Dammit! Why did he have to be so nice?
“There’s a little boy in my unit who is dying, Reid. I promised him I would come back tonight.” I stared into his eyes, willing him to understand. “I promised.”
There was no way I was going to break my promise to Dylan, not when he was depending on me to be there every day. Without my help, he didn’t have a chance of getting better. Even one missed day would cause a setback. I would be there for him, even if it meant walking to the hospital on a pair of snowshoes.
Reid blew out a breath and ran his hand through his hair. He must have recognized my resolve, because he said, “All right. Go on back to your place and grab some thermals. You got decent snow gear?”
I nodded.
“Good. Grab that, too, and meet me back in my garage in about fifteen minutes.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Do you want to get to the hospital tonight or not?”
I nodded again.
“Go on now, before I change my mind,” he said, both his tone and his look warning me not to question him any further. I didn’t know why, but I did as he said.
Exactly fifteen minutes later, I was back in his garage, wearing thermals beneath my jeans and sweater, carrying snow pants, a hooded parka, and a waterproof backpack.
He was bent over the sleekest looking black snowmobile I had ever seen, causing my feet to stumble. I ignored the heat rising up in my core and forced myself to look past his very fine, tight derriere to focus on the machine instead. Just in time, too.
Reid looked up, nodding in approval as he took in my outfit. “I need five more minutes. This thing hasn’t been run in a while. In the meantime, sit down and have something to eat while you’re waiting.” He waved at the workbench to my right where a thermos and a small plate sat.
“No thanks.” I didn’t want to take the time to eat now. I would grab something later at the hospital, once I checked on Dylan and the rest of my kids. The sooner we left, the better.
“You didn’t get a chance to eat dinner, and you’ll need the energy. Eat,” he commanded. “All of it. Or no ride.”
I bristled at his tone. I wasn’t a child, and my energy levels weren’t his concern.
“Bossy, aren’t you?”
His lips curled back into a wolfish smile. “Sweetheart, you have no idea.”
Oh, I had an idea, all right. I was so done with arrogant men, and even more so with them threatening me. In the back of my mind, I knew Reid was nothing like Roger, but it was the principle that mattered.
It became a battle of wills. I put my hands on my hips and stared. He crossed his arms and leaned against the machine, pinning me with his own hard glare. Had it been any other time, or under any other circumstances, I would have walked right out of his garage and found another way, but the truth was, I was running out of time. I had no other options, and he knew it.
I hated that feeling of vulnerability. Hated it with a passion.
My naturally defiant nature warred with my common sense, with my common sense edging ahead for the victory. I would swallow some pride to keep my promise to Dylan, but at some point, Reid MacIntyre would understand that I had no use for his arrogant male posturing.
* * *
Reid
I watched in fascination as those liquid amber eyes flashed and grew stormy, and her cheeks flushed with puffed-up bravado as she challenged me. It was sexy as hell. My wolf didn’t much care for it, but he did grudgingly respect it. She wanted to tell me exactly what I could do with my demands, but she was smart enough to know I was the only way she was getting to the hospital tonight.
She huffed a little, just a little, and I intensified my glare. I knew the moment she submitted, though even that was done with sass.
Alyx took a bite of the sandwich while shooting daggers at me with her eyes. Only when she had chewed and swallowed did I go back to checking out the snowmobile.
I choked back a laugh when I glanced at one of the mirrors and saw her giving me the finger. I was also keenly aware of her laser-like gaze on my back. It probably shouldn’t have gotten me hard, but it did. I loved her fire, loved her spirit. That wouldn’t change the outcome, though. She could challenge me as much as she wanted, but we both knew who would win.
Alyx polished off the sandwich and tossed the paper plate into the garbage can.
Without turning around, I said, “Now the soup.”
“I’m not hungry anymore,” she muttered sullenly. She might have tacked on an “asshat” at the end of that sentence, but I could have been mistaken.
“Do you want me to come over there and spoon-feed it to you?” I growled.
“Yes. That would be lovely, thank you.” Her tone was both scathing and sweet. “Maybe you could change into a loincloth and beat your chest while you’re at it.”
My wolf went still. Outside, the winds continued to howl, noticeably less than they had earlier, but still enough to keep most sane people inside.
I stood up slowly, keeping my back to her. I took several deep breaths, counting silently in my head to avoid saying something I would regret. I had made it to nine when she spoke again.
“I’m sorry,” she said on an exhale, sounding genuinely remorseful. “I shouldn’t have said that. I know you’re only trying to help.”
I chanced a look over my shoulder. Alyx had her head down and was dutifully spooning the soup into her mouth. She was doing exactly what I had told her to do, so why did it make me feel like shit?
I crossed the garage and gently took the thermos from her hand, then curled my finger under her chin and lifted until she met my gaze. Damn me if her eyes weren’t filled with unshed tears. Women’s tears usually had no effect on me, but hers ... hers gutted me.
“Don’t ever do anything you don’t want to,” I told her quietly. “Not for me, not for anyone.”
She blinked, and a tear spilled over her lashes and onto her cheek. I captured it with my thumb.
“Got me?”
She sniffed and nodded. “I’m sorry, Reid. I really do appreciate this.”
“Stop apologizing and get your pretty little ass into that snow gear, will you?” I turned away and lifted my thumb to my lips. Her tears tasted like summer rain, and I knew then that despite my resolve, she had already become my weakness.
I punched at the lighted button on the wall. A gust of wind carried a stinging mixture of snow and ice inside as the garage door went up and I rolled the snowmobile out. In some places, the drifts were nearly up to my waist; in others, only a thin coating. I would have to be especially careful navigating the wooded lands between here and the hospital.
After removing the machine from the trailer, I turned to her and asked, “You ready for this?”
Alyx nodded.
I suited up as well, then straddled the snowmobile and waved for Alyx to climb on.
“What about your leg?” she shouted into the wind.
“My leg is fine.” I had done a whole lot more with injuries a whole lot worse, but Alyx didn’t know that, nor did I want her to. Besides, whatever she had done earlier had me nearly back to one hundred percent mobility and a negligible pain level. “Get on.”
“Reid?” she asked just as I was about to lower my helmet. “Thanks.” She leaned over and kissed me on the cheek before legging up behind me.
The moment those cold lips had met my skin, my heart had stuttered briefly, then thundered.
Mate, my wolf gloated.
This time, I didn’t even bother to deny it.
Chapter Seven
Reid
The trip to the hospital was exhilarating. The Nor’easter made for a challenging ride, but I had preternatural reflexes and plenty of skill and practice in handling the machine.
Once I was convinced Alyx had a good hold, I opened up the throttle. With her arms wrapped tightly around me and the thrill of the high-speed run, it was easy to leave everything behind and enjoy the moment. For that all too brief period of time, it was just t
he two of us, zipping over the snow under the emerging stars as the storm moved away.
When we arrived at the hospital, Alyx insisted that I come in with her. I wasn’t too crazy about the idea. I tried to explain that I wasn’t good with kids, but when she looked at me with those big amber eyes and said please, I found myself trailing along behind her like an obedient pup anyway.
The boy was maybe nine or ten, it was hard to tell. Between the cancer and the chemo, his little body was ravaged. But when he saw Alyx, his eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.
In that one second, I understood what she had been trying to tell me, and I knew that all the effort to get here had been worth it.
“Is he your boyfriend, Alyx?” Dylan asked, his sunken eyes sparkling with mischief.
She blushed profusely, something I admit I found adorable.
“Reid is my friend, Dylan. He brought me here on a snowmobile. A really fast, powerful one.”
“Awesome! They told me you weren’t coming because the roads were closed, but I knew you would.”
I stayed for a little while, but didn’t want to intrude on their time together. I told Alyx I would be back for her at the end of her shift and prepared to leave. Alyx asked if I would hang around for just a few more minutes to keep Dylan company while she went to grab a few things. How could I possibly refuse?
The moment she walked out of the room, Dylan gestured for me to come closer.
“Alyx is special,” Dylan confided seriously.
I nodded in agreement. “Yes, she is.”
“She doesn’t see the cancer,” Dylan said quietly. “She sees me.”
I stilled as the realization hit me. How odd that I felt exactly the same way. When Alyx turned those beautiful eyes my way, she didn’t see death. She didn’t see a freak. She saw me.
“You know, she thinks you’re pretty special, too,” I told him.
“Yeah?” Dylan’s eyes lit up again. I knew that look. I figured it was the same one I had when I thought about Alyx. “She really likes you,” Dylan confided, making me wonder if Alyx ever mentioned me.
“You think?”
“Oh yeah,” Dylan whispered. “She looks at you like I look at an ice cream sundae.”
I chuckled, but something wriggled inside my gut.
Yeah, I had seen the interest she tried to hide. Heard the way her pulse sped up around me. Scented the sweet musk of her arousal. Just thinking about having her naked and pliant in my bed lit a fire in my blood. The fact that she was fighting it every bit as hard as I was only stoked the flames.
“Reid?”
My thoughts jolted back to the boy, whose expression had turned serious. “Yeah?”
“You’ll be good to Alyx, right? She needs someone big and strong like you. She works too hard.”
I swallowed hard. The kid had no idea what he was asking, but I did. I couldn’t make that kind of promise, not long-term. I had a couple of weeks left on my leave before I would have to find the strength to walk away.
“Yeah, Dylan, I’ll be good to Alyx.”
“Good, because I’m not going to be here forever, you know.”
* * *
Alyx
“What are you two whispering about?” I asked when I re-entered the room, feeling as if I had just interrupted something important. I gently pushed the extra pillow behind Dylan’s head and shoulders to ease his labored breathing, looking from one to the other.
Dylan looked content, but there was something else in Reid’s gaze. Something raw and powerful that made my stomach tighten and my core clench.
“Ice cream,” Dylan replied, sharing a conspiratorial glance with Reid. “Think you can get some?”
“For you, anything,” I promised.
“Well, you two certainly seemed to have bonded quickly,” I told Reid as I walked with him toward the exit. It was on the way to the hospital cafeteria and had the added benefit of giving me a few extra minutes with Reid.
I was at a loss to explain it, but I just felt better when he was around. Less alone. I couldn’t even summon any residual ire at his earlier bossy behavior. He had gotten me here, just like he had said he would, and riding with him hadn’t exactly been horrible. It had been pretty fun, actually. I had enjoyed the thrill of the high-speed, hair-raising trip through woods. I’d always had a thing for speed, and it appeared that Reid did, too.
“Yeah,” he agreed distractedly. “He seems like a great kid.”
“He is,” I agreed. “Thank you, Reid, for getting me here.”
“No problem. Call me when you’re ready to come home.”
My knees suddenly weakened. Home sounded so good when he said it, conjuring crazy visions in my head. I dared not even think about what it would be like to come home to him every night because unlike most fantasies, I could see that one too clearly.
“The roads should be clear by then, and you’ve done more than enough, Reid. Your leg’s got to be hurting. I’ll catch a ride with someone.”
“I’m not asking, Alyx.” His words were firm, but the tenderness in his eyes nearly did me in. I had to admit, I preferred his company to any other.
With my current situation, anything serious was an impossibility. Besides, I was pretty sure Reid wasn’t exactly the type of guy who did relationships. He had a serious don’t-fuck-with-me alpha vibe going on, and those injuries he had weren’t the type of thing a guy got by sitting behind a desk.
The reality check was kind of disappointing, but it made me realize that I had been living my life on hold, and that was no way to live.
The thing with Roger had to end. I was tired of running. I had to accept the fact that he wasn’t going to give up, not ever. He was simply biding his time. There was no doubt he would catch up to me again. I only prayed it wouldn’t be while I was still in Nowaskannock. I didn’t want Gram or Reid involved. It was my problem, and I would take care of it. Then, and only then, would I allow myself to think about what might be.
For now, I had to think about today. About doing what I could. About getting Dylan and the other kids in my unit to a point where their bodies could take over the healing process. About spending time with my grandmother before I had to move on. About taking advantage of any opportunities that might present themselves with the man who made me feel safe and warm and incited a riot of fantasies.
“You’re very bossy, you know that?”
He grunted. “Yeah, so you keep telling me. Got a problem with that?”
I smiled. Surprisingly, I didn’t.
“Not this time, no. But don’t push your luck.”
* * *
Reid
Goddamn, the woman lit a fire in my blood. Few people had the courage to challenge me like she did. If binding myself to another was an option, she would already be wearing my mark.
The ride back to the house was noticeably colder without Alyx’s warmth at my back, and strangely devoid of the thrilling excitement it had held earlier. I wondered if other things were going to be like that, too—uninspiring without Alyx at my six.
It was a sobering thought.
From the moment I had left the pack lands at seventeen, I never looked back. There had been nothing that mattered so much to me that I couldn’t afford to lose it, including my own life. That was the key factor to my success, if you could call my effectiveness in killing a success. Caring about anyone or anything was a weakness I hadn’t permitted.
Until now.
Now I had no choice. Fate had placed Alyx in my path, like it or not.
I shut those thoughts down because, as far as I was concerned, they were irrelevant. I couldn’t be the kind of mate she needed, and I wasn’t about to start something I couldn’t finish. The most I could do was keep my word to Dylan and be there for her while I could, while discreetly putting an end to whatever or whoever she was hiding from.
I would leave, but I would leave her safe.
Grace’s lights were still on, so I stopped by to check on her and give her an update on Aly
x. Promising to deliver her granddaughter safely in the morning, I begged off a cup of coffee and went back to my own place, now much darker and much colder without Alyx in it.
By the time her shift was over, the roads had been opened, but they were still in bad shape. I didn’t care. I made it to the hospital in record time.
Alyx seemed surprised to see me, but pleased, too. As always seemed to happen when we were near each other, the air between us charged and drew us closer together.
She walked over to me, stopping only a few inches away. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do since my interactions with women up to that point had been fairly limited and hadn’t extended to this level. I would follow her lead, I decided.
She took one more step forward and pressed her body against mine, wrapping her arms around my waist.
Everything just clicked into place. With one arm wrapped around her back, the other cupping the back of her head, I held her to my chest and pressed a kiss to her hair.
I could feel how drained she was. My wolf demanded I take her home, feed her, and care for her. For once, the man didn’t argue.
“Come on,” I said softly, “Let’s go home.”
I led her out to my Jeep. She leaned against me as I opened the door for her, then offered no resistance when I scooped her into my arms and placed her in the passenger seat. I took satisfaction in thinking she probably wouldn’t allow such privileges from anyone else.
Was this what it was like for her after every shift? I shuddered to think of her driving back to Grace’s on that little crotch rocket while in this kind of shape. One thing was for damn sure, she wouldn’t be doing that anymore while I was around.
The pieces were starting to fall into place. When Grace had said Alyx was special, she wasn’t just talking about her big heart. I remembered how tired she had been after she had taken care of my leg, and seeing her now, after spending the night with a bunch of sick kids, I was pretty sure I knew what it was that made her so damn special.
Well, one of the reasons, anyway.
I pulled into Grace’s driveway, then drove down to Alyx’s apartment in the back. I figured she would want to be alone, but she made no move to get out.
Going Nowhere Page 6
