“The little one is dehydrated.”
Charlie’s diagnosis didn’t surprise Dev. The bobcat she’d affectionately named Nima was no more than five days old, and had been without its mother for at least several hours.
She passed him the tiny bottle, and he held it up for Nima. The little bobcat’s greedy sucking was a good sign. “Charlie, bottle-feeding her—”
Nima would likely never be able to return to the wild.
“I know. But I don’t have a tested feral cat, or a nursing mother here.” Charlie blew out a breath.
Leaving the cat meant death, but an older bobcat, one weaned from its mother and taught to take care of itself, stood a far better chance of release.
“If necessary, Nima can stay here. I have the equipment for long-term care, and she could be a breed ambassador.”
“For the billionaires you bring around?” He didn’t mean the tense words. Breed ambassadors were important, but the best thing for Nima was to live as a bobcat.
“I bring several millionaires around, too. And even some who just make very high six figures!” Charlie crossed her arms, then uncrossed them and raised her shirt. “An ocelot did this. A cute ocelot that was pulled by humans from its home and made to perform. And when it hurt someone, they put it down. For acting like an ocelot! As nature intended.”
“Charlie—”
If she heard him, she didn’t stop. “I hate to break it to you, Dev, but it’s millionaires and billionaires who are buying them. Wanting a fancy pet or an exotic picture for social media. They are the ones who need to understand why people should leave these animals the hell alone!”
“You’re right.” The air around her seemed to deflate as she took in his words. “You’re right,” he repeated.
He watched her close her eyes, take a deep breath, before training her jeweled gaze on him. “You are wealthy, Dev. Very wealthy. Surely you know people who want these animals. Who’d pay prices that would pay off vet-school debts and give a person a new lease on life.”
Her comment on vet-school debt pricked his ears. It seemed specific. Most vets left school with more than a hundred thousand dollars in student loans. But he also understood her point. He was self-made, which made him an outsider to a club he didn’t care to belong to, anyway. But some powerful people thought they were owed whatever they wanted.
“I am going to do my best to ensure Nima has a shot at returning to the wild, but acknowledging that it’s possible, hell, even likely given her age, that it won’t happen is simply reality.” Her gaze focused on the sleeping cat, tears coating her eyes.
She wanted Nima to be a wild bobcat, and he was letting his life experience obscure the woman before him. First because she’d asked for a favor and then because of a bobcat cub she’d saved.
Get it together, Dev!
Log in or create an account to read the next chapter of "Rescued by the Millionaire Vet"
Every month we select a new title from one of our authors so that you can discover new stories, locations and genres for free.