Wolf in his Heart (Salvation Pack) (19 page)

“Yeah.” Sage dragged his fingers through his hair and blew out a breath. “She knew I heard and I walked away from her. I wanted to calm down. To make sure I wouldn’t say something I’d regret.” He looked down at her still form. “I regret leaving her more. She must have gone out the front door.”

Mikhail rubbed his sister’s arms. “She was always impulsive. She feels things deeper than she lets on. She’s always been protective of her emotions. I’d say even more so after this past year.”

Sage understood that. Now all he wanted was for her to open her eyes so he could apologize for hurting her, for doing the exact thing she’d feared. In the meantime, he was done talking. He wanted to get her cleaned up and comfortable.

He pushed to his feet. “You staying?” Not that he really needed an answer.

“Until she wakes.” Mikhail faced him, hands on his hips. “If she wants to go, I’ll take her away.”

“I’ll follow,” Sage promised.

Mikhail slowly inclined his head. “I believe you would.”

Of course he would. Rina was his heart. He headed to the bathroom. “I’m going to get a damp cloth and towel and clean away the blood and grime. She’ll be more comfortable when she wakes.”

He only hoped it was soon. He needed to see her beautiful green eyes, so full of life. He wasn’t sure what they were going to do about the shooter, but he trusted his pack would figure out something.

It’s what they did. They were there for one another. Always.

And they would be there for Rina too, if she’d let them.

He wet a cloth and rubbed the bar of soap over it until he had a good lather. He grabbed a towel and headed back into his room. Mikhail had already removed her shoes and socks and jeans and pulled the covers to her waist. He’d also pulled away the tattered remnants of her top.

There was stark agony and deep love etched on her brother’s face. “She always slept hard, even when she was a baby.” He brushed his fingers over her hair. “Our parents were older when they had her. I was almost forty and had been living on my own for years. I moved back home when I realized they didn’t want her.”

Sage set the towel on the bedside table and began to gently cleanse the blood from her back and shoulders. He’d known she and her brother were close, but seeing it firsthand was different.

“She was a light in the darkness. I raised her.” Mikhail growled with anger. “And I let her down. I wasn’t there when she needed me.”

“From what she told me, they purposely waited until you were gone to try to force the mating on her.” He carefully dried her back. He’d have to go back for a clean cloth to wash her face and arms. There was too much blood on this one.

“You didn’t stop looking for her,” Sage pointed out. “You did what you could.”

“She should have trusted me.” He sat on the bed beside her and leaned against the headboard. “She has trouble with trust.”

Sage snorted. “Tell me something I don’t know.” Hell, he and her brother were having a bonding moment. It was impossible to dislike the guy knowing how much he loved his sister. He wasn’t the enemy, never had been, even when Sage had worried he’d take Rina away.

He was just a man who loved his sister.

“I’ll take care of her,” he promised.

Mikhail nodded. “I wouldn’t leave her here if I didn’t believe that.”

Sage carried the soiled towel and washcloth into the bathroom and got fresh. Now all he had to do was convince Rina.

Chapter Nineteen

Why was she sleeping on her stomach? Rina always slept on her back or side, never her stomach. She tried to move, but her back ached. She frowned, trying to figure out what was wrong with her.

Then it hit her. That bastard had shot her.

Where was she? Had he taken her away?

Before she could panic, a familiar male voice whispered in her ear. “Shh. You’re all right. I’ve got you.” Sage. He was lying next to her, resting his hand on her lower back.

She relaxed now that she knew she was safe and took stock of her injuries. Her legs and arms felt good. It was her back that hurt. Specifically the upper left section.

“Rina, baby. Open your eyes for me. Please.”

There was so much worry, so much pain in his voice that she tried to do as he asked. It wasn’t easy. She was like she was drifting in a bit of a fog. It took some effort, but she finally forced her eyes open. Sage’s head rested on the pillow beside hers. He looked tired, the tiny lines that radiated out from the corners of his eyes appeared deeper.

She frowned. “You don’t look so good.”

His smile lit up the entire room. “You’re one to talk.”

“You were mad at me.” She remembered that. It was why she’d left the house and gone for a walk.

He smoothed his hand over her bottom. There was a sheet and her underwear between them, but the caress was no less potent. In spite of her injuries, her body responded to his touch.

“I was,” he agreed. “I didn’t want to say anything I might regret, so I walked away to get my temper under control. I should have stayed and talked things out, but I didn’t like hearing that you thought I was with you because you were convenient, an opportunity I’d never had before.”

She chewed on her bottom lip as she recalled her conversation with Sue. She’d said things she hadn’t truly believed, but it had been habit to put up barriers between herself and those who might care about her. “I’m sorry.”

Sage tenderly tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I don’t want you to be sorry, not if you truly believed what you were saying. If that’s the case, then I’m sorry for making you not believe otherwise. You have to know how much I care about you.”

He tenderly ran the side of his finger down her cheek. “You, Rina Matheson. I don’t care if you’re a full-blooded werewolf, a half-breed, or full human. I want you.” He nuzzled her neck. “I love you.”

She couldn’t breathe. Fear and longing stole all the oxygen around her. She gasped and clutched her chest.

“Rina?”

He jerked upright and helped her sit. “Just breathe, baby. You’re okay. Everything is okay. Keep looking at me,” he ordered.

She nodded and kept her eyes on his beloved face. He was so concerned about her.

“I need some help in here,” Sage yelled.

The door burst open and Mikhail practically leapt across the room to her side. He sat on the bed and grabbed her hand in his. “What’s wrong?”

“We were talking and suddenly she couldn’t breathe. Could the bullet have harmed a lung?”

“I’ll go get Gator,” Elias said from the doorway. Sue stayed in the opening and watched while his uncle disappeared.

Mikhail shook his head. “If the bullet had damaged her lung, she’d have been having trouble long before now. Rina. Rina,” he repeated more forcefully. “Look at me.”

She had a choice. Both men wanted her to look at them. She almost turned to her brother, but the resignation in Sage’s eyes stopped her. He expected her to turn away from him.

Oh God, that’s what she’d been doing all along. His confession of love scared her to the very bottom of her soul. She didn’t want to be that vulnerable. Not again. But Sage was opening himself up to be hurt. Could she be any less brave than he was?

She kept her eyes on Sage and watched the pupils in his beautiful blue eyes expand. She could easily lose herself in those eyes. “Just breathe,” he told her. He took a deep breath, and she followed suit. “Now let it out slowly.” Again, she followed suit.

By the time Gator hurried into the room, she was almost back to normal. “What’s going on? Elias said she was having trouble breathing.”

He pushed past Mikhail and sat on the edge of the bed. He pulled a stethoscope out of the bag he’d brought with him, set the earpieces in place, and rested the flat, round part on one side of her back. Rina jerked when the cold hit her skin.

“Take a breath for me,” Gator ordered. He moved to another part of her back. “Again.” She followed his instructions but kept her focus on Sage. Now that she was feeling better, embarrassment set in.

“I’m sorry.” She wanted to bury her face in the pillow. “I didn’t mean to be such a bother.”

Gator snorted and pulled the scope away. “You were shot only a few hours ago. I think you’ve earned the right to be a bother.” He tucked the instrument back in his bag. “You feeling better now?”

For such a tough-looking guy, Gator was really a very nice man. She nodded. “Much.”

“Okay. I’m going to assume that was a minor glitch.” He studied her wound. “You’re healing nicely. I’d say the stitches will start working their way out later today, tomorrow at the latest.” He stood and grabbed his bag. “Lots of rest and some good meals and you’ll be right as rain in no time. You need to build your strength up again. Takes a lot of energy to heal.”

Gator turned to Sage. “I’ll check on her again in a few hours. Call me if you need me sooner.”

“Thanks, man.”

Gator waved off his appreciation and left. Sue closed the door behind her, leaving her alone with Sage and her brother.

“You heard him,” Sage told her. “Rest and good food.”

She knew he was right. She felt about a strong as day-old kitten. Even her wolf was strangely silent, as though resting.

“You okay, little girl?” her brother asked when the others had left.

She nodded. “I’m fine. Didn’t mean to scare everyone.” It was shocking how difficult it was just to speak. “The shooter?” She didn’t want to call him by name even though she knew it now.

Her eyes started to flutter shut but suddenly flew open. “Did he hurt anyone else?” She hadn’t even thought to ask. The man had had a gun and he obviously wasn’t afraid to use it.

“He’s in custody,” Mikhail told her. “Jacque decided it was prudent to go through the local law. You said that this guy has brothers and we don’t know what he’s told them. You’ll have to make a statement as soon as you’re up to it. Later today, if possible. Jacque wants this over and done with.”

“Evidence?” She was healing too fast. Soon there would be no evidence she’d even been shot.

She looked to Sage for answers but he shrugged. “Don’t look at me. I haven’t left your side.”

That gave her a warm tingly feeling. She looked to her brother. “Unbeknownst to me at the time, Jacque was taking pictures to document every moment. He even took some video of Gator operating. Then there’s the rifle and the slug that Gator removed from your back. The law has plenty. Plus, the guy can’t shut up. Apparently, even when they were dragging him away in cuffs, he kept justifying the shooting by saying you were a werewolf.”

Rina flinched, and this time it wasn’t because of the pain in her back. “I’m sure that doesn’t make Jacque very happy.” The most basic law of their kind was to never let a human see them. If people believed they actually existed, their lifespan would be tremendously shortened. They’d be hunted to extinction.

“We’re going to use it to our advantage,” her brother assured her.

This time when her eyes drifted shut, she let them. She’d used up all the energy she had and just wanted to sleep.

“Can you watch her while I take a shower?” Sage asked.

“Sure,” her brother replied.

She wanted to beg Sage not to leave her but stopped herself. Barely. She liked having him next to her, liked knowing he’d cared enough to stay. Maybe he would stay forever. Maybe she could trust in his love.

She heard the water come on in the bathroom and realized he hadn’t closed the door all the way. If she called him, he’d come.

Mikhail brushed his hand over her head and kissed her temple. “Sleep, little girl. We’re watching over you.”

She snuggled down into the pillow. It felt good not to be alone.

Sage rested his hands on the tiled walls of the shower and let the water beat down on him, washing away the stench of fear and the smell of Rina’s blood that still clung to his skin even though he’d washed his hands earlier.

She was going to be okay. Now that she’d opened her eyes and spoken, he truly believed that.

Now the only hurdle left to get over was her reluctance to trust him. Hell, she’d had a full-blown anxiety attack when he’d told her he loved her. Not quite the reaction he’d been hoping for.

He raised his head and the water cascaded over his face and chest. He grabbed his soap and quickly ran the thick bar over his body. He didn’t want to be away from her for long but had needed a few minutes to collect himself.

As he rinsed the soap from his skin, his resolve settled. He needed Rina. He wanted her and he loved her. Sure, she was skittish. She hadn’t known him that long, and during that time she’d had a maniac searching for her, one who’d actually shot her.

He twisted the taps and shut off the flow of water. He didn’t like the fact that she’d been vulnerable to attack because of him. If he hadn’t been such an ass, she wouldn’t have run off and been out there on her own. Vulnerable.

Sage grabbed a towel and dragged it over his body. Just thinking about her being on her own for more than a year made him slightly savage. How could her pack, her family have done such a thing? It was no wonder she expected nothing but the worst.

He tossed the damp towel over the towel rod to dry and walked naked back into his room. Mikhail glanced his way but said nothing as Sage went to his closet and pulled out a clean pair of jeans. He yanked them on, not bothering with underwear. Shirtless, he strode back to the bed.

“She’ll be fine,” her brother assured him.

“Will she?” He sat on the edge of the bed. “That was a panic attack.”

“Yeah, it was.” Mikhail sighed and straightened the sheet covering Rina. “What did you say to her?”

“Told her that I loved her.”

One corner of Mikhail’s mouth kicked up in a smile. “Yeah, that’ll do it.”

“So glad you’re enjoying yourself.” He wanted to hit the bastard in the face, but that wouldn’t help the situation.

“You’re looking at it all wrong.” Mikhail stood and stretched. It wasn’t quite dawn yet, and Sage knew he’d been napping on the sofa in the living room.

“How so?”

“The fact she panicked means she cares. If she didn’t, it wouldn’t matter what you said to her.”

It was his turn to smile. Mikhail was right. “Think you’re smart, don’t you?”

Mikhail reached out and patted Sage on the back. “I know I am.”

Sage laughed in spite of himself. You just had to like the guy.

“Call me if you need me.” With that, Mikhail quietly left, leaving the two of them alone. And, he realized, conceding Sage’s right to be the one by Rina’s side. He knew that the older wolf was giving his silent approval of their union.

Now if he could get Rina onside, he’d be a happy man.

Sage settled on the bed next to her. She didn’t stir. He knew she was still weak. Hell, there hadn’t been enough time to build her strength back all the way from the months of hardship she’d endured before she’d been forced to run for her life. Now this had set her recovery back again.

No matter. They had all the time in the world. Rina needed to understand she didn’t have to do it all on her own. Not anymore. He’d never turn from her, and neither would anyone in this pack.

Sage sat beside her, resting his back against the headboard, and watched as the shadows were pushed back by the rising sun. He loved this time of day. It was quiet and filled with possibility. A new day just waited. Anything could happen.

He loved that the rising sun filled his room with light. Best way in the world to wake, in his opinion. He never bothered to close the drapes over the large patio doors. Heck, he only had curtains because Sue had insisted they made the room look nicer. Personally, he didn’t care, but if it made Sue happy, he was okay with them. Luckily, she’d chosen a nice green color that reminded him of his garden.

He wanted to share his mornings with Rina. All of them. Her eyes were closed, her thick eyelashes spread like a brown fan, a stark contrast from her pale skin. Her lips were partly open and she emitted a soft sound with each breath.

Sage carefully pushed off the mattress, careful not to jostle her. He went to the door, opened it, and walked right into his brother’s open arms. He’d sensed Reece’s worry and concern since the shooting. He’d also felt him getting closer for the past few hours. He must have left Chicago almost immediately and driven like a bat out of hell to get here so quickly. It was usually a ten-hour drive.

“I’m so glad you’re here.” He pulled back and studied his brother. Reece looked as tired as Sage felt.

“Nowhere else I’d rather be.”

That struck Sage to his core. It was the truth. “Then why are you still living and working in Chicago? You know there’s a place for you here.” Jacque had even given them both a piece of land. Sage had been considering building a home but had been unconsciously waiting to see where his twin finally settled.

Now that Rina was here, it was time to build his own place.

“It’s not time.” It was the same reply his brother always gave. Sage knew his brother felt he was in Chicago for a reason. He just didn’t know what it was.

“How many speed limits did you break on your way here?” he asked.

The corners of Reece’s mouth turned up in a small smile. “Let’s just say I used my badge twice to get out of a ticket. Thankfully, traffic was light since I drove through the night.” Reece jerked his head toward the open patio door. “She’s okay.” It wasn’t a question. His brother would have sensed Sage’s changing moods.

“Yeah, she’ll heal.”

“But?” Reece’s scowl grew fierce. “What?”

“She had a panic attack when I told her I loved her.” That made Reece grin. The bastard was as bad as her brother. “Your time is coming,” he promised his twin. “When it does, I’m going to take great pleasure in reminding you of this moment.”