Two
“Wh-what’s Alpha Pack?”
The woman was about two seconds from short-circuiting. She was tired and frightened as hell, and Aric’s sorry attitude wasn’t helping. Friend or not, if the red wolf snarled at her again, Jaxon would plant his fist in the moron’s face. Even if she was a criminal on the run.
“I’ll explain that later.” He gestured to the beat-up car. “You got anything important to bring along?”
She nodded. “My purse.”
“Is that where you stashed whatever it is you stole?”
Her shoulders slumped. “Yeah. How did you know?”
“Get the purse. That’s part of the talk for later.”
Avoiding the bodies, she stepped up to the driver’s door, opened it, and leaned in. In seconds she emerged, clutching the bag to her stomach. “Ready.”
“What’s your name?”
“Kira,” she said hesitantly. “Kira Locke.”
Kira. He liked it. The name fit her. “I’m Jaxon Law.”
“What should we do with these guys?” Zander asked, interrupting the introductions.
Jaxon thought a moment. “We’ll take their wallets so we can run their names later, do a background check. See who they worked for. Then we’ll put them in the car, one behind the wheel, the other in the passenger’s seat, and light a bonfire.”
Aric grinned, his mood improved by the prospect. “My pleasure.”
“Before you do, let me see if I can get a reading or two.” Crossing to the nearest man, the one who’d shot him, he squatted and wrapped his fingers around the wrist, making sure to get part of the coat sleeve. Objects and clothing often carried better signals than people. The impressions he could pick up from a dead person faded quickly, and the living sometimes shielded their thoughts whether they realized it or not.
In the background, the woman, Kira, whispered, “What’s he doing?”
“Shh.”
As always, he braced himself for the buzz in his brain, like a thousand angry bees. His vision grayed out, the ground beneath him disappeared, and he was falling, falling. And then caught, snared in a web of someone else’s making. Sticky threads brushed at his cheek, snagged his hair and tugged at his clothes, but he no longer tried to brush them away in panic as he’d done when he was thirteen and his Psy ability had first manifested. The strings weren’t really there in the physical sense. Rather, he’d come to think of them as the tattered moorings of memories to their owners, ripped free and waiting for someone with his ability to grab hold and use them as a guide to the images he sought. They were anything but consistent, and he likened latching on to one to catching a soap bubble without causing it to pop. The process was tedious, exhausting, and the quicker he grabbed a thread and made the reading, the better.
The first two slipped away, but he took firm hold of the third, following it to the end. Some memories were mere snapshots, but this one was a snippet of film, and Jaxon found himself looking through the eyes of the initial speaker—the dead man in his grasp. The man’s residual anger, his trepidation, enveloped Jaxon.
“I’m telling you, this is not my problem. I don’t give two shits what Chappell says, I’m not getting paid enough to deal with his freaky God complex!”
The middle-aged, average-looking man in the white lab coat twisted his lips into a condescending smile. “You’re being paid plenty, and you’ll do your job. Unless you’d rather volunteer to be his next subject.” He reached for the phone on the counter. “I can call him right now and make him aware of your issues—”
“Try it, you nasty little fuckwad, and I’ll break your neck. I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it, just that I’m not getting paid enough to take these kinds of risks. I’ll talk with him myself, and you mind your own damned business. Got it?”
Without waiting for an answer, he spun and slammed out of the lab. “Slimy creep, he’s gonna call anyway. Shit, what am I gonna do about. . .”
“Jax!”
“. . . and sooner or later the cops will notice . . .”
“Jax! Jesus, wake up!” The thread snapped and he came back to himself gradually. Sounds of the city at night filtered in, along with the oppressive heat. And the fact that he was no longer kneeling, but slumped backward against a big body. Zander’s voice was quiet and anxious next to his ear. “Scares the hell out of me every time you do that.”
“Sorry,” he slurred.
“You okay?”
“Think so.”
“Get anything?”
“Yeah, but I’m not sure what.” He’d have to think about it. Later. God, he was so tired. Always was after he went that deep into a memory. It was much different from the simple flash he’d gotten from the woman a few minutes ago. He wanted nothing more than to sleep until noon tomorrow. Like that would be an option once Nick got wind of their guest.
“Can you get up?”
No. His leg was screaming. “Yes.”
“All right. Hang on to me.”
Zander stood, hauling him to his feet, steadying him as he blinked away the rest of the fuzziness. Got his bearings. As their surroundings came into focus again, he saw his friends and their new acquaintance staring at him, obviously worried.
Zander patted his cheek. “Hey, you need a turbo boost from the Z-Man?”
Shaking his head, he gave his best friend a lopsided grin. “Naw, I’m good. I’ll sleep it off on the way back to the compound.”
“How’s your leg?”
“Bitching, but I’ll be fine.”
“If you’re sure.” He looked doubtful.
“I am.”
The act of using his healing ability hit Zan every bit as hard as when Jaxon tapped into his RetroCog mojo. No way would Jaxon let his friend expend his energy over something that would easily pass with some rest.
Ryon pulled up in the SUV just as Aric and Zander got the two dead men situated in the girl’s car and shut them inside. Jaxon walked over to their newest addition, a little unsteady on his feet, and took her arm, began to steer her toward their vehicle. Zander followed, but Aric hung back a safe distance from her car, facing it. Preparing to do his thing.
“Don’t watch,” Jaxon said as she resisted, twisting to look over her shoulder.
“What’s he planning to use to start the fire?” she asked, frowning. “There’s nothing in his hands. And what the heck happened to you back there?”
“I’ll explain—”
“Later.” She snorted. “Right. Got it.”
“You ask more questions than anyone I’ve ever met.”
“Maybe because so many people you meet end up like them?” she tossed out, waving a hand to indicate her unfortunate attackers. “Just an educated guess.”
She had a point. He sighed, thinking this was going to be a long night. And not nearly as much fun as he’d originally planned. Any retort he might’ve made was waylaid by a loud whoosh and a blast of heat. Automatically he turned, glancing over his shoulder at the orange and yellow flames that engulfed the car and its occupants. The conflagration shot into the air and spread out to lick at the pavement, erasing all signs of the blood Jaxon had spilled.
Aric was standing with his feet spread and arms outstretched, palms out. The inferno intensified in response to his unspoken command. After another few moments, he lowered his arms to his sides and strode toward the rest of the group.
“Oh, my God! Did he just . . . No, he didn’t. That man did not just start a fire with his bare hands!” Kira was staring at Aric, a mixture of disbelief and astonishment etched on her pretty face.
“Well, that’ll attract attention,” Aric muttered as he reached them. “Let’s hit the road.”
“Come on.” Jaxon pulled his reluctant new charge along, forcing her to abandon goggling at the fire and get moving.
Ryon remained behind the wheel and Zander got in front with him. Aric climbed in back without a word, taking up position to watch their tail, Jaxon knew, and eliminate any pursuers if necessary. A fact he didn’t mention to Kira as they took the middle seats, Jaxon behind the driver. Ryon floored it, getting them away from the scene as fast as he dared without gaining unwanted attention from the Las Vegas PD. By the time faint sirens could be heard in the distance, they were well on their way.
Beside him, Kira cleared her throat. “Where are we going?” If not for the subtle tremble in her voice, he might’ve snapped at her. But for some weird reason, it made him want to soothe her worries. Protect her from harm as he’d done earlier. Fuck.
“To our plane. We have a private jet and landing strip in a hangar not far outside the city.”
“And from there?”
“Wyoming.” Silence. He looked over to see her holding the purse on her lap in a death grip, eyes wide. Hoping to ease her fears, he elaborated a bit. “Shoshone National Forest. We’ll land at our compound, and you’ll stay there with us for the time being.”
“I don’t get a say?”
“No.” The thought of letting her leave burrowed under his skin like a stinging nettle, though he had no clue why. What the hell was wrong with him?
Her voice rose on a note of hysteria. “So I’m going to be held captive at an unknown facility by a group of weird, mind-reading, fire-starting, vicious werewolves?”
“Hey, we’re not weird,” Ryon protested from the front.
Jaxon ignored him. “You’re our guest, not a captive. Besides, would you rather be dead right now at the hands of those guys back there for stealing whatever’s in that bag? You want us to put you out and leave you at the mercy of whoever sent them?”
She looked away, swallowing hard. “Of course not.”
“Then we’re your only option at the moment, so sit back and enjoy the trip. You’re in safe hands. Nobody in Alpha Pack will hurt you, including me.”
This brought her head around, and she scrutinized his face as though she could read the truth of his words there. “You want me to believe you’re the good guys?”
He gave a soft, humorless laugh. “I’m not so sure about that. But we’re not the guys you have to worry about. Let’s put it that way.”
She bit her lip for a moment, then sighed. “So are you going to introduce me to your friends?” She seemed genuinely interested, and he hoped that boded well for how the next few days would shape up. He didn’t want her to be afraid.
“Sure. The guy driving is Ryon Hunter, and next to him is Zander Cole.” The pair said their hellos, and flashed her charming smiles over their shoulders. “The warm and cuddly pup in the back is Aric Savage.”
“Fuck you, man,” the redhead responded, but with less rancor than before.
Kira smiled nervously at Jaxon. “Nice.”
Jaxon stared at her, struck speechless for a few seconds. He could see in the dark just fine, and the shadows did little to hide how her smile lit the inside of the SUV, which tightened his groin into a painful knot. She wasn’t just pretty—she was incredible.
“I suppose I can look forward to more intros when we arrive?”
“Um, yeah. You’ll meet our boss and another teammate, as well as a bunch of doctors and scientists who live and work there.”
Her brow furrowed. “All of you live on-site?”
“Yes. Why?”
“Hmm. Your compound is located in Shoshone National Forest,” she said slowly. “That’s government property.”
“Right again.”
“And if your facility is there, and everyone resides there as well . . . You all work for the government, then. Top Secret stuff. Special Ops?”
“Something along those lines.” He grinned at her. “You’re quick, Miss Locke.”
“Kira, please.” She caught his gaze, held it.
The air thickened, the moment stretching taut. To his surprise, he was the first to look away. Even his wolf was overwhelmed, in addition to being aroused to the point of madness. He cleared his throat. “Call me Jaxon, or Jax,” he said. “And before you ask, yes, the ‘Top Secret stuff’ you mentioned includes the abilities you’ve witnessed in us so far.”
“Something tells me what I’ve seen barely scrapes the surface.”
“You’re batting a thousand.”
At that, she went silent and stared pensively out the window at nothing, because there was literally nothing to see other than the blanket of stars crowning the desert sky. Jaxon had just begun to be lulled to sleep by the darkness and the motion of the vehicle when they arrived at the landing strip. Ryon hit the opener for the wide door, pulled the SUV straight into the hangar, and the overhead lights came on, activated by motion sensors.
Jaxon straightened as a sudden thought hit him. “Our bags are at the hotel.”
“No, they’re back here,” Aric said. “Z-Man must’ve worked his charm on the concierge to get ’em so fast.”
Zan snickered. “She owed me a favor. I collected.”
Ryon parked and Aric handed their bags forward. Jaxon took his and shouldered it as he got out of the SUV, and then headed toward the jet. A cheery blip sounded from behind him as Ryon locked the vehicle, and the clomping of boots on concrete filled the cavernous space.
As they walked, Jaxon noted that Kira stayed close to him. Which pleased him to no end, and confounded him as his every reaction to her had so far. It didn’t make sense, this need to protect, to place himself not only between her and danger, but between her and the men he loved like brothers. He barely restrained himself from snarling at Zan, who took her hand and politely helped her step into the plane before Jaxon thought to offer.
And her scent is still driving me freaking insane. I’m losing it.
Kira’s voice broke into his musings. “Where’s the pilot?”
Aric climbed in and grinned at her. “That would be me, sugar britches. Still feel safe?”
She leveled him with a frosty glare. “I have a name. It’s Kira. And I never said I felt safe—he said I should feel safe.” The look was pointed as she glanced at Jaxon.
Aric laughed and headed for the pilot’s chair. “Yep, you’ve got a live one, pal. Have a blast with your new babysitting gig.”
“If anyone needs a babysitter it’s you,” she shot back. “Or a spanking, more like.”
Jaxon winced. She’d walked right into that one.
His friend pounced on the opening. “Don’t threaten me with a good time unless you plan to follow through. Whenever, wherever you want me to drop trou, say the word, sugar britches—oops, Kira.” He winked, completely ignoring the lip she curled at him in disgust, then turned in his seat and fired up the engine.
“Don’t mind him,” Ryon advised her as he and Zan took seats behind her and Jaxon. “He’s so immature he still hikes his leg on the sofa.”
That cracked up everyone. Except Aric, who shot the finger to the passengers in general as he taxied the plane from the hangar.
“Is he always so cranky?” Kira asked in a low voice.
Jaxon shrugged. “Nah, Aric’s a good guy. Don’t know what’s up, except maybe he’s not too happy about our aborted weekend off.”
“Oh.” She grimaced. “Sorry about that.”
“Not a problem.”
As Aric guided the craft into position at the end of the runway and hit the juice, Jaxon was surprised by how sincerely he’d meant what he said. It wasn’t a problem—for him, anyway. He should be at least a little annoyed to be on his way back to their isolated outpost rather than enjoying a two-day romp in Sin City. On the contrary, he just didn’t care. And that was what really bothered him.
He was hardly aware of the plane lifting off. Instead, he conjured a memory of the last time he’d spent a weekend with Alexa in his bed. The bottle blonde on her hands and knees as he thrust into her heat. How hard he’d been, unable to get enough. The delicious throb as he held off coming, wanting it to last. But here and now. . . The memory shriveled his dick and filled him with a sense of repugnance. As did thoughts of tonight, when she’d rubbed against him like a cat in heat, and he’d responded. Had allowed the call girl to lead him to a dark corner and suck his cock, with the intention of doing so much more.
Suddenly he needed to take a long, hot shower to rid himself of any trace of Alexa’s scent. If only he could scour his brain as well. I must be coming down with something. But he didn’t buy it. Kira’s going to bring me more trouble than I’ve ever known. I don’t need to be a PreCog like Nicky to know that. These uneasy thoughts chased around in his mind until he finally gave in to the exhaustion that had plagued him since he’d looked through the eyes of the dead man he’d read. Settling in for the flight, he fell into an uneasy sleep. Kira would have to stand in line, because trouble came first in the form of their boss.
The flight was uneventful and Jaxon awoke just as Aric brought the jet in for a perfect landing. The small, lighted runway was a strip carved into the forest and could be seen only from the air. The compound hunkered nearby, silent and dark, shielded by the thick cover of trees. Jaxon had always thought of this place as magical, mysterious, and more than a little dangerous. A line from a movie frequently popped into his head whenever he came home:
The Alpha Pack headquarters could be found only by those who already knew where it was. And his team made up the warriors enslaved to serve it for eternity.
Putting aside fanciful ideas about doomed pirates and bespelled ships, he grabbed his bag. The second Aric pulled the plane to a stop inside the hangar, Jaxon jumped out, careful to put his weight on his good leg, and offered Kira a hand before anyone else had the chance. As she placed her smaller hand in his, he caught a knowing smirk from Zander and chose to ignore it.
“Now what?” Kira asked, glancing around the vast space. Unlike their hangar outside Las Vegas, this one housed not only the jet, but a big military-style helicopter and a variety of vehicles —all armed to the teeth.
“Now we get you settled into a room, and we’re all going to get some sleep. Everything will be better in the morning after some rest, lots of coffee, and breakfast.”
She shot him a dubious look. “Sure. Nothing like a plate of scrambled eggs to make me forget that I’m homeless, jobless, and on Dr. Jekyll’s hit list. Not to mention that I’m feeling a lot like Red Riding Hood realizing that grandma’s nose is just a bit bigger and hairier than it should be.”
“Ouch.”
The young woman shrugged and crossed her arms. He couldn’t help but notice the nice things the action did to the pert breasts pushing against her blouse. “If the muzzle fits. You can hardly blame me for being . . . hell, I don’t even know the right word.”
“Scared? Out of sorts?”
“To put it mildly.” She sighed. “I doubt I’ll sleep much, but I suppose I should try.”
Jaxon could think of one foolproof way to make certain both of them slept like babies. His cock twitched in agreement and he shook himself out of his dirty thoughts. The last thing either of them needed was a messy complication. Even if she was willing. Which she wouldn’t be, if she knew what was good for her.
“Come on, I’ll show you where our quarters are located.”
If she noticed his now-pronounced limp, she didn’t mention it as she fell into step beside him. The others had gone ahead and disappeared one by one through the door at the back that connected the hangar to the corridor leading to the main building of the compound. When they reached the entrance, Jaxon held the door open and ushered her inside.
“Wow, this is nicer than I imagined,” she said, gesturing to the decor. The hallway was done in dark green carpet, the textured walls painted a warm beige. Tasteful sconces were placed at intervals, the bulbs just bright enough to allow them to see, but not so bright as to glare.
“You were expecting sterile hospital white walls and ugly industrial tile?”
“You called it a compound, not the Hilton.”
“True. But we have to live here, so there’s no reason for the place to look stark and gloomy. Besides, there are several women on staff who enjoy sprucing up the common areas whenever Nick allots them more money. They wouldn’t let us guys get away with plain and ugly even if we wanted to.”
“Nick?”
“Our boss,” he reminded her.
“Oh, right. When will I get to meet him?”
Raised voices ahead—one in particular a deep rumble above the rest—answered the question sooner than he would’ve preferred. “Shit.”
“Guess that answers my question.”
The trepidation on Kira’s pale face made him want to growl at whoever came too close, including Nick. As they reached the end of the corridor and entered the recreation room, Jaxon saw that the head Alpha wolf had met their group and was grilling them intently. He did not appear to be thrilled by what he was hearing as Zander tried to explain why they’d returned mere hours after they’d left.
“We had no choice, Nick. These two assholes were attacking the woman, and Jax had to step in.”
The older man’s mouth pressed into a thin line. “Fine. And you all had to bring her here, why?”
Wasn’t this going to be fun? Jaxon stepped up, angling his body so he was mostly between her and the semicircle of men. “The men had guns, and I had to shift in order to take them down. She saw the whole thing.”
Nick’s stormy blue gaze stabbed him like twin daggers. “Let me get this straight. You let your wolf out in fucking downtown Las Vegas, killed two men, and brought home their intended victim who witnessed the entire fucking episode. That about it?”
“Yes. I wouldn’t do anything different, and I don’t believe you would have, either. They were going to murder her, and I had about two seconds to decide.” He stood unflinching in the face of the man’s formidable anger. His actions had been the right course and he wouldn’t apologize, nor would Nick respect him for doing so.
They stood regarding each other for several long moments. His three friends moved slightly toward Jaxon in unspoken support of what he’d done, even Aric. It was a gesture not to be taken lightly. Jaxon had broken a hardand-fast rule by bringing a civilian into their world, a world precious few could comprehend—or could be trusted to keep quiet about once they knew.
Nick’s stance relaxed, just a little. “No other witnesses?”
“No. We would’ve scented them.”
Their leader studied each of them at length before his expression finally softened, replaced by weary resignation. “All right. Jax, I want to speak with you and our guest in my office. Now.”
After he turned and strode off, Ryon muttered, “Well, at least he’s not going to rip your throat out.”
Jaxon managed a small smile. “Yet.”
“Good luck, bro,” Zan said, wincing in sympathy. The others chimed an agreement, and they took turns butting knuckles with Jaxon before wandering to their own quarters.
Beside him, Kira watched them go, unconsciously biting her lower lip. In his opinion, she’d held up pretty well in spite of everything, resorting to humor-tinged sarcasm when she was afraid or feeling unsure instead of going off the deep end like many would have. Even so, she was quickly reaching the end of her rope for tonight.
“Come on,” he said, placing a palm on her lower back to gently guide her forward. “It won’t take him long to grill us and lay down the law. Then we can hit the sack.”
She was silent for a few moments as they walked. When she spoke, her voice was tired. “I don’t have anything to wear. All my stuff is at my apartment in Vegas.”
“I’ll loan you a T-shirt to sleep in tonight. In the morning, I’ll borrow some clothes from one of the ladies until we’re able to replace your things.”
“Thank you.” She paused. “I gather that sending someone to pack my belongings is out of the question.”
Looking down at her, he nodded. “Too dangerous, at least right now, and the risk of leading more of your pursuers here is too great. You don’t have any pets, do you?”
“Unfortunately, no. I like dogs and cats, but I’m not home enough to have one. It wouldn’t be fair to leave it alone so much.”
Admirable, and advantageous. He would’ve gone after her beloved pet, but was glad they had one less worry. Another thought occurred to him. “Is there any evidence you might’ve left behind that could clue in whoever’s after you as to how much you know?”
“No. To tell you the truth I don’t know anything, but I never put my suspicions in writing. My laptop is at home, but I never dared to use it to research gene splicing. Instead I accessed different ones in the common areas at work, where it would be hard to prove who was online.”
“Whoa, hold up.” Halting outside Nick’s office, he frowned at her. “Gene splicing? NewLife does medical research, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then what’s so unusual about genetic testing, or whatever?”
“It wouldn’t be remarkable, except—”
Nick interrupted. “Why don’t you both come in and we’ll get the answers we need?” He turned, expecting them
to follow. Jaxon steered her inside, shutting the door behind them. They seated themselves in a couple of chairs in front of Nick’s desk, while the man himself parked his rear on the edge of the desk and folded his arms. Gripping the armrests, Kira spoke first, eyeing his boss nervously.
“There aren’t many answers I can give you, beyond how I met your men and was lucky enough to be rescued by Jaxon.”
If Nick was surprised by her use of Jax’s first name, he gave no indication. His manner was as direct as always, though his tone was kind and patient as he began the interview. Nick might be one tough son of a bitch, but Jaxon had never seen him treat a woman with anything but courtesy. Unless she deserved to be treated otherwise.
“You’re Kira Locke,” he stated, startling her.
“Y-yes . . . But how did you know my name?”
“Quite simply? I’m a PreCog. I sometimes ‘know’ things or ‘see’ events before they happen. Earlier, I had a vision that my men would return early and bring you with them. But I couldn’t see the reason, which is what I was asking the others about when you and Jax walked up.”
Poor thing was stunned. She stared at Nick, mouth hanging open. Jaxon and everyone at the Institute who was involved with the Alpha Project had years to come to grips with the often terrible reality that not everything that went bump in the night was the wind. Kira’s learning curve was going to have to be a lot quicker. Jaxon laid a hand over hers, rubbing the soft skin on the back with his thumb, trying to comfort the anxiety he could scent coming from her in waves. She glanced at him in surprise but didn’t pull away. Heat seared his hand, spread through his fingers, his limbs. Shot to his groin. He had to let go or embarrass himself in front of her and his boss.
Withdrawing, he forced himself to concentrate on putting her at ease. “We all have special abilities, which you know. You’ve seen some of them, and it’s going to take some adjustment for you to fully accept. But right now, what’s important is telling Nick what led you to us.”
“Okay. This is going to sound nuts.” Realizing the irony, she laughed. Then she licked her lips and took a breath, obviously trying to regroup. “Until tonight, I was a lab assistant at NewLife Technology. They’re world renowned in the medical field for making strides in treating cancer, AIDS, and just about any illness or disease you can think of.”
“I’ve heard of NewLife, and they’ve made some excellent strides,” Nick said. “Go on.”
“A few months ago, I began to notice some unusual happenings. The doctor I work under, Gene Bowman, started staying late and sending everyone else home, including me. That was remarkable enough because the man’s a dictator when it comes to all of us putting in extra hours. Not necessarily due to his dedication to finding a cure for whatever we’re researching, but because he doesn’t believe in doing the grunt work for himself when he’s got the rest of us being paid to do it.”
“So you became suspicious of his project?”
“More like curious, at first. Then I found out from some of the other techs that Dr. Bowman wasn’t working alone. Another doc was working with him, behind securely closed doors, and his assistants were being sent home, too.”
“Who’s the second doctor?” Nick asked.
“Ivan Rhodes. He’s a few years younger than Bowman, but they’re both brilliant. They’re also very subtle about reminding the peons just how great they think they are.” Her nose wrinkled as though she’d bitten into a lemon.
Jaxon began to form a profile. “Passive-aggressive types?”
“Exactly. The kind who’ll say something with a smile, and you nod, thinking, Did he just insult me? They’re pros at twisting their words, or yours, especially if it will take you down a peg or two.” She shrugged. “I could’ve found another job in the field a long time ago, but the odds of finding a doctor to work for who doesn’t have an ego? Good luck with that.”
Nick stood and went around his desk, taking a seat in his chair. “That’s interesting, but a couple of stuffed-shirt doctors working late, especially when searching for a cure for any number of diseases, isn’t exactly alarming. What changed?”
“You’re right, and I probably would’ve dismissed it altogether if the two of them hadn’t started acting strange. To me, anyway. I mean, these guys weren’t really buddies, but all of a sudden they were whispering in corners, acting excited about something. A couple of times they seemed to have a difference of opinion that got kind of heated. I heard Orson Chappell’s name once, and Bowman said something about a meeting with him and the board members.”
“Chappell,” Jaxon said, sitting up straight. “I got a vision from one of the men I eliminated tonight. He told a man in a lab coat he wasn’t being paid enough to deal with ‘Chappell’s freaky God complex,’ as he called it. The guy in the lab coat asked whether he’d rather be Chappell’s next subject, making it a threat. The man told the lab coat guy to stay out of it. He was nervous, scared his companion was going to squeal to Chappell, and he was worried about cops.”
Kira turned to stare at him. “What did the man in the lab coat look like?”
For a second, he was thrown. He’d expected her to question his vision, or laugh it off as ridiculous. That she seemed to take him at face value filled him with something very much like pride. It was one thing to be accepted by his Pack brothers. But from an outsider, this woman . . . For some reason that seemed significant. Special.
“Fortyish. Medium height and build, brown hair. I didn’t get the color of his eyes.” “That could be Dr. Rhodes, but it’s hard to say. He fits that description, but so do a lot of men. NewLife is a big place.”
“Chappell is the CEO of NewLife.” Nick cocked his head, a funny look clouding his face. Sitting back in his chair, he fell silent, staring into space.
“That’s right.” When he didn’t respond to Kira, she turned to Jaxon, keeping her voice low. “Is he doing his woo-woo thing?”
He had to smile at her description. “Yeah. Unlike me, he doesn’t have to touch an object to receive a vision, though he can and that will sometimes make the vision clearer to him.”
“Will he be okay? Your vision really wiped you out,” she observed.
“He’ll be fine. He’s more powerful than any of us, in either form.” Even so, Jaxon couldn’t help but worry two minutes later when his boss finally snapped out of his trance. His eyes seemed more shadowed, darker than usual, and for just a second, as his gaze bounced between them, Jaxon could’ve sworn he saw a flash of something like regret there.
“Nicky? You cool?”
The man shook himself and swiped a hand down his face. “I’m good. Where were we?”
“Orson Chappell.”
“Right.” He seemed to be having trouble shaking the haze.
“Did you see something important?”
“Just spaced out for a sec. Nothing too clear.”
He won’t look at me. He’s lying. A chill chased down his spine. But there was no time to press Nick on what was wrong, not that he’d tell Jaxon anyway.
The older man stood abruptly. “You know what? It’s damned late and we’re all tired. We’ll finish this tomorrow after we’ve all had a decent night’s sleep and some breakfast. I’ll see you both back here at eight.”
“Sure,” Jaxon said slowly. What the hell? He frowned, not bothering to mask his concern. “Kira, would you wait outside for a minute?”
“No problem.” Glancing between them, she rose and slipped out, shutting the door behind her.
“All right, fess up,” Jaxon said quietly. “What happened just now?”
“Nothing you need to be concerned about.”
“Bullshit. You look ready to pass out.”
“I’m fine. It’s you who’s ready to crash, not me. Now get the hell out and take care of our new addition before she wanders off.” He softened his words with a smile. Stubborn bastard.
“Fine. But I’m here to talk if you need me.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
No sense in beating his head against the wall. Once his stubborn boss made up his mind to keep his lips firmly shut, not even a crowbar could pry them open. He found Kira waiting at the end of the hall a respectful distance from Nick’s office, and briefly gripped her shoulder before drawing away. Why he felt compelled to keep touching her was beyond him. He had to stop before—no. Not going there.
“Let’s get you to a room. I’ll give you the grand tour tomorrow.”
“Sounds good.” A wide yawn punctuated the statement. His lips twitched, but he refrained from smiling. She was a thief at best, in trouble with some bad fuckers at worst. Figures she’d have to be so damned cute both the man and the wolf wanted to gobble her up. In the best way, that would leave them both drenched in sweat and cum. Shit! Willing his cock to behave, he took her through the living area, past the dining room, and down another corridor toward the living quarters. He stopped in front of the second door from the end and flicked a hand at it.
“This is one of several empty units in this wing. They’re more like small apartments than hotel rooms, which makes living on-site more comfortable. A few of the women live on this end, including Dr. Mackenzie Grant, who’s next door to you. My room is just across the hall and a couple of doors down.” He pointed. “You need anything, don’t hesitate to knock.”
“Thanks.” She peered at the small panel on the wall near the knob. “Can we get in? Looks like we need a code.”
“This one’s not set up yet, but we’ll take care of that for you tomorrow. It locks from the inside, so you can feel secure.”
Opening the door, he ushered her inside and flipped on the light.
“Oh, my! This is much nicer than I expected.” A blush tinged her cheeks and she grinned ruefully. “That didn’t come out right. Sorry.”
He chuckled, liking the way the corners of her eyes turned up when she smiled. “I know what you meant. It’ll never make the cover of Better Homes and Gardens, but it’s not bad.”
She ran a palm over the back of the tasteful sofa. “This will do just fine. Thank you. For everything.”
A world of meaning weighted those words as her smile died. He understood what she couldn’t express—she’d be dead right now if he hadn’t intervened. It was hard to say thanks for something like that. He should know.
“You’re more than welcome.” He cleared his throat, breaking the intense moment. “Anyway, let me run over and get you one of my T-shirts.”
“Oh, you don’t have to. Really.”
“It’s no bother. Hang on a minute.” Jogging across the hall, he let himself in to his apartment and hurried to the bedroom. He spent a few seconds digging through his dresser, searching for a clean shirt that wasn’t too worn. Finding one, he jogged back to Kira’s door and knocked. “It’s Jax.”
The door opened and she met his eyes. “I appreciate this, but you didn’t have to,” she said, taking the shirt. Their fingers brushed and he felt that current again. Electric, shooting south like lightning.
He shrugged. “You had to have something for bed.”
“No, I don’t.” Standing on her tiptoes, she planted a kiss on his cheek, and murmured, “I sleep naked, but I appreciate the gesture. Good night, Jax.”
With that, she closed the door and left him standing there panting like the wolf he was, sporting a hard-on that was attempting to drill through his zipper. If he didn’t get relief, fast, he was going to explode in his jeans.
I sleep naked.
Time to take care of business. And then he was going for a long, long run. With any luck, he’d be too exhausted to dream about a pretty little blonde with sky blue eyes.
Pacing his office, Nick stared out the window at the night. The moon called him, beckoned him to raise his voice in song, pour out his sorrows. Wouldn’t be the first time, nor the last. Sometimes he fucking hated his “gift” as a seer. Tonight was one of those times. Two hearts were destined to be bound forever, find a love stronger than any they’d ever known, or would ever know again. Their road wouldn’t be easy, but their joy when they gave in would be boundless.
And oh, God, so brief. Two souls would be torn apart. One heart left drowning in grief.
But Nick couldn’t interfere with the future, with free will. He’d made that mistake once, with tragic results. There wasn’t anything he could do to change the horrible outcome. Not one goddamned thing.
Outside, he stripped his clothes and shifted, hit the ground on four white paws, and ran. If he ran far enough, fast enough, maybe he could forget that real monsters existed. Just for a little while. And just maybe, he could forget he was one of them.