Savage Awakening (Alpha Pack #2)(78)

"Yeah, I can neutralize the heat, as long as he doesn't burst into flames."

It was a distinct possibility. Nick watched as Zan tucked the towel around Aric's middle, then grasped him under his knees and behind his back, lifting his friend into his arms. Aric's head lolled back, lashes dark against his pale cheeks.

Goddamnit, they were going to lose him-unless they got Rowan here, fast.

They met the women in the corridor, and the group hurried toward the infirmary. When they got there, a rumpled-looking Noah met them, obviously having been dragged from his bed as well. Mac stopped Nick from following Zan into the room where they were getting Aric settled.

"Let us help him. You'd only be in the way right now."

"But he's-"

"I know," she said gently. "Let us do our job."

Blowing out a breath, he relented. "Sure. I'm sorry."

Squeezing his arm, she disappeared into the room. In moments, Zan emerged, having been booted out to wait with the rest of them.

"If that snarky bastard dies," the Healer ground out, "I'm going to play nonstop country music over his grave as punishment. What the f**k is wrong with him, Nicky?"

Everyone felt his pain. The desperation of possibly losing a great soldier. A good friend and fine man. They deserved to know.

"Rowan is his mate, remember? And he let her go without telling her-and more important, without claiming her."

"I can't believe we let the dumb-ass do that," Jax croaked. "He saw what happened to me!"

"He doesn't feel like he deserves Rowan because of what happened to Micah and the team. He didn't say anything about Beryl, and she ended up hurting all of you. Half your number are still missing, and he blames himself for that, too."

Zan punched the wall, leaving a dent. "What a bunch of shit! Nobody blames him! Why can't he wrap his stupid brain around that fact?"

"Now what?" Kira asked.

Nick took his cell phone from the pocket of his sweats. "We get a certain cop here, pronto. I'm sending the jet to L.A. Who wants to pilot?"

"I'll do it," Jax volunteered. "My license is current."

Kira spoke up. "I'll go with you. I'm betting she's going to need another woman to talk to about the mating thing."

"Good idea," Nick said. "Go. I'll tell her to meet you at our landing strip east of the city."

The couple left and Nick went to the waiting area to make the call. Zan followed and sat across from him, silent. Nick waited, not surprised when she answered on the second ring.

"Hello? Nick?"

"It's me. Rowan, listen to me-you were right. Something has happened and I need you here right away."

"Oh, God! It's Aric, right? What's wrong with him?"

"Jax and Kira are on their way in our jet, and they'll explain when they arrive. Pack your stuff and be at the landing strip in two hours. Can you do that?"

"Of course. Give me directions and I'll be there." Her voice had calmed, taking on that cop tone he'd come to know so well.

Right then he knew without a doubt that Rowan would do whatever she could to save Aric. She loved the man. There was hope.

He gave her directions to the strip and hung up, slumping in his seat. He and Zan didn't speak. They just listened to the clock tick on the wall, and prayed that Jax could get Rowan back here in time.

Rowan showered quickly, got out, dressed. Opting for simple, she pulled her hair into a ponytail and went with little makeup, applying only enough so that she didn't look like a corpse at almost six in the morning.

Next she repacked her duffel with clothes for a good week or more. Then she called Dean and left him a message, telling him what she knew. Which wasn't much.

A call to her sergeant was next, and boy, was that one as fun as a colonoscopy. He wasn't amused to learn that she wasn't coming back on shift this morning as scheduled. His ominous tone as he spoke the words "We'll talk when you return" didn't bode well. It hit her that she might not have a job to come back to.

And then it occurred to her that she really didn't care.

The one thing that mattered was Aric, and something terrible had happened. All she could think of was getting to him. After watering her plants, she scooped up the bills from her table and stuck them in her purse. She'd mail them from Wyoming.

Then she was on her way, leaving L.A., and she had the strangest notion that she wouldn't be back. But she'd have to return, wouldn't she? She chewed on that all the way to the strip, and some more as she waited for the jet that would whisk her to Aric.

Finally it appeared, dipped low and came in for a smooth landing. The craft taxied to the end of the runway, and the pilot didn't even bother to shut it off. Instead, the door opened and Jax popped out, jogging over.

"Here, let me help you with that," he said, taking her duffel and slinging it over one shoulder. "Come on. There's not one minute to waste."

She trailed him, panic beginning to eat at the edges of her self-imposed calm. What could have happened? What could be so bad? And why would they come after her in the middle of the night? She didn't see how she could help, grateful as she was to be able to get to him quickly. Jax tossed her bag in, and held out a hand to assist her into the plane.