“I guess he won’t let you help either,” she said.
Aaron shook his head. Then he whispered, “Thanks.”
“When he insists on pushing his limits, someone’s got to push back.”
“Well, miraculously, he listened to you. You should see the results when I try it.” After another half a minute he said, “He’s dressed.”
Aaron nodded to her, then left down the hall. He seemed off somehow—tense, subdued, maybe…hurt. She would find out what it was, whether she could help. But first things first: her own stubborn wolf.
Malachi now lay on top of the blankets, clad in a dark-green T-shirt and black pajama pants that looked exactly like the pair he’d worn to bed last night. The pillows propped him fully upright now, no more lounging. One of his arms guarded his torso, and pain crimped his mouth, but he was alert, his eyes clear and thoughtful.
April dragged the desk chair in the corner to his bedside, sat down, and took his hand again. Maybe she should stop doing this, but without his fingers twined in hers, fear hovered too close. Seeing him alive wasn’t enough yet. She needed to feel him too—the warmth of the wolf, the size of his hand engulfing hers, the twining of their fingers that seemed unconscious on his part.
“I need a detailed report,” he rasped quietly. “Some of which might be hard for you to hear.”
“I know,” she said. “Please don’t ask me to leave.”
When Rhett entered the room, he didn’t roll his eyes at her persistent presence. He strode to the corner where the desk chair had stood, leaned into it, and crossed his arms.
“First things first,” Malachi said. “What do you have on the three that got away?”
“They’re gone for now,” Rhett said. “I took Cassius and Patrick and tracked them up into the hills. That access road behind the Chapman place—they had two vehicles parked out there. Took their dead with them.”
He flicked a glance at April as he said the last part. Probably because her stomach quailed at the detachment in his voice as well as the topic. However Malachi had killed the rogues, he’d done so in self-defense; and she was safer now that only three of them could come after her. Yet she saw them in her mind and had to bite her lip against a surge of nausea.
Be tough. Don’t distract from the discussion.
“They died instantly, April,” Malachi said with a gentle squeeze of her hand.
“Oh,” she said, but of course he wouldn’t inflict pain even on lethal enemies. “Sorry, please just ignore me. Say what you need to say.”
He refocused on Rhett. “Their guns?”
Rhett grunted. “Took them, of course. Think I might know how they found April. Weird composite-metal-plastic scent near the vehicles. They took it too, so I can’t be sure, but I’m thinking it was a drone. One that can operate high enough even wolves don’t hear it overhead.”
Well, that was terrifying. Malachi was quiet a moment, thoughtful wrinkles forming at the corners of his eyes. Then he said, “One of the escaped three is the alpha.”
Drew was still out there. It was only what she’d suspected, yet her body tightened at the confirmation. Malachi squeezed her hand again.
“I thought so,” Rhett said, still in his factual tone. “Two of the scent trails held shock and grief, but nothing erratic. If their alpha had gone down, they would’ve been more messed up. The third scent held no sorrow at all for the pack he saw die. That’s got to be the rogue alpha. He’s all wrong, Malachi. His scent was gamey plus his signature of sandstone, but there wasn’t any mood at all. I’ve never smelled a wolf with no emotions before, but that’s how he smelled.”
No emotions. She’d never thought of Drew that way before, but Rhett was right. Nothing lived in Drew but…appetite. For fooling others, for using others, for hurting others.
“You detected all that over an hour after they left,” Malachi said.
Rhett smirked. “You know my nose is the best around.”
“I do. Anything else?”
“For now, that’s everything I could gather for you.”
“Thank you. I’m not…” Malachi’s face crinkled up for a moment with what seemed like a flood of deep feeling. His rasp grew harsher. “I’m not able to do much right now for the protection of my pack.”
“You’ve done enough for one night.” Rhett pushed away from the wall and let his arms fall to his sides. “Lastly, April, I need to apologize.”
“For what?” What could Rhett possibly think he’d done?
“At Malachi’s last night, I came at you carelessly. I’m sorry I scared you.”
