Wolf in her Soul: Salvation Pack, Book 8

by N. J. Walters

  “He’ll be fine,” Sage promised. He wouldn’t have it any other way. Hannah’s right arm was heavily bruised and swollen around the wrist area. “Gator, you need to look at this.”

  Their resident medic crouched beside them. Gator was fierce looking but a complete softy when it came to women and children.

  “Let me see, chère.” He carefully lifted her wrist and gently manipulated it. “Broken and starting to heal wrong. I need to fix it.”

  “Shit.” Sage knew what that meant.

  “This is going to hurt,” Gator warned her.

  “Do what you have to do,” she told him.

  Gator looked at him and Sage moved so he was sitting behind her. He wrapped his hands around her upper arm to hold her steady. Gator put one hand on her forearm and the other on her hand. He gripped and slowly pulled.

  Hannah’s entire body stiffened and a thin cry tore from her lips. He hated that this was adding to the pain she’d already suffered. He caught her when she suddenly went limp in his arms.

  Gator swore and finished working. “Give me your shirt, Elias.”

  Sage’s uncle ripped it over his head and tossed it toward them. Gator snagged it out of the air and tore it into strips. He wrapped Hannah’s wrist and lower arm. “That’s the best I can do out here.”

  Jacque strode over and crouched beside them. “Reece’s wounds are wrapped.” He tilted his head toward Hannah. “She used her jeans as bandages. Her shirt and bra are ripped to shreds.”

  They all glanced at the dead wolf, whose body was already beginning to rot.

  Jacque stood. “We need to move.” He turned to Cole and Mikhail. “You two get rid of that damn body. It will be gone in a day or so, but we can’t risk anyone else finding it before then. We’ll get Hannah and Reece back to the trucks.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “We’re going to have to get Reece’s truck out of the woods and tow it.”

  “What about his truck?” Elias pointed at the rotting corpse.

  “Shit. We’ll figure it out once we find out who the hell he is. Hopefully there’ll be something in his truck. We don’t touch anything with our bare hands. No fingerprints just in case.”

  “Got it.” Cole strode forward, leaned down, and wrapped both arms around the wolf’s body and hefted the dead weight over his shoulder. “I passed a steep ravine not too far back. I can jam the body between two of the rocks. They go down about thirty feet.” Mikhail silently followed in case Cole needed help.

  Sage lifted Hannah in his arms and went to stand beside his brother. Reece was beat up and injured, but he was alive. That was all that mattered.

  “Let’s get him up,” Jacque said and reached for him.

  “No, let me.” Their uncle reached down and lifted Reece as easily as if he was a child. Cradling him in his arms, Elias led the way back toward their trucks.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Reece was moving and the movement was making him stomach sick. He swallowed heavily but it didn’t help. He was going to be sick. “Stop.” He lifted his hand to his head and winced. All movement ceased.

  He wasn’t in a car. Someone was carrying him. He knew who it was before he opened his eyes. “Shit. Put me down before I puke.”

  His uncle lowered him to the ground but kept one arm behind his back.

  “You’ve been in an accident and a fight,” Elias reminded him. “Not surprising you feel like tossing your cookies.”

  “Hannah.” He started to get up, but Elias clamped his arm down to keep him from moving.

  “Right here.”

  His twin’s voice settled him. Of course, his brother would look out for her. Sage knelt beside Reece with Hannah cradled in his arms.

  “What happened to her?” The last thing he remembered was winning the fight. Everything got a little confused after that.

  “Gator had to set her arm. It was starting to heal wrong.”

  Reece saw the binding on her wrist and nodded. He swallowed hard and raised his hand to touch her face. She didn’t respond at all. She was still out cold.

  His twin grabbed his other hand and held on tight. Reece never wanted to go through anything like that ever again. It had been too close. He’d almost lost Hannah. Hell, he’d almost lost his own life too.

  “I can see why you’re attracted to her,” Sage told him.

  He tilted his head to one side. “Why?”

  “She’s fierce. When Jacque and Cole came upon her, she jumped up to defend you with nothing more than a stick.”

  “I hate to break this up, but we have to keep moving.” Elias started to help him up. “You okay now?”

  Reece had to think about it for a second. “Yeah.” He didn’t know how close they were to the trucks, but he’d make it. Somehow.

  His uncle went to lift him again, but Reece stopped him. “I can walk.”

  His Uncle Elias shook his head. “You came close to dying today.” As if that said it all, he scooped Reece into his arms like he’d done when he and Sage were kids.

  “Maybe for a while longer,” he conceded.

  Sage got back to his feet with Hannah cradled close to him. She was wearing his brother’s shirt, but her legs were bare. “Where are her jeans?” Had something else happened while he’d been passed out?

  “They’re wrapped around your wounds,” Sage told him.

  Reece looked down and, sure enough, there was a rough bandage around his left arm. He felt something on his head too and reached up to touch it. He swallowed heavily, thinking of Hannah frantically trying to tend to his wounds. The woman was remarkable.

  “She’s cold.” He hated the thought of her being cold.

  “It won’t take us much longer,” Sage assured him. “There’s a blanket in my truck. I’ll blast the heat and we’ll get her warm in no time.”

  Reece nodded. He knew he was being foolish. Getting out of here was the priority. Hannah was passed out and wouldn’t realize she was cold. But he knew. He’d promised to take care of her.

  Yeah, not doing a real good job there. She’d been the one to tend to his injuries. That stung, but at the same time his chest swelled with pride.

  “Not much longer,” his uncle told him. He heard water rushing by and knew they were back at the river he’d crossed earlier. Not the same spot, though. The water wasn’t as deep here and his uncle slogged through it with Sage right behind him.

  He kept Hannah and his brother in sight at all times. Finally, he’d had enough. “Put me down,” he told his uncle.

  Elias must have known he’d reached the end of his rope because he stopped and slowly set Reece on his feet. When he was steady, he reached out and took Hannah’s hand in his.

  “I’ve got her for you,” Sage assured him. His twin knew it was killing Reece not to carry her himself. This was the next best thing. He didn’t know if he could stand anyone but his brother carrying her.

  He forced himself to put one foot in front of the other. It wasn’t easy. The adrenaline that had carried him so far had dissipated, leaving him even weaker. His injuries throbbed and he had no idea how much blood he’d lost.

  Still, it was a matter of pride to walk into the clearing where Jacque and Gator waited. They’d been busy and had already cleaned up most of the crash site.

  “Hannah’s knapsack.” He knew it was important to her. She’d want it the second she was conscious.

  Gator pointed at Sage’s truck. “I put it there, along with all the bags I found.”

  “Thanks. For everything,” he added.

  Gator nodded. “No problem. How is she doing?”

  “Still passed out,” Sage told him.

  “Probably for the best,” Jacque said as he stepped up beside them. “You take your woman and go with your brother. We’ll finish up here and then join you. I’ve already called Louis and he’s on the way with a
trailer and winch. We’ll wait and get your truck out of here.”

  “What about the other truck? Do you know who the guy was?” Reece wanted a name to put to the face of Hannah’s attacker.

  “Edgar Treadmont. Or at least that’s what the registration says. I’m not sure if we should just leave the damn truck here, take it to a chop shop, or contact his pack. His phone was in his truck and there’s a contact number. I’m assuming it’s for his alpha.

  Reece knew this situation put Jacque and the entire pack in a difficult situation. “I’ll contact his pack.” It was his responsibility.

  The alpha shook his head. “Not your call. This is still my pack and you’re one of mine.” He looked at Hannah. “So is she.” He slapped Reece on his good shoulder. “Go on now. Take care of your lady. We’ll sort the rest out later.”

  Sage started toward his truck. Not willing to be far from Hannah, Reece hurried after them. His uncle walked alongside, helping him up the steep bank. “That was a hell of an accident.”

  Reece nodded. “Fucker was lying in wait and hit me dead on. It was all I could do to keep the truck from flipping. Hit a rock instead and went flying.”

  The accident was still fresh in his mind, yet it seemed like it was a lifetime ago. So much had happened since.

  Sage had the passenger door open and Hannah propped up on the seat. He reached around and grabbed a blanket, shook it out and laid it over her. “You okay?” he asked Reece.

  Reece nodded at his brother. “I will be.” Then the two of them hugged. Damn, it felt good to be with his brother, with all his family.

  “Get in,” his uncle told them. “We don’t want to hang around just in case. It’s late but we still might get some traffic. And in case you haven’t noticed, you’re naked.”

  So he was. “Where are my jeans?”

  “Right here.” Gator tossed a piece of Reece’s truck in the bed of Sage’s truck, alongside the luggage. He handed Reece his jeans but set his sneakers, socks, and shirt on the floor of the front seat. Just as well. If he had to bend over to put on his shoes, he’d probably pass out.

  As it was, his jeans were going to be a challenge. He leaned against the side of the truck and shook them out. His Uncle Elias turned and followed Gator back down the bank. Reece appreciated his discretion. It was okay for Reece to be weak when it was just his immediate family. He knew the rest of the pack wouldn’t care, wouldn’t think less of him. It was his own damn pride that was the problem.

  “Let me help.” Sage took the decision away from him by grabbing the jeans. He held them open, and Reece lifted one foot and inserted it into one of the legs. Then he did the same with the other. Sage tugged his pants up and Reece fastened them.

  “You’re going to forget this ever happened,” he informed his brother.

  Sage grinned as he helped Reece climb into the truck alongside Hannah. “I don’t know. I’ve got an awfully long memory,” his brother teased. “I might hold on to this one. I might need it sometime.” He closed the door and hurried around to the driver’s side.

  In spite of the events of the night, Reece grinned. He pulled on his seatbelt and then reached for Hannah. He made sure the blanket was tucked around her legs. As soon as Sage started the truck, he turned on the heat.

  She was finally safe. Reece closed his eyes and breathed in her scent. Her head rested on his shoulder. He’d have been more worried, but her pulse was slow and steady. She was simply worn out. She needed plenty of rest, food, and loving. He was just the man to give her all three.

  Sage pulled onto the road and left the crash scene behind them. Reece leaned down and whispered in her ear. “I’m taking you home.”

  His brother tensed beside him. “Are you home now? For good?”

  For the first time in a decade, Reece was heading to the place he wanted to be. “Yeah, I’m home for good.”

  Or as long as Hannah agreed to stay. It went unspoken and he knew Sage understood, because his brother didn’t relax on the drive back to Salvation.

  Hannah slowly came back to awareness. She didn’t open her eyes. That would take too much effort. She was moving, was in a vehicle of some kind.

  Her stalker! Had he caught her?

  She struggled to move, and a male voice hushed her. “Shh, it’s okay. I’ve got you.”

  Relief poured over her like cool water on a hot day, soothing her. Reece was there. He was holding her. Everything was okay.

  The fog in her mind dissipated and she recalled the crash, her mad flight through the forest, the fight, and the aftermath. Had she really met Reece’s brother? She struggled and finally got her eyes to open. Reece must be getting tired of tending to her. It seemed like that was all he’d done since they’d met.

  It was dark, which meant it was still night. Not exactly a stretch of her intellectual skills, which was good since she still felt like crap. Her right wrist and arm were throbbing but not nearly as badly as they had been. And she knew her body had to be black and blue.

  Reece was driving the truck. Wait, no, he wasn’t. The man driving looked like Reece, but she could see the subtle differences in the way he held himself. This had to be Sage. It was crazy how much alike they looked.

  “Reece.”

  His arms tightened around her and he kissed the top of her head. “I’ve got you, sweetheart.” Her head rested against his chest and his heartbeat was reassuring.

  She licked her dry lips. “Water?”

  Sage reached into a cup holder on the driver’s door. “It’s not a fresh bottle. If you don’t mind drinking after me, you’re welcome to it.”

  At this point all she cared was it was wet. Unlike humans, she didn’t have to worry about disease.

  Reece took the bottle from his brother, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to her. “Can you handle it on your own?”

  She almost snorted and retorted that of course she could. That was until she noticed how badly her hands were shaking. It was actually a good thing that the bottle was only half full.

  Reece helped keep the bottle steady as she sipped. It felt so good. She drank about half when she really wanted it all, but Reece had to be thirsty too. Plus, he’d lost a lot of blood and needed fluids. “You drink this.” She wasn’t taking no for an answer and held out the bottle.

  He took a mouthful. “Now you drink the rest.” He put the lip of the bottle back to her mouth.

  She knew he wouldn’t take any more and gulped the remaining water.

  “How much farther?” she asked.

  “Ten minutes,” Sage answered. He kept one hand on the wheel and held out the other to her. “I’m not sure if you remember me or not. I’m Sage, Reece’s much better-looking brother.”

  “You wish,” Reece retorted.

  Hannah had the feeling this was a long-standing debate between the two of them and her lips twitched.

  “We’ll ask Hannah to settle it.”

  “Oh no we won’t.” Sage shook his head. “We’ll wait until we get home and ask Rina. That’s my mate.”

  “You’re both hot and you know it.”

  Reece leaned down and nuzzled her ear. “But I’m hotter, right?”

  “Of course, baby,” she teased.

  Sage gave a snort of laughter, while Reece playfully growled and nipped at her earlobe.

  “What happened?” Now that she was more settled, she was ready to know.

  “Jacque and the others are taking care of things.” By his abrupt answer, she knew Reece didn’t want her worrying. Too bad.

  “What about his truck? Your truck?” She took a deep, steadying breath. “The body.”

  “All taken care of.”

  She patted Reece’s chest. “I know you want to protect me, but I need to know.”

  “Protect you?” He adjusted the blanket covering her legs when it started to slide off.

&nb
sp; She became very aware of the fact she was partially naked. She had a vague memory of facing an entire group of men wearing very little. She was wearing a man’s T-shirt. Sage had given it to her, hadn’t he? She sniffed and knew her memory was correct.

  “I’ve done a damn poor job of it so far. You’re the one who led your attacker away from the truck. You’re the one who bandaged my head and arm.”

  Her poor wolf was more than a little snarly. She couldn’t blame him considering all they’d been through. “You saved my life,” she pointed out. “If you hadn’t come for me when you did, he’d have killed me.”

  Or worse, he might have taken her and kept her for a while before he finally slit her throat. Best not to tell him about that.

  “I was scared.” The fact that he would admit it out loud, and with someone else present, told her just how badly he felt.

  “I was terrified,” she admitted. “For me. For you. But I knew your pack would come for you. And I prayed you’d be okay. I had hope for rescue. I knew you’d come for me.” And that hope had been enough to keep her fighting.

  “Never again,” Reece muttered. “You’re never going to be alone again.”

  His intensity should have alarmed her. Instead it warmed her heart. But she had to think about Reece and not about herself. After having to deal with this mess, his pack might not want her around. Because of her, they were being forced to get rid of a dead body.

  She didn’t consider Edgar Treadmont’s death a murder. The man was a killer and human justice wouldn’t be able to catch or contain him. He’d told her he’d been killing for years and had never gotten caught or left any evidence behind. Reece had saved countless lives, including hers, by ending Treadmont’s life.

  Then there were all the other details. They’d have to deal with both vehicles and the crash site. They wouldn’t want anyone to discover anything and have the police investigate.

  Hannah shivered and pulled the blanket a little tighter to her body.

  “Are you cold?” Reece didn’t wait for her to answer. He angled the vent toward her legs and turned it up a notch.