Cole's Redemption (Alpha Pack #5)(37)

“Tell me who’s behind these rogue attacks. There are far too many to be a natural occurrence. Who’s responsible? Why?”

“Do you still think I’m going to tell you shit?” it screeched. Then it began to cackle, an eerie noise of insanity that made Zan’s blood run cold. “That’ll never happen.”

Jax shook his head. “Boss, he’s not going to talk. Let’s just get this done.”

“Dammit! All right. I’m tired of listening to his ass, and it’s not like we can put him back on the street.”

Nick punched in a code beside the door and it slid open. He walked in, Zan and Jax behind him. Then the vampire stood, and Zan realized their mistake.

The rogue was no longer chained. He’d done something he shouldn’t have been able to do—he’d broken them in half.

“Hit the button and close the door!” Zan shouted to Selene. He was vaguely aware of the bars clanging shut again and felt momentary relief. Whatever happened, Selene was safe on the other side.

He caught a glimpse of her standing with her hand over her mouth, eyes wide, and then the rogue was on top of Nick, slashing, trying to lay open his throat with claws and fangs. They slammed against the bars, and the commander did a partial shift, utilizing claws of his own to drive them into the rogue’s side.

It howled, and Zan hauled it backward. Jax helped him tackle the thing to the concrete floor, and the two of them made quick work of it. Zan stabbed his claws under the sternum and up, skewering its heart. Jax slit its throat, then hacked until the head went rolling away, the rogue’s eyes surprised. It was a macabre sight.

“Great,” Jax bitched. “I got stinky rogue blood all over my new jeans.”

“Hey, he’s hurt!”

At Selene’s cry, they spun to see Nick stagger and sit down, hard. They rushed to him, and Zan whistled.

“Nasty bite wound. He did get you. Stay still while we call for a stretcher.”

“No, I can walk,” Nick said stubbornly.

“You sure?”

He eyed his boss. The man wasn’t going to be budged, so he and Jax gave in. “Fine, but we’re helping you. Baby, can you punch in the code to let us out?”

He called it out to her, and in seconds the door was open. He and Jax hauled Nick off the floor, getting him between them and slinging one of his arms over each shoulder. The position wasn’t unlike the many times they’d assisted a SEAL buddy wounded in combat. They walked him out to the elevator.

Zan didn’t miss the sheer horror on Selene’s face as she studied her father’s wound.

“You could have been killed,” she scolded him.

“Sorry to disappoint you,” he rasped.

His mate looked like she’d been slapped. Zan thought it truly hit her then, the ramifications of her anger. Whether it had been unjust all this time. The self-doubt and the first glimmerings of remorse. All of her emotions were there and gone in a flash.

His mate would need him, later.

They hauled Nick all the way to the infirmary, and Melina met them in the lobby with Noah. They took the commander off his and Jax’s hands, which was quite a relief.

“Goddamn, he’s heavy.” Jax groaned, rotating his shoulder.

“He’s going to be okay, isn’t he?”

Zan took his mate’s hand. “He’ll be fine. A bite wound like that is just a scratch compared to some of the injuries we’ve had.”

“Somehow I’m not sure that makes me feel any better.”

“Sorry. But he’s going to be good as new by tomorrow. Trust me. He’s got that shifter healing going for him.”

She blinked at him then. “Why didn’t you heal him?”

“Because it wasn’t a life-threatening wound, baby, or I would have. I have to conserve my energy for the really, really bad stuff. Okay?”

“Sure. I understand.”

She was truly rattled by her father’s injury. This had been a day of revelations for her all around, and he needed to see to his mate. He tried to get her to leave, but she wouldn’t be budged until they heard something.

Finally, Melina came out, Nick on her heels. He was a bit pale and had a fresh bandage at the curve of his neck and shoulder.

“Our patient will live,” she said, then smiled kindly at Selene. “I’ll check the wound again tomorrow, but by then it should be fine. No aftereffects from a vampire bite wound but some pain.”

Selene almost sagged against him. Then she found her voice and met her father’s gaze. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

His eyes softened. “Thanks. Why don’t you let your mate take you to rest now? I think I’ll do the same.”

Zan knew that was just for her benefit. The stubborn wolf would head straight to his office to work.

“I think I will,” she said.

“Come on, baby. Let’s go lie down for a while.”

After one last look at her father, she let Zan take her hand and lead her back to their quarters. Theirs. He was liking the sound of that.

Once inside, he gently removed her clothes and then his. He scooted her into the bathroom and started the shower, making it hot enough to soothe their muscles and relax them. Then he pulled her inside with him.

He washed the blood from himself, scrubbing from head to foot. Then he got her good and wet, soaping her from top to bottom as well. He made sure to get every cranny, taking care of his mate as nobody else would ever do. It made him proud to care for her, see to her needs.