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
Nadia “Hey, Cole,” Rose says, laughing and twisting her hips as she says it. She wrinkles her nose at him and my hands clench in my lap. God, this girl thinks she’s so cute.And I mean, she is. But…whatever. I hate her anyway.“So?” Rose asks, lifting her chin again after my dad. “Updates?”“Sorry,” Cole says, smoothly standing from his spot next to me on this log. “That’s classified information, Rose.”Suddenly aware of being the only one sitting and peering up at the rest of the group like a toddler, I stand too.Rose scoffs, I think genuinely surprised to be denied. Suddenly she turns her head to glare at me. “Well, why does she get to know?”“Hi, I’m…Jeanie,” the therapy student says, giving an awkward wave and attempting a smile that doesn’t stick as she looks
Nadia“Hey,” Cole snaps, his hands tightening on my waist. I blink and look up at him, focusing on his face as he frowns down at me. And then I look around, realizing that we’re in the nurse’s bunk tent.When the hell did we get here?“Are you all right?” he asks, all stern.I frown at him again. “I’m fine.”Cole narrows his eyes. “You’re not fine. But you will be. Okay? I need you to trust me on that.”I blink up at him, hope and clarity coming to me as I realize that…dad was right. I do have a royal connection. Cole took that phone for a reason. He’s – he’s going to make some phone calls – he’s going to fix this –I straighten my shoulders, nodding to him. Cole’s eyes move over me and he nods too, buying it. “Go and wash up, okay?” he says, lifting his
Nadia“Dad wants a meeting,” I say, gesturing to my father with my thumb.“That’s unnecessary,” dad says, pitching his voice higher so Cole can hear. “My meeting is with you, Nadia.”I slowly turn to him with a frown, narrowing my eyes. What on earth is going on here?Cole murmurs to Tommy and another of his guards for a moment, clearly ordering them to take the same command with the boy pups that Shayne and Grace just took with the girls. He moves quickly towards us.“What’s going on?” Cole asks, slipping his hands into his pockets.“It’s not your concern, Captain Kincaid,” dad snaps, glaring at Cole.Cole just looks evenly at dad, his expression turning cold, clearly implying that if dad’s meeting has to do with me then it damn well does concern him too.Dad glares between us. &ld
NadiaCole laughs, quite pleased with himself, and I straighten up, my hand clasped in my towel over my chest. “If you please, sir,” I snap, eyes still closed. “I’d like my privacy while I dress.”“Back into your dirty clothes?” My eyes snap open in time to see Cole raise an eyebrow at me. I realize that he’s right – all my clean stuff is at my bunk.“Oh, shut up,” I mutter, stooping to gather up my dirty outfit.“Come on,” he says, reaching for me, aiming to put his arm over my shoulders again.I squeak, darting past him so he can’t touch and fucking ensorcel me with his stupid body – which is probably all warm -“Get back here!” Cole calls, laughing as I dash past him out of the shower room.“No!”“Do it!” he shouts after me, laughing
NadiaI scowl as I blush, which feels appropriate when one is stripping down in a little cubicle with Cole Kincaid naked on the other side of a very thin wall. There are four little showers here, all in a row, and each not only has a curtained shower stall but also this little dry cell next to it with its own curtain to block out the rest of the room. But luckily, we have the shower room all to ourselves for now, which is rarely the case.“You good over there?” Cole calls.I stop with my shirt pulled halfway over my head. “Why would I not be good?” I snap.He laughs, low and pleased. “I can just hear you seething.”“Oh, shut up.” I finish pulling my shirt and bra off in one go, throwing them on the floor.“Was that your shirt?”“Cole!”“Wait, so, are you topless?”
Nadia“All right,” Cole says, nodding to the pups. “I want everyone to remain in wolf form, and young ladies, I’d like you in two even lines on either side of the boys, please.”Janine looks up at me. “What’s a young lady?” she whispers.I laugh, tapping her on the nose and whispering that she is, quickly giving her an explanation that makes her smile.When all the kids have lined up Cole holds his hand out to me. I take it and together we move to the front. “You ready for this?” he murmurs, glancing down at me.I shrug, looking up at him. “I was born for this.”Cole smiles, exhausted but terribly pleased with me, and together we walk into the camp with one little wolf girl in my arms and twenty-five pups following neatly behind. Tommy’s mouth falls open as he sees us approach. He quickly radios for backup,
NadiaCole frowns down at the boys. “No, I’m not going to kill you,” he says, steady and strong. “I don’t come from a world where we kill children. We raise them and educate them in warm and happy homes. If you obey, you will be given food and warm clothing, you’ll be sent to school. You’ll be safe and protected – and you won’t have to work until you’re much older and can decide what jobs you’d like.”A confused little hum starts in the children, the girls looking at me, clearly wondering if this promise extends to them as well. I slowly nod, dedicating myself inwardly to ensuring that that promise is kept.“But it all starts with you all falling into my command,” Cole says, steady and unyielding. “Can you do that?”Most of the little boys immediately nod, great smiles breaking out on their faces. Only the
Nadia“Fine,” I say, turning my hand over and nodding towards the backpack which I can’t reach anymore. “You handle that, I need to bandage this,” I say, nodding down to the little girl’s cut arm. It’s not deep, thank god.Cole nods and quickly grabs the backpack, passing it to the closest girl, who hands it to me. I concentrate on being a nurse as Cole turns back to the boys.“Who sent you?” Cole asks, voice rough and displeased. He crosses his arms, glaring down at the little ragged crew, some of whom sniff and look miserable. Others just stare at Cole, fully awed.“No one sent us,” the head boy says, his head hanging. I note for the first time that he’s a handsome little boy, larger than the rest, with brown hair and freckles over his cheeks and nose. “Or, well, we’re scouts, so our Superior sent us. But we attacked you because
Nadia“Wake up!” A voice snarls. “You are our captives now!”I lurch out of sleep, my eyes flashing open. They widen at the sight in front of me.But I barely have time to process the sight of the little boy baring his teeth at us, a sharp knife clutched in his hand, a whole pack of other little boys gathered behind him before a vicious snarl erupts from Cole, whose arms tighten around me.I gasp – but then the whole world goes to shit.Chaos reigns as all of our little girls seem to leap to their little puppy feet at once, yelping and barking and snarling, some lunging at the boys who shout and wave knives, or shift and attack. Other girls dash behind behind rocks or tuck themselves into the shadows. Janine cries out, pressing herself closer to me as Cole launches to his feet, pushing me behind him as he shifts into his wolfI shout, clutching Janine to me
NadiaWe run for about thirty minutes, I think – but even after that relatively short time, I can see that the pups are flagging – weak, exhausted, starving. Cole barks twice and slows, allowing the pups to catch up as he moves into the shadows of a cliffside, well protected from sight. When we’re all tucked in he lowers himself to the ground. I help Janine climb down and then follow after her, looking curiously up at Cole as he shifts back.“Think we’re far enough away?” I whisper.“As far as we’re going to get,” he murmurs. “They’re flagging. They need food and water.” He looks carefully around, sniffing the air. “I think we’re okay for now. I haven’t sensed anyone near all night.”I nod, trusting him to know far better than me.“Let’s get the sandwiches out,” he murmurs, lifting his head towards the ba