Free Hellebore’s Holiday by Viola Grace Page A

activating the door with a kick. The door opened slowly, and he whistled sharply.
    “Ow.”
    “Sorry. Doc Larsen will be here shortly. His receptionist is…uh…off today.” There was a slight wavering of his tone that let Hellebore know he was concealing something.
    The doctor came out, and she heard him say, “The exam table.”
    The officer carrying her set her down carefully.
    The doctor asked, “What happened?”
    “Single vehicle incident.”
    “Was she texting?”
    Hellebore snorted as careful fingers examined her forehead. “Like hell. My phone was in my bag, in the back seat.”
    The doctor paused. “What did you hit?”
    The officer chuckled. “I was trying to say, she didn’t hit anything. Her airbag went off, and she was on the side of Diablo Road.”
    Hellebore’s senses were skewed, so she had no idea if the men she was with were human or not. She could not tell them that she had gone from skidding on ice to the dry roads of wherever she was through a magic portal. She wasn’t even sure that this was her designed destination. She wouldn’t be sure of anything until she could call Abby or Raven and get a confirmation of her location. Abby would be a better bet.
    The doctor hummed as he poked and prodded at her skin. She felt a trickle of ice followed by a rush of heat. She sighed in relief as she recognized the touch of a healer.
    He began to wipe at her forehead and eyes, cleaning her up. “You are lucky, miss. Just a tiny little nick that bled like the dickens.”
    She snorted. “You don’t say.”
    She closed her eyes as he swiped the blood off her lids.
    She grabbed at his hand. “I can finish that.” She felt the waves of heat that pulsed up her arm where she touched his gloved hand.
    She opened her eyes and looked at him. What her mind had been designing when she heard his voice paled in comparison to the reality. His black hair was tied in a short ponytail, but it managed to conceal what she was sure were pointed ears. There were streaks of silver in the black, but she figured it had more to do with genetics than age.
    His skin spoke of Polynesian ancestry, as did his dark brown eyes.
    “Larsen?” she raised her eyebrows.
    “Indeed. Officer Neer didn’t get your name, and he doesn’t like to rifle through bags unless necessary.”
    “Oh. Hellebore Anders.” She sat up and looked down at her clothing. Blood spotted everything. She scowled.
    “Interesting name.”
    “Thank you. It is the only one I have. I have travel insurance, or do you want cash for the visit?” It was a defensive reaction to an attractive male. She couldn’t help it, but she kicked herself as soon as the words were out.
    “It is on the house. It was a quiet day anyway.” He helped her to her feet. “You can clean up in the bathroom over there.”
    Her head was no longer pounding, and the sound of his voice was music to her ears. She was always a sucker for good audio stimulation, and it seemed that wherever she was, she was getting it.

Chapter Two
     
     
    Doc Larsen went outside and jerked his head at his friend. “Neer, what is she?”
    “I have no idea. She smells like a beach. Sunlight and water.” The werewolf scratched his nose.
    “So, she probably knows that I healed her then. That injury involved bleeding on her brain. Whatever she hit, she hit it hard.”
    “I told you, she didn’t hit anything.”
    Doc scowled, “What did you notice about her vehicle?”
    “There was water under it, lots of it. It smelled like water, and it was cold to the touch.”
    It suddenly clicked. “She came through a portal and changed terrain.”
    Yulo Neer nodded with understanding. “And her car stopped, her brakes engaged and her airbag deployed. I will head back and check her car for any talismans then get it towed into the garage. Rown will be only too happy to have something to work on.”
    “Good. Do you have her bag? I will take her to the inn and get her settled.”
    Officer Neer took the bag out of