time she’d had a run-in with them.”
“They knew her name, I’ll grant you that much. But they didn’t seem to know why she was hunting them down any more than we do. Not that their lack of memory means anything, seeing as it looks as if it happened years ago. Guess we won’t know either way until she wakes up.” Ethan scraped a chair over to the edge of the bed. “Why don’t you go and scout the area? I’ll watch her.”
“I was checkin’ the entire time here. Didn’t scent anything. She needs—”
“She needs to rest. You standin’ over her, willin’ her to get better isn’t going to change things. And you’ll drive me crazy pacin’ the floor.”
“I’m not pacin’.”
“Not yet.” Ethan held up his hand. “How long have we been partners, let alone friends? I know your wolf better than you do, and if you don’t let it expend some energy the damn thing’s going to bust free.”
Jude swung his gaze toward him. “Haven’t had it go rogue in years.”
“You haven’t been faced with losin’ your mate before.”
Jude’s jaw tensed as he looked back at McKenna. “You acknowledging it?”
“Whether I do or not doesn’t change the fact you think she is. Wasn’t my wolf that stared down those men.”
“Did you hear what they said to her? Shit. It was all I could do not to tear their fucking throats out. And the way McKenna tensed…” He punched his fist against the wall. “There’s got to be history between them, Ethan. And it’s not good.”
“We suspected that going in. Women like her… They don’t kill an entire gang for kicks. She was evening the score. I just hope she’ll trust us enough to tell us the truth.” He leaned back in the chair, crossing his feet at the ankles as he rested them on the edge of the bed. “Go. I’ll keep watch. And I promise to shout if anything changes. You can take next watch.”
Jude lingered for a few more minutes before turning on his heels and stalking out of the room. Ethan heard the man’s boots hit the floor before the door opened and closed, the lone howl of a wolf ringing through the night. He stared back at McKenna, silently willing her to heal. Though he wasn’t prepared to say the words out loud, he had no doubt there was something far deeper than simple attraction where she was concerned. And he knew he’d be running the range as soon as Jude got back.
He tilted his head to the side, wondering what it was that set his blood on fire. “You are a mystery at best, sweetheart. I just hope we figure you out before it’s too late.”
* * * *
“No! Don’t touch her. Stop!”
Jude cursed as McKenna flailed against the blanket before drifting off again, sweat beading her brow, her mouth twitching into a grimace. She’d been restless for the past hour, shouting out words and phrases that didn’t make sense…until now. This he understood.
The floor creaked outside the room, and he looked up as Ethan stopped in the doorway, leaning against the frame. His shirt hung open, his feet still bare after his prowl through the surrounding area. He’d been gone nearly two hours, and while he hadn’t admitted it, Jude knew McKenna’s presence was hitting the man hard—making him question his previous beliefs. Hell, he wasn’t the only one. Finding a mate had never really been part of the plan, but now that she’d fallen into their lives… Jude sighed, watching his friend study the girl lying beneath the sheet. At least their continued forays into the woods and across the plains meant they were safe, though how long that lasted…
Ethan stuffed his hands in his pockets. “She okay?”
Jude looked back at her, noting the flush of her skin and the rapid rise and fall of her chest. “Fever’s getting worse. She’s obviously hallucinating, though I’m not sure about what, exactly.”
“I heard what she said, Jude. I think we both have a pretty good idea what demons are lurkin’ inside her.”
“If those bastard Wilson
“They knew her name, I’ll grant you that much. But they didn’t seem to know why she was hunting them down any more than we do. Not that their lack of memory means anything, seeing as it looks as if it happened years ago. Guess we won’t know either way until she wakes up.” Ethan scraped a chair over to the edge of the bed. “Why don’t you go and scout the area? I’ll watch her.”
“I was checkin’ the entire time here. Didn’t scent anything. She needs—”
“She needs to rest. You standin’ over her, willin’ her to get better isn’t going to change things. And you’ll drive me crazy pacin’ the floor.”
“I’m not pacin’.”
“Not yet.” Ethan held up his hand. “How long have we been partners, let alone friends? I know your wolf better than you do, and if you don’t let it expend some energy the damn thing’s going to bust free.”
Jude swung his gaze toward him. “Haven’t had it go rogue in years.”
“You haven’t been faced with losin’ your mate before.”
Jude’s jaw tensed as he looked back at McKenna. “You acknowledging it?”
“Whether I do or not doesn’t change the fact you think she is. Wasn’t my wolf that stared down those men.”
“Did you hear what they said to her? Shit. It was all I could do not to tear their fucking throats out. And the way McKenna tensed…” He punched his fist against the wall. “There’s got to be history between them, Ethan. And it’s not good.”
“We suspected that going in. Women like her… They don’t kill an entire gang for kicks. She was evening the score. I just hope she’ll trust us enough to tell us the truth.” He leaned back in the chair, crossing his feet at the ankles as he rested them on the edge of the bed. “Go. I’ll keep watch. And I promise to shout if anything changes. You can take next watch.”
Jude lingered for a few more minutes before turning on his heels and stalking out of the room. Ethan heard the man’s boots hit the floor before the door opened and closed, the lone howl of a wolf ringing through the night. He stared back at McKenna, silently willing her to heal. Though he wasn’t prepared to say the words out loud, he had no doubt there was something far deeper than simple attraction where she was concerned. And he knew he’d be running the range as soon as Jude got back.
He tilted his head to the side, wondering what it was that set his blood on fire. “You are a mystery at best, sweetheart. I just hope we figure you out before it’s too late.”
* * * *
“No! Don’t touch her. Stop!”
Jude cursed as McKenna flailed against the blanket before drifting off again, sweat beading her brow, her mouth twitching into a grimace. She’d been restless for the past hour, shouting out words and phrases that didn’t make sense…until now. This he understood.
The floor creaked outside the room, and he looked up as Ethan stopped in the doorway, leaning against the frame. His shirt hung open, his feet still bare after his prowl through the surrounding area. He’d been gone nearly two hours, and while he hadn’t admitted it, Jude knew McKenna’s presence was hitting the man hard—making him question his previous beliefs. Hell, he wasn’t the only one. Finding a mate had never really been part of the plan, but now that she’d fallen into their lives… Jude sighed, watching his friend study the girl lying beneath the sheet. At least their continued forays into the woods and across the plains meant they were safe, though how long that lasted…
Ethan stuffed his hands in his pockets. “She okay?”
Jude looked back at her, noting the flush of her skin and the rapid rise and fall of her chest. “Fever’s getting worse. She’s obviously hallucinating, though I’m not sure about what, exactly.”
“I heard what she said, Jude. I think we both have a pretty good idea what demons are lurkin’ inside her.”
“If those bastard Wilson
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