Primal Law (Alpha Pack #1)(12)

Suddenly he needed to take a long, hot shower to rid himself of any trace of Alexa's scent. If only he could scour his brain as well.

I must be coming down with something.

But he didn't buy it. Kira's going to bring me more trouble than I've ever known. I don't need to be a PreCog like Nicky to know that. These uneasy thoughts chased around in his mind until he finally gave in to the exhaustion that had plagued him since he'd looked through the eyes of the dead man he'd read.

Settling in for the flight, he fell into an uneasy sleep.

Kira would have to stand in line, because trouble came first in the form of their boss.

The flight was uneventful and Jaxon awoke just as Aric brought the jet in for a perfect landing. The small, lighted runway was a strip carved into the forest and could be seen only from the air. The compound hunkered nearby, silent and dark, shielded by the thick cover of trees. Jaxon had always thought of this place as magical, mysterious, and more than a little dangerous. A line from a movie frequently popped into his head whenever he came home: The Alpha Pack headquarters could be found only by those who already knew where it was.

And his team made up the warriors enslaved to serve it for eternity.

Putting aside fanciful ideas about doomed pirates and bespelled ships, he grabbed his bag. The second Aric pulled the plane to a stop inside the hangar, Jaxon jumped out, careful to put his weight on his good leg, and offered Kira a hand before anyone else had the chance. As she placed her smaller hand in his, he caught a knowing smirk from Zander and chose to ignore it.

"Now what?" Kira asked, glancing around the vast space. Unlike their hangar outside Las Vegas, this one housed not only the jet, but a big military-style helicopter and a variety of vehicles-all armed to the teeth.

"Now we get you settled into a room, and we're all going to get some sleep. Everything will be better in the morning after some rest, lots of coffee, and breakfast."

She shot him a dubious look. "Sure. Nothing like a plate of scrambled eggs to make me forget that I'm homeless, jobless, and on Dr. Jekyll's hit list. Not to mention that I'm feeling a lot like Red Riding Hood realizing that grandma's nose is just a bit bigger and hairier than it should be."

"Ouch."

The young woman shrugged and crossed her arms. He couldn't help but notice the nice things the action did to the pert br**sts pushing against her blouse. "If the muzzle fits. You can hardly blame me for being . . . hell, I don't even know the right word."

"Scared? Out of sorts?"

"To put it mildly." She sighed. "I doubt I'll sleep much, but I suppose I should try."

Jaxon could think of one foolproof way to make certain both of them slept like babies. His c**k twitched in agreement and he shook himself out of his dirty thoughts. The last thing either of them needed was a messy complication. Even if she was willing. Which she wouldn't be, if she knew what was good for her.

"Come on, I'll show you where our quarters are located."

If she noticed his now-pronounced limp, she didn't mention it as she fell into step beside him. The others had gone ahead and disappeared one by one through the door at the back that connected the hangar to the corridor leading to the main building of the compound. When they reached the entrance, Jaxon held the door open and ushered her inside.

"Wow, this is nicer than I imagined," she said, gesturing to the decor. The hallway was done in dark green carpet, the textured walls painted a warm beige. Tasteful sconces were placed at intervals, the bulbs just bright enough to allow them to see, but not so bright as to glare.

"You were expecting sterile hospital white walls and ugly industrial tile?"

"You called it a compound, not the Hilton."

"True. But we have to live here, so there's no reason for the place to look stark and gloomy. Besides, there are several women on staff who enjoy sprucing up the common areas whenever Nick allots them more money. They wouldn't let us guys get away with plain and ugly even if we wanted to."

"Nick?"

"Our boss," he reminded her.

"Oh, right. When will I get to meet him?"

Raised voices ahead-one in particular a deep rumble above the rest-answered the question sooner than he would've preferred. "Shit."

"Guess that answers my question."

The trepidation on Kira's pale face made him want to growl at whoever came too close, including Nick. As they reached the end of the corridor and entered the recreation room, Jaxon saw that the head Alpha wolf had met their group and was grilling them intently. He did not appear to be thrilled by what he was hearing as Zander tried to explain why they'd returned mere hours after they'd left.

"We had no choice, Nick. These two ass**les were attacking the woman, and Jax had to step in."

The older man's mouth pressed into a thin line. "Fine. And you all had to bring her here, why?"

Wasn't this going to be fun? Jaxon stepped up, angling his body so he was mostly between her and the semicircle of men. "The men had guns, and I had to shift in order to take them down. She saw the whole thing."

Nick's stormy blue gaze stabbed him like twin daggers. "Let me get this straight. You let your wolf out in f**king downtown Las Vegas, killed two men, and brought home their intended victim who witnessed the entire f**king episode. That about it?"