“Reece!” a voice yelled and Reece felt a strong pair of masculine arm draw him into an embrace just in time for a gurney to crash at the spot he previously stood.

His heart skipped a beat as he felt his head pressed firmly against a masculine frame, a sense of intimacy engulfed him as he felt his savior’s warm breath on his hair.

He paused-easing into the sense of safety but an unexplainable phenomenon caught his attention-the echo of two distinct heartbeat and a low guttural beastly voice.

Ryan’s heartbeat drastically slowed, matching the rhythm of Reece’s own, the brief hug silencing the pandemonium of panic his wolf made him feel. As he sighted the approaching interns, he let go of Reece.

“Doctor Alan?” Reece uttered, startled but somewhat expectant.

“Watch where you’re going Lionel.” Ryan commented, nonchalantly and began to walk away.

Recce was lost for words, moments ago he had been lost in thoughts, ruminating on the weird incidence that accompanied Ryan’s mysterious aura and now-Ryan saved his life?

Ryan halted, scowling at the startled interns.

“You’d be dead if you’re late for rounds.” He threatened and they all sprung to action.

As Ryan spoke to his patients, Reece couldn’t help but wonder how he was always there to help him.

Few days back, Reece would’ve been crushed by a heavy weight in the supermarket but Ryan showed up from nowhere and pushed him away.

Later that evening, Reece saw Ryan standing right outside the hospital building.

“Doctor Alan!” Reece called out and Ryan turned around to see Reece running up to him, breathless.

“Maybe it’s because we’ve had a stressful day or the thoughts keep me awake all night, damn it! I don’t even know.” Reece uttered, trying to catch his breath.

Ryan could see the tension in Reece’s shoulders, the clenched jaw and nervous fidgeting, every inch of him craving to just pull him into a hug and do things-

Reece took a deep breath, his words tumbled out in a rush, as if premeditated. “I think I’m in love you! I’ve loved you since the night we met at a friend’s party, since the first time we kiss, I thought I’d get over it since you’re my mentor but I’m crazily in love with you and-“

Ryan squinted his eyes and frowned deeply. “No.” he cut Reece off, abruptly.

Caught off-guard, Reece felt a sharp pain tear through him yet Ryan’s expression didn’t flicker. “What?”

“It is unwise to pursue a relationship with me or nurture those feelings, leave it be, it’ll die with time.” Ryan declared, bluntly but Reece caught him by the arm, his expression darkened as the pain coursed through him.

“I love you Ryan and I won’t stop lovin-“

“You deserve to be with someone who can love you the way you do, not a broken man who’s emotionally unstable and deeply scarred from a past betrayal.” Ryan said with a soft voice, hiding the trembling and disaster roaring in his head and slowly freed his arm from Reece’s grip and he watched as Reece’s expression turned sour.

Inwardly, he laughed at himself for thinking there could be something between them, maybe he was wrong.

Tears stung Reece’s eyes as he felt the pain and agony in Ryan’s words. He knew despite Ryan’s hurtful words that deep down, Ryan needed love, to heal.

“I’m not afraid of your past, I do not care how scarred you are or how broken you’ve been. I see a future- no, there’s no future without you.” Reece confessed which overwhelmed Ryan.

Ryan tried to speak but Reece grabbed his hands and gave it a gentle squeeze, he inched closer and stared at him in the eyes, raising a tension in their pheromones.

“Code blue! Code blue!” the blaring hospital alarm system blasted causing the two to momentarily dismiss their chemistry and ran back to the hospital.

Reece was right behind Ryan who ran with such unholy speed. They ran to the ER to see an armed man holding nurses hostage.

“He’s a patient relative, he demanded his girlfriend be given more pain meds but when the nurses refused, he pulled out a gun.” One of the Interns filled them in.

“Stay here.” Ryan ordered Reece.

There were several other people trying to negotiate with the armed man but he kept threatening them all, he slapped a nurse who tried to speak and she fell to the ground. “Shut up bitch!” He roared.

“You’re all bunch of fu*king hypocrites, I’m gonna kill you all!”

“Drop the gun and no one gets hurt.” Ryan warned him.

Police sirens blasted loudly and the man began to frantically shoot, turning the place to a mess and everyone screamed and tried to dodge. Ryan could sense the fear and anxiety Reece was going through as if it were his own

Ryan grabbed a tray from a burns patient bedside. “Nobody move.” He ordered as he stood tall and began to walk towards the patient.

“Stay down! I said stay down, else I’ll shoot!” the man yelled, pointed the gun at a nurse and then back at Ryan. Reece got scared and worried about Ryan.

“Doctor Alan, please stay down!” Reece cried out and Ryan could feel the panic in his voice, he hated it and stared at the attacker murderously, how dare he make Reece suffer?

The man aimed at Ryan and fired the shot but Ryan surprisingly brushed it off with the tray he held, redirecting it to the wall behind him, the man was shocked and fired multiple times but Ryan moved so fast that none hit him.

He closed the distance between them and gave the 6’11ft 11 pounds man a punch that sent him crashing into the wall, he kicked the gun away and slapped him so hard that he fell unconscious, by the time the police came in, Ryan already had everything under control.

“Here officer, mischief managed.” He said calmly as he handed over the gun to the police and walked away like it was nothing, Reece couldn’t believe his eyes.