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BEARLY CHASED
BEARLY MATES
BOOK 2
MILLY TAIDEN
 CONTENTS

Bearly Chased
About the Book

1. Caitlyn
2. Max
3. Caitlyn
4. Max
5. Caitlyn
6. Caitlyn
7. Max
8. Caitlyn
9. Caitlyn
10. Max
11. Caitlyn
12. Max
13. Caitlyn
14. Max
15. Max
16. Caitlyn
17. Caitlyn
18. Caitlyn
19. Max
20. Caitlyn

About the Author

Also by Milly Taiden
BEARLY CHASED
 BEARLY MATES 2

NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

MILLY TAIDEN
 This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are
fictitious or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real in any
way. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or
organizations is entirely coincidental.

Published By
Latin Goddess Press
Winter Springs, FL 32708
http://millytaiden.com
Bearly Chased
Copyright © 2023 by Milly Taiden
Cover: Jacqueline Sweet

All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any
manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief
quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Property of Milly Taiden
January 2023

Created with Vellum

 ABOUT THE BOOK

Caitlyn Wilde loves her career. She geeks out when it comes to
spreadsheets and digging into numbers. Day one at her new job is
going great until she meets her boss for the first time—the same
man who was her first and only one-night stand the night before.
She’ll get over it. Tall, strong and sexy is about to make her
job extra hard.
Max Ellison, stud bear alpha and CEO, has met his match. His
newly found mate is not only his company’s new controller, she
completely controls her life. She’s not letting Max get near her
emotionally or physically. At all. He knows she’s meant for him
so he’s not gonna let the most intelligent, stubborn and
beautiful woman he’s ever met out of his life.
Max is clueless when it comes to winning a woman’s affection.
Especially when he can’t use his physical prowess to his advantage.
He has got to figure out what his woman wants before she’ll give
him the time of day. If he’s not savvy enough, he’ll lose her to
the one person looking to put an end to her career and her
life.
—For my amazing readers.

These bears are wild!

ONE
 CAITLYN

Sloshing the liquor in her glass, Caitlyn Wilde patiently awaited the
arrival of her cousin, Dee Wixx, and her close friend, Keira Wilson-
Pierce.
Around her, the soft thrumming of the bar and passing
conversations wafted by. Her eyes lifted, catching the precise
moment the women entered the bar. They wore tight dresses and
leather jackets, and carried little purses, a slight contrast to the jean
jacket and billowy floral dress she wore.
“Caitlyn.” Dee hurried forward first, tossing her arms around her
cousin. “Oh, you’re still as cute as I remember.”
“Cute?” Caitlyn glanced at her outfit. “That wasn’t the look I was
going for.”
“Well, you pull it off effortlessly.” Then Keira embraced her. She
sniffed at her neck. “What’s that perfume you’re wearing? Is it
foreign?”
“You wear perfume now?” Dee asked, mouth falling open. Then,
she clapped her hands. “Man, we have a lot to catch up on.”
Caitlyn nodded toward the bar. “Get some more drinks. I plan to
have a fun night.”
With an excited squeal, Dee beelined it to the bar while Keira
pulled out the seat beside Caitlyn. She rested her elbows on the
table, sending her an easygoing grin.
“How does it feel, big shot? You’ve moved to a new town, and
you snagged a great job. I bet you feel ten feet tall right now.”
 “I’m not trying to be cocky, but …”
Keira snorted, leaning back in her chair. “Are you kidding? This is
the perfect moment to be cocky. You deserve it. You’ve worked hard
to be where you’re at right now.”
“You’re right, you’re right.” Caitlyn wrinkled her nose, feeling the
familiar burn of alcohol coursing down her throat. She had never
tried that particular brand of liquor, but she was feeling adventurous
tonight. “You know me. I’ve never been one to brag.”
“Brag away.” Dee slammed three glasses of champagne on the
table along with a large bottle. Then she took one for herself. “A
toast to my beloved cousin, who’s paving a new path for herself and
becoming the powerful woman I always knew she’d be.”
Caitlyn and Keira grabbed glasses for themselves and clinked
them with Dee. Among the three of them, Dee was the most eager
to chug the champagne, and she poured herself another.
“Don’t get too crazy,” Keira warned, pointing a finger at Caitlyn.
“You start tomorrow, don’t you?”
“I’m not the one on my second glass already,” Caitlyn replied,
gesturing to Dee.
Dee scoffed. “You were already drinking liquor before we got
here. I’m just excited. I haven’t seen you in forever. How have you
been? How’s life?”
“Pretty good, for reasons you guys already know.” Caitlyn smiled.
The freckles that adorned her nose and cheeks complemented her
face nicely that night. “Dee, are there shifters in this bar?”
“We’re surrounded by them,” Dee replied, followed by a quick
burp into her fist. “Some of them are from Keira’s sleuth.”
“They like to offer protection every now and then,” Keira added
with a shrug. “Nothing to get nervous about. They’re just having fun
like the rest of us.”
“How do you …” Caitlyn’s eyes trailed the bar, landing on a few
men who laughed boisterously around a pool table, “tell them from
the rest of us?”
“You don’t,” Dee smiled, “until they shift, then you know for
sure.”
 “Some shifters act more aggressively than others, but they only
do that when they’re trying to protect their own,” Keira explained,
resting her glass on her bottom lip. Then, she perked a brow. “Max
Ellison is here. He’s one of the good ones.”
“Max, who?”
Caitlyn followed Keira’s line of sight, turning in her seat toward
the men at the pool table. Immediately, her eyes landed on the man
standing at the head of the table, leaning casually on his cue stick as
one of his buddies struck the billiard balls.
With shaggy hair, green eyes, and prominent muscles along his
arms, Max was everything Caitlyn sought in a man. His smile was
easygoing, enough to make her heart stop upon first glance. She
wasn’t sure she liked that.
After all, falling in love was pointless.
“He’s a bear shifter,” Keira said as Caitlyn continued watching him
from afar. “His sleuth is allied with mine.”
“We should go talk to them,” Dee suggested, bumping elbows
with Caitlyn.
The strawberry blonde frowned deeply. “Why?”
“You haven’t been able to take your eyes off him since I pointed
him out,” Keira teased, wiggling her eyebrows at Caitlyn, who
blushed furiously and shook her head.
“You’re crazy,” Caitlyn remarked, leaning back in her seat and
averting her gaze. “I was looking at the artwork on the walls. Not at
him.”
“That artwork?” Dee jutted her thumb over her shoulder,
gesturing toward the messy splotches of red and yellow clumps that
adorned a portrait hanging on the back wall. “Looks like something a
kindergartener would make for art time.”
“Okay?” Caitlyn rolled her eyes, knowing that the jig was up, and
they had caught her red-handed. “I like weird art.”
“Come on. They don’t bite.” Keira rose from her seat, leading the
way. Dee followed close behind.
Despite her initial reluctance, Caitlyn finished the alcohol in her
glass and felt herself loosen up considerably. The fuzzy warm feeling
in her chest made it easier for her to speak and more likely for her
to laugh.
“Max!” Keira waved a hand, confidently approaching him and his
friends. “Would you mind if we played a round or two?”
Dee placed her hands on Caitlyn’s shoulders, ushering her to the
pool table, whispering brief introductions of each man into her ear
as they approached them.
“You already know who Max is,” she started, muffling a snort.
“Almost every woman in town knows who he is. You’re the
exception, but that’s only because you’re new.”
“So you’re telling me he sleeps around?”
“More or less.” Dee moved on. “The blond one is Elijah, and the
ginger is Wyatt. They’re bear shifters too.” Her fingers tapped along
Caitlyn’s shoulders playfully. “But I get the feeling that you’re not too
interested in them. Am I right, or am I right?”
Caitlyn wrinkled her nose, but she didn’t answer.
“Three versus three.” Keira raised a brow at Max. “Who says no?
Unless you’re too scared at the idea of losing to a trio of women.”
Max chuckled, ducking his head. Then, he gazed at them from
underneath his brows. For one reason or another, his eyes lingered
on Caitlyn.
“Who’s the new girl?”
“Caitlyn Wilde,” Keira said, tossing an arm around her. “She’s my
good friend.”
“She’s also my cousin,” Dee exclaimed, alcohol heavy on her
breath.
“And I can kick any of your asses in a game of pool,” Caitlyn
deadpanned.
Elijah whistled low while Wyatt’s mouth fell open slightly. Max
narrowed his sights on her, readjusting his grip on the cue stick.
“All right, then,” Max decided, motioning toward Elijah to start
organizing the billiard balls. “Whoever loses has to buy the other
team a round of drinks. Deal?”
“Deal,” Caitlyn replied, accepting the cue stick from Wyatt. “I
never lose, anyway.”
Both of Max’s eyebrows shot upward. “Really? That’s not likely.”
 “Clearly, you haven’t bumped into someone like me before,” she
replied bluntly, which felt like the equivalent of flames bursting past
her mouth and scorching the bear shifters down to their core.
Max blinked, stunned by her audacious nature. Truth be told, the
alcohol played a huge role in cracking open Caitlyn’s ferociously
competitive spirit.
Once the round started, Caitlyn made easy work of the men who
watched her quick, albeit somewhat tipsy, movements with wide
eyes. She left them with no chance to compete. They couldn’t afford
to make mistakes if they planned on beating her.
But they stumbled on their turns, misjudged the angles, and sent
the cue ball into the pocket more than a few times. Keira, Dee, and
Caitlyn claimed a smooth victory, which earned them a scowl and
grumbles from Elijah and Wyatt, who fished out their wallets and
made a move toward the bar.
Setting down her cue stick, Caitlyn leaned close to her friends.
“I’m going to the restroom. I’ll be back soon.”
The women nodded before engaging themselves in a deep
conversation with a man who offered to show them a card trick.
Alcohol did wonders for human judgment. It was amazing.
Although, she didn’t have much room to talk.
As she made her way to the restroom, trailing her hand across
the walls to guide her movements, she suddenly felt a presence
behind her. Heat coursed to her cheeks and between her thighs.
What are the odds? Caitlyn wondered. Her hand rested on the
door to the women’s restroom, but she didn’t go inside.
“How’d you get so good at playing pool?”
Max Ellison grabbed her gently by the wrist, pulled her to the
wall, and leaned her against it. Stumbling slightly, Caitlyn smiled
wide as the shifter’s eyes trailed her features desperately. Their
closeness intoxicated her even more so than the alcohol she had
downed earlier.
“I skipped school a lot,” she admitted. “And when I did, I would
hang out with the older boys at a local joint, and we’d play pool. I
wasn’t always so cocky, I promise. Took years to perfect my craft.”
“I didn’t imagine you as the type of girl to play hooky.”
 “You met me thirty minutes ago.” Caitlyn wrinkled her nose. “You
know nothing about me.”
“I want to,” Max answered, trailing a hand across her chin and
hooking his fingers around her neck. “Why don’t you give me a
chance to learn?”
Slowly, she shook her head, never breaking eye contact with him.
“If you plan on getting something out of this …” her finger wiggled
between the space that separated them, “relationship, then you’re
barking up the wrong tree.”
“On the contrary, I think I’m right where I’m supposed to be.”
She caught the subtle movement, the way his eyes focused on
her lips, but did nothing to deter him. As he leaned in, her hands
trailed up the front of his shirt and gripped him hard. Their mouths
met in a passionate flurry while their fingers danced aimlessly across
their bodies, aching for more but knowing that the hallway outside
of the bathrooms wasn’t the right place to explore.
“My car,” Max gasped, breaking the kiss briefly to fumble out the
word. He continued peppering her with small kisses between his
words. “Let’s go to my car. It’s parked in the back.”
Caitlyn nodded, pulling him in for another ardent kiss as she
wrapped her hands around his neck.
Max took charge of navigating them to the parking lot, his eyes
wide and his mouth never straying from Caitlyn’s affections.
Thankfully, the hallway led to the door that led to the lot where
Max’s black Jeep awaited them.
Pushing her against the hood of the vehicle, Max swept his hands
along her neck, down her waist, and snaked them along the
undersides of her thighs, lifting one of her legs and wrapping it
around his waist.
Caitlyn gasped quietly, batting at his chest. “Do you have any
protection?”
“What?” Max whispered, losing himself in the warmth of her
neck.
“Protection,” Caitlyn repeated. “I’m not about to fuck you raw.”
Slightly miffed, he pulled himself away and led her to the
backseat of his Jeep. The bulge in his pants was painfully obvious.
As she slid across the seats, already making quick work of removing
her panties, he popped open the glove compartment and slipped out
a few condoms.
Then, he eagerly joined her in the back.
The alcohol dulled her senses, for sure. This wasn’t how she
acted. This wasn’t her normal. Something about Max grabbed onto
her and wouldn’t let go. Something powerful and a bit scary.
Even still, all rational thought went out the window as she rode
the bear shifter in the back of his car, spurred on by his loud moans
and the way he dug his fingers into her skin.
TWO
 MAX

“I don’t understand why you’re so mad about this, Bianca,” Max said,
chuckling as he rested his forehead against his hand. He gazed at
his phone screen, which showed fifteen minutes of a phone call with
a girl he hardly remembered. “We’re not in a relationship.”
“Fuck you, Max. Are you telling me that the last three months of
our relationship don’t matter to you?”
His eyes widened. Relationship? He would hardly call any of his
flings relationships, much less call any of the women he was seeing
his girlfriends.
Growing bored of the conversation, he leaned back in his office
seat and gazed at the clock. He needed to meet the new comptroller
soon. She was hired when he was out of town, and he had no idea if
he would like her or if his job would suddenly become a nightmare.
He rummaged through his papers and files, noting who was
available for an upcoming staff meeting and who wasn’t. His CFO,
Keith Auston, took a recent trip out of town, and he didn’t know
when he would return, which threw a wrench in his plans.
“Max!”
“Yeah, hey, sorry, I have to go,” he replied, scribbling some notes
to himself. “Sorry about what happened. It’s a shame, really.”
“You’re a real piece of shit. I never want to see you again.”
Max’s head tilted to the side inquisitively. “Remind me what you
look like again?”
 She hung up, much to his relief. Adjusting his sleeves, he stood
from his chair and gazed at the town adorned by the snowfall of
winter that presided just outside his window.
On his desk, his coffee mug was half full. He sipped on the pitch-
black liquid, then rolled his head to crack his neck.
His thoughts kept drifting back to Caitlyn, and his bear was
stirring as he thought of her. Her scent drove him wild, even in his
memories, and with her on his mind, he wouldn’t be able to focus on
anything else.
She had completely turned him off for anyone else. He’d all but
blocked all of the girls in his phone, a text from one of them making
his stomach roil with disgust.
What had she done to him after one night?
He shook his head, knowing he needed to focus. Another long
day at the office awaited him, accompanied by lousy paperwork and
boring company calls. To procrastinate on starting his work, he
decided to visit the new comptroller, who his hiring committee
gushed over. Prepared, confident, and headstrong, that was how
they described her.
Naturally, his curiosity was piqued.
He made his way to the comptroller’s office, greeting his
employees and smiling throughout the journey. What happened to
his last comptroller was unfortunate. No one deserved to die that
young, especially since she was on the brink of advancing her career.
The company held a vigil for Nina when they found out about her
untimely death.
However, the cogs needed to keep moving, so they found
someone to replace her not too long afterward. Max only hoped that
this new person could achieve the same productivity levels as Nina.
He knocked on the door thrice and made his presence known
before making his way in. Due to his haste, he didn’t notice the
updated gold plaque on the door, which depicted the name of the
new comptroller.
“Good morning to you,” he greeted. “Welcome to the company. I
hope that you’ve been settling in just fine, Ms …”
The black office chair swiveled around. And his mouth fell open.
 That hair. Those eyes. Her lips.
This was the woman from the night before. The one he fucked in
his backseat. The woman who crushed him at a game of pool, and
despite his gargantuan ego, he didn’t seem to mind it that much.
Caitlyn was his new comptroller?
Suddenly, he frowned. How did he remember her name that
quickly? Wasn’t she just another face? Another warm body to love
on when his nights proved too lonely?
He gulped, suddenly realizing that he was staring.
“I …” Caitlyn spoke, probably in as much a state of shock as he
was. “I-I didn’t …”
“Looks like we’ve already met before, huh?” Max smiled. He
couldn’t help it. “I certainly remember that interesting meeting we
had last night. Don’t you?”
Within seconds, her face turned a soft shade of pink. Her fingers
tightened around the armrests of her chair.
“Don’t speak about that,” she hissed, gritting her teeth. “That’s
completely inappropriate.”
“Neither of us seemed to think that when it was the heat of the
moment,” he replied, followed by a modest shrug. “What? Am I
supposed to regret what happened?”
“Yes.” Caitlyn frowned. “It was a mistake. It should have never
happened. If I’d known you were my boss, I would have never …”
“Are you sure about that?”
Her beautiful eyes narrowed. He knew he needed to be more
professional about this. It was the wrong thing to gloat about, but
he didn’t want to do that.
For some reason, he was drawn to her. Perhaps, it was her
beauty. Perhaps, it was her fiery spirit. The most likely explanation
was that these different characteristics about her enthralled him to
no end, beckoning him in like a siren in the middle of a tumultuous
ocean.
Max was admittedly a promiscuous man, but never in his wildest
dreams did he anticipate sleeping with one of his own workers. The
legality and morality of the situation soon popped into his mind,
rearing the bear within that stood at full attention.
 Then, he thought things over. Was it really that bad? He didn’t
know that she was the comptroller of his company when he had sex
with her. Furthermore, she didn’t officially start her job until that
morning.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Caitlyn whispered, glaring at
him as if he had just kicked a litter of puppies. “I … I came here to
do a good and honest job. Not sleep with my boss.”
“I wasn’t your boss last night,” he countered. “We were both
equally as dominant with each other when …”
“Stop … just stop it.” Shaking her head, she held up a hand. “I
don’t want to talk about what happened last night. Okay? Drop the
subject. It’s best if we forget what happened before this turns into
an even bigger mess.”
“A mess?”
“Yes! What do you think the rest of your employees are going to
say when they find out we slept together?” Caitlyn asked, tone
dropping once she got loud. “They’re going to hate me. They’re
going to think I got this job because I slept with you, not because I
earned it on my own merit.”
“No one is going to think that.”
“Oh, be quiet already.” Caitlyn waved him off, and for a moment,
he wondered who was acting like the true CEO of the company.
“Just stop talking about it. The less we think about it, the easier it’ll
be to forget that it happened.”
What if he didn’t want to forget? What if he wanted to recreate
the events of that night?
He had never done this before. The thrill of a forbidden situation
coursed through his body and permeated into his mind.
“Would you mind if I asked you to leave?”
“Yes, I would mind it very much,” Max replied, leaning on the
wall and crossing his legs at the ankles. “I understand that you’re
new and you don’t understand the rules around here, but I’m the
boss. As such, I expect you to treat me with respect.”
Caitlyn mumbled something under her breath. Max raised a brow.
“Come again?”
 “Nothing,” she said, cheeks reddening once more. She refused to
look at him. “Forgive me for my earlier outburst, Mr. Ellison. I’ll make
sure that it doesn’t happen again.”
“Mr. Ellison? Oh, come on. Now that’s a little too formal for my
liking.”
“I have nothing else to say to you, so I don’t know why you’re
lingering in my office.”
“You’re taking on an important position in my company. It’s only
natural that I would like to get to know you a little more.”
“Last night wasn’t enough?” Caitlyn bit out, glancing at him from
underneath her brows.
Max chuckled. “I meant in a more professional sense. Of course,
I’m sure I can fit you into my schedule if you’d like to meet up
sometime and get a bit more personal.”
Caitlyn grimaced, shaking her head. “No, there’s no need for
that. I would like to keep our relationship strictly professional from
now on.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes. We don’t need to hang out or speak beyond business
hours. In fact, we don’t even need to see each other once I leave
this office building. Our interactions here are enough.”
Max hummed, dropping his gaze. He didn’t know whether to take
her words at face value. Last night, she enjoyed their time together.
In the post-coital haze, she said something about wanting to see
him again.
At first, he didn’t know whether he was up for it, mainly because
he liked keeping his one-night stands as just that. One night.
However, this was a new situation. And unlike the other women
in his life, Caitlyn wasn’t dropping at his feet and begging for his
attention. On the contrary, she was pushing him away.
If he needed to win her over, so be it. Her stubbornness was only
making it more fun.
“Do you have anything else to say to me?”
“Yes,” he said. He nodded her way. “Are you actually writing
anything on that clipboard of yours? Or are you doing that to act
busy?”
 Caitlyn’s tongue ran over her teeth as her pen stopped moving. “I
have a lot to do.”
“Great, I’ll leave you to it.” Max made his way to the door. “Make
sure you introduce yourself to the others in the office. After all, you
wouldn’t want to start the day on the wrong foot.”
He caught her glare as he closed the door. In front of him, he
focused on the name plaque. Caitlyn Wilde.
Sighing, he made his way back to his office in a less chipper
mood than before. Why was her rejection getting to him like it was?
He had a myriad of other women to choose from, women who would
drop everything to spend the night with him.
Meanwhile, Caitlyn didn’t want anything to do with him. It was
possible that she was playing it safe. After all, she was right. The
office gossip would buzz like a bee’s nest if news slipped out about
their night in the back of his Jeep.
It’s for the best. Maybe. Max wrinkled his nose as he returned to
his vast but empty office.
“Back to work,” he whispered, trudging to his chair. “Back to
work.”
He sat at his desk, opened his laptop, and stared at the screen.
His fingers didn’t move across the keyboard like they often did. His
mind wasn’t working like it usually did.
Instead, all he thought about was Caitlyn and her attractive face,
her supple body, and her enchanting moans. Flashbacks of the night
before raced through his mind, causing the bulge in his pants to
grow larger the longer he dwelled on it.
“Shit,” he mumbled, readjusting his position on the seat. He
hoped none of his interns barged through the door.
How was he supposed to go on like this? Maybe it was easy for
Caitlyn to forget what happened last night, but he couldn’t do the
same. He wanted more.
In the back of his Jeep, Caitlyn gave him something that no other
woman did. She stole the reins from his hands and directed their
movements. She wasn’t afraid of saying what she wanted. She
chased after her own pleasure, and he loved watching her from
underneath.
 Deep down, he always wanted a woman like that. He knew from
the moment she popped into the picture, cheeks pink from the
alcohol and eyes bright with opportunity, that she was going to hook
him. And she succeeded.
After having a taste of her, there was no way that Max was going
to give up on enamoring her. He acknowledged that it was a reckless
decision, but he didn’t care about the morality of the situation. All
that flew out the window.
He wanted more time with Caitlyn, and he’d be damned if he
didn’t at least try to win her over.
THREE
 CAITLYN

Pinching the bridge of her nose, she let out a deep sigh. She already
felt the beginnings of a migraine settling into her temple. Now it was
made worse by the unexpected visit by her new boss. Max Ellison.
When she woke up that morning, she had really believed she was
going to seize the day. Everything was going so well. She had her
favorite blend of coffee, took the nicest shower, and breezed through
the non-existent traffic to the office.
Then, her world crumbled in seconds when her one-night stand
walked through the door of her new office, introducing himself as
her boss. None other than the CEO of the damn company himself.
For the next few minutes, Caitlyn stared aimlessly at her things.
Her papers, her pen holder, and her laptop screen. Every now and
then, she found herself dazing off with memories of the night
before. She scolded herself each time.
What the fuck are you doing, Caitlyn? You have to focus. You’ve
got a mess to fix, and it won’t get done by staring off into space.
Shaking off her jitters, she tried to get to work. Slowly but surely,
she started skimming through the documents left behind by the
former comptroller.
According to the murmurs of the women she bumped into before
settling into her office, Nina had been sleeping with the CFO. Caitlyn
didn’t have much room to judge her there.
Albeit unknowingly, she had already slept with the CEO of the
company, and she hadn’t even completed a full workday yet.
 Nice one, Caitlyn. You are really setting yourself up for success
here.
No matter, she focused on cleaning up the fragments, but soon
enough, she realized that the numbers weren’t adding up. She
plugged them into calculators, highlighted certain sections of
interest, and kept track of the credits and debits on a spreadsheet
she made.
Something was wrong. A good chunk of money was missing, but
she wasn’t sure why. Possible embezzlement was the first thing that
came to her mind, but narrowing it down to a sole perpetrator would
be difficult.
This wasn’t human error, either. Thousands of dollars didn’t
usually vanish without a trace in a company’s system. Caitlyn
smelled something fishy, and it wasn’t just the tuna sandwich she
had brought along for lunch.
“Debit … Debit … Credit …”
Caitlyn mumbled the words to herself as she went over the
spreadsheet for the umpteenth time. Was it likely that Nina was
documenting the transactions wrong the whole time? If so, this was
a huge mess to fix. That did nothing to relieve her headache, a
piercing pain that was like an ax to the skull. In fact, it only
worsened it.
Jolting upright, she straightened in her chair and removed the
pen from her mouth as an intern walked into the office.
“How are you settling in?” the blonde girl asked.
“Pretty well, I think,” Caitlyn replied, gesturing toward the files
and open laptop. “I’m just going through the company’s transactions
throughout the last year.”
The girl nodded but didn’t seem interested in pursuing the
conversation. The dull look in her eyes said it all. “Max is asking for
you in his office. I wouldn’t keep him waiting.”
“Max?” Caitlyn spluttered.
“Yes, the CEO of the company. He introduced himself to you
already, didn’t he?”
“Yeah, but …”
“If I were you, I wouldn’t keep him waiting.”
 Then, the intern left without another word. With her mouth wide
open, Caitlyn snapped out of her daze and organized the chaos on
her desk. She gathered the files, closed the laptop, and made a
small note of where she had left off.
Begrudgingly, she made her way to Max’s office. She stalled on
the way there, gazing at the wall decorations and employee of the
month plaques that adorned the hallway, but she eventually found
herself in front of the vast office lobby that belonged to Max Ellison
himself.
Knocking on the door, she let herself in once an intern inside
gave her the go-ahead.
“Hello, there. You’re Caitlyn Wilde, right? Max will be with you in
one moment. I’ll let him know you’re here ….”
“No need,” Max interjected, emerging from his office. He
beckoned her over with a hand. “Come in. We have a lot to discuss.”
With her chin held high, Caitlyn walked into the office and closed
the door behind her. Immediately, her eyes gazed over the fancy
decorations and impressive view out the window. She could tell he
was a made man, so why was he wasting his time on her? She had a
job to do.
“Why am I here?” Caitlyn asked, just about blurting it out. “I was
in the middle of something important.”
“Really? On your first day?” Max smiled, plopping onto his office
chair. “Most people fuck around and do nothing when they first get
here.”
“Not me.” She shook her head, keeping her hands behind her
back. “Your past comptroller, Nina, didn’t do a good job at keeping
things organized, so I’ve been combing through and fixing her
mess.”
One of his eyebrows raised. “How much of a mess?”
“I’m still working to see the extent of the damage done, but I’ll
fix whatever I can and present any discrepancies I find to you.”
Caitlyn bit her lip, making a mental note of the various errors she
had already identified.
“Looks like we made a good decision in hiring you, then. I’ll have
to give the person responsible a raise.”
 “I appreciate that.” Ducking her gaze, she sighed. “Was that all
you wanted to talk about? Or is there something else on your mind?”
“You know, I’ve never had an employee speak to me the way you
do.” Max swiveled in his chair, playing with a ballpoint pen in his
hands. “You stormed in here and acted like you owned the place.”
“Sorry, I’ll … I’ll fix my attitude from here on out.”
“No, keep it as it is. I like the way you are.”
She raised her gaze, meeting his head-on. While confusion
swarmed in her eyes, she wasn’t able to decipher the emotions
behind his look. That intimidated her somewhat, but at the same
time, her innate curiosity felt compelled to pay attention.
“If this is about what happened between us, I …” Caitlyn trailed
off, unsure of what to say. Exasperated by the situation, she only
wanted a resolution. “I won’t speak about it if that’s what you’re
worried about. I won’t tell another soul.”
His eyes narrowed. “Is that what you’re freaking out about? Tell
me, Caitlyn, have you had anything to eat yet? Have you had your
break?”
“No, not yet.” She scratched the back of her neck awkwardly.
“Time has flown by, and I didn’t get the chance.”
“As your boss, I demand that you eat lunch after you leave my
office. I can’t have one of my best workers exhausting themselves
on the first day in the office.”
“Best worker?” Caitlyn repeated, jutting out her neck. “Look,
you’re flattering me a little too much. I haven’t proven myself to you
yet.”
“You’re already taking on the problems apparently left behind by
Nina. What more could I ask for?” Max leaned his chin on his hand,
never taking his eyes off her. “I can tell that you have a bright future
with us. You should be proud of yourself.”
“Does this have anything to do with what happened between
us?”
That caught Max’s attention. His eyes brightened.
“Why do you ask?” Max tilted his head. “I’m commending you for
your work.”
“Do you do this with all your employees?”
 “Only the ones who deserve it.”
Caitlyn nearly grimaced, but by the grace of God, she held
herself back. Her move to Virginia was starting to feel like a mistake.
“I really don’t want to keep coming back to this. I really don’t,”
she said, the weakness trickling into her words. “I want to move on
from what happened. Okay? I want a fresh slate with you.”
“You got it.”
“That means I don’t want what happened last night to pop up in
our conversations anymore. And I don’t want to get preferential
treatment from you because of what we did. I just want to work and
do a good job. That’s all.”
“I understand, Caitlyn. I see where you’re coming from. I hope
I’m not interfering with your ability to focus in any way.”
Of course, you are, she thought. Your moans are the only thing I
find myself thinking about.
“But I promise I’m not treating you differently because of our
little incident,” Max grinned. Caitlyn hoped he was being earnest
with that statement. “All of my employees get appreciation from me
every now and then. Didn’t you see the Employee of the Month
placards on the way here?”
“Yeah,” she replied quietly. “They take up a huge space on the
walls. Pretty hard to miss.”
“So you see? I’ve fostered a positive work environment because I
care about the people who work for me. And even though you might
not like it right now, I guarantee that you’ll get used to things soon.
I hope you don’t mind the work parties and morale-building events I
host.”
A genuine smile etched itself along Caitlyn’s lips for the first time
that day. Perhaps, it was her emotions clouding her judgment, but
she sensed he was being honest. The walls defending her heart
were slowly tumbling.
“I wouldn’t mind that at all,” she replied. “But I meant what I
said. What happened between us was a mistake that’ll never occur
again. I didn’t know, but …”
“Don’t blame yourself for what happened. I didn’t know either.”
 “It taught me a good lesson,” she quipped. “From now on, I’ll
need to do a background check on all of my future one-night
stands.”
Although she was laughing, there was a flash of hurt that swept
across Max’s face, something that he quickly hid with a forced smile.
She noticed it immediately.
“Yeah,” he remarked, messing with the trinkets on his desk.
Something to keep his hands busy, she supposed. “Smart idea.”
“Would you like to talk about anything else?”
Max shook his head. “No, you’re, uh … you’re free to go.”
Caitlyn frowned. “Are you sure?”
“Seems like you’re the one trying to find a way to stick around
now.” Folding his hands over his lap, Max leaned back in his chair.
“You said you had a lot of work to get to, didn’t you? Don’t let me
keep you.”
“Right.” Caitlyn nodded, but something told her that her
comment hit a nerve. “See you around, boss.”
Turning on her heel, she made her way to the door and left
quickly. She kept her eyes aimed at the floor as she slipped out of
the lobby and back into the hallway, where she maneuvered the
turns that led her back to the safety of her own space.
Once she was behind her office door, she leaned on the wall and
sighed loudly. “What the fuck was that?”
She almost laughed at herself. Just this morning, she demanded
that he stop talking about what happened and implored that he treat
her like just another regular employee.
At that moment, she was having second thoughts.
“It’s the hunger that’s getting to me,” she whispered, making a
beeline to her desk that her lunch bag was nestled beneath. “It’s
making me delirious.”
Slipping out her lunch, she gazed down at the tuna sandwich and
chopped carrots with a side of ranch. She munched alone, frequently
tossing glances at the door and wondering if Max was going to find
a reason to slip into her office again.
Why am I thinking about that? Caitlyn wrinkled her nose, taking
an angry bite out of her sandwich.
First-day jitters, she reasoned. It happened to the best of them.
FOUR
 MAX

“Thanks, Charlie,” Max said, taking the bags of groceries from the
bag boy at his local Food Lion. He handed the teenager a five,
closed the trunk, and stepped around to the door of his Jeep.
Max leaned over and wiped a speck of mud from his black
hubcap. There were times when the sleuth teased him for taking
such good care of his car, but Max didn’t believe in trashing things.
Just because he had animal instincts didn’t mean he had to give in
to the animal.
He flipped his keys in his hand and unlocked the door.
His mom had called him while he was in a meeting, but she had
left a message asking him to pick up some food and come over for
dinner. Max’s mom was an amazing cook, and he never passed up a
chance to eat her food or just to see her in general.
The roads were a little slick because of the snow that continued
to fall, but Max didn’t worry too much about that. He’d added his
hard top to the Jeep earlier in the week, so if he somehow did end
up wrecking, he had it handled.
He had grown up in Virginia and was used to the changes its
weather threw at him despite how others always seemed to forget
about it. Max’s lips quirked at the memory of some of his employees
standing around the water cooler and complaining about the roads.
He shook his head, chuckled at how fickle humans were, and
continued down the road to his mother’s home.
 Max arrived at his mom’s home quickly. It helped that it was after
working hours, and most people were at home eating dinner or
afraid to touch the snowy roads. But as he pulled into the driveway,
he could smell her lasagna, and his mouth watered.
He knew that with his bear’s appetite, he was going to devour
this meal as he wiped the corner of his mouth and carried the
grocery bags into her.
“What took you so long?” his mom asked, chuckling. She already
knew he was working late, but she loved giving her son a hard time.
Max set the bags on the counter and pointed to them. “If
someone hadn’t insisted I pick up her groceries, maybe I would have
been here sooner.”
Lillian Ellison waved her hands at her son and motioned for him
to hug her. Max leaned over and let her squeeze him like he was a
cub. His mom was still the strongest person he knew.
“Why did you get more groceries? You’re making dinner right
now. It looks like you have enough food for a dozen armies,” he
said.
“You know your sleuth likes to stop over from time to time. I like
to make sure they’re all fed.”
Max shook his head. “You don’t have to feed them. They’re all
grown people with full-time jobs, families, and partners. They can
definitely take care of themselves.”
Lillian eyed Max. “Like you can?”
Max threw his hands up in surrender. “I take care of myself, but I
love my mommy, so sue me.”
Lillian’s eyes rolled. She pointed to the seat and had him sit at a
spot with an empty plate ready for him to fill.
Max cut the lasagna while his mom tinkered in the kitchen. He
put one piece on her plate and then two on his. He took the rolls,
still warm from the oven, and broke them in half. He placed one side
down and buttered the other.
The creamy yellow spread melted almost immediately, releasing a
yeasty smell that encouraged his stomach to rumble. “Hey, Ma!
Come on. I’m starving.”
 Max buttered the other side of the roll and placed it on his mom’s
setting.
“I’m coming. I was just getting you some tea.”
Max rolled his eyes. “Why do you insist on making iced tea in the
winter?”
“Because I like to be unique. Plus, I like the buzz it gives me
from the sugar and caffeine.” Lillian sat and held her hand out for
Max to hold. He took it and gave it a squeeze. His mom’s grass-
colored eyes looked at Max with a glint of happiness and a few specs
of mischievousness.
“I love ya, boy.”
“Love you too, Mom.”
They let go of each other’s hand and turned toward their plates.
Max inhaled the steamy meat, cheese, and noodles of the lasagna.
“Kings don’t eat this good. It smells delicious. Thanks for making it.”
“You are welcome. So, tell me about your day. What did you do
over the weekend?”
Max cleared his throat and shoveled salad into his mouth instead
of answering. He wasn’t sure how to talk to his mom about what
was on his mind.
If anyone could help him, she would be able to. But
embarrassment stopped him cold. He thought about the
conversation he’d had with Caitlyn that morning. How her upturned
nose was cute with the bridge of freckles over it. Max smiled and
then frowned. The situation was very confusing.
Lillian gave her son a skeptical look … Max was never one to not
take center stage and tell anyone who would listen about his
weekend conquests, parties, and adventures. She watched his
cheeks turn red, and the color flushed up to the tips of his ears.
A smile spread across Lillian’s face. “What are you acting so
funny about?”
Max stopped mid-forkful and looked at his mom. Lillian raised her
eyebrow at him.
“I know you. You are acting squirrely because of something …
Oh! It’s because of a woman, isn’t it?”
 Max put his fork down and finished chewing his food. He had a
hard time looking at his mom, not because she wouldn’t understand,
but because she would say something that would make total sense,
and he was too thick-headed to think about it.
It was very hard to be around his mom sometimes, especially
when it meant that Max would have to admit he was wrong.
Max tapped his fingers on the table and released a long breath
before saying anything. Deep breathing was something he learned to
help control his thoughts and his animal instincts. As he inhaled
another big breath, his nerves extinguished one by one.
I am a grown man. Max exhaled. I can do this. He inhaled. He let
his ego and embarrassment fall to the ground like an autumn leaf
floating from a tree.
Then, he looked his mom in the eyes and scrambled to find
courage.
“Yes, it is about a woman,” Max fumbled with his words. “We
were … we got … we met at the bar. This morning I found out she’s
my new comptroller. As in, she works for me.”
Lillian burst out laughing.
“Oh, my boy … you really stepped in something, didn’t you?”
Max watched his mom, shocked at her reaction. “What’s so
funny?”
Lillian shook her head, trying to reset her laughter to take the
subject more seriously because her son appeared to be a bit
distraught. But she couldn’t do much more than bite her lip and
suppress the laughter.
“I’m sorry, Max.” Lillian wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.
“Of all the women you could have bedded in the tri-county area …
and I know you’ve been with plenty of them … you fell for the one
who works for you. It’s rather ironic.”
Max looked down at his plate. He didn’t want to catch his mom’s
enthusiasm at his … misfortune. “When you put it that way, I guess
it can be funny.”
Max continued to speak, and he didn’t stop as his mom’s snickers
interrupted. He only rolled his eyes to show his annoyance. “So,
listen. She doesn’t want anything to do with me.”
 “Ah.” Lillian’s face finally grew serious. She huffed and winked
one eye. “I love you, Max, and you are a good man, but that doesn’t
surprise me. Women … human or shifters … like to feel important to
you.”
With a sigh, she continued.
“And you have a tendency to brush them off. Human women
don’t thrive in the world of shifter instincts, so they need more
nuance. You have to show her you’re interested. Take her to dinner,
ask her about her day, and care about it. When she is stressed or
down, you have to do something nice for her to make her feel
better.”
Lillian watched her son absorb the information she was giving
him. She could tell he was taking it to heart.
“I would hope you would do this with someone, but I know that
things in that department have always come very easy to you.
Sometimes the things that come the easiest are the ones that we
take the most for granted. It sounds like you’re going to have to
take your time with this woman.”
Lillian stood and shuffled into the kitchen. Max watched her go.
What she said made sense. He wondered if his mom could tell that
Caitlyn was his mate or if she felt something was different with him.
His mom was always too aware of everything that was going on
in his life. Normally, that didn’t bother him … they had a great
relationship … but he liked to tell her things rather than having her
just know.
Lillian brought in two plates with two large pieces of blueberry
pie. Max’s favorite.
“How did you know what I was going to say?” Max asked.
Lillian shrugged and placed the pie in front of him. Max looked at
it. His mom made this pie when he had big news. The blueberry
sauce oozed out of the flaky-looking crust. Again, somehow she
must have known, but he couldn’t understand how.
“Once you have kids, you’ll understand better.” Lillian took her
fork and dug into the pie. Little pieces of crust broke off, showing
how flaky it was.
 Max succumbed to the idea he would need to get to know Caitlyn
more.
His mom looked at him. “I know you have something else to ask
me.”
“When you mean to take my time getting to know her, you mean
…?”
“No sex.” Lillian pointed the fork at Max and kept it there as her
words absorbed into his head. “If you want her to see what an
amazing man you are, and you want to find out if she’s the woman
for you, you have to take it slow.
“Build a bond instead of expecting a lifetime to form from one
spark. It’s not how you’re used to doing things, but I know you can
do it. You’re damn determined when you want something. I’d say
that this lady isn’t going to know what hit her when you figure out
how to get her to start opening up to you.”
Max nodded, unsure of what to say. He let his mom’s words
bounce around his head and knew something good would percolate.
FIVE
 CAITLYN

“Dee,” Caitlyn groaned. “How? How did I sleep with my boss the
night before my first day on the job?”
Dee’s canned chuckle ran through the phone and threw a blanket
of shame over Caitlyn, who groaned again. She let her head slide
down her arm and placed her forehead on the cool counter, then
covered her head with her arms as if trying to make herself invisible.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t laugh, but if the situation were reversed,
you would find the humor in it.”
“No, I wouldn’t.” Caitlyn’s muffled voice slipped from under the
draping blonde hair covering her face. “I would be sympathetic. I
would hug you. I would bring you ice cream.”
“I’m not bringing you ice cream. What’s the big deal? You weren’t
technically employed with him at the time. Meaning, you weren’t
working him for money.”
“Oh, God!” The blood in Caitlyn’s cheeks began to rise. She was
positive that if she looked in the mirror, her peachy complexion
would look sunburnt and humiliated.
“Caitlyn. You’re a grown woman. He’s also a damn fine-looking
grown man. You both consented. As far as I’m concerned, you have
nothing to be embarrassed about.”
Caitlyn sighed and thought about what Dee had said. “You’re
right,” Caitlyn responded, even though she still didn’t feel fully
committed to the statement. “I’m a grown-ass woman. I can sleep
with someone and still be professional … can’t I?”
 Dee laughed again. “You don’t sound very confident.”
Caitlyn sat up, flipped the hair off her face, and squared her
shoulders. “I can be professional.” She saw her reflection in the
cabinet door glass and could see the doubt written on her face. She
shook it off and stood to face a different direction.
When she turned, she was taken back to the night with Max.
Caitlyn remembered his kiss and the fire it brought to her skin. She
remembered how his weight pressed on her with pleasure and
comfort.
Caitlyn shuddered as she recalled Max sheathing himself inside of
her and how tightly she fit around him.
“Caitlyn? Are you still there?” Dee’s annoyed voice rattled Caitlyn
from her flashback.
Caitlyn cleared her throat and released the hem of her shirt.
Thinking about that night with Max, she unintentionally bunched it
up in her fist. “Yes, sorry. I was … lost in thought.”
“Oh yeah? I’ve been ‘lost in thought’ before too. Sometimes it
ends with an orgasm.”
Caitlyn’s face burned. “Oh … ha ha ha! No, I was just thinking
about how if I steered clear of him, then things couldn’t get
awkward. I love this job already. I don’t want to jeopardize it with
lusty, sexual tension stuff.”
“You mean you won’t jump on his pogo-stick and be reported to
HR?”
“DEE!”
Dee laughed. “Caitlyn, you are not this big of a prude. Do you
love your job?”
“Yes.”
“Do you want to pursue a relationship with Max Ellison?”
Caitlyn blanched at the thought. “Being in a relationship with him
never even crossed my mind … having another night of sex with him
did, but that’s as far as I would take it. One- or two-night stands do
not make a relationship. Plus, he’s a damn bear shifter. He could
literally rip me in two.”
“Well, he already laid everything out in the open for you. You
turned him down and said you wanted to stick to professionalism.
That means you only see him in his office when it’s absolutely
necessary. Then, stick to your office and socialize with the other
worker-folk. You’ll do great. Please repeat after me. You did nothing
wrong.”
“You did nothing wrong.” A smile spread across Caitlyn’s face.
She could almost hear Dee’s eyes roll, and before Dee corrected her,
Caitlyn said it again. “I did nothing wrong.” She blew out a big
exhale and tried to release the tension in her body.
“Good. I’m here if you need more support, but I have to go. Text
me if you need double entendres or whatever the reverse of one is. I
don’t think pursuing something with this guy is a bad idea, but I will
not pressure you if you don’t want to do it. Having a sexual
relationship with a new boss is a bit more naughty than I think
you’re interested in. So, I’ll lay off the ‘sexy’ talk and teasing.”
“But I love you. You did nothing wrong. You are a strong,
intelligent woman who does not need a stinking man. But, if all else
fails, you could always fake your death and run away.”
“True, but I think I’ll save that as a last resort.” Caitlyn laughed.
“Thank you. I love you too. Thank you for always listening and being
there for me.”
“You did nothing wrong.”
“I did nothing wrong.”
“Good. Go to bed and don’t think about it anymore. Talk to you
soon. Bye, Peaches.”
“Bye and good night.”
Caitlyn hung up and drummed her fingers on the counter. Her
skin still hummed from the flashback. She closed her eyes. She
thought about how good Max smelled at the office this morning, like
cedar and the forest, and how green his eyes were. How his hair fell
right above his brow in the sexiest way she had ever seen.
Her eyes flew open. Wetness began to seep into her panties.
Indignation wrapped around Caitlyn’s chest and tightened the
growing tension pulsing in her core.
Caitlyn swallowed. “This is dangerous,” she said aloud. “I can’t be
thinking about my boss and getting wet at work.” Images of them
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
pointed out by Paré and Le Dran, fractures do sometimes take
place without being accompanied by all these symptoms, still
there can be no doubt that as a general rule the doctrine of
Celsus is correct, and that, at all events, a case is to be treated as
serious in which these symptoms occur. With regard to one of the
characteristics of a fracture, thus noticed by Celsus, a modern
authority of great experience, but little acquaintance with ancient
learning, observes, “Blood flowing from the nose and ears is a
symptom attending fracture of the skull. It may be consequent on
mere concussion, a vibration which ruptures the membranes; but
oftener it is a consequence of fissure across the bone.” (Institutes
of Surgery, by Sir Charles Bell, vol., i, p. 173.)
[796] The separation of the bones at a suture, usually called
diastasis, is noticed in the annotations on § 8. I have also alluded,
in my analysis of the Fifth Book of the Epidemics, to the case in
which the author, generally supposed by ancient authorities to be
Hippocrates, mistook a suture for a fracture of the skull. See
Epidem. v., 14; and Celsus, viii., 4.
[797] On the terms which occur parenthetically, the philological
reader may consult the note of Stephanus, contained in the
edition of Erotian by Franzius, under ἑδράιως. I may here remark,
that it is difficult to account for the frequent repetition of these
words in parentheses.
[798] It will be remarked that, as a general rule, Hippocrates
forbids us to apply the trepan at the sutures, but, notwithstanding
this prohibition, it would appear to have been departed from in
two cases related in the Sixth Book of the Epidemics. (See § 27
and 28.) The rule, however, to avoid the application of the trepan
at the sutures, was generally observed by nearly all the modern
authorities down to Pott, and even he admits that the sutures
should be avoided when the trephine may with equal utility be set
on any other part. Louis, in a paper lately reprinted from the
Memoirs of the Royal Academy of Surgery, by the Sydenham
Society, gives an interesting examination of the doctrine of the
ancient and modern authors on this rule of practice. Most of the
authorities quoted by him are averse to the application of the
trepan over sutures, except when very urgently required. C.
Porralius, in his marginal notes on Arantius’s Commentary on this
work of Hippocrates, assigns three reasons for avoiding the
sutures in this operation: 1st, because the bone is weak at that
place; 2dly, because the membrane there being in close
connection with the bone, is in danger of being injured; 3dly,
because, by the contraction of the callus, the transpiration there
will be stopped. The last of these reasons is based on the
physiological doctrine of the ancient authorities respecting the
uses of the sutures, one of which was, to permit transpiration from
the brain. See Galen, de Usu Partium, ix., 1, 2.
[799] Our author, it will be remarked, forbids liquid
applications, tents, cataplasms, and bandages, in wounds of the
head. He seems to have approved most of things of a drying
nature. The other authorities would appear to differ considerably
in their views regarding the proper principles upon which wounds
on the head are to be treated. Celsus directs us, after laying bare
the dura mater by trepanning, to apply strong vinegar to it, and
when the membrane is inflamed, he approves of tepid rose-water.
(viii., 4.) Paulus Ægineta, after the operation of trepanning, directs
a piece of cloth, or small ball of wool dipped in oil, to be applied to
the part. I believe they all agreed in rejecting sutures. See Galen,
de Med. sec. Genera III.
[800] Hippocrates would seem to hold the fanciful idea, that
the forehead is environed by the rest of the head, and that afflux
of blood takes place from the parts around to it. Scaliger rejects
this passage as containing a doctrine wholly unworthy of our
author.
[801] The danger of incisions, in the temporal region, is
adverted to in several parts of the Hippocratic Collection, as in the
work On the Articulations, in the Prorrhetics, and the Coan
Prænotions. Even at the present day, when the treatment of
hemorrhage is better understood than in the days of the great
Fathers of Grecian medicine, a large incision in that quarter is
regarded with considerable apprehension. Convulsion, that is to
say, tetanus, was supposed to be the frequent, if not the
invariable, result of a wound in the temporal muscle. Pott, indeed,
contends that lock-jaw is not necessarily produced by a wound
there; he admits, however, that the application of the trepan to the
temple is not often successful, but the reason of this he contends
is, that in these fractures the breach generally extends to the
base of the skull (§ 5). Quesnay, however, inclines to support the
views of Hippocrates. (On the Use of the Trepan, p. 15, Syd. Soc.
edit.) Scultet, in like manner, pronounces decidedly that a wound
in the temple is a very dangerous affair. (Armam. Chirurg. Tabl.
xxxi.)
 [802] The maza was evidently a poultice prepared with barley-
meal and vinegar, or water. See the Annotations on the treatise
On Ancient Medicine.
[803] Celsus translates this passage as follows: “At si ne tum
quidem rima manifesta est, inducendum supra os atramentum
scriptorium est, deinde scalpro id deradendum; nigritiem enim
continet, si quid fissum est.” (viii., 4.) Arantius properly remarks,
that the ancient ink must not be confounded with the modern,
which is composed principally of copperas and galls. It was, no
doubt, the milder kind prepared from the soot of pines with gum
which was used in this case. On the writing-ink of the ancients,
see Dioscorides (M. M., v., 182) and Pliny (H. N., xxxv., 6).
[804] The text in the beginning of this paragraph is in a very
unsatisfactory state. It seems pretty clear, however, that in this
place our author describes caries of the bone brought on by an
unhealthy state of the integuments. The description—allowance
being made for the corruption of the text—is sufficiently distinct,
and most probably has reference to that condition of the parts
which is so graphically described by Pott as forming “a puffy,
circumscribed, indolent tumour of the scalp, and a spontaneous
separation of the pericranium from the skull under such tumour.”
[805] Our author in this place would appear to treat of incipient
hernia cerebri, as immediately before he treats of fungous ulcers
on the pericranium. Galen in like manner, praises powerfully
dessicant medicines upon the authority of Meges the Sidonian,
who, he says, had great experience in these cases. He speaks of
the plaster called Isis as being a most efficacious application to
the dura mater, when laid bare. Its principal ingredients are of an
escharotic and detergent nature, such as squama æris, burnt
copper, ammoniac salts, myrrh, aloes, and the like. See Paulus
Ægineta, Vol. III., p. 564. Galen concludes his remarks on this
subject with stating that, before getting into an inflamed state, the
dura mater, as being of a dry nature, endures the most powerful
medicines. (Meth. Med., vi., at the end.)
[806] This description of a piece of bone which is going to
exfoliate, is remarkably correct. Compare it with the following
narrative: “A girl of ten or twelve years of age was struck on the
head by an iron rod falling on her; the blow caused no wound,
and the young woman was soon well, with the exception of a
fixed pain of no great extent, which remained over one of the
parietal bones. The pain continued for several years. M.
Mareschal, who was at last consulted, considered it necessary to
trepan. He exposed the bone at the painful part, and applied one
crown of a trepan; he observed, that the bone, when sawed,
appeared dry, like a skull that had been buried.” (Quesnay, on the
Use of the Trepan.) This agrees excellently with the description
given by Hippocrates. It is to be regretted, however, that the text
here; as far as regards one word ἀποστρακὸς, is in a very
unsatisfactory state. The conjectural emendation of Schneider
(ἀπεσκληκὸς) seems to be a plausible emendation, but it is not
adopted by Littré.
[807] Our author delivers the same doctrine in the work On the
Articulations, and states that extensive fractures of the bones are
often less dangerous than others which appear not so formidable.
I need scarcely remark that modern experience has confirmed the
truth of this position. How often has it been seen that one patient
died from a slight injury to the skull, while another recovered from
an extensive fracture of it? Mr. Guthrie appears in so far to agree
in opinion with our author, that extensive fractures are less
dangerous than they appear; he says, “Mr. Keate, who has had
great opportunities for observation in St. George’s Hospital, has
invariably remarked that the symptoms dependent on
extravasation have been less severe in the first instance, in
proportion as the separation of the edges of the fracture have
been greater one from the other, or when the sutures have
yielded to the shock and have been separated. It has been stated
from the earliest antiquity, that the greater the fracture, the less
the concussion of the brain.” (p. 56.) See the Argument.
[808] It will be remarked as a striking feature in our author’s
views of practice in injuries of the head, not to interfere with
fractures attended with depression. See the Argument, where the
rationale of this practice is fully discussed.
[809] Although these directions of our author regarding the
treatment of children be most important, I am not aware that any
other of the ancient authorities has shown his sense of their value
of them by repeating them. It is well known that in children there
is but one table, and that it is very thin. Our author, as remarked
above, does not entirely omit the operation in the case of children,
but uses a small trepan.
[810] The reader will again remark an instance of our author’s
fondness for prognosis, and his observance of the rule at all times
to prevent the surgeon from committing himself by attempting
hopeless cases. Celsus, writing in the same spirit, says, “Ante
omnia scire medicum oportere, quæ vulnera insanabilia sint, quæ
difficilem curationem habeant; ... non attingere, nec subire
speciem ejus, ut occisi, quem sors ipsius intermit.” (v., 26.)
[811] This is an opinion held by all the ancient authorities.
Some interesting cases in point are related in the First Book of
the Continens of Rhazes. It was explained on the principle that
the cerebral nerves decussate. (See Aretæus, on the Causes of
Disease, i., 7.) Modern experience, in the main, is in accordance
with the ancient on this point. Paralysis has generally been found
on the opposite side to that which has received the injury. See
Thomson’s Observations, etc., p. 52; Larrey’s Mem. de Chirurg.,
iv., p. 180; Hennen’s Principles, p. 301.
[812] This passage is thus translated by Celsus: “Si sub prima
curatione febris intenditur, brevesque somni, et iidem per summa
tumultuosi sunt, ulcus madet, neque alitur, et in cervicibus
glandulæ oriuntur, magni dolores sunt, cibique super hoc
fastidium increscit, tum demum ad manum scalprumque
veniendum est.” (vii., 4.)
[813] The practice advocated in this paragraph is alluded to by
Paulus Ægineta, in his chapter on Fractures of the Skull. (vi., 90.)
[814] The operation here described by our author is the more
deserving of attention, as it appears to have been peculiar to him.
It is not described by Celsus, Paulus Ægineta, Albucasis, nor any
one of the ancient authorities, as far as I can find; neither am I
aware of its having been attempted in modern times. The object
of it, however, seems to be very rational, namely, to avoid doing
serious injury to the dura mater by tearing the bone forcibly from it
at once.
[815] The instrument here used is named πρίων χαρακτὸς;
and, as far as I can see, was the same as the modiolus of Celsus,
and the χοινικὶς of the later authorities. It would certainly appear to
have been a circular saw, and consequently not unlike our
modern trephine. See the figures and the Argument.
[816] The following sentence, taken from Sir Charles Bell’s
description of the operation, looks like a translation of this
passage of Hippocrates; but it is well known that our English
surgeon was not guilty of reading Greek! “Withdraw your trephine
from time to time, brush it, and run the flat probe round the
circular cut.” The specillum of the ancient surgeons was, in most
respects, not unlike our modern probe.
[817] The meaning here would seem to be, that the bone does
not extend so deep as might be supposed. See Foës, Œcon.
Hippoc., under ἐπιπολαιότερον ὀστέου.
 Transcriber’s Notes:

1. Obvious printers’, punctuation and spelling errors have been corrected

silently.

2. Where hyphenation is in doubt, it has been retained as in the original.

3. Some hyphenated and non-hyphenated versions of the same words have

been retained as in the original.

4. Possible errors in Greek words or phrases have been retained as in original.

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