by Dena Christy
McDonald Park. Nick closed his eyes for a moment as his stomach tightened.
“The park,” Samara said softly as she looked at Nick. She knew as well as he did the significance of the park.
“What’s going on?” Eric couldn’t have failed to notice the look that passed between them. They hadn’t told him why the Order targeted Rowan, only about Rowan being injected with the formula. “You both know I don’t like you keeping secrets from me.”
“Rowan attacked a woman in McDonald Park.” Samara turned to Eric and pressed her lips to his forehead when he swore under his breath.
“He didn’t kill her, did he?” Eric asked as his face paled. He shook his head as if to answer his own question. “Of course he didn’t, the Order wouldn’t have let him live if he had.”
“She’s disappeared. The Order is trying to find all the women who’ve been attacked, but so far we haven’t had any luck.”
“That can’t be good for him. Going back there and reliving it all the time,” Eric said.
“He hasn’t said how much of it he remembers. Maybe he doesn’t know why he goes to the park, and some instinct is compelling him.”
The phone rang and Samara eased off Eric’s lap to go answer it.
“Is there anything we can do to help him get through this?”
“I don’t know. This may be something he has to work out for himself. Until he’s ready to talk about it, I don’t think there is much we can do.”
Samara came back into the room, her face bone white. Nick sat up straighter, a shiver running down his spine when he saw tears swimming in her eyes. His body moved as if through molasses as he eased to the edge of his seat.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” Eric stood and walked over to her, putting his arm around her shoulder.
“It’s Hadria.” Her voice came out in a shocked whisper.
Nick exploded off the couch. Bile rose up in his throat as he took one step toward her “What about Hadria? What’s happened to her?” His words came out in rapid, machine gun like fire. He stood in front of her, his hand coming up to grab her arms. He had to know what happened to Hadria, and he had to know now. Eric put his large body between them, getting his face so close to Nick’s that their noses came close to touching. His brother’s brows were drawn into a scowl, and Nick clenched his jaw as Eric forced him back a step.
“She doesn’t need you crowding her. She’ll tell us what’s going on, so back off.” Eric gave him a shove. Nick growled and took a step closer to Eric.
“You two, just stop it,” Samara yelled, and Nick could hear every note of anguish in her voice. It was like a bucket of water on both him and his brother. Nick moved back and held up his hands. Eric moved to Samara’s side, and she rested her head on his chest when his arms came around her.
“She was on a mission. She’s been shot and has lost a lot of blood. They just brought her into the hospital and they’re not sure if she will make it.” Samara turned her head, and sobbed quietly into his brother’s chest.
Nick didn’t need to hear any more. His heart slammed in his chest as he took off out of the house at a dead run. As soon as he jumped into his truck, he took off on squealing, smoking tires. He didn’t check to see if his brother and Samara followed. He needed to get to headquarters. Hadria needed him.
The trip took less time than normal, and Nick raced through the tunnels running beneath the old building. The Order’s headquarters was in the old Rockwood Asylum, an abandoned psychiatric hospital in Kingston. The only way into the building was by tunnel, which started at the Tower House and led into the old hospital. It took longer to get in than if he’d been able to use the front door. For a moment Nick cursed the fact that they had to keep their presence in the building a secret.
Nick shot up to the infirmary on the second floor. He saw their leader Cadric in the waiting room, and he tried to blow past him to go scrub up.
“Where are you going Nick?” Cadric reached out to halt him, and Nick shook off his arm.
“I don’t have time for this Cadric. I have to get scrubbed up so I can help her.” Nick’s words came out in a frantic rush as he tried to step around Cadric. His boss stepped in his way and refused to budge.
“You’re staying here. Lee is with her, and they’re prepping her for surgery. Lee will take care of her, and he’ll do a better job than you will.”
Nick ran his hands through his hair and his mouth opened and closed. How can Cadric think Lee can do a better job than me? Cadric steered Nick over to the chairs lining one wall of the waiting room, and Nick put up no resistance as his boss shoved him down in to one.
“I realize you want to help her,” he said. “But you may end up doing more harm than good. Lee is the better choice. You and objectivity, as far as Hadria is concerned, parted company a long time ago. Look at your hands. Are they steady enough to operate on her?”
Nick looked down at his trembling hands. His hands vibrated so much that he would not even be able to hold a scalpel. He lowered his face into them and concentrated on breathing. Nothing could happen to her. Lee will fix her and she’ll be fine. He concentrated on breathing in and out slowly as he forced the pounding of his heart to slow into a steady rhythm.
A small female hand slipped into his and squeezed. Nick lifted his heavy head and turned to Samara, who sat in the chair next to his. Eric stood beside her with his hand stroking her hair. Nick clung to her as he swallowed back the lump forming in his throat as the backs of his eyes prickled. He blew his breath out hard. He needed to get his act together. Samara needed both him and Eric to be strong to get her through this. If the thought of Hadria fighting for her life has me tied in knots, it must be killing her.
“What happened?” Nick turned to Cadric, keeping his hand tightly held to Samara’s.
“Her and Jaclyn were ambushed at Horn’s compound. Hadria took the brunt of it. Jaclyn said just seconds before the gunmen burst in, Hadria pushed her out of the way.”
“How bad is she hurt?” Nick kept his voice steady, despite the fear churning in his gut.
“She’s been shot five times. Three times in the torso and twice in her right leg. She’d lost a lot of blood, and they gave her a transfusion on the plane.”
“Christ.” Nick closed his eyes as he released Samara’s hand and ran his palms over his face. He heard Samara whimper and turned to see his brother sit in the chair beside her and scoop her onto his lap. Nick reached out with a shaking hand and put it on her shoulder, offering his support. Hadria had lived an extraordinary long life, but she was not immortal. None of them were. She healed faster than a human, but that wouldn’t happen if she bled to death.
All they could do for Hadria now was wait to hear the outcome of her surgery. Lee was an excellent doctor, and she was in good hands. His mind turned over all the possible things that could go wrong, and he squeezed his eyes shut tight.
Don’t think about it. Lee’s a good doctor. She’s going to be fine. Eventually he could drown out even the loud ticking of the clock on the other side of the room. He made a vow to himself, that if she survived this, he would tell her how he felt. Anything might happen to either of them, at any moment, especially considering the work they did. He didn’t want to waste any more time.
Chapter Two
Hadria lifted her heavy eyelids. She blinked several times, trying to clear the fog coating her eyes. The room before her looked like she was trying to see through a greasy, out of focus camera lens. Her vision finally cleared, and she took in her surroundings.
Pale beige walls, various medical equipment and she lay in a bed with high rails on each side. The last thing she remembered was getting shot. She must be in the infirmary at headquarters. Her entire body ached and she tried to shift on the bed, wincing as she did so.
“Try not to move around too much. You'll be sore for a while.”
Hadria startled and turned her head towards Nick’s voice.
He was sitting in the chair by her bed, his hair mussed
as if he’d run his fingers through it a thousand times. Stubble covered his jaw, and dark circles lay beneath his bloodshot eyes.
“You look terrible.” Her voice came out as a dry raspy croak. Her mouth was as dry as cotton and she tried to swipe her tongue over her parched lips. Nick reached over to the table beside the bed and poured some water from a carafe into a plastic cup. He came over to her and guided the straw sitting in the cup to her lips. The water flooded her mouth, cold and sweet. Once she finished he set the cup aside and sat on the edge of her bed, taking hold of her hand.
“What are you doing here?”
“I've been sitting with you, waiting for you to wake up.” Nick stroked his thumb over her palm, and she tugged her hand away. It felt too good, too comforting, to have him touch her, and she didn't want to grow dependent on it. He let her hand drop and went back to the chair beside the bed. She was glad he was here, his solid presence lending her strength. His obvious dedication to her touched her, but she couldn't afford to grow further attached to him. She could only be friends with Nick, despite her desire for more. Her curse would not allow for anything else.
“What happened?” She searched her hazy memory but all she could remember was getting shot and telling Jaclyn not to let her bleed out.
“You were shot, which I'm sure you remember. They brought you back here and you had to have surgery.”
“Did you do it?”
“No, Lee did. I was with Samara when she got the call and Lee was already here prepping you.”
“Is Samara okay? I don't want her to worry.”
“It's too late for that. She's been waiting to hear when you're awake. Do you want me to go and get her?”
“I'd like to see her.”
Nick stood and reached out his hand to touch her face. She pulled her head away, avoiding his touch. She needed to keep her distance from him, especially now when she was so vulnerable. Alex’s betrayal had finally taught her that she would never be free of her curse, no matter how much she wanted to break it. She couldn't take the risk with Nick. His hand dropped to his side, and Hadria turned her head away.
“I'll go get Samara, and I will let Lee know you're awake.”
The soft sound of his boots on the tile floor traced his path to the door. Hadria blew out her breath when she heard the door close behind him, fighting the urge to call him back. She had to be strong.
A few minutes later, Lee walked in. He was also a werewolf, but with him Hadria never felt the spark of attraction.
“How are you feeling?” He put his stethoscope buds in his ears and listened to her heart. She winced at the coldness of the instrument against her skin. “Sorry.”
“I feel like I've been hit by a truck.”
“That's not surprising. We removed five bullets. How long does it take for you to heal? I only ask since I haven't had much opportunity to treat a valkyrie. You're my first in fact.”
“It usually takes a day and a half to heal most wounds. Why?”
“You've been unconscious for two days, and your wounds are only now beginning to show signs of healing. It's strange, I had expected things to move along faster than they are.”
Hadria refrained from speaking. What she suspected appeared to be true. Her powers were waning. She should have been well on the road to recovery by now. She'd been out of Valhalla for too long, and it made her vulnerable.
“You okay?” Lee finished examining her and gave her a puzzled frown at her silence.
“I'm fine. Just thinking.” Hadria forced a smile on her face, and he looked at her for a moment before patting her on the arm.
“Are you up for a visitor? Samara’s been waiting to come and see you.”
“I'd love to see her.” Hadria’s cheeks ached from the smile pasted on her face. She didn't know how much she would be able to hide from her perceptive daughter. She hadn't even been able to fool Lee.
“I'll tell her to come in. She can stay for a few minutes, then I want you to rest.”
“I will,” Hadria promised.
Lee left the room, and within minutes Samara came into the room, a hesitant look on her face.
“Come on in baby girl.” Hadria held out her hand, a genuine smile spreading across her face at the sight of her daughter.
“Oh Hadria. I was so worried about you. We thought we were going to lose you.” Tears ran down Samara’s cheeks as she rushed into the room. She sat in the chair and she clasped Hadria’s hand in a tight grip.
“You didn’t lose me. I’m going to be fine,” Hadria said as she squeezed Samara’s hand. “You need to calm down. Being so stressed can’t be good for the baby.”
“I know. It’s hard though. I suspect it’s the baby that’s making me so upset.”
“As you can see I’m still with you. Try to relax.”
“What aren’t you telling me?” Suspicion edged Samara’s voice, and she dropped Hadria’s hand as she sat up straighter. “Did Lee say something? You’re going to be okay aren’t you?”
“Sweetie, I’m going to be fine. I’m just tired. That’s what you’re sensing.” Samara was a succubus, and it was difficult to hide emotions from her. She could discern exactly what someone was feeling, which made it difficult to lie to her. Hadria didn’t want to get into it with her right now, so she tried to pretend all was well. Samara didn’t seem convinced but she dropped the subject.
“I’ll only stay a few more minutes. I hope Eric has persuaded Nick to go home and get some sleep. I was almost as worried about him as I was about you.”
“Why? Did something happen to Nick?” Hadria’s eyebrows drew together as she struggled to sit up. Pain knifed through her and she fell back against her pillow. Nick had looked rough when he was here, but he didn’t seem hurt.
“Something did happen to Nick. You were shot and had to be operated on. Nick is in love with you, in case you didn’t notice. He’s been here the entire time. The first time he left this chair since you got out of surgery was a few minutes ago to let us know you’d woken up.”
Hadria didn’t say anything. Lee told her she’d been unconscious for two days. And Nick had been at her side the entire time? She didn’t have Samara’s talent for reading people and hadn’t realized his feelings ran that deep. He hadn’t said anything to her.
“You must be exaggerating what he feels for me. We’re just good friends. Of course he would be concerned, any friend would be.” Hadria looked at Samara, willing her to agree with her.
“People can pretend a lot of things, even to themselves,” Samara said as her eyes bored into Hadria’s. Hadria shifted on the bed and winced. “I know emotions, and I’m telling you that he is in love with you, and what’s more, you are in love with him.”
“I’m not in love with Nick.” Despite the pain she managed to fold her arms in front of her chest and turned her head away to look out the window.
“I know Alex did a number on you,” Samara said as she put her hand on Hadria’s arm. “But he’s dead and you have to move on.”
“I can’t move on. I have a curse hanging over me.” Hadria shifted over enough so Samara’s hand slipped away from her. “I’m not going to take the risk of another betrayal. I can’t. If Nick turned on me, it would kill me.”
“What makes you think I’m going to turn on you?” Nick’s voice came from the doorway, and Hadria turned her head to look at him. An ache settled in her chest at the sight of his tired face. For the first time in a thousand years she wished she could go back in time. She would change what she’d done on the battlefield that day. She’d give anything to be free to love him.
“I think I’ll go now.” Samara stood and brushed her lips against Hadria’s cheek. She turned and walked passed Nick, touching his arm for a second before leaving the room. Nick came over and sat in the chair beside the bed. Hadria swallowed hard when he looked into her eyes.
“So what makes you think I’ll turn on you?” Nick reached out and took hold of her hand. She tried to pull free, and he tighte
ned his grip, not enough to hurt her, just to hold her.
“You look tired. You should go home and get some rest.”
“I will as soon as you stop avoiding the question.” He smiled at her and gave her hand a squeeze. “Talk to me.”
“You know I’m under a curse. I know you wouldn’t want to, wouldn’t mean to betray me, but you would. It’s happened too many times in the past for me to ignore the consequences of it.”
“If you knew me at all, you would know that I’m not like the wolves you’ve known in the past. We’ve been friends for four years, and I’ve been nothing but supportive and loyal to you.”
“We haven’t been lovers Nick, that’s the difference.”
“I’m willing to change that if you are.” He brought her hand up to his mouth and placed a soft kiss on the center of her palm. She curled her fingers inward and pulled away from him. He let her go this time, and she buried her hand in the blankets at her side, his kiss still burning on her skin. She had to resist him.
“Nick, we can’t. I’ve been through this before. You’re too important to me to risk it all ending.”
“You know I’m going to do whatever it takes to change your mind.”
“It’s no use, Nick. We are better off friends.” Even to herself she sounded unconvincing, and she knew that he didn’t believe her when she looked into his eyes.
He leaned forward in the chair and brushed his mouth against hers. Her lips clung to his, her body not willing to break the contact with him. His kiss was gentle, persuasive and over much too soon.
“Just giving you something to think about.” He stood and stretched. She noticed that he didn’t seem as affected by the kiss as she had, damn him. “I’m going to head home so you can rest. I’ll swing by tomorrow to see you.”
Hadria watched him leave the room, and as soon as he left she reached up to run a finger over her lips. She wished he hadn’t kissed her. It made things more confusing. It was one thing to deny her attraction to him when nothing had happened. It was something else altogether to have him kiss her and try to ignore what it stirred inside her. She closed her eyes, willing herself to forget a wolf who’d come to be one of the most important people in her world. The one she couldn’t have.
