Wolf's Fall (Alpha Pack #6)(4)
care home for shifters and other injured, sick, or displaced paranormals—except instead of coming there to receive comfort and care at the end of their lives, they were there to begin to live.
It was certainly a lofty goal, and though it hadn’t been his brainchild, he’d been in full support of the project since its inception. Kira, Jax’s mate, had founded Sanctuary. When she’d first come to live at the compound, she’d been horrified at the treatment received by the residents of Block R—the rehabilitation wing. In particular, she’d bonded with their Fae prince, Sariel, or “Blue” as some called him, who’d been depressed and uncommunicative. No wonder, as he’d been exiled from his realm, captured by the Pack, and was wasting away in the equivalent of a jail cell.
Kira had been passionate about having a real facility to treat paranormals, one that would use staff trained in delivering love and understanding rather than a punitive system that inspired fear. With Blue’s and Noah’s help, she’d put together quite the haven. That wasn’t to say they didn’t have their hard-core, sometimes dangerous cases that required extra measures, such as restraints or drugs, for everyone’s safety. But they received better care than ever before.
The lobby was empty except for the receptionist and a lone shifter sitting in one of the oversized chairs, curled up with a blanket around her shoulders, staring out the window. A nurse hovered near her, tidying the area and keeping an eye on her charge.
“Been wondering about her story,” Hammer commented quietly, eyeing the small tiger shifter. “She always looks so sad.”
Nick kept his voice down. “Her name’s Leila. She and her brother, Leonidis, were attacked while in Cody on some sort of assignment.”
“What kind of assignment?”
“Not sure. She and her brothers are a pride of big-cat shifters, and they run some sort of detective agency. The one upstairs on the hospital floor was injured pretty badly and might not make it.
“Damn.” The man cast a glance toward her filled with something like longing. “I’ll ask her later if there’s anything I can do to help.”
“I’m sure she’ll appreciate that.”
Interesting. Nick pondered his friend’s reaction to Leila as they got into the elevator. In fact, Hammer had been much more animated lately. Talkative. Very unlike the typically quiet guy Nick had known for so long. But he didn’t want to point that out and cause the man to clam up.
On one of the residence floors, they exited the elevator and Nick asked around for Kira. Since he’d given Hammer the excuse of coming here to check on things, he might as well make good. He learned she was tied up on the phone in her office, and instead found Noah coming down the hallway toward them. The head nurse gave them a sunny smile, tired blue eyes at odds with his happy expression.
“Hey, guys. What’s up?”
Nick stopped and studied the younger man carefully. He looked more than tired—vibes of sadness were coming off Noah in waves, though he probably didn’t realize it. “Just checking to see how things are going over here. Any problems?”
“Ha! Is it a day that ends in D-A-Y?” he quipped, making a face.
Nick chuckled in spite of himself. “That bad, huh?”
“No—okay, yeah. But nothing we haven’t been able to handle.”
“Leo?” Hammer guessed.
Noah blew out a breath. “He’s one issue in a string of them. He crashed two hours ago and we almost lost him. Between fighting to save him and fighting with his unruly family, I’m about ready to put in my notice. Go park my ass on a beach somewhere and sip fruity drinks.”
“Except you won’t,” Nick told him with a half smile. “You care too much.”
“Total personality fault,” Noah assured him. “I’m working on it.”
Nick clapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t change a thing. You’re doing great, a real asset to everyone here.”
The nurse’s face flushed and he looked pleased. “Well, thanks. I’ve got lots of help, though.”
A familiar tingling sensation began in Nick’s fingers where they gripped Noah’s shoulder. It was one of the hallmarks of a vision coming on, though he didn’t need to touch people or even be near them to “see” a glimpse into the future. His eyesight swam, and a buzzing overtook his brain. Then the corridor disappeared and the scene unfolded.
“He’s gone?” Phoenix glanced around at his Pack brothers in confusion. “Where did he go? When’s he coming back?”
“He left, idiot,” Aric snarled, eyeing Nix in disgust. “Did you really think he’d stay after what you did to him in front of everyone?”
“I—I was going to apologize! That’s why I’m looking for him!” His voice took on a desperate edge. “Is he staying in Cody? It doesn’t matter. I’ll find him and make him understand how sorry I am. I’ll—”
“There’s more,” Jax put in, his expression grim. “Noah’s been taken.”
“Taken . . .” Nix uttered the word, obviously trying to make sense of it.
“He was kidnapped, by Jinn. I’m sorry, man. But we’ll find him. I promise.”
“No,” he moaned in agony. His legs buckled and Aric grabbed him to keep him from hitting the ground. “God, no.”