Surrogate for My Brother-in-law - Chapter 19: Chapter 19

“I don't have any relationship with Alpha Ethan,” I said. It was mostly the truth.
Ethan had made it clear he wanted a relationship, but he wanted the mysterious healer, not the maid. He'd just been nice to me because he saw me struggling. That was all.
“I see,” Leo said.
I expected to be ordered to stay far away from Ethan. It was obvious Leo didn't like me being around him. I didn't understand why.
“From now on, you're my personal maid,” Leo declared.
“Alpha Leo?” I yelped.
“Don't worry about whoever gave you that ridiculous chore list. I'll deal with them,” he promised. “You answer to me now, and no one else.”
I didn't know what to say. Should I protest? Why did he want me for a personal maid? I wasn't anyone special!
There was no point in protesting, really. Leo had the right to a personal servant. And while he should probably have chosen one from among his own pack's servants, it wasn't unusual to claim one from the manor he was staying in.
Besides, who exactly would I protest to? My father, who never cared? Annette, who was nominally in charge of the manor but never raised a finger? Eva? No, I was better off with Leo no matter why he wanted me.
Maybe he was just trying to be nice. He'd seen my chore list and called it ridiculous. So, maybe he thought I'd be better off serving him.
If he wasn't married to Eva, he'd be right. As it was, though, I dreaded the moment she found out.
While I was helping Leo straighten the lapels of his dinner jacket, there was a knock at the door.
“Honey?” Eva's voice filtered through the door.
I froze. How would she react to this scene? She'd ordered me to sleep with Leo, so she shouldn't be mad. But she was possessive of what she considered hers, and she'd taken an interest in Leo since he'd healed.
“Go on and answer,” Leo said. “I can button my own jacket sleeves.”
“Yes, Alpha,” I said.
I cringed as I opened the door. Eva stood there, hand raised as though to knock again. Her face twisted into an ugly scowl when she saw me.
I braced myself for a slap or worse, but Eva just shoved me aside and ran to Leo. She pressed herself against his side and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Leo,” she whined, “why is she in here?”
“She was just tidying the room,” Leo said.
“But that maid is a troublemaker,” Eva said.
“I thought she would cause less trouble if she worked where I can keep an eye on her,” Leo said. “Don't worry about her anymore, I'll handle it.”
“But...” Eva pouted.
“I was thinking I should get you a present that's more personal than the traditional necklace,” Leo said. “My taste is a little old fashioned, why don't you pick something out?”
“Well,” Eva said, instantly distracted, “A twenty-four carat diamond ring would match the necklace you gave me the other night.”
“All right, would you like the same setting style?” Leo asked, waving me out the door while he spoke.
I escaped while I had the chance. I hurried to get out of sight before he and Eva went to dinner. I ended up in the library, because that was one place Eva almost never went.
“Oh, good, you're here,” the same archivist from before rushed over as soon as he saw me. “You've gotten another message.”
“I did?” I was surprised.
The archivist nodded, and pointed to the office. “He's still on the line.”
“Okay.” I hurried over and accepted the phone headset. “Hello?” I asked.
“Is this the healer?” Ethan demanded.
“Yes,” I said.
“Wonderful. I understand you don't want to leave your pack, that's a big step. But you said you'd help with difficult cases?”
“Yes,” I said again.
“Thank the moon. I need you, we have an urgent patient. I'll come get you myself. Where are you?”
I gave him an address near the manor that I could reach before he got there if I hurried.
“Okay. I'll be there in ten minutes.”
Ethan's hospital was at least fifteen minutes' drive from the manor. Well, it was if you obeyed traffic laws. Ethan was an alpha, though, so maybe those laws were more like suggestions for him.
Or maybe the patient was really urgent.
I thanked the archivist, ran full out to my room, and changed clothes. I didn't have much, but I found some jeans and a turtleneck that at least didn't look like a servant's clothing. I slipped out of the manor and put my mask on. It covered my whole face except for my eyes. It was more of a veil, really.
The address I'd given Ethan was an empty house my father used for out of town guests who weren't important enough to keep in the manor. It was empty because Leo put his wolves up in a nearby hotel instead of expecting us to house them all.
A classic baby blue Impala pulled up to the porch barely two minutes after I arrived. Ethan really had pushed the speed limit. I slid into the passenger seat.
“Buckle up,” Ethan ordered, then added. “Thank you for agreeing to come.”
“Sure,” I said, still out of breath from the rush. I'd pay for running like that, but Ethan's urgency was contagious.
A little ways down the road, Ethan asked, “Are you part of Leo's pack or Arthur's? They're the only ones around here.”
“I, um. It's complicated,” I said. “Please don't ask me any more. It's really not your business.”
“Okay, okay,” Ethan said. “I was just curious.”
That felt weird. Speaking so defiantly to an alpha would usually earn me a beating. Ethan just shrugged it off.
“Why do I keep getting someone else when I call you?” Ethan asked. “Why don't you answer your own phone?”
“I don't have a phone,” I answered honestly.
No one would waste money giving a cell phone to a servant. And even if I did save up somehow and get one, Eva would just smash it.
Ethan stopped the car at a red light. He turned towards me with open shock on his face.
“You don't own a phone? Everyone has a phone.”
I shrugged.
“Never mind. As soon as we're done, I'm getting you a phone. No arguments. A healer needs a way people can contact her.”
“If you insist,” I said.
Maybe I could keep it hidden.
We reached the hospital and Ethan took off for the door at a dead run. I followed as quickly as I could move. I saw why he was so frantic as soon as I was inside.
The patient was a large male wolf who looked like he'd been mauled. They hadn't even tried to take him into a room; he was still in the triage area. One nurse was using a device to help him breathe. Another was switching out an empty IV bag for a fresh one.
I didn't ask questions. It was obvious what I needed to do. I rushed forward and pressed my hands over his chest.
The doctors and nurses shifted aside to give me room to work. I focused on the healing power my wolf had shown me. I only needed to stabilize the wolf enough for the medical staff to work.
It was hard work. I was sweating and panting by the time the wolf's wounds began to seal over. I was covered in blood up to my elbows and my legs felt like jelly. But the nurse helping him breathe backed off and I felt his heart pump and his lungs fill beneath my hands.
Someone tugged me away from the patient.
“Thank you, Dr. Angel,” said one nurse.
A second one held out a cup of orange juice, “This will make you feel better, Dr. Angel.”
It took me a moment to realize they were talking to me. Why were they calling me Dr. Angel?