by Dena Christy
“Take me to her,” his brother said, his voice grim as the muscle jumped in his jaw.
“Hey, you aren’t supposed to be here,” Gerard said as he rushed toward them. Eric stepped around Nick and strode up to Gerard, drawing his hand back and punching the other man in the throat. Gerard made a choking, gargling sound as he dropped to the floor.
“Jesus Eric, help me shove him away somewhere,” Nick grabbed Gerard by the arms and Eric grabbed his feet. They walked a short way down the hall and Nick indicated to Rowan to open a door, revealing a janitorial closet. Together he and Eric slung Gerard into the closet and Rowan shut the door.
Nick led the way to the infirmary, thankful when they didn’t run into anyone else. Staff was thin on the ground at this time of night. Rachel would be lurking around here somewhere, especially if she went to his room and found he wasn’t there, but he’d deal with her when the time came.
Nick opened the infirmary door, and Eric rushed over to the bed where Samara lay sleeping. His hand shook as he stroked the hair back from her face. She stirred in the bed, opening her eyes to look at her mate.
“Eric, you’re here,” she breathed as Eric gently lifted her up to hold her close.
“I’m here baby. Are you okay?” Eric’s voice came out in a huskier version than normal. Nick could see the muscle twitch in his brother’s jaw as he scooped her up.
“Eric, you don’t have to carry me, I can walk. I’m fine.”
“Just let me do this.” Eric turned and looked at Nick as he cradled his woman close to his chest. “I’m taking her out to the car. Give me the code to get back inside.”
Nick told him the code and Eric walked to the door of the infirmary.
“Wait,” Samara said. “We have to get Hadria out.”
“Rowan and I will find Hadria,” Nick assured her when Eric paused where he stood. “She’ll be fine. You need to get out of here where you’ll be safe.”
She nodded as she looped her arms around Eric’s neck, resting her head on his shoulder. Nick looked away when Eric pressed his lips to the top of her head before leaving the room. Seeing his brother and his mate, so obviously in love, reminded him of what he’d lost with Hadria.
“Come on, Nick. Let’s go get your woman,” Rowan said as he steered him out of the room.
“She’s not my woman, not anymore. I made sure of that when I left.”
“Don’t be too sure. Once Hadria realizes that you haven’t really betrayed her, I’m sure she will forgive you.”
Nick was silent as he walked down the hall toward the stairwell leading to the holding cells. He wanted to believe what Rowan said, but knowing Hadria’s history he didn’t know if she’d ever be able to trust him again, if she ever had in the first place.
He led Rowan to the cell where he’d seen Hadria, but when he looked in he frowned when he saw it was empty. He banged on the door, thinking maybe she was out of sight of the window, but the room remained quiet.
“She’s not in there anymore.”
Nick and Rowan quickly turned to see Rachel standing at the end of the hall.
“Where is she?” Nick demanded as he strode up the hall, with Rowan close behind him.
“What do you care?” Rachel sneered. “I thought you were finished with her. I guess you aren’t. Too bad she was locked in with Patrick over an hour ago. There should be very little left of her by now.”
Nick grabbed Rachel by the front of her scrubs and slammed her against the wall. “You bitch, you’re lying.”
“Why would I lie Nick? Go see for yourself.”
“Give me your keys,” Nick growled getting right in her face. For a moment a mutinous look crossed her face, and although Nick didn’t like the idea of taking the keys from her by force, he would if it meant getting to Hadria. Rachel must have seen his intent on his face, because her skin paled and she reached into her pants pocket to retrieve them. She threw them down the hall and shoved away from him.
She sprinted up the hall, toward the door, and Rowan took off after her while Nick ran to retrieve her keys. Scooping them off the floor, ignoring the sounds of Rowan scuffling with Rachel, Nick raced to the room housing Patrick. He looked in the window and anguish lanced through his body. Hadria lay in the middle of the floor, covered in blood.
“Hadria,” Nick shouted as he charged into the room. A snarl sounded from behind the door, and a hundred pounds of furious werewolf hit him square in the chest, knocking him to the floor.
He braced his hands against the wolf’s neck, pushing against him to keep his snapping jaws from closing in over his throat. He vaguely heard Rowan’s shout and quickly turned his head to see his brother push Rachel to the ground and rush toward him.
“Patrick, let me up. I have to help her.” Nick could see the intelligence in Patrick’s eyes and hoped his words were enough to get the wolf off him. The deep rumbling in Patrick’s chest ceased and Nick no longer had to strain to keep him away from his throat.
His brother skidded to a stop beside his prone body as Patrick eased off him. Nick rolled to his side and gained his feet as Rowan went after the wolf.
“Rowan, don’t. He won’t hurt us.”
His brother stopped and turned toward him. His eyes widened as he charged back to Nick. “Look out,” he shouted as he reached out to shove Nick.
The loud bang echoed in the hall and the acrid smell of gun powder burned in Nick’s nostrils. A deep burning sensation, coupled with knifing pain sliced through Nick’s shoulder. He turned his head to see Rachel kneeling on the floor, a gun in her hand. She raised the weapon again, a sneer on her face.
A blur of motion passed in front of her and she screamed in agony as Patrick pinned her to the ground, his jaws closing around her throat. Nick grimaced as he straightened, unable to take his eyes away from the woman as the wolf jerked his head, snapping Rachel’s neck.
“Nick, you’re bleeding.”
Nick staggered over to the door of Patrick’s room, ignoring the hot gush of blood running down his arm. Burning heat started at his shoulder, raced down his arm in one direction and across his chest in the other. His arm felt like it’d been doused with gasoline and someone had lit a match. He didn’t acknowledge the very real possibility that Rachel had used a silver bullet, that the poison was slowing spreading through his body. All that mattered was getting to Hadria, to assure himself that she still lived. If she was dead, then he didn’t care about the slow, agonizing death that awaited him.
He dropped to his knees, reaching out with his good arm to turn her face toward him. Her eyes fluttered opened and widened as she saw who knelt beside her.
“Thank God you’re alive,” he said, his voice a harsh whisper. The fire spread through his body, and the room blurred before him. He slumped to the floor beside her.
***
Hadria sat up, her arms reaching out to cradle Nick’s head in her lap.
“Nick, can you hear me? Wake up. We have to get out of here.”
She shook him, her heart pounding frantically in her chest. She didn’t care about what she’s seen him do with Rachel, didn’t care about the mark on his face which proclaimed his betrayal. All that matter was getting him out of here and getting him help.
“Help me with him,” she said as Rowan rushed into the room. He reached for his brother, just as the sound of booted foot falls filled the hall. Bracing herself for the fight she knew would follow, she stood and turned toward the door, putting herself between her enemies and the man she loved.
Relief coursed through her, caused her legs to buckle for a moment, when she saw the familiar face of Jaclyn.
“Back up is here. Hadria are you alright?” her friend asked, concern twisting her features as she rushed into the room.
“I’m fine. We need to get help for Nick.”
“The others will take care of him. Let’s get you out of here.”
“No, I’m not leaving him until I know he’s been taken care of.”
Hadria kept vigi
l by Nick’s side, until she saw Jay and Frank come into the room, bearing a stretcher.
“He’ll be fine Hadria, but you need to let go of him. We have to get him out of here quickly.”
Hadria slowly moved aside, and turned, surprised to feel a warm hand grasp hers. Rowan squeezed her hand in support, his face ashen as he looked at his fallen brother.
“I’m sorry I left you alone. None of this would have happened if I hadn’t left you and Samara.”
Hadria couldn’t bear to see the self recrimination etched on his face. “It’s not your fault. You could not have known that this would happen. He’ll be okay.”
She could see the doubt in his eyes that she felt in her heart. She pushed the feelings aside, and clung to the hope that Nick would pull through.
Nick was loaded on the stretcher, and rushed from the room. Hadria and Rowan followed, trying to keep pace with Jay and Frank. She ignored the chaos around her as the wolves in the holding cells were round up.
She tried to get in the back of the ambulance, to be with him, as if her presence could slow his deterioration, but Jay put a staying hand on her arm.
“We need room to work, you can’t come with us. I promise I’ll do whatever it takes to keep him alive until we get to Headquarters.”
She watched the ambulance fly out of the parking lot and down the road. A slim arm came around her waist and she turned to see Samara standing beside her, her face a study of sober concern.
“What if he doesn’t make it,” Hadria whispered. “He thought I didn’t trust him, that I didn’t… love him.”
“You know better than that. He’ll pull through and you can tell him.”
Hadria allowed herself to be led away to the SUV. She sank into the back seat, clinging to Samara’s hand as she clung to the hope that Nick would pull through.
Chapter Eighteen
Days seemed to have passed since Nick had been whisked into surgery, although Hadria realized that it had only been a few hours. The bullet in his shoulder had been made of silver. Silver was deadly for werewolves. Even a small piece of silver touching them was enough to cause severe burns if left on their skin for too long. A bullet made of silver to the heart would kill them in an instant. And in Nick’s case, the silver alloy in the bullet mixed with his blood caused an insidious form of sepsis to course through his blood stream.
“He’s in good hands,” Samara said beside her as she clasped her hand. Hadria drew away. She didn’t want to talk, didn’t want to think about what was happening to him. Her mouth twisted. Sticking her head in the sand was what she did best. Samara seemed to understand her need for silence, because she patted her on the knee before standing. Hadria watched her walk to toward her mate, who paced the waiting room floor, his face etched in tight white lines.
“Do you want a coffee or anything?” Rowan asked as he came to sit beside her.
“No, I’m fine,” she said as she gave him a weak smile.
He didn’t say anything further, didn’t move to comfort her. His solid presence remained beside her, and she was glad of it.
It seemed to take forever, but finally Lee appeared still in his surgical scrubs with his mask dangling around his neck.
“He made it through the surgery. As I’m sure you are aware, the bullet was made from silver. The next twenty-four hours will be crucial. He’s on intravenous antibiotics and fluids. He’s been taken to the intensive care part of the infirmary.”
“Is he going to pull through this?” Eric asked, his voice rough.
“As I said, the next twenty-four hours will be critical. If we’ve removed the bullet in time, and provided there is no organ failure, then the antibiotics should do their job and relieve him of the infection.”
“Can we see him?” Rowan’s sombre voice sounded beside her, and looked over at his pale tense face.
“There isn’t enough room for all of you, but you may see him one at a time.” Lee nodded before turning to leave the room.
“Hadria, why don’t you go and sit with him.”
She looked up, surprised when Eric spoke to her. “Eric, you’re his family. You should be the ones to stay with him.”
“Honey,” Samara said as she reached out to take her hand. “He would want you with him right now.”
They each took a turn going to see Nick for about five minutes. Dread knotted Hadria’s stomach when it was her turn to go.
“We’re going to head home. Samara needs to rest. We’ll be back in the morning to check on him.” Eric said as he squeezed her shoulder and led his mate from the room.
“I don’t know if I deserve to stay with him,” Hadria said to Rowan, who looked at her with concern when she made no move to enter the room.
“How can you think that? He needs you right now. Go to him,” Rowan said as he pressed a kiss to her forehead and turned. Hadria stood outside Nick’s door as she listened to the sound of Rowan’s footfalls fading to nothing. Taking a deep breath, she braced herself for what she might see.
Blowing out her breath slowly, Hadria pushed open the door and walked into Nick’s room. The gentle beeping of the heart monitor greeted her as she walked in. A dull ache settled in the centre of her chest as she sank into the chair next to his bed.
She reached out and took hold of his lax hand and brought it up to her face.
“Oh Nick, I’m sorry I doubted you,” she whispered, hoping that somehow he could hear her. His face was so pale and immobile that it looked like it was carved from wax. She squeezed his hand and pressed her lips to the back.
“You have to fight this Nick. You are the strongest man I’ve ever known, and I know you can pull through this. I need you, and if you don’t make it…” Hadria broke off what she was about to say. She wouldn’t doubt him in this. He was strong, an alpha wolf, and he would get better. He would fight the infection and win.
She sat with him through the night, dozing in the chair, but never relinquishing his hand. During the time she kept vigil by his bedside, she did a lot of thinking. Over and over in her head, the same tape played. The argument she had with him, about his belief that she didn’t trust him and was looking for a reason to hold him at arms length. She realized that he’d been right. She had kept a wall between them, and had leapt at the chance to believe the worst of him. She hadn’t given him the benefit of faith, had believed he’d betrayed them all, even before she had the slightest proof that he’d done anything.
Shame burned through her as she looked at her lover, lying pale and still in the hospital bed. If she were Nick, she wouldn’t forgive her, wouldn’t give her the chance to hurt him again.
“How’s he doing?”
Hadria jumped when she heard Cadric's voice so close beside her.
“As good as can be expected at this point. If he makes it through tonight, then he has a good chance of pulling through.”
“You really care about him, don’t you?”
Hadria looked at him in stunned disbelief. Did he think all she’d gone through with Nick was just for show?
“That’s what you were counting on, wasn’t it? It’s why you took advantage of our relationship and what everyone would believe would happen once we got together? All part of your master plan to catch the mole? You should be ecstatic right now, after finding out it was Rachel who betrayed us.”
“I’m never ecstatic when anyone who works for me is hurt. It was not my intention for you to be hurt as well.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me about the whole master plan for Nick to pretend to betray me?”
Cadric sighed and raked his hand through his hair. “We needed everyone to believe that you believed it. I guess I thought with your past you wouldn’t take it so hard, that you heart was hardened after all you’ve been through. I’m sorry you were hurt, but…”
“You’d do the same thing again? I understand why you did it, why you and Nick kept the plan hidden from me. I’m assuming that it was your idea to keep me in the dark?”
“Yes. Nick
didn’t want to keep it from you, but I insisted. The only way he would agree to it was if I promised to tell you the truth. You were kidnapped before I had the chance.”
Cadric reached out and put his hand on her shoulder. She drew back from him and his arm fell to his side. She hated the idea that he’d used her for his own ends. That he’d set her up to be humiliated, playing on a past that hurt her so much.
“I’m leaving the Order Cadric.” She looked in his eyes, to let him know she was serious. She could see regret etched in his face, and knew he would try to dissuade her, but her decision was firm.
“Hadria if this is about what I did, I’m sorry. I don’t know how else to say it. You’re a valuable part of my team, and I don’t think I could replace you, even if I wanted to. You’ve been with the Order since the very beginning.”
“This isn’t about what’s happened lately. This decision has been a long time coming. I’m tired Cadric. I’ve seen too much, lived through too much, and my powers are fading. I’d rather leave on my own terms than be forced out. Surely you can understand that.”
“What will you do when you leave?”
Hadria gave a small laugh. She had no idea, it all depended on Nick and if he could forgive her for believing the worst about him. “I don’t know. In all likelihood I’ll go back to Valhalla.”
“There is nothing for you in Valhalla anymore. That’s why you left in the first place.”
Hadria leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes. She was so tired, and she didn’t want to think or have this conversation anymore.
“Why don’t we leave it for now. We’ll talk later,” she said, opening her eyes again.
Cadric reached out and squeezed her hand. “Let me know if there is anything I can to do to help you.”
Hadria nodded. He turned and walked out of the room. She took a deep breath and turned to look at Nick. She jumped for a second when she saw his eyes were open and he was looking at her. She leapt from the chair and went to the side of his bed, reaching out to take his hand.
He pulled away from her, turned his head and closed his eyes.
