Chapter 16
Slater
I stare down at my mate, trying to be so careful as I clean the blood off her now visibly swollen nose.
It’s taking everything in me not to go find Quint and tear him apart.
It doesn’t matter that he’s my packmate and friend.
Right now, he’s my enemy. He hurt my mate.
She's in pain. I can still smell the strong scent of her blood, and it’s making my wolf just as crazy as it’s making me.
I brush the towel down her nose again, and she winces in pain.
A growl reverberates through my chest, and I grab the counter with my other hand.
Her soft, beautiful face should never ever be covered in blood.
I’m pretty sure Tessa being hurt is my undoing. I feel myself spiraling out of control.
You good, Man? I can hear you growling from out here? Zane sends mentally to me.
I don’t bother answering the stupid question.
My mate is covered in blood and in pain; of course I’m not okay.
Another growl rumbles through my chest. Suddenly, a soft hand touches my chest. My eyes shoot open, and I glance down at the hand on my chest. It makes my breathing stall out.
I’ve wanted her hands on me so many times.
Now, to have her hand on my chest makes me shudder.
“Slater, are you okay?” Her worry snaps me out of it.
“I’m not the one in pain and covered in blood.” My words are mostly a growl as my wolf is very near the surface right now. I can’t even push him down, because I’m ready to shift and tear into something. I feel a presence at the door and know Zane is there. I don’t bother to look at him.
“Slate, why don’t you let Evie help Tessa finish up.”
I don’t bother hiding my growl this time.
“Did you just growl at him?” Tessa asks me softly.
Her voice still sounds nasally from the hit she took, and it makes me even more on edge.
Zane gives me a pointed look. “Why don’t you let Evie come in and help her change her shirt.
” Hearing him talk about my girl getting dressed does the exact opposite of calming me down.
I instinctively step in front of her, blocking Zane’s view of her.
“Slater?” she asks, putting a hand on my arm. The skin to skin contact nearly makes my eyes roll back in my head. She suddenly leans forward and pinches her eyes shut.
“Hey.” I catch her as she pitches forward. Alarm spreads through me.
“Sorry,” she whispers. “My head is killing me all of a sudden.” I move into her space and put a hand under her knees and one behind her back.
I slide her against my chest, being careful not to bump her swollen nose.
Every time I see it, it makes my rage flare.
I take the two steps to the door and go chest to chest with Zane.
“Move,” I order him. I don’t care that he has superiority over me. I don’t care that one day, he will be my alpha. I only care about the fact that my girl is in pain. Zane backs out of my way without a word. I carry her to my room and close the door behind me. I close the curtain, so it’s dark.
“Slater?”
Her quiet, unsure voice kills me. “I’m here. You’re safe.” My words are still guttural with my wolf present. “I’m just bringing you into my room where it’s dark, so you can rest. That helps me when I have a headache.”
I stand at my bed but don’t put her down; I’m not sure if I can, now that I have her in my arms again. Her soft body against mine is very nearly my undoing, but her being in pain makes it even harder to put her down. I force myself to lay her on my bed. “Do you get headaches often?”
“Yes.” I look around for a soft blanket and curse myself when I realize I don’t have one.
I’ve never needed one. I make a mental note to buy one asap.
“Let me pull the covers down; I don’t have any other blankets.
” It takes a moment, but I get her settled.
I start to step back, but she puts a hand on my arm.
“I’m sorry you get headaches often.”
Her soft voice and concern make me angry. She’s worried about me when she’s in pain? It makes me want to hurt something. “It’s fine,” I grind out.
“It’s not fine.” She falls silent after that, and I take a step back. I’m hoping she can rest, so she can feel better. I don’t think I can make myself leave the room, though. She’s quiet, and I listen to her breathing. It hasn’t gotten deep yet, so I know she’s not asleep. “Thanks, Slater.”
“You shouldn’t be thanking me.”
She sighs, and I feel it deep in my soul. “You carry the weight of the world on those strong shoulders, don’t you?”
She doesn’t say anything else, and I listen as her breathing evens out.
I make a mental note that she’s a lightweight when it comes to pain pills.
Those two pills I gave her wouldn’t touch anything for me, but it knocked her out pretty fast. There's a quiet knock at the door, and I scent Zane. Go away.
Just checking on you and Tessa. Is she okay?
I take a deep breath and remind myself that he’s not the enemy. She has a headache. She’s sleeping now.
Okay. I’ll tell Evie she’s okay. Let me know if we can do anything, all right? Does she have security tonight?
No. I know she doesn’t work tonight, but I make a mental note to get her work schedule for the rest of the week.
I need to know when she’s sleeping in her dorm at night and when she’s on security.
When she sleeps in her dorm, I stay outside in wolf form, close enough that I can keep an eye on the front door but not too close that anybody sees me.
Thankfully, there’s a line of trees behind her dorm that sort of curve around, giving me a view of the front door.
Zane used to do it, and the guys would help when they could for Evie.
Now, it’s Tessa’s turn. Only she isn’t in her dorm very often at night because of her security job.
I hate that she works security. She’s so tiny and vulnerable and human; she has no right being on security.
But it’s not my place to say anything to her.
..at least not yet. It worries me; she worries me.
I haven’t worked out a schedule with the guys yet as it’s all happened so fast. One day, I didn’t even know she existed; and then she slammed into my life with the impact of a freight train.
Now, my life’s turned upside down, and I don’t know how to make everything work.
I haven’t been sleeping at night because I’m keeping watch to make sure she’s safe in her dorm on the nights she sleeps.
On nights she does patrol, I keep my distance but keep an eye on her.
I hate that she’s alone, but I hated it more when she worked with other males.
I keep her in my sight all night. One of these nights, I’m going to need to sleep; but at least I don’t need as much sleep as humans do.
I can go for longer on less sleep, and I’ve never been so grateful for that.
I let Tessa sleep for two hours but then start to worry about her when she doesn’t wake up. I lean over her and shake her gently. I can see her eyes even in the dark room, so I know when she opens them. She groans. “Slater?”
“How are you feeling?”
“Like somebody bashed my nose in.” Her voice has that nasal quality again. “Are you sure it’s not broken?”
“Let me feel it. I’ll be really careful, okay?” I reach out my fingers and probe her nose. She hisses through her teeth, and I force down my growl. Relief flows through me. I didn’t think it was broken, but now I can confirm it. “No, it’s not broken.”
“Okay.”
“Do you want to get up and eat something?”
She’s quiet a moment, and I would think she went back to sleep if not for her breathing. I can hear it hasn’t evened out. “I guess.”
“You don’t have to.”
Her stomach growls right then, making the decision for both of us. “What are you hungry for?” I ask her.
“Something I don’t have to crunch or move my nose for.”
“How about soup?” It’s the first thing that comes to mind.
“That actually sounds really good.”
I open my phone and locate the nearest Panera. “What kind of soup? Chicken noodle, broccoli and cheese, chicken and wild rice—”
“Chicken and wild rice. That sounds so good.”
I add two bowls to my order and then reach out to Zane. I’m ordering soup from Panera for Tessa. Anybody want to add anything?
It’s just Evie and me. Reid and Quint both are gone.
I know exactly why Quint is gone, and I force myself not to think about him. He’s the reason Tessa’s in such pain. I crack my neck and focus. What do you and Evie want?
Evie wants broccoli and cheese soup and bread. I’ll take a salad with extra protein and whatever soup has protein. Thanks, Man. I’ll Venmo you the cash.
It’s fine. I add their food and double the salad, getting one for myself and add another bowl of the chicken and rice soup Tessa requested because that sounds good. I finish the order. An hour, I send to Zane.
We'll let you know when it gets here.
Tessa starts to sit up, and I move forward, putting a hand behind her back.
I take her scent deep into my lungs, and it helps to calm my wolf.
I will never forget the first moment her scent slammed into me.
It’s hard to describe, but if I had to, I would say something soft and feminine like a spring flower.
“Food will be here in about an hour. Do you mind if I turn on the light?”
“Sure.” I flip on the small lamp next to the bed. She blinks a moment and then glances down at her shirt and grimaces. “I guess this one is ruined.”
“I can try washing it for you.”
She lifts her gaze to mine. “You know some stain removal tricks?”
“My mom had to get a lot of stains out of my soccer shirts over the years. I’ll ask her. If anybody knows, she would.”
Her eyes light up. “I bet she did. What’s she like?”
“My mom?”
“Yeah.”
I pause to think about it. “She’s quiet; so is my dad really. They kind of keep to themselves. They had me when they were older, and so it’s always been just the three of us.”
She smiles, but it quickly fades. “Ow. Remind me not to smile.”
“That’s going to be difficult.”
She blinks. “Why?”
I don’t look away from her. “You smile all the time.” I can tell she has to force herself not to smile at that. “What’s your family like?”
“Oh boy. Are you sure you want to know?”
“Yes.”
She gives me a small smile. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
We are a ridiculously loud, crazy bunch.
First, there’s my stepdad, who’s a big guy that looks intimidating but is really a big ole’ teddy bear.
Then there’s my mom who is always striving for perfection.
She's never going to get there, but if it were possible, she would attain it.” I can hear the fondness in her voice as she talks about her mom.
I listen carefully to every word about her family and commit every detail to memory.
This is my girl’s family and obviously really important to her.
That makes them really important to me too.