A familiar voice alerted me that I’d missed another new arrival. Or three, I realized when I looked back to see Kade was flanked by one slightly familiar face and one man I didn’t think I’d met.
“What do we do?” I asked, hating the panicked edge to my voice at the sight of Chuck in danger.
“Us? Nothing,” Kade said with a lazy grin, nodding toward the drama in front of me. “The LT’s got this.”
“LT?” I repeated, confused. “What?”
“Director Keir’s military title,” the stranger explained calmly. “He’s a lieutenant colonel which is sometimes shortened to LT for lieutenant.”
“I see.” I absorbed the information at the same time that I realized how absurd it was for us to be having such a mundane conversation with the two werewolves appearing ready to throw down five feet from us. “What the hell is going on here? Shouldn’t security be dealing with this?”
Kade chuckled and patted my shoulder. “I know this isn’t what you’re used to,” he said soothingly, “but deep down you know Chuck wasn’t letting anyone else come to your defense and if by some bizarre circumstance he needs back up, Colby, Sonny, and I are here. We just didn’t see the point in ruining our clothes unless we need to,” he chuckled.
When I didn’t respond, Kade nudged me, making me sigh. “Yeah, I guess but still.”
A deep growl brought my attention back to Chuck and who-the-fuck-ever that was. The other werewolf took a step forward and Chuck’s chest vibrated with a growl that resounded through the open hall.
“Stand down!” Chuck’s voice was deeper than usual and a little ragged, almost like he’d been exerting himself, but I was surprised to realize that I could still recognize it.
The other werewolf stumbled back and shook its head and looked around, almost like it was coming out of a daze. “He’s trying to kill us and you’reprotectinghim?”
Kade moved past me and stepped up to Chuck’s side, the two large men nearly blocking the hall as they stood shoulder to shoulder. Behind me, I felt the air shift as the other two men flanked me and my shadow, protecting our backs as they kept keen eyes trained on Chuck and Kade.
“Jules?” Chuck called my name without turning around, never taking his eyes off the danger in front of him.
“Yeah?”
“Do you mind taking Connery back to our room and keeping him there until I come for you?”
Connery? Oh, right, the kid whimpering behind me.
“Of course, I will,” I agreed, reaching blindly behind me and groping around until I came up with his hand. “Be careful?”
“Of course, baby,” Chuck assured me. “I’ll be there soon.”
I nodded even though I knew he couldn’t see me and when Colby and Sonny fell in behind us, I did as I’d been asked and took the scared boy back to the room I’d just left. It wasn’t until the door closed behind us and we were staring at each other in silence that I realized I’d lost my Kindle in the ruckus.
Shit.
Chapter Nineteen
Chuck
With the sound of people retreating behind me, I drew in a deep breath to center myself and spoke to the being across from me. I didn’t know who it was but based on the indecisiveness of the attack and the Omega pheromones in the air, I knew it had to be a student. “I understand you’re afraid,” I said, trying for calm but firm, “but you can’t take matters into your own hands.”
I forced back a sigh when the only response was another snarl.
A light tap on my shoulder had me looking away and the frustrated sigh turned to one of relief when I saw Kade’s husband, Jeremy. As our trauma counselor, he was definitely my first choice to defuse the situation. Stepping to the right, I made room for him to slip between Kade and me.
“Director?” Jeremy’s voice was soft and calm. “Would you mind stepping back?”
Oh, right. I probably wasn’t doing much to alleviate the situational tension by towering over the others in full were shift.
“Of course,” I agreed, taking two large steps back. “You want me to stay?”
“No,” Jeremy murmured, smiling softly at the agitated Omega. “Kade’s here if things go sideways, so why don’t you go check on Julian?”
I probably should have been ashamed of just how easily I agreed, not even putting up a token argument when I headed for my rooms after Kade seconded Jeremy’s suggestion.
