So this was what it was like to be twenty-one. It felt just like twenty. She called her aunt again. No answer. She was probably sleeping in and would call later - Aunt Aimee had never failed to remember her birthday. The sun hadn't yet risen over the dorm to the east but it was already another lovely day - perfect for a ride to Shortcakes for a birthday breakfast before the dorm volleyball showdown. Did she dare go on her bike? She hated to call anyone this early on a Saturday. For Pete's sake, she was a wolf. She could defend herself. Besides, the guy who had tried to kill her was probably sleeping or watching her bike. He couldn't be watching the whole dorm, unless there was more than one of them after her, but there was no evidence of that. She just wanted to go across campus and up the road a bit. If she went out one of the back doors he'd probably never know.

She got dressed and went downstairs. The cavernous lobby was nearly empty. Her senses alert for any sign of another wolf, she stepped out one of the lobby doors that led towards the volleyball courts. The hairs on the back of her neck tingled and she smelled...

"Hi Aiyana."

She relaxed her grip on the letter opener she'd been about to pull out of her purse before turning to face the curly-haired boy. "Kobe! What are you doing here?"

"I was in the lobby. Where are you going?"

"Do you live here?" How could she have lived in the dorm three years without knowing that?

"No. Alpha Miguel asked for volunteers to keep an eye out for that wolf that attacked you and I didn't have anything planned for today other than studying."

"He's having the dorm watched?" she said weakly.

"Yeah. You didn't know?"

"No."

He waved at her purse. "Are you going somewhere? I can escort you."

Was it worth it? She had a feeling Kobe was interested in her and she didn't want to give him any ideas. It was her birthday though and he was a friend. "Breakfast at Shortcakes."

"I haven't eaten there all year. I'd love to go. I'll drive."

"You don't want to walk?"

"Driving is safer."

Breakfast was nice. She splurged on the strawberry pancakes and the waitress gave her free coffee when she told her it was her birthday.

"It's your birthday? How old are you?" Kobe asked.

"Twenty-one."

"What? I thought you were older than that. We should go out tonight and celebrate."

"You're twenty-one?" He was cute but he had a very young face. She'd assumed he'd gotten into college a few years early.

"Yep, since December."

"It would be nice to go out tonight, but I have a lot of studying to do."

"Me too. We could go out for dinner and have a drink. My treat since it's your birthday. That won't take too long. I know someplace fast."

She hoped she wasn't making a mistake. "All right."

Kobe grinned.

The waitress carried by a huge breakfast plate complete with bacon and sausages. For some reason it made her think of Nate and the hamburgers he'd missed out on. "Kobe, do you mind swinging by the animal hospital for a few minutes? Nate has been in a coma since Tuesday. I want to see if he's awake yet."

"A coma?"

"Yeah. He got sick right after you saw him."

"But, he's," Kobe looked around then leaned forward and said in a low voice, "like us. We don't get sick."

"He's still stuck."

She knew the exact moment he realized the problem by the way his mouth dropped open, "His gland?"

She nodded. "Did any of your grandfather's patients ever have that problem?"

He shook his head contemplatively. "Not that I'm aware of. Wow. Any hope it's going to grow back?"

"Maybe. His parents called in a specialist."

Kobe nodded. "I'd be glad to take you. I've been meaning to ask for a tour there anyway."

"I'd be glad to give you one." She waved down the waitress. "Can you bring me an order of sausage to go and bring the check?"

"You're still hungry?" Kobe asked after she left.

"No. They're for Nate, maybe."

Even though the animal hospital had just opened, Luna Salma's rental SUV was already in the front lot. Aiyana waved at the technician at the front desk and led Kobe to the back room. Dr. Patel and Salma were the only people in the room beside Nate. "This is Kobe, a classmate of mine. He's also pre-vet. Any change?"

Nate's mother shook her head sadly.

"Now that's not exactly true," Dr. Patel scolded. "His eyes are responding to light."

"So when he wakes, he'll be able to see," Aiyana couldn't help exclaiming. "That's wonderful."

"He can't see either?" Kobe asked.

"Not since he was shot," Aiyana explained.

"If doesn't matter if he never wakes," Salma said mournfully.

"She's down because his fever is up again," Dr. Patel explained at Aiyana's concerned look, "and because of his cousin."

It was hard enough comforting the pet owners. This was the first time she'd ever worked with a seriously ill patient with a parent. "That's understandable, but I have a feeling he's going to get better." She stepped closer to rub the soft fur on Nate's foreleg. "That his eyes are working is a good sign."

"So, did you bring that sausage just to make me drool or are you going to share?" Dr. Patel asked, looking pointedly at the bag in Aiyana's hand.

"I brought it for Nate. I thought he might like some if he were awake."

"You know your way to a wolf's heart," Dr. Patel said knowingly.

"No, it's not like that. I just thought that if he was awake, he'd appreciate something other than what we have here."

"Mmm. Well, I wouldn't recommend trying to feed it to him while he's sleeping, but waving it under his nose can't hurt."

Aiyana reached into the bag and pulled out one of the warm little sausages. Nate's nose started twitching as soon as she had it out of the bag.

"You know I was kidding, right?" Dr. Patel asked behind her.

Aiyana ignored her and waved the greasy bit of deliciousness an inch away from Nate's quivering nostrils.

"I know you can smell it. If you want it, you have to open your eyes. Ack, no," she said, jerking it away as he tried to lunge for it. "You have to open those beautiful eyes of yours."

His head stretched toward her and the sausage but his eyes stayed shut. Maybe he was trying to eat it in his sleep.

"I guess I'm going to have to eat it instead. My eyes are open. Oh, mmm, that's good."

He whimpered.

Her playful feeling changed to one of concern and ...fondness? She crouched down in front of him so that their noses were nearly touching and put her hand on his head. She could rub him properly now that the bandages were gone.

"Come on, Nate. Open your eyes, please."

His tongue slipped out and got her chin and lips.

"Ew, Nate," she backed up and scrubbed at her face. "Ha. I bet you were just trying to get a lick of sausage grease. Well guess what. I didn't eat that sausage. It's right here, just waiting for you to wake. It's even still warm."

He put his face down and looked like he was sleeping again.

She got close again and whispered, "Please wake up. It's my birthday," then kissed his nose.

His face shifted so she was kissing his lips - his wolf lips - but at least his tongue didn't come out. She pulled away. His eyes fluttered, then opened, and for the first time, they focused on her."Hi Nate."

What would he think of her? Did she look anything like he expected? Probably not since she took after her mother. He smiled though, the way only a wolf could.

"Here's your sausage, as promised."

She put it under his nose. Instead of snatching it, he very slowly and very deliberately took it from her fingers, just brushing the tips of her skin with his lips. It was as if she'd touched an electric fence. A spark shot up her fingers, up her arm, and down to her belly.

"Huh, well look at that. Our little miracle worker has come up with a new way to wake the patients too. Who would have guessed sausage was all it took."

Of course Doc had seen that. Aiyana stood and looked for something to wipe her fingers on, keeping her head down so Doc wouldn't see the blush and so she could avoid Kobe's eyes. "It was Dr. Patel's idea."

"Yes, but I don't think my technique would have worked as well as yours did," Dr. Patel teased.

"Nate! Do you know me? How do you feel?" His mother said from Nate's side.

He barked and leaned his head against his mother as her arms went around him, but his eyes didn't leave Aiyana even when she moved to the other side of the room. It was disturbing, and flattering, and she must of eaten too much because her stomach felt strange. No, her whole body felt strange. She wanted everyone to leave so she could what - kiss him again - in wolf form? What was wrong with her?

He barked in her direction and she knew exactly what he wanted, but there were four other wolves in the room, one of them his mother, not to mention Kobe.

She shook her head.

He barked again and she couldn't refuse. She slowly moved across the room, past his mother, and wrapped her arms around his furry chest. There was something there. Not a link exactly, but some connection. He put his head over her shoulder and his arms around her the best he could, then nudged her neck and made a questioning sound.

"Yes, I have more sausage."

He pulled his head back and stared in her eyes. That wasn't what he was asking, but she wasn't going to answer what she thought he was trying to ask in front of everyone, at least not obviously.

"Maybe."

He sighed and put his head back on her shoulder.

"I'm glad you got him to wake," Doc said, "but can you let him go now, unless you want him to stay in wolf form forever?"

She released her hold although she didn't want to. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I'm not going to give him the okay to change until we make sure that gland has grown back. He's got an appointment in fifteen minutes at the University."

"Can I come?"

"You and Kobe are both welcome to come," Doc smiled. "Yes, I know who you are, Mr. Bass. It will good for you to observe the procedure.

Was that too much of a location clue?