Nadia
“Shit, Na-na,” Shayne says, turning to me with a grin. “Look at you, Boss Bitch!”
My mouth falls open as I step close, staring at my name written in next to Chief Nursing Officer.
“No way,” I whisper, staring at it – thinking that it must be some mistake. But then I blush and step back, knowing that Dr. Arbroth doesn’t make mistakes – not in situations like this. I shrug, glancing at my friends. “Nepotism strikes again, I guess.”
“Or you’re just good at this,” Grace says, laughing and putting her arm around me, proud.
I don’t even look up at Cole, knowing what his expression will be. Also knowing I’m not going to be able to handle it.
“I’m on probation,” I murmur, shaking my head. “It shouldn’t be allowed.”
“No r
NadiaI groan, knowing she wouldn’t bluff about this. Then I exhale, pressing my eyes shut, trying to pull myself together, wanting to immediately forbid her from interacting with Nadia at all but knowing that doing so will just put a target on my mate –“Cole,” Rose says, softer now.I open my eyes, lifting my head to look at her.“Could you maybe, just for ten seconds, give me the benefit of the doubt? And realize that I’m not some psycho ex-girlfriend but instead someone who is trying to do something good here? Something to help?”My shoulders slump at that. Because maybe she’s right. Maybe I’m overreacting and being a dick.“Fine,” I say, tossing a hand out towards her tent. “Show me. But keep your fucking shirt on, Rose.”“No promises,” she mutters, turning
Cole I sit in General Amir’s chair as he stands behind me, my body tense, arms folded. My father’s image appears on the computer screen, his face more serious than it usually is, while a second black box loads. I lean forward as it flashes to color, Jude’s image taking shape.“Sorry,” dad says, nodding to us. “Took a minute to get him.”“Bath time,” Jude murmurs, dry, running a hand through his damp hair.“You guys are aware of this?” I snap, kind of livid that they didn’t inform me immediately.“I’m not,” Jude says, frowning at the screen and glancing at dad. “What’s up?”I flick my eyes to dad, who nods. “We’ve come into possession of some images,” dad says, starting to bring them up on screen. “And we’d like your perspective, Jude – ““Should Iris be in on this?” Jude says, looking toward what must be his bedroom door. “If this is a family affair and all –“ “It’s not necessary that she be in on this conversation, Jude,” dad says, putting a hand on his arm. “But we could use persp
ColeI cover my face with my hand, shaking my head. “I don’t know what to do with you, Jude.”“What’s the problem?” Jude asks, looking between all of us with a smirk. “Why is everyone so upset?”“I think the issue of child labor in a military operation is putting Cole over the edge,” dad murmurs. “Though the true question I have is – what are the risks of this? Are those kids dangerous?”I drop my hand, paying attention again and glaring at my uncle for kind of dismissing the issue of child military labor.“I mean, I wouldn’t get close to them,” Jude murmurs, shrugging, typing rapidly on his phone as his informant gives him more information, his eyes flashing over the screen. “My guys says that they’re small but at this age they can use a knife and they’re trained to be sneaky. Plus, they’re motivated. If they got a chance to hurt you, they’d do it.”I curse lightly under my breath.“Motivated by what?” dad asks.“Food,” Jude says, nodding, his phone’s screen flashing as new messages
Cole“Impossible to move right now,” General Amir says behind me, his voice grave. “The assault tonight prevents it.”“Right,” dad says, sighing, looking between all of us. “Shit timing to get this news. We should have consulted Jude on this as soon as we got the images from Ms. Lind.”I glare at my dad, thinking that’s right. Now we’re all seriously in danger and there’s no time to deal with it before we have to face something very serious.“Jude,” dad says, moving on to problems that we potentially could solve. “From your perspective, is there any way to aid these children? Get them away from the Children of Solace?”Jude shrugs. “Look, I’m no expert on it and I can look into it further if you want, but basic psychology suggests that these kids will have been raised to be terrified of you, even if they’ll find you fascinating. They’d do everything they could to get away if you caught them. And, like I said, they won’t hesitate to lash out and try to hurt you if you try to trap them.
Nadia “What the fuck,” I whisper, putting my empty bowl down on the ground and leaning back against my palm as I stare at Cole. “That’s…that’s insane. They’re using little kids to spy on us?”“That’s so scary,” Shayne whispers, shaking her head. “And at the same time…adorable.”“Shayne!” Grace gasps, spinning to her.“Lil baby spies!” Shay says, pressing a hand to her heart. “Up in the cliffs? And they’re hungry and they get food if they do a good job!?” She gapes at Grace like she can’t believe anyone would be heartless enough to resist that mental image.Tommy grins at Shayne as Grace rolls her eyes. “They’re being mistreated, Shayne. It’s not cute.”“I’m going to adopt the
Nadia“Cole, make me one too!” Shayne says, beaming at him. “But I want a pony! Or a chipmunk! Or a tiny child spy!”“I’m getting you the pony,” Will growls.She grins and turns her head to him. “I can have two.”He snarls and snaps his teeth at her, making her laugh again.“Hey Tommy,” Grace says, standing and reaching her hand for him. “Can you help me? I have to move a bed in the medical tent.”“Absolutely,” Tommy says, jumping to his feet, looking quite pleased to have an excuse to get out of here.Cole and I watch them go, waving a little as Will and Shayne turn their attention to each other.“Seriously, Cole,” I say, turning back to him, holding the little wolf flat on my palm again. “This is really cool. How long have you been doing this?”“Since I was a k
Nadia “I need those bandages over there, Nicole!” I shout. Nicole spins to me, her eyes wide – but honestly, I’m shocked she could hear me over the incredible roar in the tent. Every bed is full of wounded soldiers – all wolves – some sobbing, some quiet and pale, but several shouting their goddamn heads off in pain. “Bed eighteen! Now!”Nicole nods fervently to me as I slap a red flag on the side of my patient’s bed, scrawling notes on his chart that his femur is broken and his treatment plan needs to be verified by the doctor. I hastily clip the chart to the back of his bed and turn, looking for the next –But he grabs my arm with a cry, pulling me back.I gasp and spin to him. “Where are you going!?” he shouts, his voice terrified, looking down at his leg which lays at a sickening angle, twisted to the right halfway down h
Nadia“Your father has informed me,” Arbroth continues, “that you’ve been checking medical texts out of the library since you were four, Nadia,” the doctor snaps, her patience at an end. “You’re the cleverest girl in this camp and the hardest working. If you weren’t so stubborn about flitting off to humanitarian projects – yes, your father told me about those as well - you’d likely be halfway through med school by now. And I’ve watched you – I’m not sure that medical school will teach you anything about field medicine that you don’t already know! So now go and help those patients – I deputized you for a reason! Whatever treatments you pursue have my explicit permission! Go!”I stare at her for a second and then take a step back.Arbroth gives me a final sharp nod and drops my arm, turning away.I tu
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