Chapter 8: Claimed

"Are you sure you want to know?" The savory taste of bacon filled my mouth as I nibbled on a slice.

"Yes, of course." Xander stabbed a pancake and slid it onto his plate. "Tell us everything."

Elias waited patiently while buttering a biscuit, watching me as if I were a long-awaited movie.

"Well, I'm a veterinarian...."

Xander smirked, his eyebrows raising nearly into his hairline. "Seriously?"

Elias chuckled, shaking his head as he laid a slice of bacon inside his biscuit and took a bite.

I nodded, looking at them both as if they had four heads. "Yes. I put myself through college to become a veterinarian."

Elias tilted his head to the side. "Why did you decide to become a veterinarian instead of a doctor?" He shrugged. "I'm a doctor, and it takes just as much education to become a veterinarian."

I shrugged. "I guess it's because I've always had a closer connection with animals than with humans."

Xander's expression suddenly turned serious. "How so?"

I shrugged. "I'm not sure. I've nev