Her nose curled up in disgust. “I hate shopping.”
“I know. But we’re going to buy you some decent clothing to replace the other ones. I’ve brought you sweats to get out of here in. It’s too dangerous for you to go back to your house. I’ve fixed my doors and added an electric fence as well as posting guards on the perimeter of my property.” His voice had started out light, but when he finished, she felt the anger ripple through his words. That someone had taken her while under his direct protection was biting him hard.
She hesitated but realized buying her clothes would provide him a measure of relief from the guilt. Not a large amount, but if all she had to do was go shopping to lift his spirits, she would suffer through it.
Nolan laughed out loud, and she heard the doctor’s hands hit a tray in surprise. “I promise to make your suffering as light as possible,” Nolan told her.
She shook her head at his antics then looked over his shoulder at the doctor. “Can I at least get up and move around?”
When he hesitated, she tried to find out why. Unlike Nolan’s shielding, there were no kinks for her to find. His mind was battened down like shutters in preparation for a hurricane. “It’s up to the ulfric,” Waverly finally said.
Narrowing her eyes as she met Nolan’s gaze, she demanded, “What exactly is that supposed to mean? If I’m still here for medical reasons, why would the doctor defer to you regarding my care?”
“Normally, at the stage of healing you’re in, he’d be pushing you outside to take walks on the property, shift if you needed to, run, whatever you wanted, to test yourself in the relative protection of his home,” Nolan said unruffled by her ire.
“But?”
“But his compound was to keep the weres secret, not defend against weres who may want to attack other weres. He has decent protection, especially against humans, but not for a full-scale attack. “You need to stay indoors and preferably in the basement where only the few of us know your whereabouts.”
The blood drained from her face. The resulting lightheadedness had the doctor swooping to her side.
“Let’s take it slow, my dear,” Waverly said. “You’ve been through quite an ordeal. First things first, Sherona is on her way with a tray of food. I don’t know what you usually eat, but I have designed your meal to replace the vital minerals and other nutrients lost from your bleeding so violently.”
She let him lay her back down and raise the bed up, all the while contemplating his choice of words. Violent is an extreme word when applied medically. A violent reaction tends to imply an allergy to the medications. Had she had an allergic reaction? Her head really did feel full of cotton fluff.
Funny. She had never given much credence to that saying before, but now she could feel every nuance of it. When her head stopped hurting, she would ask Waverly. Or maybe when her mate was not there to hear the answer.
She saw Nolan frown at her, then at the doctor. Uh-oh. He must have had his shields down for her. Well, he wasn’t a medical doctor. She wanted the medical stuff clear in her own mind. Plus, she wanted to be prepared in case someone in her pack should need her assistance. No matter how bad they treated her, she was still the healer, and she took her Hippocratic oath seriously.
Her head started pounding. “You all need to stop shielding so hard. You’re making my head hurt.” She groaned.
“This ought to help your head,” a new voice said as a figure approached her bed. An unknown female with a very feminine body shape. Alex could smell Nolan on the stranger. A low growl emanated from deep within her.
Sherona took one cautious step back but stopped at the feral gleam and intense growl. Alex heard Sherona’s thought loud and clear, to not excite the injured, feral woman. She turned to look at Nolan who was eyeing her quizzically. Then Sherona elbowed him. Alex snarled. Even the doctor backed off a step.
“Nolan, stop being an ass. I can see you honestly don’t know what has her extremely upset. So, just this once, I’m going to bail your hide from the relationship quagmire.” The doctor took the plate of food from Sherona and handed it to Alex.
“Eat. No one is taking your mate,” he said to Alex, then turned to Nolan.
Reluctantly, she picked up the knife and fork on the tray and stabbed the fork into the meat before rigorously cutting it, all the while eyeing Sherona skeptically. She was not entirely sure if Dr. Waverly was right about the unknown female, so she watched the woman warily while ravishing the nearly raw meat.
Dr. Waverly shook his head at Nolan, saying, “You and Sherona have spent a lot of time together in Sherona’s car. Alex probably smelled it faintly on you, but now the woman is here with your smell on her as well. As your mate, Alex has the right to fight any female who gets too close to you.” he was right, and Alex did not see any need to add any of her own words, just pointedly stabbed the steak again with her fork and started cutting with the knife, using more vigor than necessary.
For the first time since Alex had growled at Sherona, Nolan looked worried.
“I’m sorry, Alex,” he said, “We’ve been tracking down your antidote and riding in each other’s cars. She’s also been to my house today to get the sweats for me and check on the guards. She’s helping us get Roxy and Boris.” His words were sincere, not condescending to her at all. She narrowed her gaze and cut off another piece of meat.
“Who is she?” Alex asked around a full mouth, pointing with her knife.
“Sherona. Remember the cat who stood over you when we rescued you?”
Alex did remember, and slowly, her hackles started relaxing. “Yes,” she said carefully.
“It’s good to see you feeling so much better.” Sherona stepped forward and stretched her hand out for a traditional human handshake.
Alex eyed it, her beast wanting to continue to circle. But her human part remembered the protection afforded by this woman, and about the pregnancy. She didn’t bring it up and instead put down the fork and took the proffered hand.
“Alex. Nice to officially meet you,” she replied politely.
“And nice to meet you. Good to know you’re a tough cookie. We’re going to need all the help we can get against the Lupins.”
Alex was happy to let the beast go back to being at rest. Unlike most of her pack, she preferred her humanity. “You have no idea,” she replied fervently around the next bite. “In past research that I’ve done trying to learn more about us as werewolves, I’ve only heard of two packs that are as bad as ours has become. The Irish mobster wolves in Chicago and the Russians out of New York. Guess where Boris is from?”
“New York?” Nolan threw out sardonically.
“Yep,” she said, pointing her fork at him. “You got it in one. From what I learned, he was on the rise to being a high-level pack member, but he got caught with the pack leader’s daughter. She was fourteen; he was twenty-two. Apparently, they don’t let their daughters out as young as he likes them,” she finished sarcastically.
“New York hadn’t showed up on his rap sheet. Is he wanted by NYPD under another name? Maybe I can get him extradited.”
She smiled at Nolan’s suggestion. So like him to try and do it legally. Easy fix, if they could arrange it. “I don’t know. Like all packs, they keep their business close to the chest. I backed off before learning anything else. Someone had started sending me chats and e-mails through the weres site that were a little too pointed and eager for my tastes. I quit digging.”
“No matter,” he replied. “I can easily check. Is his last name the legal one he was born with?”
“It’s the one he’s known by. I have no idea what his legal name is.”
She laid back on the raised bed, resting her arms on the hospital roving table that held her tray. Taking a big sigh, she looked down at her plate. “I want to eat more, but I can’t.”
“Just as well,” Dr. Waverly piped in. “Three days of only IV fluid will have shrunk your stomach. Go to sleep. Someone will be here. There’s the button to push if you need a
nything.”
She nodded and felt her eyes drooping. “I’m glad you came for me,” she said to Nolan. “Thank you,” she said, her words slurred with tiredness.
“I will always come for you, my love.” Nolan came closer and held her hand. “Now sleep and tomorrow, I’ll take you shopping like you’ve never been before.”
***
Nolan looked down at her sleeping face and studied the auburn lashes against the golden creaminess of her skin. He nearly slapped himself. Golden creaminess? He had it bad. He was waxing poetic over a woman’s skin. Good thing Waverly and Sherona usually kept their defenses up. He would really be embarrassed.
He would also have to tread careful. Her nearly dying had moved his protective instincts into overdrive. He imagined it had given her a push to be more aggressive as well. Although worried about her reaction to Sherona as they needed to continue to work together in close quarters, he was still proud of his mate.
Their two packs would fight their union, and he had previously been worried that she had been unable to handle the challenges or would refuse to fight for him. He grinned. One less worry for me. As soon as it was safe to openly change, he knew she would have the willpower to backup the skills he had seen when they first met.
He grew serious again. He had to deal with the guards who had lost track of Joseph and check on their injuries. Sherona hadn’t seen the trick Joseph pulled but from what she said, it had been a bad one. If she had not been so suspicious of Joseph, she might have been in the fire. That meant Nolan could not, in good conscience fully punish them with loss of rank. If it was deliberately set, he probably would not punish them at all. But he could not let it go either.
“Sherona, I have pack business to deal with. Can you go back to tracking Joseph as it’ll be a while before I can find appropriate guards who won’t shirk their duties just because it’s a fellow pack member. I received a text from Kamiakin right before Alex woke up that said Joseph and the temporary guards we have on him were at the other bar in Wapato. I’ll let you know if that changes.”
“Another bar?” she asked incredulously. “Joseph can’t possibly think to do the same thing, can he?”
“I don’t know, but I’ve ordered Kamiakin to tell whatever detail gets put on him to stay out of the building and just guard the entrances. I can’t have him hurting anymore of my weres or killing humans.”
“I don’t envy you right now, Ulfric. I know too well the choices a leader has to make. Good luck,” she added before leaving.
“Nor I, Ulfric,” Waverly added, watching Sherona go with a look Nolan could not interpret. “You have a lot of challenges to face in the near future. And if I’m any judge, not a lot of time to do it. I think you need to take Alex home tonight. Let her sleep for a bit more now, but I think she’s fine physically.”
“I thought you wanted her here.”
“Normally, yes. Weres who are this hurt need an extra day or two to recuperate so they aren’t challenged in a weakened state. But she needs to get out of here. It’s only a matter of time before someone thinks to tell Roxy or Boris of this place. I’ve treated a few of her pack. And though I’ve tried to keep the location hidden from them, they may eventually put the clues together.”
“I’ll take her, then, thank you. I need to tell Sherona it’ll be a while longer than I expected. I’m taking Alex shopping. She deserves a little pampering.”
Waverly smiled at him, a knowing look in his eyes. “I’ll inform Sherona. You take care of your mate. You’ve given me new hope for the werewolves in the area. Thank you, Ulfric.”
Nolan nodded at the doctor and watched him walk away. He wondered yet again what could be going on with Sherona and the doctor. Too many mixed signals coming off both of them to get a clear read. Suddenly, he grinned. So this is what it was like to be normal.
“What are you grinning at?” Alex asked in a sleepy voice as tiredness pushed its way in.
“Nothing important. But I have good news. I’m springing you from this joint tonight,” he said playfully, and laughed as her eyes flew wide open.
“Really? You wouldn’t tease a girl like that, would you?”
“I would if it got me what I wanted,” he said and winked.
“Oh, you,” she said and threw one of her pillows at him. He laughed, then grabbed her up out of bed in one fell swoop and kissed her soundly on the lips. He felt her body melt into his, and the playful kiss turned hot.
He slowly slid her down his body, groaning into her mouth as her pelvis ran down the length of him. He reluctantly pulled away. “Get dressed,” he said hoarsely and watched a gleam of laughter fill her eyes.
“Frog in your throat?” she teased.
“Something like that,” he replied, laughing. “Now get dressed. There’s the sweats.”
He turned his back. If he saw her change clothes, they might not make it out of there. He had plans for their first time together, and it didn’t include a quick roll right now just because Waverly had said she was better.
He smiled mischievously. His way of shopping would prepare her nicely for his plans.
“Okay, I’m decent,” she said.
He turned back. The T-shirt was loose, but he could still see she had no bra. He decided they would buy one of those last. He smiled. “Time to go,” he said and winked. It’s going to be a fun afternoon.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Alex took deep breaths, trying to still her racing heart and get past the feeling of someone squeezing her chest. She stood in the stall of the women’s dressing room. Why were they so small when people had to fling their arms around and bend over? The claustrophobic feeling was one of many reasons she hated shopping.
She’d left the door unlocked, and that helped. Even though she risked someone walking in on her, it eased the pain in her chest a little bit. She heard the murmuring of voices as Nolan talked with the sales woman. The woman was flirting with him. Hitting on him. She could smell the pheromones from here. She was tempted to growl and scare the pants off the woman, but she laughed to herself instead, imagining the woman’s fright.
Besides, she knew Nolan would not encourage the proposition. She could smell him from here—the rich woods scent combined with his aftershave. It was dear to her already and comforted her. Nothing flirty or sexual coming from him.
She pulled her shirt off and stared at the huge pile of clothing. The limit was seven garments as the signs all boldly proclaimed. Yet the woman had allowed Alex and Nolan to bring in an armful of clothes.
The first shirt clashed with her skin. She stuck her tongue out and took the top off in a swift toss. The next one was okay, but then she looked at the price. She refused to pay, or let Nolan pay, an absurd amount for a shirt that only looked “okay” on her, so off it came. She was just about to pull it over her head when she heard the stall door creak.
She jumped and the scream came out of her before she could stop it.
Nolan’s laughter rolled through her, and the knowledge that he could see her nipples harden made her blush. He stepped closer, backing her into the sidewall. She felt the shirts at her back before she met his smoldering gaze. Heat flowed through her as if hot springs had decided to take root in her system.
He pulled the shirt up past her head to her wrists and kissed her upturned lips. Gentle at first, testing her, questioning her, she knew, making sure she was okay with his advances before he deepened the kiss. She wrapped her arms around him, answering the unspoken question.
A fever started in her belly and spread. She welcomed his tongue as it perused her mouth. She met his tongue, and the kiss went wild. He pushed her hard into the wall, then lifted her off the ground. She wrapped her legs around his waist, holding on to him.
He was large. Boy was he large. She felt as well as heard his groan against her lips.
“There are times when reading minds is a good thing,” he whispered into her mouth. She merely nodded and kissed him again. “Yes, right now is a great time to be able t
o read minds.”
She could see the pictures in his mind and knew how much he wanted her. A blue haze covered his entire mind as he thought of ways of getting closer to her and giving her pleasure. He wanted to be one with her and to see that when he could not hide himself was a powerful aphrodisiac.
She felt her beast rising to the surface again. Around him, she was more werewolf than at any other time. Most of her life she had spent hiding her shape-shifting abilities, never facing the very real challenges inherent in their world: that of being a were. She had never had to. Now, her wolf wanted her mate and called to Nolan’s wolf as if they were separate creatures with their own wills. And really they were. The wolf had a set of needs outside the human experience. Like mating. The location was immaterial when the need struck.
Nolan growled low in his throat, his need evident. She growled back and nipped his lips, opening her eyes to see his reaction. His eyes were open as well. The deep brown wells of lust and love in them made her sigh out loud, the sound echoing in the dressing area.
“Oh my God,” she whispered. “The dressing room attendant! She’ll hear us.”
“No, she won’t,” he said huskily. “I’ve convinced her you needed some time to try things on without strangers looking when you came out and showed me. We have the place to ourselves.”
Her heart raced at his words, and she leaned closer and closed her eyes, letting his lips brush hers. “More please,” she whispered.
He caressed her with his lips, following her jaw line to her ear, then down her neck. At her clavicle, he slowly let her down to the ground, then lowered himself until his mouth grazed her nipples. Piercing points of pleasure centered on her breast, and the other one ached for some of his attention. Dropping her hands to his shoulder for support, she let him suckle.
He reached his hand over and began rubbing the tit between his thumb and forefinger. She felt herself wet in preparation for more. Were they going to do more? She searched his mind and saw his intent to pleasure without completing the act. She also saw he was having a hard time restraining himself.
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