Hard & Lethal: A Bad Boy Romance

by Jade Allen

  There was no way of knowing how long the fight lasted before a sudden gunshot drove the wolves apart. Aiza spun around, ready to attack the new threat, but she recognized Noah’s scent through the blood and sulphur. The familiar scent stopped Stephanie as well, and the Brotherhood wolves took advantage of their distraction, but another loud blast from the gun put a stop to the attack.

  The wolf fell just short of Aiza, his intended target, and the remaining wolf turned to bolt for the underbrush. Stephanie sprang through the air and landed on its back, her teeth sinking into his neck.

  “Stephanie, stop!” Noah’s voice echoed off the trees. At first, it seemed like Stephanie didn’t hear him—or didn’t care—but then her grip loosened. The wolf below her didn’t move as she released him, but Aiza could still hear the sound of his breathing.

  “We have to bring these men in.”

  Stephanie shifted immediately, her face twisted with fury and Aiza whined and sank to the ground.

  “That’s not your decision to make.”

  “It is my decision to make, Stephanie. You’re my alpha, but this is my job. All of them are still alive and they’re all going into custody tonight.”

  “So they can be released in the morning?” Stephanie scoffed. “All they have to do is make bail.”

  “Not this time,” Noah said grimly. “This time, they made a very serious mistake. Help me get them to the car.”

  The entire time they spoke, Aiza remained on her stomach. The words meant very little to her, but the anger she sensed from the one she recognized as alpha made her stomach tight.

  “What’s wrong with her?” Stephanie asked. “Why hasn’t she shifted back?”

  Noah immediately dropped to one knee, running his fingers over her ribs and legs, searching for any damage. She turned her head and licked his hand with appreciation, and he cupped the side of her face. “Well, she’s not hurt, but I’m guessing she wants to remain in wolf form for a while.”

  “She’s pretty new then, huh?”

  “Less than a year. You remember what it was like to be a young pup; let her enjoy herself.”

  “Alright, well, we need to get moving, so I’ll go get the car. There’s a road just a few hundred feet to the east,” Stephanie said. “Aiza can stay here with you and help keep an eye on the prisoners.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Stephanie shifted and trotted towards the trees. Aiza made a move to follow, but Noah put a restraining hand on her neck, and she settled back at his feet.

  “Well, let’s get them all restrained before they wake up,” Noah said, moving to the first prone figure. Aiza stayed at his side, moving in time with him like a shadow. Without any handcuffs, he had to improvise, using their discarded clothes to fashion ropes for their hands and feet, and to make bandages as needed. When they stirred, Aiza growled and snapped until they were still again.

  Stephanie returned with someone’s SUV and they moved the men one at a time, loading them into the vehicle. Throughout the process and the drive back to town, Aiza was relieved to let her human form slip away for a while.

  To forget herself in the wolf.

  ****

  By the time Noah made it back to his apartment, with Aiza the wolf in tow, he was utterly exhausted. He would have fallen directly in bed and gone right to sleep if it wasn’t for the hollow ache in his stomach. Even if he could ignore the pain, the rumbling growls from his midsection would have kept him awake. So he bypassed the bed in favor of the fridge, finding a pound of hamburger and a few strips of bacon.

  He shredded a strip of bacon and mixed it with half of the hamburger and an egg in a bowl, then placed it before Aiza. She quickly gobbled it up, and he took advantage of her distraction to do a more thorough check for injuries. He was concerned he missed something in the dark, though she hadn’t shown any signs of being injured or lost any blood. She was definitely unhurt and in good shape, and his unmitigated relief almost knocked the strength from his legs.

  As soon as the fight started, Noah shifted and pulled another hidden gun from a holster higher up, on his thigh. Once he joined H.O.W.L., he became very adept at strapping weapons to strategic places so he could shift without losing his gun in the process. He’d paused a moment before firing the first shot, entranced by the sight of his alpha and his—well, what was she to him?

  A witness. That’s all she can be. That’s what Dana would say if he asked her. And she would be right, of course. The lines between them were already blurring enough without him adding any further complications, and yet, that didn’t seem like the entire truth. Yes, she was an important witness, a key part to the case he was building, but he couldn’t escape the fact that he was fond of her. He couldn’t deny how happy it made him when she fell into step with his alpha, as though she were a part of his pack.

  As though she were his.

  Of course, she wanted to kill his other alpha, the man who had been at times a brother, a father, an alpha, and a friend. But there were obviously a lot of very intense feelings involved in that situation, and Noah was confident that once everyone had a chance to talk and reconcile, she would be as accepting of him as she was of Stephanie.

  Which only mattered if Aiza would join the pack.

  These thoughts ran around his head while he fried the hamburger and a few eggs. He ate quickly, chewing mechanically until his stomach was finally soothed. He brushed his teeth, stripped to his boxers and a T-shirt, and crawled into bed. Aiza watched with alert eyes, and jumped up to join him on the mattress, curling against his side.

  He sighed and stroked the soft fur between her eyes. She would change back to her human form sooner or later. He knew exactly what it was like to give in to the wolf; to remain yourself and yet other. To know what it was to be yourself without the burden of guilt or the knowledge of fear. In her lycanthrope state, she was pure, her only concerns only of the most basic variety: food, shelter, and pack. At the moment, all of her needs were met and she could be perfectly satisfied. Perfectly at peace. She seemed content to sleep at his side, and he was more than happy to let her.

  Even the call of much needed slumber couldn’t pull him away from her; Noah watched her sleep with heavy-lidded, gritty eyes. He had a big day ahead of him. All four of the attackers would live, and all were under heavy guard as they recovered in the hospital. Tomorrow he and Dana would work on breaking them down until they had enough for a warrant. And after that, he would finally have the Wolf Brotherhood right where he wanted them. Right in the center of his sights.

  All of that could wait for the light of morning, though. It was so nice to run his fingers through her fur and over her ears, along the side of her snout and over her long leg. He felt his own relief at being able to offer her a moment of comfort, and he wanted to extend that moment for as long as possible. It was the first time he’d seen her at peace since he met her—and the first time he could take a breath and acknowledge his changing reality.

  She nuzzled closer to his leg in her sleep, her body radiating heat. Normally, that would drive him crazy; now he just found it comforting. He called forth the wolf, not enough to shift his form, but enough to amplify his senses. His sharp ears told him they were safe, and his nose imprinted the scent of his sleeping mate on his memory and his heart.

  Her coat was like a sunburst, the color ranging from pale golden to a dark, rich brown. She was a large, powerful animal, and it was very, very easy to understand how she might have killed two men in that state. Especially after seeing her fight. She might not have experience or skill on her side, but she did have raw power, and what’s more, a willingness to use it. Joined with swift reflexes and a wolf’s instinct, she made a formidable opponent.

  But without any experience, skill, or training, she couldn’t have a real sense of her own power. She couldn’t trust herself. He hoped after this, she would be comfortable enough in her new skin to request his aid.

  His eyes fell shut, but his fingers continued to caress her coat. Finally, his
hand stilled, resting on her gently, unmoving for the rest of the night.

  ****

  The last thing Sera expected when she opened her eyes was to be alone in a dark room. She fumbled around, trying to get her bearings and find a light, and triggered some sort of alarm. A loud bell chimed again and again. Before she could find a way to silence the alarm, the door opened and a small woman in pink and yellow nursing scrubs bustled in and flipped on the lights.

  “Oh, it’s good to see you’re awake,” the woman greeted her. “How are you feeling?”

  “Where am I?” Sera rasped.

  “St. Catherine’s. I’m Rita, your nurse this afternoon.”

  “The hospital?” She gasped, her hands immediately going to her stomach. “My baby. What happened to the baby?”

  “The baby is fine,” Rita assured her. “He’s sleeping in the nursery right now and he can’t wait to meet his mama.”

  “He’s really okay?”

  “Yes. He’s a little small but he’s a fighter. He didn’t even need to be put in the incubator.”

  “Where’s my fiancée?”

  A frown marred Rita’s sunny countenance for the first time. “I am sorry to tell you this. He is in the county holding facility.”

  “Jail?” Sera moved too quickly in her haste to jump from the bed and fly immediately to the sheriff’s department to post his bail, or break him out, or cry and plead until they finally were moved to free the father of her new baby. She wasn’t sure what the plan was, but the sudden pain in her lower abdomen and back halted her progress.

  Rita was at her side immediately, easing her back against the bed with a gentle hand and a reassuring smile. “It’s okay. He can’t hurt you here.”

  “Hurt me?” Sera was too perplexed by the statement to even be angry on behalf of Seth. “He would never hurt me. What are you talking about? What happened?”

  “He went wild during the delivery. He tried to attack the nurses and the doctor. And then he attacked you. That’s why I always say you can’t trust wolves. Why we allow them to live in our communities, I’ll never know.” Her eyes widened and she quickly added, “No offense meant, of course.”

  “Offense? I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just want Seth and my baby.” Tears of confusion and frustration sprang to her eyes. “Please.”

  “Shhh, shhh, shhh. Don’t cry.” Rita checked the monitors and made a few rapid notes on the computer stationed by the bed. “Look, it’s time for your pain management.”

  “I don’t want to manage my pain,” Sera protested. “I need to see my son. I need to find Seth.”

  Rita ignored her protests, plugging something into the IV attached to Sera’s arm. Within seconds, warmth flooded her veins, sinking through her, enveloping her until she couldn’t do anything but give into it.

  When she woke again hours later, she wasn’t alone. Stephanie sat next to the bed, her back straight, her eyes closed, a cell phone resting between her limp fingers. Sera turned her head to the left and saw that the shades had been pulled open, allowing her a view of the city lights and dark gray sky. Just after dusk or just before dawn, she thought. Judging by Stephanie’s slumber, she’d put her money on dawn.

  This time, Sera was careful not to move, afraid of sounding the alarm that would summon Rita to her room again. She was vaguely aware of the pain in her midsection, but it was a distant hum—something she would have ignored completely if Seth were there, holding her hand, waiting for her to wake up.

  “Steph,” she croaked out.

  Stephanie jumped, reaching for her hand automatically. “Oh, honey, how are you feeling?”

  “Where’s Seth? Where’s my baby?”

  Stephanie took a deep breath. “Seth is currently being detained until Monday morning, when he has his court date. The baby is in the nursery. He’s doing really great,” Stephanie said with an encouraging smile. It seemed genuine despite her watery eyes. “But he has to stay there for a little while longer.”

  “I want to see him.”

  “Of course, honey.” She squeezed Sera’s hand. “We’ll go see him.”

  “Now.” The word was curt but her voice was pleading. She needed to see him; she needed to see with her own eyes that he was there, that he was real, and that he was safe.

  “I’ll call the nurse.”

  “Not Rita.”

  “No, Joe is on shift. Rita? Did you wake up earlier?”

  Sera nodded. “She was in the room and she didn’t give me a chance to see him before she dosed me up again.”

  “I’m sorry you woke up before I got here, honey. I didn’t want you to wake up alone.”

  As always, Stephanie’s direct kindness both startled and touched her. It was a trait she shared with Seth, and one that always brought Sera up short. She had finally learned what it would take to attract her parents’ attention when they turned up for Aiza’s funeral, but not for her wedding. And here was a woman who’d known her for less than a year, genuinely sorry she couldn’t be there at the exact moment Sera opened her eyes.

  “It’s okay, I was just—”

  “Scared? Confused?” Stephanie offered a wry smile. “The night didn’t exactly go as planned, did it?”

  “No, but as long as Seth and the baby are safe, I won’t complain. But this isn’t how I wanted to spend our first night as a family. Will I be able to talk to Seth?”

  “He called while you were asleep. He’s fine. He’s safe. He’ll call again as soon as he can. I promised him that I would be at your side when he did.”

  “Thank you.” Sera brought their clasped hands up, placing a kiss on the back of Stephanie’s hand. She felt a twinge in her arm at the gesture and she noticed the tight bandage for the first time. “What is that?”

  “That is where Seth bit you. That’s why he’s sitting in a holding cell instead of here with you.”

  Sera blinked. “I don’t understand. I don’t...is it the painkillers? Is that why I don’t understand?”

  “Honey, you were dying. He panicked, I guess. He fought his way in here and he bit you.”

  “Bit me? Why?”

  “Our saliva contains the virus that causes lycanthropy. Its effect is almost immediate and it replicates quickly. One of the side effects is rapid division of cells. Your body is literally remaking itself, cell by cell, repairing damage in the process.” She nodded at the bandage. “Go ahead and remove it.”

  Sera frowned. “Shouldn’t the doctor do that?”

  “Take it off. You’ll see.”

  Sera obeyed, peeling the adhesive off and lifting the gauze to reveal perfectly skilled skin, without a visible scar. “If I’m perfectly healed, what did she...what did she give me?”

  “Who?”

  “The nurse. Rita.”

  Joe knocked and opened the door, halting Stephanie’s reply, and Sera immediately gestured at the computer. “What did she give me? I want to know what was in that IV? She said it was for pain.”

  Joe frowned and checked his iPad. “You don’t have anything ordered for pain. Why? Do you need something?”

  “That nurse. Rita. She gave me something. It’s got to be in there. I saw her at the computer.”

  Joe consulted his iPad again and shook his head. “We don’t have a Rita working on this floor and there hasn’t been an order placed for any narcotics. It’s typically not needed in cases like yours.”

  “Then who…?” Sera’s eyes widened. “Stephanie? Have you seen the baby?”

  “I came here first. I just got here a few minutes before you woke up.”

  “Go. Please. Stephanie, you need to make sure he’s safe. I know I sound crazy—”

  “You don’t sound crazy,” Stephanie said, leaving the room at a sprint. Sera’s stomach dropped and she knew the truth before she heard the security code over the PA system.

  The baby was gone.

  ****

  Aiza opened her eyes to the bright morning light feeling more rested and secure than she’d felt in
years. She yawned and kicked the blanket away, the sunshine warming her naked skin and fueling the sense of energy and optimism already flooding her veins. She absently took note of her surroundings, not particularly alarmed to find herself in Noah’s apartment, though she had no memory of why she was there.

  She was, however, surprised to discover that the man himself was asleep beside her in the bed. Not just next to her, but curled around her, his arm over her stomach, his head resting on her shoulder. She yelped and reached for the sheet, pulling it back over her chest. His slumber wasn’t disturbed by her sudden noise, and she had a moment to take stock of the situation.

  Had they done more than just sleep in that bed? She doubted it. Despite her nudity, he was fully dressed. Closing her eyes, she worked her way back to the first thing she could remember, which was volunteering to help Stephanie track down the Brotherhood wolves. She assumed everything went as planned, and that Noah then brought her here and fell asleep.

  Aiza relaxed against the pillow and looked down at Noah’s softened features. Strange, now that she was over her confusion, it felt perfectly natural to see him sleeping next to her. She reached out, tentatively brushing his hair away from his temple, letting her fingers move through the strands. Most of the time, she didn’t even remember the age difference between them, but seeing him sleeping so tenderly reminded her that there must have been at least a decade separating them.

  The second she pulled away, his eyes opened and his face creased into a completely unfettered smile. It was so sincere and spontaneous that Aiza caught her breath, overwhelmed to be on the receiving end of what appeared to be pure joy. Even his eyes wrinkled, and if she had any notion of leaving that bed, it completely fled her mind.

  “Good morning.”

  “Um.” Her tongue was frozen and it took a few beats before she could say, “Good morning.”

  “How did you sleep? Do you feel okay?” His voice was still gruff with sleep, and the smile hadn’t left his eyes.