Tiger frowned. “What is wrong with you? We’re at the Doctor’s house.”
“Don’t you ever lock me inside a small space again!” Ellie shouted. She stumbled back a few steps. Hot tears slid down her cheeks. “I hate small, dark places!”
“Stop shouting,” Tiger ordered. “I’m sorry. Calm down, Ellie. Just take some deep breaths. You’re fine. Breathe in and out. That’s it. I didn’t know you had hole sickness.”
“I don’t have hole sickness!” She stopped shouting. “What is hole sickness?”
“You panic when you are put inside dark, small places. That’s what we call it. I’m sorry. Are you all right now? We should go inside. That nightgown is thin and I am afraid we will draw unwanted attention here. This is the human area of Homeland.”
His words sank in, she realized she was nearly nude and wanted clothes immediately. Then, I’ll find my way home. Ellie nodded and followed Tiger to the front door. He unlocked the door. Ellie walked in and then turned, kicking Tiger in the shin hard enough to hurt her foot.
Tiger cursed and growled at her. “What was that for?”
“Everything. I don’t suffer from hole sickness. I have claustrophobia.”
He frowned. “Doesn’t that mean the same thing?”
“Go to hell.” Ellie stormed away from him into Trisha’s bedroom, remembering where it was from her last visit. She slammed the door between them and headed to the doctor’s dresser.
Ellie borrowed a pair of sweatpants, an exercise bra, and an oversized T-shirt from a rock concert Trisha must have attended. She tried on a pair of the doctor’s shoes but they didn’t wear the same size. She had to remain barefoot. Ellie grabbed up the phone from the bedside table and called home, wanting to talk to Fury. She shot a nervous look at the door, afraid Tiger would walk into the room and stop her.
“Ellie?” Fury sounded pissed.
“Hi, Fury. They made me leave. Are you all right?”
“Where are you?” He growled.
“Don’t tell him!” Tiger yelled, nearly exploding into the room.
“Where are you?” Fury repeated, roaring the words.
Tiger tore the phone from her fingers and slammed it down into the cradle. He glared at Ellie. “Did you not hear the whole scent and prey talk we had?”
“I just wanted him to know I’m safe and ask him how he is doing. You guys are seriously overreacting if you think Fury is a danger to me.”
Tiger arched an eyebrow. “Really?” He picked up the phone. “Let’s see how off the mark we are.”
“Who are you calling?”
“Justice.”
Ellie sat on the edge of Trisha’s bed, glowering up at Tiger. He listened and a frown marred his features. He hung up. “Something is really wrong. Justice didn’t pick up his phone. It connected to his voice mail after six rings.”
“So he’s busy.”
“He always answers.” Tiger dialed another number. He listened and his face grew pale before he hung up.
“Slade didn’t pick up either and he always answers by the third ring. They both entered the house and they aren’t answering their phones. Shit.” He dialed another number. He cursed after a minute and hung up. He waved the phone at Ellie. “Doctor Norbit isn’t answering either.”
“Maybe they are talking to him right now and don’t want to be rude by answering their cells.”
“Call home, talk to him for a few minutes to see how he is, but don’t tell him where you are. Can you do that?”
Ellie accepted the phone. “This is just moronic.”
“Just talk to him. You know Fury. See if he’s your male or if he’s not quite himself. Ask him where Justice and Slade are.”
“You’re going to feel stupid.”
“I’ll risk it. Just don’t tell him where you are. Promise?”
“Sure,” she muttered, glad to speak to Fury. Tiger was being paranoid.
Fury answered on the first ring by snarling her name. He sounded so mad she barely recognized her own name coming from his lips.
“It’s me. Are you all right?”
“Where are you?”
“They were afraid you were reacting to one of the medications they’ve been giving you and think you’re dangerous to me. I’m fine. Are Justice and Slade still there?”
“Where are you?” He ground out the words harshly. “Tell me right now, Ellie.”
Ellie met Tiger’s concerned gaze, having to admit that Fury was acting weird. “I’ll be home soon. Are Justice and Slade still there?”
“They are outside,” Fury growled. “I will come find you if you won’t tell me where you are. Come home right now to me. You don’t want to make me have to search for you.”
“You need to calm down. The doctors just wanted to check you out and I’ll be right home after they are sure everything is fine.”
“I’m coming for you,” he snarled. He slammed the phone down.
“Fury?” She shook her head, stunned. “He’s really angry. He said he’s coming for me and hung up. It sounded like…a threat.”
“Damn it,” Tiger groaned. “He’s in total hunt mode, just as I feared. We need to get you the hell out of here.” He hung up the phone and then snatched his cell phone from his back pocket. He dialed.
“Don’t you ever lock me inside a small space again!” Ellie shouted. She stumbled back a few steps. Hot tears slid down her cheeks. “I hate small, dark places!”
“Stop shouting,” Tiger ordered. “I’m sorry. Calm down, Ellie. Just take some deep breaths. You’re fine. Breathe in and out. That’s it. I didn’t know you had hole sickness.”
“I don’t have hole sickness!” She stopped shouting. “What is hole sickness?”
“You panic when you are put inside dark, small places. That’s what we call it. I’m sorry. Are you all right now? We should go inside. That nightgown is thin and I am afraid we will draw unwanted attention here. This is the human area of Homeland.”
His words sank in, she realized she was nearly nude and wanted clothes immediately. Then, I’ll find my way home. Ellie nodded and followed Tiger to the front door. He unlocked the door. Ellie walked in and then turned, kicking Tiger in the shin hard enough to hurt her foot.
Tiger cursed and growled at her. “What was that for?”
“Everything. I don’t suffer from hole sickness. I have claustrophobia.”
He frowned. “Doesn’t that mean the same thing?”
“Go to hell.” Ellie stormed away from him into Trisha’s bedroom, remembering where it was from her last visit. She slammed the door between them and headed to the doctor’s dresser.
Ellie borrowed a pair of sweatpants, an exercise bra, and an oversized T-shirt from a rock concert Trisha must have attended. She tried on a pair of the doctor’s shoes but they didn’t wear the same size. She had to remain barefoot. Ellie grabbed up the phone from the bedside table and called home, wanting to talk to Fury. She shot a nervous look at the door, afraid Tiger would walk into the room and stop her.
“Ellie?” Fury sounded pissed.
“Hi, Fury. They made me leave. Are you all right?”
“Where are you?” He growled.
“Don’t tell him!” Tiger yelled, nearly exploding into the room.
“Where are you?” Fury repeated, roaring the words.
Tiger tore the phone from her fingers and slammed it down into the cradle. He glared at Ellie. “Did you not hear the whole scent and prey talk we had?”
“I just wanted him to know I’m safe and ask him how he is doing. You guys are seriously overreacting if you think Fury is a danger to me.”
Tiger arched an eyebrow. “Really?” He picked up the phone. “Let’s see how off the mark we are.”
“Who are you calling?”
“Justice.”
Ellie sat on the edge of Trisha’s bed, glowering up at Tiger. He listened and a frown marred his features. He hung up. “Something is really wrong. Justice didn’t pick up his phone. It connected to his voice mail after six rings.”
“So he’s busy.”
“He always answers.” Tiger dialed another number. He listened and his face grew pale before he hung up.
“Slade didn’t pick up either and he always answers by the third ring. They both entered the house and they aren’t answering their phones. Shit.” He dialed another number. He cursed after a minute and hung up. He waved the phone at Ellie. “Doctor Norbit isn’t answering either.”
“Maybe they are talking to him right now and don’t want to be rude by answering their cells.”
“Call home, talk to him for a few minutes to see how he is, but don’t tell him where you are. Can you do that?”
Ellie accepted the phone. “This is just moronic.”
“Just talk to him. You know Fury. See if he’s your male or if he’s not quite himself. Ask him where Justice and Slade are.”
“You’re going to feel stupid.”
“I’ll risk it. Just don’t tell him where you are. Promise?”
“Sure,” she muttered, glad to speak to Fury. Tiger was being paranoid.
Fury answered on the first ring by snarling her name. He sounded so mad she barely recognized her own name coming from his lips.
“It’s me. Are you all right?”
“Where are you?”
“They were afraid you were reacting to one of the medications they’ve been giving you and think you’re dangerous to me. I’m fine. Are Justice and Slade still there?”
“Where are you?” He ground out the words harshly. “Tell me right now, Ellie.”
Ellie met Tiger’s concerned gaze, having to admit that Fury was acting weird. “I’ll be home soon. Are Justice and Slade still there?”
“They are outside,” Fury growled. “I will come find you if you won’t tell me where you are. Come home right now to me. You don’t want to make me have to search for you.”
“You need to calm down. The doctors just wanted to check you out and I’ll be right home after they are sure everything is fine.”
“I’m coming for you,” he snarled. He slammed the phone down.
“Fury?” She shook her head, stunned. “He’s really angry. He said he’s coming for me and hung up. It sounded like…a threat.”
“Damn it,” Tiger groaned. “He’s in total hunt mode, just as I feared. We need to get you the hell out of here.” He hung up the phone and then snatched his cell phone from his back pocket. He dialed.
