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A tendril of need and longing curled through Noah’s gut and spread south Groaning, he clas, which would make his day miserable if he let them He had to put his reluctant mate out of his mind At least for a while

Noah took so fall air, just what he needed to clear his head before work Or so he told hi the patients were quiet and settled as he arrived at work and went about his rounds thatdistracted while checking charts, dispensing hed on his mood

Unfortunately, his o unnoticed

“What’s wrong with you today? Or do I even need to ask?”

Turning, he faced Dr Melina Mallory and gave her a rueful smile “Probably not”

“Are you all right?”

The softness of the question surprised hih, no-nonsense wo him a job when he had nowhere else to turn, and yet he couldn’t exactly call her a close friend Truthfully, though, he wasn’t sure Melina was very close to anyone

Small-boned, and a bit taller than Noah’s own five-seven, the doc had an angular face surrounded by dark hair After her mate’s death in ambush several years before, she’d cut the tresses ruthlessly short Only recently had she let her hair grow out, so it now reached her collar and thankfully softened her features Her harsh attitude seemed to have taken a turn for the better, as well

“Noah?” She frowned at hi for a response

“Sorry I’m fine, Doc”