He opened his mouth to yell, or thought he did, but couldn’t make a sound. Nothing worked the way it should. He knew where he was, though. In the speeding van, head in someone’s lap, every bump in the road jarring his pain-racked body. A small, feminine hand held one of his tightly. Kira.
“Jax?”
He knew it was her, but he couldn’t scent her anymore. Couldn’t speak or move at all, not even to squeeze her fingers, let her know he was alive.
For how much longer?
Goddamn, he didn’t want to go out like this. He struggled to breathe, thinking it shouldn’t be this hard. When he’d been hit, he was certain the bullet had missed his lung. It had, right? He’d been shot before, and the wound should’ve healed with no problem.
Instead he lay as if dead, along for the ride, unable to communicate in the slightest. He was aware of Kira and a couple of other voices speaking to him in soothing tones, telling him that he’d be all right. He tried to take heart, to push back the encroaching fear, but wasn’t entirely successful. Something was very wrong, besides the gunshot wound. The talking around him grew even more worried as the vehicle stopped and doors opened.
People were shouting. His body was jostled and he couldn’t cry out.
Something hard slid underneath him. A backboard.
Then he was out of the van, being carried fast. Loaded into another transport. He remembered the helicopters and realized they must be at the hangar. Two hours to home.
And the truth flooded in—he wasn’t going to make it.
It shouldn’t be possible, but it was becoming a reality. His body was shutting down, like the lights in a house winking out one by one. He hung on as long as he could. Counted in his head, and when he lost count, tried to concentrate on the loud drone of the engines. Imagined the compound getting closer with every mile, whisking him to safety.
“Breathe, Jax! Come on, buddy!” Zan shouted next to his ear.
“Jax? Please, stay with us.” Kira. He heard her tears. “Don’t leave me.”
He tried to obey. Really fucking tried.
Made it all the way to landing before their frantic calls began to fade. His last awareness was of being lifted, flying. Wishing he could see the stars, shift into his wolf, and run.
Make love to Kira.
And then it all vanished into mist.
“He’s not breathing? Mac!”
Kira bailed out of the helicopter after the doctor. Zan and Kalen were already out, holding each end of the backboard, hurrying up the walk toward an entrance marked EMERGENCY. The other woman didn’t answer or spare her a glance, just ran, shouting orders at the nurses and other medical personnel who met them at the double doors.
Heart pounding in fear, Kira rushed after them. She would’ve followed them all the way into the ER had strong arms not wrapped around her waist, hauling her back.
“You can’t go in there, honey,” Nick said, voice full of regret.
“Let me go!”
“Can’t do that. He’s in good hands, though, I promise.”
“He needs me! Nick, please.”
“I’m sorry.” Gently, he guided her to a chair. “Come on, I’ll wait with you.”
“We all will,” Aric declared, dropping into a seat. Obviously he and the others had handed off the two survivors they’d liberated from the NewLife building, but she hadn’t been paying attention.
After a moment, she calmed herself enough to ask, “Are the two shifters okay?”
“They’ll make it, physically. The rest, we’ll see, but I think they’ll pull through.”
She nodded. “That’s good.”
The respite was brief and took her mind off Jax for only about three seconds. The team crowded into the waiting area, none of them willing to leave without word. Zan and Kalen walked back in from the OR, faces weary. A barrage of questions from the guys was met with little info, none of it encouraging.
“He wasn’t breathing,” Zan choked, dropping into a chair, head in his hands. “That’s all I know.”
“Jesus,” Hammer mumbled in shock.
Aric responded by putting a hole in the wall with his fist and letting go a stream of profanity. The others just moped. Someone went for coffee.
Time passed. Kira wasn’t sure how long it had been when Sariel strode into the room, heading straight for her. Jumping up, she launched herself into his arms. He caught her against his chest and enfolded her in his wings, and the dam broke. She sobbed in terror, babbling that she couldn’t lose him.
“You won’t, dearest.” He placed a kiss on the top of her head. “I swear to you.”
“H-how do you know?”
“I just do. Now dry those tears, or else your wolf is going to be treated to the lovely vision of a puffy, blotchy mate when he wakes up.”
Pulling back, she managed a small laugh. “Gee, thanks.”
“You’re welcome. What are displaced princes for?”
It was a lame attempt at a joke, and she loved him for it. Wrung out, she let him tug her over to a chair. At Zan’s urging, he fetched a box of tissues from the front desk—he was puzzled about their purpose at first—handed them over, and settled in beside her for what might prove to be a long wait.
It was worse than long. Interminable was a better word. Half the team was dozing when both Mac and Melina pushed through the double doors into the waiting area, but everyone immediately snapped to attention.
Dr. Mallory got to the point. “The two shifters are stable but still unconscious. Jax is also stable at the moment, and the bullet has been removed. But his condition is critical.” She gave Kira a pointed look. “I’ll need you to come with us.”
“Of course.” She rose on rubbery legs and followed the doctors. Whether either of them was ready or not, she had a suspicion that the moment of reckoning was at hand.
A sexy silvery-eyed wolf was about to become hers.
“Jax, open your eyes.”
Wait, loved? Ah, shit.
“Sweetheart, can you hear me? Come on, handsome. Let’s see those peepers.”
Kira. For her, he tried. His lids were like wet concrete, but he managed to crack them open a tiny bit. Her small form was leaning over him, blurry. But there. Holding his hand, stroking his brow. So good.
“I . . . can’t smell you,” he rasped.
Her touch stilled. “What?”
“He means his sense of smell is gone,” Melina said. “He can’t scent you.”
“Oh. What do we do? How do we fix it?” She was so upset, his baby.
He couldn’t comfort her. Couldn’t move a damned muscle.
“This is undocumented territory, but I’d like to try something. Are you willing to let me make a small incision in your wrist? I can give you a local anesthetic.” Obviously she was talking to Kira.
Wait a minute. Melina wanted to cut his angel? Why? Jax tried to growl but only a pathetic whine came out. His eyes closed again.
“Yes! Anything that will make him well.”
Noises ensued, the clank of metal on a tray. Melina spoke to his mate, but he couldn’t make out the words.
