My Mate Next-Door

6: Bruce's Visit

Quinton found himself restless all that month as his friend was too busy with his current patients to drop by and see Cocoa. Quinton had already informed him via text that she was a classified patient of his and, to more importantly, not judge him too harshly for taking the job.

Plus, all of his coworkers were constantly harassing him, and some had started a petition to free Cocoa back to the place she was found. The petition lacked support, and as she was classified information they couldn't take it outside of the office, so Cocoa stayed with Quinton. One particular coworker often tried to get close to Cocoa while he left her in his office. Often, he left her for quick trips like the bathroom or the break room. He quickly started taking her with him as he gave didn't like the way he waved his hands over her. Like he was trying to do some witchcraft stuff to her. It didn't help that he caught that guy pulling into Damiens cult compound. Quinton was absolutely sure that he was trying to do something shady. He wasn't quite sure what, though.

Quinton often mentioned his hardships at the office to both HR and his boss, but they told him it would take a while to approve full-time remote work. It didn't stop him from bugging them about it when he had the chance, though. He did mention to them Damiens cult and his unique interest in Cocoa. They mentioned sending their best unit to go stalk out the situation with him. Quinton hadn't seen anyone come yet, but he hoped they took him seriously when he mentioned it and that it was in the works at the moment.

It was a chilly crisp morning when his vet friend showed up. Cocoa was laying beside her bowl of food, occasionally taking a nibble or two but never really enjoying her meal. She had been too melancholic to really enjoy anything much. It was truly the lowest point in her life, at least from what she knew of. Quinton looked at his calander on his phone when the doorbell rang, purely out of habit. St. Patrick's day? He guessed it was the soonest he had available to come see her in person. Quinton rolled out of bed begrudgingly as the cold had penetrated his house throughly. He had forgotten to turn on the heat last night before bed.

As he passed the thermostat, he turned it on. Once he confirmed via peephole that it was his vet friend, Bruce, he invited him inside. "Oh God.... Quinton what the actual fuck." Bruce exclaimed visibly shaking, Quinton mistook it for fear of her size but Bruce was livid. Unbeknownst to Quinton, Bruce was a rogue werewolf living in the big city, with the permission of the local pack of course. "I thought you said it was a job thing?" Bruce questioned, wondering just how much the FBI actually knew about this poor werewoman. She looked at him as she smelled his wolf scent and cocked a brow at him wondering what he was here for. Quinton smiled sheepishly at Bruce's demeanor.

"She is. FBI found her eating a deer a few miles away from a national park. We've coded her DNA and have been trying to uhm... breed more... for warfare." Quinton knew Bruce would be mad, Bruce had always been known as a severe animal lover. He could see the anger building up in Bruce, tears in his eyes from rage and pity for her.

"BREED? WARFARE?! She's a living breathing creature with every right to her own bodily autonomy and right to live her own happy free life! No wonder you're calling about antidepressants! This isn't how any animal should be treated!" Bruce cried out tears pouring down his face. He could feel her sadness pouring off in large waves but more importantly he could feel it just from where he stood that she was wolfbound. He wasn't a pack doctor and wouldn't be able to help her shift back but maybe he could help her feel better if he took her on as a patient. He soon realized in a horrified fashion that there was no other wolf here. "Wait a minute.... how are you... breeding her?" He asked panicked that she had been strapped in and taken by force by some wild regular wolves. Quinton's face fell as he asked hoping they could've walked around the topic.

"We found her to be offspring compatible... with humans... and... I've been hired..." Quinton said meekly trying to tiptoe around it as best as he could. Bruce's face grew red with anger and second hand embarrassment. "By force?" Bruce asked through gritted teeth and Quinton shook his head vigorously.

"No no no no no! Bruce, you know me, I've worked at the zoo before! I know how much forceful mating procedures effect their mental health! She's been letting me do it! Besides I don't think I even could, She's so much bigger than me. One bite would break my leg, or kill me!" Quinton said defensively. Bruce calmed down significantly and sighed in relief. "Let me take a look at her." Bruce said and kneeled beside her pretending to look her over while he mindlinked her.

"You're wolfbound, no?" He asked her.
"Yes." She replied softly.
"Do you remember your name? I could send word to your pack that you're alive."
"I can't. I'm losing it all. All my family's names and faces, my name, how I looked before. It's all fuzzy and fading. Two years longer and I fear I will lose myself completely."
"Is that why you're not eating so well lately?"
"Yeah... I miss my family. But it's not too terrible here, Quinton takes pretty good care of me. Even if he's not too happy about his... responsibilities."
"I'm gonna prescribe you an antidepressant, ok?"
"I'm not taking it. This sadness makes me feel connected to my human side. It's all I have left."

Bruce stops mid-palpation on her stomach and palpatates it again. His heart sinks. She was with pups, but, something had gone wrong. He contemplated telling her but decided to do what little he could without telling her. He feared that this would be the thing to break her towards suicide. He moved his hands over her stomach repeatedly in the same motion like he had been taught by his old pack, aiding their journey out of her womb. He stood up and pulled Quinton outside to discuss with him his findings.

"She's losing pups currently. On top of that, it looks like she's homesick." He handed him antidepressants and a thing of painkillers, "If she starts to feel too hot or looks like she's losing more than two gallons of blood, bring her to me asap. You'll probably want to put her in a warm bath and help her through this. This is a difficult process for any creature. She seemed reluctant to take her antidepressants so hide that in some food and give her the pain pills as needed. She'll need a day or two to recover before you can... get back at it." Bruce quickly turned around and sped off in his car, crying the whole way back. He felt like a traitor to her, one of his own kind. He was so busy wiping his tears that he didn't even see when the train hit his car.