Page 5

Cole

I turn, sighing out my nose, meeting Nadia’s eyes as she stands slump-shouldered next to a shorter girl with long, straight red hair and a lovely round face. The new girl looks between us, shocked.

I just take a deep breath, clenching my jaw, holding Nadia’s gaze steadily and not saying anything. Just…letting her see with my complete intransigence that I’m not kidding. Not at all.

“Wait,” the redhead says, her eyes going wide with surprise and then delight. “Seriously? Is that him ? The Alpha who claimed you?”

Nadia doesn’t respond, just standing straighter now that her initial surprise has passed. She crosses her arms over her chest and glares at me so hard that I wonder if she’s trying to make me explode with the power of her gaze alone.

“Wait, what?” Another young woman with wavy light-brown hair steps to Nadia’s other side and stares between me and my mate. “Is that – is that him ?”

“It’s him!” The redhead hisses, grinning eagerly at her friend.

“Well, what the hell, Nadia!” the brunette says, smacking Nadia on the arm. “You didn’t tell us the Alpha was Cole Kincaid! The goddamn Prince!”

Nadia

“Um, should we get going?” The military driver’s voice rings out awkwardly in the clearing. He stands looking between our two groups of nurses and Alpha jerks, probably because we’re just standing here gawking at each other, unmoving and silent.

Cole breaks first, to my delight.

“Let’s go,” he says, looking to his men and pointing to us. “You know what to do.”

As one they start to move, hefting their guns and starting to walk around us, herding us forward like they’re sheepdogs and we’re their new flock. My pride rankles as Cole, head border collie, turns towards the trucks and waves for us all to follow.

I cross my arms, digging my heels in, ready to refuse. But Shayne places a hand between my shoulder blades and gives me a hearty shove.

“What was that for?” I gasp, stumbling forward and whipping my head up to glare at her next.

“You’re being weird!” she snaps back, shaking her head at me. “What are you going to do, quit the mission just because your boyfriend showed up?”

“He is not my boyfriend-“

“Oh, leave her be, Shay,” Grace sighs, rolling her eyes and walking steadily at my side. “You can tell she’s upset!”

“About what ?” Shayne asks, laughing and looking forward at Cole’s tall form as we follow him to the trucks. “Seriously, Nadia, I was pissed for you when you told the story – but you didn’t say he was hot –“

I gasp at Shay, livid, opening my mouth to say that whether or not he’s hot has nothing to do with how fucking wrong it is to just claim a woman as your mate without even consulting her about it –

But my outrage turns to complete mortification when Cole turns at the transport, pulling the door open, a shitty little grin on his lips – his complete change in mood evidence of the fact that he definitely, definitely heard what Shayne just said.

Inwardly I groan again, remembering that these Alpha wolves have like, insanely good hearing or some shit.

“Welcome,” Cole says, offering his hand to Shayne first, giving her his most gorgeous smile. “Can I help you up into the vehicle?”

“Oh, you can help me any time!” Shayne says, beaming as she steps forward and slips her hand into his.

“My pleasure,” Cole murmurs, his voice dropping low and…

well, sexy. Fine – yes – it’s sexy. I can admit that.

It’s just facts , after all. Shay blushes gorgeously and lets out a tinkling little laugh that makes me roll my eyes as she leans on Cole a little too much, allowing him to help her into the transport.

He turns to me, his grin turning a bit wicked, holding out his hand to help me next. “Miss Amir?”

“I’m good,” I snap, narrowing my eyes at him and grabbing the bar next to the high step into the transport van. I don’t look at him again as I swing myself up inside, moving to sit on a bench seat next to Shayne, who is now my ex-friend and utterly dead to me.

“Seriously, Nadi,” Shayne says, laughing and peeking around me to get another look at Cole. “If you don’t want him, sign me the fuck up –“

“Enough, Shay,” I snarl, teeth clenched, shutting my eyes to block out the sight of that Alpha prick.

“He can claim me any time he wants – he can call me up at 2 am for a claiming and I’ll jump out of my bed – I won’t even change out of my jammies before I -“

“Shayne!” I gasp, pissed off and turning to glare at her.

But she’s ready for me, grinning her wild grin, and I stop in my proverbial tracks when I realize that she’s just teasing.

We both burst out laughing as Shay wraps her arms around me, hugging me close and rocking me a little, trying to get me to laugh it off too.

And I give in – because Shay is irresistible and always knows how to break me out of my moods.

I lean against my friend as Grace comes to sit next to us, joining in as we all laugh at the horrible irony of this.

That I came south to try to do something good – and to get further away from Cole Kincaid.

And of course – of course – it’s just my rotten luck that he was already here.

Waiting for me.