ColeNadia stays tense and still for a long moment before she slowly stands, pressing her hands to her thighs and rising like a damned goddess from the mist. My heart starts to pound, my wolf making all kinds of unintelligible howls and yips as I watch every movement of every muscle, taking it all in.She tilts her chin up, proud, and holds my gaze. “No, Cole,” she whispers, dangerous. “I’m not jealous.”I smirk, unable to help it. “I mean, you look a little jealous.”She bares her teeth at me, just a flash – such a wolfish gesture, even for a human. “You think I’d be jealous,” she hisses, “of some slutty little witch who comes running in here like she owns the place –“I laugh lightly, delighted.“I mean I’d have more decency than that,” Nadia snaps, throwing out a hand to the center of the camp where Rose and the rest of her group have disappeared. “What a prideless –““Oh, come on,” I say, shrugging, casual. “Rose just has a very particular verve for life. She’s fun.”“She’s certai
Nadia I frown as I wake, confused, because the light on my eyelids – and the noise –My eyes blink open and I sit up, disoriented for a second. But then I realize that I’m not at home, or in my dorm room at school. That I’m in this stupid tent with twenty other nurses, which means I may never sleep properly again…“Morning, Nadi,” Grace says. I turn to see her smiling softly, rubbing one eye, peering at me with the other. “Did you sleep okay?”I sigh, wrapping my arms around my legs and resting my head down on my knees. “Not really.”She purses her mouth together in pity, perfectly aware of why I didn’t.Shayne groans, pulling her pillow over her head. “Would you two please shut up!”We both turn to her and I can’t help but smile as I pull my pillow from behind my back, throwing it at her. She gives a shriek of outrage but does not emerge.“Your fault, Shay,” Grace calls, grinning over at our friend. “We told you not to go back out last night.”“But they’re so cuttte,” she groans. I
Nadia“And what does this whole mate thing mean for like, your dating life?” Grace asks, stabbing some eggs with her fork and taking a big bite, clearly absorbed in the questioning. “Do you just not date anyone, sitting around waiting for your mate?”“Grace!” I hiss, leaning towards her and smacking her arm. “Fucking – stop! You can’t just ask strangers whether or not they bite their girlfriends!”“Oh, you’re not a stranger, are you, Greg?” Shayne says, leaning towards the wolf next to her, wrinkling her nose adorably. He beams at her – as captivated as she said he is.“I can too ask!” Grace says, snapping her face towards me with a frown.“You’re being so rude!” I whisper, pissed and embarrassed as hell.“It’s not rude!” she bites back. But then her face falls and her shoulders straighten as she spins back towards the boys. “Oh my god. Was it rude? Am I being rude?”The brown-haired guard – Tommy, I think – laughs a little and shakes his head, clearly pleased with us.“It’s not rude,”
Nadia“Nadia,” Cole says, loosing a long breath and opening his eyes, looking evenly down at me now. “Please, come back to the table and eat with us. I’m sorry that we made you uncomfortable. We’ll change the subject.”“Nah,” I say, my surprise draining away and my anger retaking pride of place. I move again to step around Cole. This time he lets me and I put my food down on the table.“You didn’t eat anything, dear,” the woman says, looking worriedly between the food and me. “Would you like something else? We have –““Would you mind giving us a moment?” Cole says, giving the woman an apologetic smile – his most charming and princely. The woman blushes, laughs a little and nods, stepping away from the table.“Seriously, now you’re turning women away from their jobs, Cole?” I ask, casting a hand toward the woman’s retreating form.“If that’s what it takes to make you listen to me for thirty seconds, Nadia,” Cole replies, turning to me, cooler and more casual than he was a moment ago. “
Nadia “However you want this experience to go, Nadia,” Cole says, his expression cool as he keeps his eyes fastened, unblinking, on mine. “That’s how it will be.”I just stare at him, kind of…baffled by the offer.“You say it and I do it, all right? You’re in charge. You want me to fuck off and leave you alone and never talk to you again? I’ll do it. You want me to tell the guards to never say a goddamn word to Shayne and Grace and the rest of the nurses – hell, the rest of the humans? It’s done.”My eyes widen as I realize the very real power he’s handing to me right now.“You want me to get on my knees and grovel for forgiveness –“I gasp, snapping out of my shock as he starts to lower himself to the ground as he speaks.“Would you stop that!?” I lash out my arm, backhanding him across the shoulder. Cole grins and straightens as I sneak a look around the room - some eyes are on us, but most are engaged in their normal conversation. “You’re making a scene!”“You want me to make a sc
NadiaThe sound rings sharp between us. I watch as a shiver runs visibly through Cole, his eyes flashing, his face falling a bit with shock.I smirk and turn back to my tray, confused and a bit pleased with his reaction. I mean, I don’t know why I did it, and I don’t know what it means. I just hated it when I saw her do that – so bossy, so…territorial.But he’s under my command now.“Shall we go back to the table?” I ask, pretending to be breezy and cool even as my heart pounds.“Yes ma’am,” Cole murmurs, his voice humming throaty and low behind me.“Good!” I lift my tray and start back to where my friends are. Cole’s footsteps echo behind me and I work very hard to suppress my smile.After all, this is our business. No one else needs to know.“Hey!” Shay says, her eyes shining with real happiness when she sees me approach. “I’m so glad you’re back!”“I got hungry again,” I say, settling easily into my seat and twisting my lips at my now-soggy cereal.Cole sits down in his seat next t
Nadia Dad glances at me, a rare smirk on his lips, before turning his attention more completely to Cole. “Kincaid,” he says – his formality making me smile in turn. I mean, dad has been part of our nation’s military for a long time and has known Cole since he was a little kid.But, I guess we’re in a military operation now.“Some interesting information has come through.” Dad raises his left hand, indicating the slim laptop held there.“Great,” Cole says, nodding. “Let’s have a look.”The two start off together towards one of the therapists’ little fire circles. I hesitate for about a quarter of a second before I stride along with them, certainly not leaving until someone makes me.“You don’t really need this information, Nurse,” dad says, glancing up at me as he takes a seat on one of the logs and opens the laptop. His voice is gentle though, soft. I know his subtle moods well enough to know that he’s entertained by my persistence, not bothered. Cole settles in on his left.“Yes, I
Cole nods, understanding, still keeping his eyes on me. “I understand your hesitations, Nadia. But you may not have all the information. It’s important to know that the Children of Solace is an institution that is not beyond threatening its own citizens to keep us out. And they’ll follow through on their threats. Taking them out fast saves lives, if we can manage it. I promise.”My dad nods, agreeing. “I understand the logic. We have to take the shot.”I exhale slowly, realizing that – as Cole says – I’m out of my depths here. My hand clenches on my knee, frustrated at that. I…I want to know everything – as much as they do.But, as my dad says, I don’t have clearance for that.Or at least I haven’t. Until now.“Okay,” I say, nodding, understanding but wanting to give it more thought before I voice my opinion anything more. That always seems to get me in a great deal of trouble with these wolves.“Well, Head Nurse?” Dad asks, slipping the laptop to Cole so that he can explore the map a
NadiaCole huffs a frustrated sigh, looking after Jude. My mouth starts to tremble as I realize that he wants to be over there, with Jude and Iris. Not here with cry-baby me. I try so hard to stop crying – but it hurts so much…Cole turns his face back to mine and lifts his hand, using his thumb to wipe away some tears from each cheek. “Come on,” he says with a sigh. “Let’s go see mom.”I frown and step back, my feelings hurt nearly as much as my arm. “You don’t want to,” I say softly, still sniffing. I raise my good arm and wipe it across my face, not wanting to be a baby anymore. Not in front of him.Cole stares at me, his face twisting in confusion because…duh. Of course he doesn’t want to help the crybaby – he wants to go with Jude so they can play wolves. “Nadia, we can –““I didn’t trip!”H
Nadia My voice cracks in rage at the fact that Cole is just pretending he doesn’t remember one of the most important days of my life.“When we were eight – or, I was! You broke my damn arm and –““I never did that, Nadia,” Cole says, leaning closer to me and shaking his head slowly from side to side. “I didn’t even know you ever broke your arm!”“I did! You did!” I almost shout, holding my right arm out to him like he can see the well-healed bone. “You were there!”Cole just stares at me, his mouth open, his throat clicking as he racks his brain, trying to remember what I’m talking about. Then he suddenly snaps his jaw shut, sitting up straight. “We were eight?”“Yes!”“Playing by the fountain in the palace courtyard?
NadiaI shake my head at Cole in apology, but he just turns back to the screen at the sound of his father’s voice.“Yes,” Ethan says, nodding seriously to all of us. “We’ll expect to send a great number of refugees as well as Children of Solace members – combative and not – toward you. General Amir, if we can get you some expected numbers, can you start to think of ways to sort this out? I’m aware that you have one medical tent right now and it…might not be best practice to mix populations, though we’ll want everyone who needs aid seen.”“Right,” my dad murmurs, nodding quickly to the King before starting to take some notes. “Yes, get me some numbers. I’ll see what I can do.”I exhale slowly, glancing at Cole, who focuses on the screen, his face quite grave.And as much as it surprises me to ever be in line emoti
NadiaMy dad looks up from his desk where he’s setting up the video call, his eyes moving quickly between Cole and me. “Nadia,” he murmurs, dropping his gaze to the keyboard, clearly hiding a smirk. “Good morning. To you as well, Cole.”“Good morning, sir,” Cole says, taking me by the elbow and giving me a little tug so that I follow him. As we move to stand behind my father, another man comes in – one I’ve seen frequently around camp, especially as he organizes the delivery of more and more patients. He stops at the entrance, narrowing his eyes at me with a frown.“Captain Stanzor,” Cole says, nodding to the chair in front of him, which is empty and clearly reserved for this relative stranger. “Good morning. It’s nice to see you again.”Stanzor slowly crosses as dad presses the button to connect the video call. The Captain tak
NadiaI scoff and roll my eyes. “Will you just tell me?”He laughs, looking down at the fire. “Listen, Nadia. I heard everything you said to me last night. Or at least, I tried to. And I’m very sorry. I’m going to try to be better.”My mouth falls open.He raises his gaze to my face.I snap my mouth shut, determined to let him eat his fill of crow.“I wasn’t fair to you and I wasn’t kind. I’m sorry that I didn’t trust you. I should have. I’ve arranged for –““I’m sorry too.” I bite my lip, looking down, pissed off at myself for giving in so quick. I mean, three seconds ago I was ready to indulge in a pleasant morning of sipping coffee and listening to the Prince grovel.Stupid conscience.Cole pauses.“I am,” I say, nodding solidly, not looking at him, my stupid
Nadia“Nadia.”A creaking little squeak rises in my throat as I turn my head toward the noise, a determined frown curving my lips.Something pats my mattress.“Seriously, Nadia.”My eyes fly open to take in the horrible sight of Cole Kincaid’s perfect fucking face eight inches from mine.I bolt up, starting to shriek, but - quick as a panther - he slips a hand over my mouth and muffles the sound.“Can you not!?” He hisses, glancing rapidly around at all of the other sleeping forms. “Everyone is asleep!”I start to say that I was likewise asleep and pleased to be so – but the words are all stifled against his palm, so I just seethe, already glaring – which is not an activity I enjoy before dawn when I haven’t had any coffee –“I come in peace, all right?” Co
Cole Slowly, General Amir smirks at me. “What?”I frown, shifting uncomfortably in my chair. “Other…young men?”He laughs, low, I think mildly entertained. “That’s a question for Nadia, Cole. Not me. But yes, you’re not without competition. And certainly there are some against whom she has less prejudice.”I groan, leaning back in my chair, covering my face with my hands and tilting my head back, trying to collect myself as my wolf races off into the darkness of my soul in a complete panic.Why? Why didn’t I ever even bother to ask if Nadia was seeing anyone!?But surely – surely Shayne would have told me –“Cole.”With an effort I collect myself, lifting my head back up and slipping my hands down so I can meet General Amir’s gaze.“She’s really putting you through your paces, isn’t she?”I sigh, nodding, dropping my hands into my lap. “She’s just…holding me to such a high standard, General Amir.”He raises his eyebrow at me as my wolf comes skulking back, no less panicked but wanti
ColeI look at General Amir evenly, holding his gaze. “I want Nadia to have full access to all the information I have. I want her in on meetings, debriefings, planning, all of it. She’ll have a vote in the proceedings of this operation – even just a minor one. I’m going to tell this to my father and I want you to support me on it.”General Amir raises an eyebrow. “Well, that’s a terrible idea.”I gape at him.“What?” he asks, smirking at me and lacing his fingers together as he leans further back in his chair. “My girl throws a temper tantrum and you reward her with unprecedented access?”I scoff. “I am not giving her rewards – and I’m not responding to her tempter tantrum like I’m her indulgent father or some-““Damn right you’re not.”General Amir’s tone surprises me. I sit taller in my rickety chair. “You’re being impulsive, Cole,” General Amir says, his voice low, words swift. “You’re eager to please her, which I understand, but she is a student nurse. She is clever as anything a
I take deep breaths, willing my mind to clear, my blood to stop rushing in my ears, but I still flinch when I feel Shayne’s hands on my shoulders, and then her arm wrapping around me as she trots to keep up.We walk together a few feet in silence, leaving the Prince behind.“Wow, you really let him have it,” she whispers, glancing back.I keep my eyes forward. “Was I too hard?”“Maybe a little bit, Na-na,” she whispers, giving me a squeeze. “But…I get it. It’s a subject that’s close to you. You care.”My head hangs lower, my guilt at war with…with everything in me that I hold dear. The ethics I inherited from my father, the big raw heart from my mother, the desperate desire to do anything I can to help. All mixed up in a big angry lump named Nadia.Tears come to my eyes again. Terribly confused, I slump against Shayne, who gives me a squeeze.&ldq