Cole's Redemption (Alpha Pack #5)(24)

“Well, it’s nearly noon, so it’s technically morning for a few more minutes. Hungry?”

“Not right now. I just need a shower.”

“Help yourself.” He pointed to the foot of the bed. “Rowan sent over some more clothes. I figured after you get cleaned up and dressed, we can head to your motel and gather your stuff.”

“All right.”

It was nice of the other woman to loan her more clothes, but Selene couldn’t wait to fetch her own things. She made short work of showering, then toweled off and blew her hair dry with a dryer she found under his sink. Being short, her hair dried fast, and she was soon dressed.

“I’m ready.”

He ushered her out. In the hallways, they encountered only a couple of his friends, who clapped Zan on the back and shot her knowing smirks. That pissed her off, and she wanted to rip open their faces. But she refrained. She could be reasonable when she tried. When they reached the garage, her thoughts were diverted by the sight of the vehicle Zan was leading them toward. Unable to help herself, she snickered.

“What?” He shot her a curious look.

“Men are all the same. Their ride has to be an extension of their cock.”

She thought he’d get pissed, but unexpectedly, he grinned. “Then I must have a damned big one.”

That surprised a laugh out of her, in spite of herself. “I’ll be the judge of that.”

A sudden realization smacked her in the head as they climbed into the monstrous truck—she was now the only one with the right to know just how big Zan was, all over. And the idea of any other female having that knowledge made her she-wolf growl in anger. It was a strange feeling.

As she pondered this, Zan’s voice interrupted her musings. “For the record, Nick didn’t do what you’re accusing him of. I’ve known him for almost a year now, and he’s as honorable as anyone I’ve met.”

“You’re going to tell me there’s an explanation, as your friend Ryon suggested?”

“There are good people at the compound. You might want to listen to what they have to say.” He glanced at her as he pulled the truck out of the hangar. “You seem like a sharp, intelligent woman who can make her own decisions. All I ask is that you go by what you observe for yourself, not by what you’ve been told for years.”

His words angered her—probably because he made sense. Before she’d entered the compound, the issue had been black-and-white. Now her belief was being colored by shades of gray, and she didn’t want to change her thinking. It was too painful otherwise. Still . . .

She wasn’t one to condemn unjustly. Damn.

He drove them into Cody, and as the vehicle rumbled along, she took the opportunity to sneak glances at the man who was her mate. He seemed to get more handsome the more she studied him, and he had integrity to boot. He was brave. Kind. Most of the males of her clan were extremely stern and unbending, but not so this man.

“What’s it like to be a born shifter?” His question might have been plucked from her thoughts.

“I’ve never known any other way, so I’m not sure how to answer that.” She thought for a few moments. “I grew up differently from human kids. We weren’t totally sequestered from the outside world, but we were a bit sheltered. We have our own community, schools, and clan law that’s enforced by the Alpha’s men.”

“No humans live there at all?”

“There are some, but most of them don’t know what we are. The Alpha is very selective about who’s told.”

“Your uncle is the Alpha, I assume.”

“Yes.” He looked like he was chewing on something, but whatever was on his mind, he kept silent. “Anyway, other than that, there’s the immortality thing.”

“The what?” He shot her a quick look, briefly taking his eyes off the road.

“It’s not common knowledge, even in the paranormal community. Born wolves are immortal. We can be killed by accident or treachery, but other than that, we’re around for a long time.”

“How old are you?” he asked curiously.

“I’m only thirty, in human years,” she told him. “But I won’t look much older than I am now for as long as I live.”

“That’s pretty handy,” he joked. “No wrinkles or gray hair.”

“There is that.”

“What about Nick? How old is he?”

“More than two hundred.” Older than he deserves to be.

“Holy crap! That’s quite a secret to carry around. Just think of all the changes he’s seen,” Zan mused. “The history. He’s been alive since America was a brand-new nation.”

“So has my uncle.”

“What’s your uncle like?”

She considered that. “Stern. A stickler for rules, and he trusts few people. But he’s honest and tries to be a fair leader.”

Zan said nothing to that. Perhaps he felt Damien hadn’t been fair in his dealings with her father. Not that it mattered what her mate or any of his friends thought. They weren’t there.

When they arrived in town, Selene directed him to the cheap motel where she’d been staying. As soon as they pulled in to the parking lot, Zan wrinkled his nose in disgust.

“After seeing this fleabag, I’m glad we’re getting you out of here.”