Primal Law (Alpha Pack #1)(15)

"No problem." Glancing between them, she rose and slipped out, shutting the door behind her.

"All right, fess up," Jaxon said quietly. "What happened just now?"

"Nothing you need to be concerned about."

"Bullshit. You look ready to pass out."

"I'm fine. It's you who's ready to crash, not me. Now get the hell out and take care of our new addition before she wanders off." He softened his words with a smile.

Stubborn bastard. "Fine. But I'm here to talk if you need me."

"I'll keep that in mind."

No sense in beating his head against the wall. Once his stubborn boss made up his mind to keep his lips firmly shut, not even a crowbar could pry them open.

He found Kira waiting at the end of the hall a respectful distance from Nick's office, and briefly gripped her shoulder before drawing away. Why he felt compelled to keep touching her was beyond him. He had to stop before-no. Not going there.

"Let's get you to a room. I'll give you the grand tour tomorrow."

"Sounds good." A wide yawn punctuated the statement.

His lips twitched, but he refrained from smiling. She was a thief at best, in trouble with some bad f**kers at worst. Figures she'd have to be so damned cute both the man and the wolf wanted to gobble her up. In the best way, that would leave them both drenched in sweat and cum.

Shit! Willing his c**k to behave, he took her through the living area, past the dining room, and down another corridor toward the living quarters. He stopped in front of the second door from the end and flicked a hand at it.

"This is one of several empty units in this wing. They're more like small apartments than hotel rooms, which makes living on-site more comfortable. A few of the women live on this end, including Dr. Mackenzie Grant, who's next door to you. My room is just across the hall and a couple of doors down." He pointed. "You need anything, don't hesitate to knock."

"Thanks." She peered at the small panel on the wall near the knob. "Can we get in? Looks like we need a code."

"This one's not set up yet, but we'll take care of that for you tomorrow. It locks from the inside, so you can feel secure."

Opening the door, he ushered her inside and flipped on the light.

"Oh, my! This is much nicer than I expected." A blush tinged her cheeks and she grinned ruefully. "That didn't come out right. Sorry."

He chuckled, liking the way the corners of her eyes turned up when she smiled. "I know what you meant. It'll never make the cover of Better Homes and Gardens, but it's not bad."

She ran a palm over the back of the tasteful sofa. "This will do just fine. Thank you. For everything."

A world of meaning weighted those words as her smile died. He understood what she couldn't express-she'd be dead right now if he hadn't intervened. It was hard to say thanks for something like that.

He should know.

"You're more than welcome." He cleared his throat, breaking the intense moment. "Anyway, let me run over and get you one of my T-shirts."

"Oh, you don't have to. Really."

"It's no bother. Hang on a minute."

Jogging across the hall, he let himself in to his apartment and hurried to the bedroom. He spent a few seconds digging through his dresser, searching for a clean shirt that wasn't too worn. Finding one, he jogged back to Kira's door and knocked.

"It's Jax."

The door opened and she met his eyes. "I appreciate this, but you didn't have to," she said, taking the shirt. Their fingers brushed and he felt that current again. Electric, shooting south like lightning.

He shrugged. "You had to have something for bed."

"No, I don't." Standing on her tiptoes, she planted a kiss on his cheek, and murmured, "I sleep naked, but I appreciate the gesture. Good night, Jax."

With that, she closed the door and left him standing there panting like the wolf he was, sporting a hard-on that was attempting to drill through his zipper.

If he didn't get relief, fast, he was going to explode in his jeans.

I sleep naked.

Time to take care of business. And then he was going for a long, long run. With any luck, he'd be too exhausted to dream about a pretty little blonde with sky blue eyes.

Pacing his office, Nick stared out the window at the night. The moon called him, beckoned him to raise his voice in song, pour out his sorrows. Wouldn't be the first time, nor the last.

Sometimes he f**king hated his "gift" as a seer. Tonight was one of those times.

Two hearts were destined to be bound forever, find a love stronger than any they'd ever known, or would ever know again. Their road wouldn't be easy, but their joy when they gave in would be boundless.

And oh, God, so brief.

Two souls would be torn apart. One heart left drowning in grief.

But Nick couldn't interfere with the future, with free will. He'd made that mistake once, with tragic results.

There wasn't anything he could do to change the horrible outcome.

Not one goddamned thing.

Outside, he stripped his clothes and shifted, hit the ground on four white paws, and ran. If he ran far enough, fast enough, maybe he could forget that real monsters existed. Just for a little while.

And just maybe, he could forget he was one of them.