Cole’s Redemption (5 page)

Both of them made faces at his bad joke and moved off, finally leaving him alone.
He had no doubt they’d go straight to Jax, and soon Zan would have a trail of wolves
behind him who just suddenly decided they needed to go for a run as well.

Idiots, all of them. But he was damned glad to have them in his corner.

Taking advantage of his brief period of alone time, he left the compound, walked into
the forest, and undressed. He welcomed the change, and it flowed over him, though
not without some discomfort this time. His fatigue and the pain in his head affected
his speed and efficiency, but he managed. Once he was on four paws, he shook himself
and started off at a leisurely trot.

He really needed some time in wolf form to relax. Enjoy nature, take himself out of
his own head and away from the constant challenges for a while.

Gradually, it began working. The tension seeped from his body until he was relishing
his time in the forest, taking in all the sights and wishing he could hear the calls
of the birds, the breeze through the branches, the babbling creek nearby. Soon enough,
he told himself, when he was healed. He’d hear all of those things and more.

He was so lost in his thoughts, it was a shock to come upon a break in the trees—and
see two white wolves about forty yards away. The smaller of the two was streaking
toward a large one he instantly recognized as Nick.

As the smaller wolf slammed into Nick and sent them both rolling, Zan took off in
their direction. Mind going cold, he focused on his commander’s attacker.

He had a wolf to kill.

Z
an raced for the pair of wolves, heart thudding in his chest.

The smaller white wolf was snarling and snapping, trying to get Nick pinned. Going
for his throat. But as he neared, he realized the commander was making only evasive
maneuvers to protect himself. He wasn’t attacking in return. What the fuck?

Maybe Nick wasn’t counterattacking because, despite his opponent’s fierceness, the
other wolf simply didn’t have the size and strength to best him. Unfair fight. Zan,
however, had no such problem taking out the asshole.

Rushing in, he hit the wolf from the side and sent them both skidding across the ground.
Immediately, he leaped on the intruder’s back before he could gain his footing, driving
him into the dirt and leaves. The other wolf was no match for Zan’s weight and couldn’t
throw him no matter how he struggled. Blood lust roared through his veins, and he
lunged, sinking his fangs through thick fur into the wolf’s neck.

Female
. The wonderful scent, like cinnamon spice, hit him like a truck at a hundred miles
per hour, and he froze, some primal instinct cutting through his fury like a hot blade
through wax. Suddenly, he couldn’t finish her off. Distantly, he heard Nick shouting,
his voice much clearer than it should be, though he wasn’t sure how.

Then something strange began to happen. A warmth started in the center of his chest
and spread outward, like ripples in a pond. It grew into an intense heat, searing
his lungs and stealing his breath and, to his embarrassment, became the fire of arousal.
He wanted to let go of her neck, but couldn’t.

A thread, bright and golden, seemed to spin from his heart to the other wolf, and
he could swear he felt an answering thread from her twine with his. Solidifying and
strengthening until there was an explosion of light that rocked him backward, finally
breaking his hold.

Immediately, the female shifted into human form, kneeling on the ground and rubbing
at the spot where he’d bitten her. Vivid blue eyes flashed cold fire at Zan as she
spat, “What the fuck did you just do?”

He was awestruck. She was beautiful, short hair so pale it was almost white framing
an angular face. Her breasts were full, waist narrow, and her limbs were long and
toned with muscle. He figured she was tall, maybe as tall as he was. She also was
beyond pissed, and he couldn’t think why. He shifted back as well, finding his voice.

“What do you mean, what did
I
do?” he asked, incredulous. “First of all, you’re trespassing, and second, you just
tried to kill my commander. You’re lucky I didn’t rip out your throat.”

The venom in her eyes was a little scary—and a lot puzzling. “Why didn’t you? That
would’ve been a lot less complicated than the situation we’re in now.”

“Lady, the only situation here is that you’re now in custody. And as a rogue and a
hostile unknown shifter, you’re going to be locked up for a good while.”

Her laugh was sarcastic. With a start, he realized he had actually
heard
that in her tone, and even if he hadn’t been able to see her lips, he could’ve almost
made out her next words. “You mean in your top-secret compound everyone in the county
knows about?”

“That’s the one,” he said, ignoring the jibe. Glancing at Nick, he noted that his
boss had also shifted back, but oddly enough, he kept his eyes averted from the intruder.
In fact, the woman was studiously avoiding looking directly at Nick, too. That was
odd, since wolf shifters were frequently naked around each other before and after
their shifts. It would be pretty stupid to be self-conscious about something so natural.

So why were they acting so weird?

“You okay?” he asked Nick.

“Yeah.”

The woman shook her head. “You really don’t have any idea what you’ve done? Priceless.”

Zan frowned. “Me? I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.” Off-kilter, he
wondered for the first time what she thought of his odd, flat voice. Jesus, he hated
being on the defensive.

Nick opened his mouth to say something, but four wolves burst through the trees and
crowded in on the woman in a semicircle, snarling at her in warning. And that’s when
something
really
weird happened to Zan.

His wolf surged to the surface and took over faster than he ever had before, and he
was powerless to stop the change. Scrambling forward, he placed himself squarely between
the female and his Pack, laid his ears flat against his head, and bared his teeth.
A low, ominous rumble sounded in his chest, letting them know not to come one step
closer.

What the hell is wrong with me?

In seconds, the four wolves changed back, and Jax, Aric, Micah, and Phoenix were crouched
in front of him. His brothers stood, looking as bewildered as he felt.

“What the fuck, man?” Aric scowled, looking past Zan to the woman.

Zan growled louder.

“Oh shit,” Jax groaned, slapping his forehead. “I’m not believing this.”

Micah’s eyes widened. “Z-Man, did you bite her?”

Nix started laughing but quickly put a lid on it when he caught a glare from his commander.

Dread became a lead weight in Zan’s chest, and he forced his wolf into submission,
shifting back. “Yeah, I bit her on the neck. So what? I would’ve been justified in
killing her for attacking Nick, but I didn’t. She’s fine.”

Everyone looked at the woman, and she in turn leveled Zan with a murderous stare.
“I’m anything but
fine
since I’m now Bonded to
you
, genius.”

“I—what?” Zan gaped at her. His Pack brothers’ faces showed everything from amusement
to wariness to stunned disbelief. Nick’s expression of grim resignation scared him
most of all. “No, that can’t be right. All I did was . . .”

Desperately, he tried to think of another reason for his reaction to the bite. The
warmth, the arousal, the golden thread. And the ensuing explosion that seemed to have
resulted in some sort of connection between him and this unknown female. But the truth
of what had happened settled over him, and his gut liquefied.

“Shit,” he whispered, then met her gaze. “I’m sorry. I’ll find a way to break the
bond. Kalen’s a Sorcerer. Maybe he can—”

“So eager to be rid of me already,
honey
?” She smiled, but the expression didn’t reach her glittering eyes. “And we haven’t
even exchanged names.”

He nodded slowly. “I’m Zander Cole, the Healer of our unit, the Alpha Pack.”

“Selene Westfall.” She raised one eyebrow. “Congrats are in order, eh? I mean, since
your boss just became your father-in-law and all.”

Shocked faces met that announcement. Zan swallowed hard and looked to Nick, who nodded.

Oh, fuck.

•   •   •

Zander Cole. My Bondmate
.

The man was a walking orgasm, no point in denying it. He had layered black hair that
fell to just below his ears and flopped over his forehead into amazing brown eyes.
Kind eyes that were portals to a gentle soul, if first impressions could be trusted.
He had a strong jaw and a classic handsome face that reminded her a little of Henry
Cavill, and he was tall, topping her by at least a couple of inches.

His chest was broad and smooth, his nipples small, brown, and tight, and a gorgeous
tattoo of a snarling wolf graced his right pectoral, curling around one taut peak.
His muscles were nicely developed but not too beefy, more on the lean side, just the
way she liked. Her perusal dipped south to his impressive cock, a good five inches
even while lying flaccid, and to the heavy balls nestled underneath. The dark hair
at his groin was neat, trimmed. She liked that, too.

Idiot! This man is not kind, and to hell with his looks. He works for my father, and
he was going to kill me. He’s my enemy!

And yet he’d placed himself between her and the impending threat from his Pack. . . .

Just then, two men with long hair—one blond and the other a redhead—caught her attention.
The blond muttered, “Nick has a daughter? Had no freaking clue.”

“Nobody did,” the redhead whispered back.

Well, that pretty much summed up how much Daddy Dearest had missed her, didn’t it?
Whipping around to look at him, she kept her gaze on his face and sneered, “Guess
you’d better toss me in the kennel with all the other bad pups. Wouldn’t want you
to have to deal with me like a man or anything.”

His blue eyes flashed with what she could have sworn was pain. “Placing you in custody
is the last thing I want to do, but I have the safety of my team to consider. You
won’t remain there any longer than necessary—you have my word.”

Her mouth fell open, and she sputtered in outrage. “Your word? Is that supposed to
mean shit to me? Giving your word implies you have honor, and you have none!”

“I’m truly sorry you feel that way.”

“You’re the reason I feel that way, you sonofabitch,” she hissed.

He shook his head, sadness shadowing his features, and turned away, refusing to be
drawn into an argument. “Aric, run ahead and see if Rowan has any clothes to loan
Selene. Everyone, let’s go.”

The redhead named Aric took off. Before she could think of anything else to hurl at
his head, Nick changed back into his wolf form. The rest of his Pack followed suit,
leaving her no choice but to do the same or fall behind, which they weren’t going
to let her get away with anyway. They wouldn’t risk allowing her to escape.

Nick took the lead, and the others surrounded her. She couldn’t help but notice that
Zander remained close by her side, as though keeping watch over her, rather than guarding
against possible escape. In fact, when one wolf trotted a bit too close, he bared
his teeth and snapped, causing his friend to sidle away quickly.

To have someone looking out for her was strange, to say the least. She’d been self-reliant
for so long, even among her own clan. She’d almost forgotten what it felt like to
have a defender. It was sort of nice. Okay, a lot nice—but she couldn’t get used to
it. Bonded or not, she and Zander Cole had no future together. She had a mission to
carry out.

The Pack kept up a brisk pace, not a full-out run, and within half an hour they trotted
onto the property she’d been trying to gain access to for months. Funny—now that she
was here, all she wanted to do was leave. That wasn’t going to happen anytime soon,
if the grim determination of her enemy was any indication.

At the edge of the forest, the men shifted and gathered the clothing they’d left scattered
about, dressing efficiently. She was almost sorry to see all of that prime male flesh
covered up, especially Zander’s.
Beautiful.

She couldn’t stop staring at the man, which annoyed her, but at least the attention
wasn’t one-sided. He studied her plenty in return, apparently every bit as curious
about her as she was about him. She wasn’t very happy about having a mate, but . . .

She began to see that it might have a few advantages. For one, her mating would dissuade
the advances of a particularly insistent suitor from her clan. Taggart had been a
friend since childhood, but he hadn’t let up on hopes of a mating with her since he’d
hit puberty and discovered what his dick was for. She loved the big, handsome lug
to death, but not like
that
.

Having Zander as a mate might also give her a stay of execution, literally. He had
prevented her from killing their commander, so she wouldn’t face a murder rap. Plus,
it was forbidden to interfere with the mating bond—at least, in her world. Once, that
world had been her father’s as well.

Being reminded of him leaving, and why, was too painful. So she protected herself
as she always had—by wrapping herself in a cloak of anger. Rage was the best antidote
to pain. Better than food, liquor, sex, or just about anything. That was a sad commentary
on the state of her life, but anger was all that had gotten her through for too long.

Aric jogged across the lawn and handed her the clothes. Without a word of thanks,
she slipped on a pair of underwear and a bra, stepped into the borrowed cargo pants,
and tugged on the black T-shirt. Then she padded barefoot with the group to a side
door and straight into what was obviously a recreation room.

She stood, blinking at the spacious room for a moment, trying to make the sight gel
with what she’d pictured. There were tables set up for pool, foosball, and Ping-Pong,
as well as a dart board and a large-screen TV with a gaming system hooked to it. Two
sofas with pillows, several oversized chairs, and rugs made the room homey. Comfortable.

She had expected the inside of the compound to appear stark, more like a barracks.
But as they guided her out of the recreation room and into the hallway, she continued
to be surprised. The floors were carpeted, and tasteful wall sconces lit the way.
The walls themselves were a pleasant, warm cream color.

“You expected a military compound with cement floors and armed guards?” Zander questioned,
looking at her.

His voice had a strange flatness. She’d noticed it from the start, and now that the
excitement had died down somewhat, she wondered about the inflection that was a bit
off.

“Something like that. You all live here full time?”

He nodded. “Makes our jobs easier.”

After a few turns, which she memorized, they led her to a hallway marked
AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY
. The rest of the party dispersed, while Zander and Nick escorted her through the
double doors. Her blood froze as she noted the rows of steel doors on either side
of the corridor, sealing off what could only be cells. Her worst fear was confirmed
when Nick halted and pulled open one of the doors.

“This area is Block R, named for Rehabilitation.”

“I could’ve guessed that,” she said shortly.

“Then you can also guess what Block T stands for.” Nick’s voice was gruff. “That’s
the next stop for those who prove to be too dangerous to remain among us.”