He didn’t rest his other arm around my shoulders. “I can make it.”
“She just saved your life, Aren. Stop being an asshole,” Adam growled.
Grudgingly, Aren rested his arm around my shoulders and hobbled between the two of us to the elevator. Adam had us wait in the elevator while he scanned the area for any sign of Sasha. We could hear police sirens in the distance. Someone must’ve heard the gunshot. Surely Sasha and Sebastian were long gone by now.
Adam came back in and helped me get Aren over to the car. Once we had him inside I felt like I could breathe again. We’d be back in Reno and with any luck Aren’s ankle could get patched up before morning.
…
Adam and Aren both slept on the plane ride, but I was too keyed up to rest. Sasha was still out there. She wouldn’t give up looking for me. Nero wouldn’t let her. And what about Sebastian? Would he have killed me rather than let Nero have me? And why was he so certain now that I shouldn’t go to the Organization? The first time we met, he was ready to abduct me for them. What changed? Maybe the breeding experiment wasn’t the only information he’d found while nosing around the Nero Organization’s computer files.
I glanced down at Aren’s ankle, relieved to see there wasn’t any blood soaking through the bandages we got on our way to the airport. I was also relieved that werewolves have a high tolerance for pain. Aren winced a couple of times, but other than that, he kept his agony quiet. He fell asleep shortly after the plane took off, too. The rest would do him good.
Then he shifted in his seat and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, “Sasha.”
…
We pulled into Adam’s house in the middle of the night, and I was left in the awkward position of figuring out how to help. Or how to stay out of the way. I tried to keep my distance from Aren who seemed even grouchier than usual, if that was possible. I cut him some slack since I knew his ankle had to be killing him.
“Okay. Jason is on his way over,” Adam said. “And he’ll be sure Malcolm doesn’t know anything yet.”
Aren nodded, then they both turned toward me.
“What? Should I go hide with the horses in the barn?”
Adam walked over and took my hand. Aren frowned and turned his head to look out the window.
“Let’s go outside,” Adam whispered.
He walked with me in the moonlight. It was so close to the full moon that we could see everything without a flashlight, even without superhuman eyesight. When we got to the barn, Adam stopped to look at me.
“Aren has amazing hearing, and I don’t want him to know we’re leaving. Especially not right now while he’s injured.” He glanced up at the house and then met my eyes again. “I guess we shouldn’t have checked you out of the hotel yet. I thought we’d get Aren home and take off, but with him injured, I can’t leave yet. Not now.”
“I’ll just visit with the horses,” I offered. “Will that mask my scent enough?”
“Yeah, it should.” He sighed and looked up at the moon shaking his head. “I know this is really crappy, Lana. I hate that it has to be this way.” Adam met my eyes again. “I want you in my arms, but I can’t risk Jason and my father catching your scent on my clothes.” A muscle in his cheek tightened. “You deserve better than this. You saved my brother’s life.”
My eyes welled with tears and the urge to kiss him tormented me. “Not your fault I’m a jaguar.” I blinked back the tears and managed a smile. “Just so you know, I would kiss you right out of your boots if I could.”
The corner of his mouth tilted up into a crooked smile that melted my heart. “I’m going to hold you to that later.” His gaze slid over my entire body. “I’m going to do more than kiss you.”
I wet my lips. “Promise?”
When we heard a car drive up Adam groaned. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“I’ll be here.”
He turned and jogged back up to the house. I walked farther into the barn, chatting with the horses that put their heads over their stall doors to visit. I could see why Adam loved it here. It was peaceful and simple.
Too bad I couldn’t stay.
Chapter Thirty
I couldn’t wait to have Lana back in my arms. After nearly two hours of assisting Jason with Aren’s ankle, I was emotionally and physically drained. The bone had fragmented into several different pieces, and he should’ve had surgery, but Jason did the best he could. It wasn’t life-threatening. Not worth the risk of taking him to a hospital.
Before tonight, I felt like the Pack would be fine without me. When it came time, Aren would ascend to the Alpha. But now there were questions I couldn’t answer. What if something happened to Malcolm before Aren’s ankle healed? What if his ankle was never right again? Would someone else in the Pack challenge him for the Alpha position? It would be within their rights. He might not be able to win if they did, especially not now.
I ground my teeth together and walked faster toward the horses. Toward Lana.
“Is everything okay?”
Without hesitation, I pulled her into my arms, holding her tight as I kissed her hair.
“It will be, but Aren’s ankle may never be the same.” I loosened my grip enough to look down into her eyes. “Jason did the best he could. I guess we’ll know in a few weeks when he takes the cast off.” I paused and corrected myself. “I mean,
“You can’t leave this place, Adam. They need you and you need them.”
“I don’t need anyone who can’t treat you like part of the family.”
She kissed my chest. “Jaguars haven’t been very good to your family.”
“You’re more than a jaguar. You’re my mate. You saved my brother tonight. And even after you did, he still won’t speak to you. I can’t stay here and subject you to that.” I shook my head. “I’d end up hating every one of them for not accepting you. It’s better to leave before that happens.”
She looked up at the moon. “Isn’t the moon full tomorrow night?”
I nodded.
“So you should stay and run with the Pack.”
I shook my head. “We’ve gotta get going. It’s only a matter of time until Sasha is back on our tail. Sebastian may be helping her for all we know.”
“Don’t break their hearts on a full moon. You should run with them.”
I stared into her dark eyes, unaware until this moment that I could love anyone so much. I brought my hand up to cup her cheek, my thumb brushing over her soft skin. “How did I get so lucky? I have the most beautiful, sexiest, and bravest mate a wolf could ever hope for.”
She smiled and nuzzled into my palm. “Too bad I’m the wrong species.”
I bent to kiss her and whispered, “There is nothing wrong with you, Lana. Nothing.”
A tear rolled down her cheek as she pulled me closer. My hand slid back into her hair, holding her close as the kiss deepened. God, I could not get close enough to her.
Our tongues tangled, and I growled into the kiss when I felt her hands glide up my stomach and across my chest. Every muscle in my body reacted to her touch. She set me on fire, until my jeans were way too tight and confining. When her hand wandered down, stroking my rock-hard erection through my pants, I broke the kiss. I couldn’t take much more, or I was going to take her right there in the barn aisle.
“Aren’s in the house resting.”
“I need you,” she whispered, nibbling at my neck. “Now.”
Just when I thought I couldn’t get harder, I felt myself pulsing, aching for attention. My lips fused to hers as I walked her backward into the tack room. The rich scent of clean leather surrounded us as I backed her up to the saddle rack. Her nails scratched my skin while she struggled to yank my shirt off.
Knowing that she wanted me as desperately as I wanted her was making me crazy. Instead of pulling away to lift her T-shirt over her head, I grabbed the neckline and tore it down the middle. I’d buy her another shirt later. I needed her bare skin against mine.
