest.

I can hear a steady drip, drip, drip and the ticking of a clock.

Where am I?

I whimper in pain as my eyelids flutter open, trying to make out my surroundings. A smell of disinfectant fills my nose along with something else, an unpleasant smell that I can't put a name to. My eyes flicker around the room, trying to establish exactly where I am. It takes me a second to realise that I'm still in my wolf form.

I nearly die of embarrassment when I notice that I'm in a cage, like one that a vet has in his surgery.

And then it hits me.

I'm in a vet surgery, in a cage, and what the hell is on my face? A muzzle! A freaking muzzle! If anyone from my pack walks in now I'll die of shame.

I slowly lift my head up and glance around my confined space. I don't like being cooped up like this; I need my space. I feel trapped in here.

I glance at my front leg and notice a tube coming out of it. Oh, God. I panic. I hate needles. My breathing hitches at the sight of the needle in my leg and I start whining. 

Calm down, Alexis, I tell myself. I need to keep calm if I want to get out of here.

I take a deep breath and concentrate on getting rid of the needle. I expertly use my paw and press down on the IV line, applying enough pressure to slowly pull it out from under my skin. It's the same technique I use to get rid of thorns. I let out a sigh of relief when I no longer see it. 

Now that I'm fully awake and I have that dreaded needle out of my leg I, once again, allow my eyes explore this cage. I notice that I'm lying in a comfortable bed, lined with fleece blankets. The cage is big enough for me to walk around and stretch my legs a bit. It's only seven foot in height, an easy jump for a wolf in full health, but not one in my current condition.

I do a mental run over my body, trying to assess my injuries. Although I'm in pain, it's bearable. I'm alive, so I'm guessing a vet treated me. I can feel a bandage around my neck, obviously where the rogues tore into me. My chest also seems to be bandaged similarly, which gives me a feeling that I was operated on in order to repair the internal damage done.

Needing to stretch my legs, I attempt to push myself up into a sitting position. My shoulder protests as I stand up and put weight on it. I collapse to the ground with a yelp.

I hear a sudden movement of feet rushing towards me. The door flings wide open and my heart almost stops.

Standing before me is the most breathtaking man I have ever seen. His blue eyes, filled with concern, look deep into mine; his black hair is styled perfectly, like he woke up and effortlessly ran his fingers through it. Dark stubble covers his chiseled jaw and a hint of colour plays on his cheeks. His lips are parted slightly and I can see a hint of his perfectly white teeth.

My eyes travel further down his six-foot frame. His shoulders are strong and well defined, as are his abs, which are clearly visible through the tight t-shirt he is wearing.

Mate!

I realise that I'm lying sprawled out on my front in the middle of the cold hard floor. Not a very attractive way to be. On shaky legs, I push myself back up into a sitting position.

I turn and face my beautiful mate, wondering why he's looking at me with such caution. It pains me to see him look at me this way, as if I'm going to bite him. Oh, yeah. I'm a wolf. Maybe that's why.

My heart races and I wag my tail in excitement when I see my mate begin to open the door to my enclosure. His friend seems to notice.

"Leo, what are you doing?" he asks in a panicked voice.

Leo. Wow, I love it! It suits him perfectly.

I practically purr as he opens the door.

"She somehow pulled out her IV. I need to make sure she's ok," he explains.

Cautiously, he takes a step into the cage. He pauses for a minute before taking another. He pulls the door closed behind him and signals to his friend to stand by in case he needs him.

I watch him closely, following his every move. Although I'm still weak, I'm beyond excited that my mate is making his way towards me.

I lower my head and show him the back of my neck as a sign of submission, showing him I'm not a threat. Despite my efforts to make him feel more at ease, it doesn't do anything to slow his racing heart or calm his heightened breath.

I decided to try something else. I see him freeze as soon as I start to move. He gulps. Very slowly and gently, so as to not further hurt my injuries, I lower down onto my shoulder and roll over onto my back, completely showing him my submission. 

His friend chuckles and he lets out a sigh of relief as I wiggle my hips and wag my tail in excitement, ignoring the stabbing pain traveling through my aching body.

(Leo's POV)

I freeze as I watch her move. I prepare myself to bolt out the door if she advances on me. I sigh in relief when I see her roll onto her back and wag her tail playfully. It's almost as if she knows I'm wary around her and wants to make me feel more comfortable around her, as if telling me she won't hurt me.

Who am I kidding? She's a wolf. She can't understand what I'm feeling, can she? No, animals don't think that way. I know, I spent four years in university studying them and have worked with them for years after.

Over the past few hours Brian and I have been up in the house. Every few minutes however, I was itching to check on her. It's like something kept drawing me to her. I don't know why I'm so concerned for her. I've treated hundreds of animals before and have never been as concerned for any of them as I am for her. 

When I heard her yelp earlier, I was on my way in to check on her again, but as soon as that sound reached my ears I raced towards the door. The thought of her in pain caused an unknown feeling in my chest.

"Leo, be careful," Brian says in a warning tone. "Do you need me to come in there with you?" I shake my head at him, not wanting to make a sound in case she reacts to it.

I take a step towards her now, watching her intently as she continues to lie on her back, her tail still wagging, albeit at a much slower pace.

I pick up her IV line. A whimper escapes her lips when she sees it in my hands. She lifts her paws up to her head, behind her ears and drags them down over her eyes, as if trying to hide behind her ears, but failing. I laugh softly at her and hear Brian chuckle lightly along with me.

She peeks out from behind her paws at the sound of my laughter and wags her tail faster. It almost looks as if she's smiling at me behind that muzzle.

Behind her playfulness I see sadness in her warm, chocolate brown eyes. I'm guessing it's because of the muzzle and the fact that she's in a cage.

As much as I want to take the muzzle off her and let her out, I know I can't. She's a wild animal. The only time she'll be let out of this cage is when I re-release her back into the wild. The same strange feeling comes back into my heart at the thought of letting her go back to where she belongs.

I bend down beside her and hear Brian's sharp intake of breath. I know he's uncomfortable with me being in this confined space with a wolf, but how else am I supposed to check to see if she is okay?

She watches me carefully, following my every move. With extreme caution I slowly reach a hand out towards her. I pause just above her fur before finally closing the distance between us.

As soon as my fingers come into contact with her skin, Brian is long forgotten, as well as everyone and everything else. All that matters is the feeling of her soft fur beneath my hand. I run my fingers through her velvety coat and she purrs in delight. She inches towards me and I strangely relax at her closeness. Her silver coat shimmers as the light from above us reflects on it. I hear Brian moving behind me but I pay no attention to him. I'm transfixed on the breathtaking wolf beside me.

We stay that way for what feels like forever, but is really only ten minutes. I feel calm sitting beside her. She's now curled up in a ball; her back pressed up against my thigh. Her soft breaths indicate that she's sleeping peacefully. She's recovering astonishingly well. I didn't expect her to wake up for another few hours and I certainly didn't expect her to be able to move for at least two days.

I slowly stand up, careful not to wake her up. Look at me, trying not to wake a sleeping wolf. What has gotten into me? As soon as I'm no longer touching her, my entire body instantly feels cold and empty, as if she was warming my body and my heart. God, I have problems. I don't know why this wolf seems to have this effect on me. I know it's probably just because I've never treated a wolf before and I'm just being extra cautious to make sure she's ok.

That makes sense. Right?

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