Page 59

Nadia

“Dad wants a meeting,” I say, gesturing to my father with my thumb.

“That’s unnecessary,” dad says, pitching his voice higher so Cole can hear. “My meeting is with you , Nadia.”

I slowly turn to him with a frown, narrowing my eyes. What on earth is going on here?

Cole murmurs to Tommy and another of his guards for a moment, clearly ordering them to take the same command with the boy pups that Shayne and Grace just took with the girls. He moves quickly towards us.

“What’s going on?” Cole asks, slipping his hands into his pockets.

“It’s not your concern, Captain Kincaid,” dad snaps, glaring at Cole.

Cole just looks evenly at dad, his expression turning cold, clearly implying that if dad’s meeting has to do with me then it damn well does concern him too.

Dad glares between us. “You’re going to force this, Nadia? Bringing your boyfriend in on a private conversation?”

“To begin,” I say, cold, crossing my arms over my chest. “He’s not my boyfriend.

And please do not attempt to make me send Cole away by trying to embarrass me.

If you have something to say that concerns my behavior from last night, then he can hear it too – Cole was a full participant in everything that happened. ”

Cole nods, agreeing. We’re a team in this.

Dad clenches his jaw, clearly not liking that. But I have no intention of sending Cole away, and dad couldn’t force Cole away if he tried. One glance at dad’s expression indicates that he’s aware of this as well.

“Fine,” dad snaps, turning and starting out of the tent. I glance up at Cole as we follow. He looks seriously down at me, his mouth drawn to a grim line. I can almost hear him saying it – I told you this would be trouble, Nadia.

I exhale slowly, ready to face it.

We follow dad in silence across the camp and into the command tent, following him inside. Cole and I stand before dad’s desk as he moves around it, turning to us seriously.

“Nadia,” dad says, his full focus on me, completely ignoring Cole. “Your behavior last night was unacceptable.”

I blanche at him. “Dad, you can’t be serious.”

“I am serious,” he snaps. “You are here as a nurse – you have a job . You abandoned that job to go on an absolutely reckless mission utterly without clearance –“

“Sorry,” I cry out, “did you want those little girls to starve in that cave, or get recaptured by Slaken?” I lean across the desk even as I gesture toward the entrance and the refugee children beyond it. “Did you want those boys to continue to stalk us, reporting our location and activities?”

“The results of your mission are immaterial,” dad says, glaring hard at me. “Just because this illicit mission ended positively does not mean that others like it wouldn’t have ended in capture or death –“

“We were fine!”

“You broke the rules!” dad snaps, shaking his head once, harsh.

I gape at him before spinning my head to Cole, wanting support on this.

“No,” dad snaps, bringing my gaze back to him. He leans forward, his glare increasing. “You lean too much on your royal connection, Nadia –“

“Oh, that’s rich coming from you,” I growl, narrowing my eyes at my father.

“Any other nursing student would be expelled for this behavior, whether or not they had a Prince to intercede on their behalf,” dad says. “So, that’s precisely what is happening to you .”

I stand up straight, gaping at him.

Dad shakes his head at me, his face cold, even as I watch his throat work before he speaks again. “You are talented and bright, Nadia, but you’re undisciplined , impetuous, and at times arrogant in your pig-headed pursuit of whatever you think is right –“

“Dad!” I step back, tears springing to my eyes.

“I love you,” he says, taking a step toward me, even with the desk between us. “But I cannot accept your actions here. Nadia, you’ve been expelled from this program. You’re being sent home.”

I gape at him, feeling the tears start down my cheeks even as my throat clicks. But no words come out.

I have none.

I – I can’t believe this is happening.

“I’m sorry,” dad says, shaking his head.

“I know how dedicated you are. I just…we need discipline and order in these camps, Nadia, for everyone’s safety.

You’ll have to find a new way. Go home, take a few days to consider your options.

I recommend finding a new nursing program if you insist on continuing to not live up to your full promise.

But my recommendation would be to take the summer to study and enroll in a doctoral program in the fall. ”

I just…stare. Fully unable to comprehend that it is my dad who is the one ending my dream.

Silence rings out in the tent. I watch as grief moves over my father’s face, chased quickly by stern assurance.

Cole is the one who speaks. “Is that all, sir?”

Dad shifts his eyes to Cole. “It is. Nadia will take the first train home in the morning. I suggest you say goodbye.”

“No, we’ll be leaving tonight,” Cole says. “I’m tendering my resignation as well.”

Dad gapes as Cole leans forward, snatching the bulky satellite phone off of dad’s desk. “I’m going to borrow this,” Cole says, meeting dad’s eyes calmly. “I’ll return it later. I recommend Tommy for my replacement in command.”

“Cole,” dad says, a stern frown taking his mouth. “I can’t believe that you’d abandon –“

“Thank you, doctor. That will be all.” Cole turns to me, slipping an arm around my waist and tugging me close. “Do you want to say goodbye to your dad?”

I look up at Cole, stilling for a moment. But then I shake my head.

No. I do not at all want to speak to my father right now.

“All right, then,” Cole says. “Let’s go.”

Cole is steady as he leads me from the tent, the phone tucked under his arm.

I am…completely empty as we cross the camp, my mind spinning , unable to get any grip on reality.

I – I can’t believe it –

Did that seriously just happen?

Did my dad – my fucking dad – just expel me, after I saved twenty-six children from a cult?

What – what the fuck is happening?

“Hey,” Cole snaps, his hands tightening on my waist. I blink and look up at him, focusing on his face as he frowns down at me. And then I look around, realizing that we’re in the nurse’s bunk tent.

When the hell did we get here?

“Are you all right?” he asks, all stern.

I frown at him again. “I’m fine .”

Cole narrows his eyes. “You’re not fine. But you will be. Okay? I need you to trust me on that.”

I blink up at him, hope and clarity coming to me as I realize that…dad was right. I do have a royal connection. Cole took that phone for a reason. He’s – he’s going to make some phone calls – he’s going to fix this –

I straighten my shoulders, nodding to him. Cole’s eyes move over me, and he nods too, buying it. “Go and wash up, okay?” he says, lifting his chin towards the bathroom. “I’m going to make a couple of phone calls, and then we’ll decide what to do.”

“Okay,” I say, smiling up at him, trusting him completely.

Cole growls a little, stepping closer to me, taking my chin between his thumb and forefinger.

“Don’t you dare doubt yourself, Nadia,” he says softly, shaking his head.

“You did the right thing last night. I see what your father is saying, but…he’s wrong.

At least in the more cosmic sense, he’s wrong. ”

“Okay,” I whisper, tears flooding my eyes again. I…I think I needed to hear that.

And secretly, deep down, I love that Cole knew I needed to hear that.

“Don’t cry,” he murmurs, his expression softening subtly. Quickly, Cole wraps me in a tight hug before giving me a little push away, off to the bathrooms. “Clean up. We’ll talk in a few minutes after I’ve sorted some stuff.”

I exhale, long and slow, doing as I’m told and heading off for the bathroom with my toothbrush and wash kit, off to take a minute alone and clean up.

When I come out about twenty minutes later, my face damp and clean, I honestly do feel better. I mean, I’m way angrier now, but…Cole was right. I needed a moment to take care of myself and get my mind in order.

And while I usually hate when Cole is right…

I don’t know. I’m too exhausted right now to be mad about it.

I make my way back over to my bed, and Cole looks up at me from a backpack that he’s filling with…stuff. But my eyebrows go up with shock when I see that it’s…it’s my stuff – some clothes, my long-dead phone, a book -

“What’s…happening?” I whisper, reaching the bed and leaning over it, snatching for the bag. “Cole! What are you doing?”

“I’m just packing up some of your stuff,” he says, standing, letting me take the bag.

“Why?”

He frowns at me. “So we can go.”

“What?” I press the bag to my chest, looking at him in horror. “You – you didn’t fix it?”

Cole smiles a little secret smile, slipping his hands into his pocket. “No, Nadia. We’re going to let you be expelled. This will fix itself.”

“What?”

“Look, would you just trust me?”

“But –“ I gasp, spinning towards the door. “The pups!”

“Hey,” he says. I feel him take my hand and I turn back to him, shocked and completely freaking out. “Shayne, Grace, and Tommy are going to keep the pups just fine, okay? I already talked to them about it. You’ll see them soon.”

“What’s happening?” I whisper.

“You got expelled, I quit,” he says, shrugging far too casually for how frantic I’m feeling at the moment. “I figured…why not take this rare opportunity when we’re both suddenly without duties to…to take you on a date?”

My mouth falls dead open, feeling like my jaw is going to smack against the floor like a cartoon character.

Cole grins at me, delighted – even excited .

And above me, in the distance and growing louder, I hear the sound of a helicopter’s blades slicing through the air.

“Cole,” I whisper, shaking my head at him. “You didn’t.”

“Oh, I did,” he says, nodding to me. “Come on. You’re going to like this.”

“How do you know?” I bite back, unsettled, glaring at him.

Cole grins, more wolfish than I usually see him.

“I’ll make you like it,” he murmurs, slipping a hand around my waist and pulling me against him, sharp and tight.

And I grumble, even as something within me goes all hot and loose at that.

I go with the Prince, letting him guide me toward the door of the tent, thinking that if there’s anyone capable of making me enjoy myself?

Hell, it might be him.

And even if I know that half my mind will be on the pups, and Slaken, and how we take down this horrible cult…damn it if the other half won’t be on wondering what the hell a date with Cole Kincaid looks like.

“Fine,” I grumble, leaning against him, letting Alpha Cole lead me out of the tent. “Just don’t forget that you’re my Alpha. I tamed you – it was my teeth on your neck in that cave.”

“Yes, Goddess,” he says, smirking down at me as we head out of the camp and towards the growing sound of our transport. “At least…until you beg me to bite you in turn.”

He flashes his teeth at me, and I blush, looking down at my feet as a wide smile crosses my face.

Because for the first time, I have to admit –

I am tempted.