Chapter 265
We arrived at the hospital at the end of visiting hours, but Victor told Amy and Justin to stay while he and Jayden spoke with hospital staff in the hall outside of Mr. Gray’s room. Mr. Gray and Justin eyed Moose and Bert with curiosity while Amy giggled.
My security team was in professional guard mode. They stood, ready to defend us, on either side of the door, and everyone felt safer.
They allowed Victor and Jayden to enter the room when they were finished in the hallway, but they stopped the two men with him until Victor told them it was okay for them to come into the room.
“This is Dr. Knef and Marco Toro, the hospital’s head of security,” Victor told us. “Mr. Toro told us the red wolves were confronted by another doctor when they entered this floor. He was badly mauled.”
“Will he live?” Mr. Gray asked. His voice was stronger than I expected, even though he looked exhausted.
“Yes,” Dr. Knef said. “He was lucky. The attack was interrupted when a nurse saw what was happening and called for help.”
It was the hospital’s security chief’s turn to speak. “My men arrived and gave them a taste of a taser. They ran down several hallways and disappeared.”
“Are they gone from the hospital?” I asked. I was concerned for Mr. Gray’s safety, although I didn’t understand why the killers wanted him so badly.
Or was it Amy they wanted to hurt? Losing the man who raised her with love would hurt her more than mauling her.
That thought gave me an idea to talk over with Victor later.
The security chief replied. “Someone ransacked the employee changing room on this floor. We believe the wolves shifted human and dressed as medical staff before leaving the hospital.”
“Can I look through security footage from that time?” I asked. “I may recognize them.” This could be the break we needed to end this nightmare. The wolves had to be two of my suspects.
“The security cameras failed,” he told me. “We had to reset them.”
Disappointment tinged with anger made my face hot. How did they keep getting around top-notch security technology? Most people wouldn’t know how to get around a security system. But these wolves did it without anyone noticing.
I blurted out my idea before I realized I was speaking.
“Victor, is there any way we can release a statement that if the Grays are harmed again, we will never stop hunting for the attackers?” I asked.
“Yes,” he replied. “But I believe the best way to keep Elliot and Amy safe is for them to leave the city.”
Victor dismissed the doctor and the hospital security chief. They left the room before he continued to speak.
“Elliot, has Amy told you what I have in mind?” Victor asked. “Nobody knows about my beach house. You’ll all be safe and comfortable there while you heal, and we lock up the criminals who did this to you.”
“Yes,” Elliot Gray replied. “For my daughter’s sake, I think it’s a wonderful idea. I was worried about the restaurant surviving after being closed for weeks until Amy convinced me it’s possible to keep it operating without me.”
Victor calmed the gourmet chef's fears.“I promise you the restaurant will be well managed in your absence, and you will be kept informed daily of the details of its operations.”
“Amy told me Andy Archer volunteered to help,” Mr. Gray said. “He’s a smart businessman. I can trust him to manage my place while I’m gone, and my staff knows what they are doing.”
“I’ll tell the doctor to release you as soon as he thinks it’s medically safe,” Victor said. “I’m sending a bodyguard and a private nurse with you to the beach house. The nurse will take care of you until you can care for yourself.”
“Thank you, Victor,” Elliot Gray said. “I’m grateful to have you and Daisy in our lives.”
Victor patted him on the shoulder, and we left the room.
Two more association bodyguards walked toward us in the hall. They were as large and formidable as Moose and Bert, who greeted them by name.
“Moose, Bert, I need you to help Jayden escort Miss Gray and Justin to Alex Wilson’s mansion,” Victor said. “I arranged for them to stay there until they leave the city. Alex has more guards waiting there, so they’ll be safe. Then you can go home and rest until morning.”
Moose and Bert voiced acknowledgment of their orders and went inside to wait while Amy and Justin said goodbye to Mr. Gray.
Victor and I hurried to the parking garage and into his car. We stopped for fast food before returning to Victor’s and securing ourselves inside his apartment for the night.
“It’s time for you to learn how to fight as a wolf,” Victor said as we ate dinner at the countertop. “I want you and Diana to know the basics in defending yourself while you’re in wolf form.”
The thought of facing the red wolves by myself was terrifying.
I nodded. “Our kind is much more deadly as wolves. Diana and I need to know what to do to defend ourselves.”
“Daisy, the knowledge and techniques Victor and Adam will teach us will help us survive if the worst happens, and we must defend ourselves from the red wolves,” Diana said. “They have experience in this area.”
“Diana is right,” Victor took my hand and led me to his home gym. “Most wolves fight using instinct and emotion. We must use that against them. Staying calm, being confident, and knowing what to expect is also important. Your mind is your greatest weapon.”
“Other than my teeth,” I teased as we stripped off our clothes in the gym before shifting. Then our wolves faced each other.
I knew Victor’s giant black wolf was a magnificent sight, but I was distracted for a few moments by my own image. The mirrors all around the room gave me my first real view of my wolf.
I’ve seen my wolf’s image in the mansion’s windows and my reflection in the water of the pond, but I’ve never before had such a clear view as I did now. I was stunned by her beauty.
The perfectly muscled lupine form was more powerful than my human body, and her thick and shiny brown coat made her green eyes glow more brightly than my human eyes.
“There is a class at a gym Jayden highly recommends for you. You should start the class tomorrow. The things Adam and I will teach you tonight will give you a head start on the class.”
I took one more look at myself in the mirror and asked, “Have you and Adam defended yourselves against attacking wolves before?”
“Yes,” Victor replied. “Two years ago, I was attacked coming out of a club by two wolves who thought I’d be easy to maim or kill then rob. They learned two-on-one does not guarantee a victory.”
Victor’s wolf paced the room. “There have been two other times when Victor and I fought for our lives,” Adam said. “We will teach you and Diana the techniques that made us prevail against our enemies.”
“We are ready,” Diana said. She was eager to learn new fighting skills, too.
“First, most opponents will try to incapacitate you before trying to inflict the killing wound,” Victor said. “Protecting your throat is vital, but you must also watch for jaws closing on your legs.”
“Once you are too badly injured to fight, the battle is lost,” Adam added.
“Come at me and watch how I maneuver to protect myself,” Victor ordered. “Don’t be afraid of hurting me, but don’t sink your teeth into me deeply enough to break the skin.”
Diana and I obeyed, and my wolf launched herself at Adam, our teeth aimed for his throat. Adam neatly rolled away and had one of my back legs in his teeth before I knew what was happening.
“I could have broken your leg with one bite,” Adam said. “That would give me a great advantage, and the fight would quickly end with your throat torn open.”
“Try rolling toward and over your opponent,” Victor advised. “And never go straight for their throat.”
An hour later, I was exhausted but much more confident that I could defend myself. It was a beginning.
Victor and I shifted human and began to dress.
“When are Amy and her dad going to the beach house?” I asked.
“The day after tomorrow, we will be traveling to the beach to ensure the house is ready for the Gray’s arrival the next day.”
“Are you sure the red wolves won’t follow them there?” I asked.
“Nothing's for certain, especially with these red wolves.” Victor pulled me to him and kissed me. “But I will do my best.”
