Spiral of Need

  She wasn’t sure what sent her sprawling to the floor. The impact of the explosion? The reverberations in the ground? Her own instinct to dive away from the danger? She didn’t care, was simply glad of two things: One, she didn’t feel the same pain as she had in the vision. Two, Shaya was alive, albeit shocked and scared.

  “Fuck!”

  Hearing a harsh exclamation, Ally looked to see Eli and Caleb supporting Derren’s weight as they lowered him to the ground at her side. Resting on his front, he hissed out a breath. Bile rose in her throat as she got a look at his legs, the denim torn and sticking to the badly burned skin.

  “He shielded me,” said Kent as his mate called Nick on his cell phone. “Derren shoved me to the ground and covered me.” And took the injuries intended for Kent.

  “You can heal him, right?” Bracken asked Ally.

  She struggled to a sitting position, startled by Derren’s harsh “No.”

  “Derren, let her help you,” encouraged Eli.

  “No,” he again ground out, looking close to blacking out. His eyes blazed into hers. “It’ll hurt you. It already hurts when I touch you.”

  Yes, and feeling the agony of his injuries would make it worse, but . . . “This is what I do, Derren. Now shut the fuck up and keep still.”

  She gently laid her hands on his legs, over the charred denim. A contrary combination of frost, heat, and pain invaded her system, prickled her nerve endings. Ignoring the agony, she pushed healing energy into his body. The moment the loop between them opened, his pain flowed into her. The more soothing energy she gave him, the more it felt like her skin was blazing, tightening, and eating away at itself.

  A soft hand landed on her shoulder. “Ally, you can stop now.”

  Oh, good. Then she collapsed.

  Derren ignored the knock on the door of the guest bedroom, just as he’d ignored the others. Instead, he lazed in the chair beside the bed on which he’d laid an unconscious Ally three hours ago. The sight of her ashen face and the dark smudges under her eyes was making his wolf frantic. She hadn’t tossed or turned even once. She’d remained so still that if it weren’t for the subtle rise and fall of her chest, he would have worried that she was dead.

  Another knock; this one louder, harder, impatient. “Derren, open up!” Shaya.

  Although it was the Alpha pair’s lodge, he hadn’t let them or anyone else inside the room, mindful of how vulnerable Ally was at the moment. Having her lying there, out cold, while under the same roof as people who might mean her harm . . . it nettled both Derren and his wolf. The animal was very much on edge, pacing and anxious for Ally to wake up.

  “She’s my friend, Derren, I want to see her! I’m worried about her!”

  If his conscience wasn’t so undeveloped, he might have felt bad for Shaya. Right now, though, he was only interested in Ally. He didn’t truly believe any of his pack would harm her, but his protective instincts wouldn’t allow him to take the chance. While she was vulnerable, he’d watch over her.

  A feminine huff traveled through the door. “Taryn’s on her way here. If she thinks that Ally might potentially need her healing skills, she’s going to come up here and there’ll be no stopping her. Unless, of course, I can assure her that I’ve seen Ally for myself and she’s fine.”

  Cursing, Derren stalked to the door and yanked it open, finding most of the pack gathered behind a smug-looking Shaya. He knew that she’d played him, but he also knew she was right. Taryn, a powerful healer, would demand to check on Ally if Shaya couldn’t assure her that it wasn’t necessary. He moved aside for Shaya. “Just you.” Ignoring the complaints coming from the others, he shut the door.

  The redhead’s expression crumpled into one of concern as she approached the bed. “Has she flitted in and out of consciousness?”

  “No. She hasn’t moved an inch.” At least the wound on her head from her fight with Jesse had healed.

  Shaya gently took hold of her wrist. “Her pulse is strong. I’m guessing her system has shut down while she recovers. She used up a lot of strength.”

  He was thinking the same thing. “Why is Taryn on her way here?”

  “We called Roni, told her what happened. When Taryn heard, she insisted on coming along with Roni and Marcus.”

  “Is she bringing Trey?” If so, that would be a problem. As Marcus had told them, Trey despised Seers. Derren was resolute that Ally would be spared the prejudice from now on.

  “I don’t know, Roni didn’t say.”

  Another knock on the door had Derren sighing. “Go away.”

  “Let us in, we just want to see her,” groused Kent.

  Derren grumbled to Shaya, “I should have taken her to her own lodge.” Or his. Somewhere she’d have space and privacy. Noticing the smile on his Alpha female’s face, he frowned. “What?”

  “I see your attitude toward her has done a one-eighty. It’s ’bout time.”

  Coming to stand at Ally’s side, he smoothed a strand of her hair between his fingers. “She healed me.”

  “You sound mystified.”

  “After the way I acted, I wouldn’t have blamed her if she sat back and watched with glee while I writhed in agony.”

  “Ally’s prickly and she doesn’t take too kindly to bullshit, but she’s also moral and fair.”

  Yeah, he got that. “She foresaw the explosion.”

  “I’m guessing so. One second she was fine, the next she was staring into space and her pupils had turned white.”

  “Did you see the way she looked at you when she snapped out of it and saw you were beside her?”

  Shaya swallowed hard. “Like she’d seen a ghost.”

  And that spoke volumes about just what Ally had seen in her vision. And just how much they owed her.

  “Shaya!” called Caleb. “Roni and Marcus are here with some of the Phoenix Pack!”

  “I’m coming!” Shaya gave Derren a weak smile. “If she wakes up, send for me.”

  Once she’d left, he returned to his seat and clasped his hands beneath his chin as he continued to watch over Ally. Some of the color was coming back to her cheeks, but not enough for his liking. What worried him most was that she was so still. He’d seen her sleeping many times in her hammock, noticed that she fidgeted something awful in her sleep—especially when she was having nightmares.

  He wasn’t sure what those nightmares were about, and he didn’t have the right to ask. But it both interested and concerned him that she suffered from them so regularly. The fact that she wasn’t his concern didn’t seem to matter to his instincts or to his wolf. And it was slowly not coming to matter to Derren either.

  His thoughts cut off as her eyelids fluttered and one leg straightened. Then those almond green eyes met his. Confusion, wariness, and surprise fought for supremacy in her expression as she glanced around. “You’re all right,” he assured her. “You’re in Nick and Shaya’s lodge.”

  Her gaze returned to his as she licked her lips, seemingly more alert now.

  “How are you feeling?”

  It was a long moment before she answered. “Okay.”

  “Do you remember what happened? Do you remember the explosion?”

  After another moment, she nodded. “What was it?”

  “We think it was a rifle grenade of some kind.” He hadn’t made much of a contribution to Nick’s investigation, wanting to stay with Ally instead. “You healed me. It was hurting you. I could feel it.” He’d hated that. He was a dominant wolf shifter; it was in his makeup to protect females and children, especially those directly under his protection. But whether he’d wanted to or not, he’d caused her pain. And she’d still willingly taken his. “But you didn’t pull away. You took my pain and added it to your own. Why?”

  She swallowed. “Because it was the right thing to do.”

  “I didn’t deserve your help.”

  “Oh, I know that.”

  His mouth twitched into a smile. “Thank you for what you did.”

  “Don’t
thank me. It’s what I do.”

  Apparently praise made his Seer feel uncomfortable. “I’m still grateful.”

  Sitting upright, she threaded a hand through her hair. “How long was I out?”

  “A little over three hours. You don’t seem surprised. Is that normal?”

  “Only if the injuries I’ve healed are extensive.”

  It was safe to say that third-degree burns counted as serious. “Do your eyes always turn white when you have a vision?” Although he’d met several Seers, he’d never been present while one had a vision.

  “As far as I know, yeah.”

  “I didn’t like seeing you like that. It was like you were somewhere else.” Like her soul had vacated her body, left it cold. His wolf had panicked. “Shaya died in the vision, didn’t she? You saved her.” Ally opened her mouth to speak, but then there was a familiar loud, rhythmic knock at the door that told him it was his Alpha male. “It’s Nick. You up for visitors?”

  Ally shrugged. “Sure.” What she really wanted was to leave and get back to her lodge. She was feeling groggy and irritable, which wouldn’t make her good company for anyone. She watched as Derren opened the door, allowing Nick to enter, and then closed it on the faces grouped there. She was sure she’d seen Kent, Caleb, and Bracken—all of whom had been scowling at Derren.

  Ally swung her legs off the bed to better sit up. Derren returned to her side, his stance oddly protective.

  Nick noted it with a raised eyebrow before turning to Ally. “How do you feel?” His condemnation and annoyance seemed to have melted away, replaced by an appreciation that warmed her skin.

  “Okay.”

  “From what the others told me, it sounds like you had a vision. Is that right?”

  She nodded, barely managing to repress a shudder as the sight of Shaya’s dead body flashed in her mind.

  “Can you tell me what you saw?”

  “I saw exactly what happened out there. An explosion.”

  “But you were all hurt pretty badly in the vision,” he assumed.

  “She saved Shaya’s life,” said Derren, wanting his Alpha male and friend to fully appreciate and acknowledge just what he could have lost today if it hadn’t been for Ally.

  Nick only briefly flicked his gaze to Derren. “I’m in your debt, Ally. And I won’t forget that.”

  She would have told him that there was no debt, that she owed him for letting her stay with his pack temporarily. But he was already leaving, ushering the wolves that stood outside the door into moving along.

  “Ready to go back to your own lodge?” asked Derren once they were alone again.

  She closed her eyes, holding up a hand. “Stop.”

  “What?”

  “Being nice. It’s weird.”

  His mouth curved slightly. “You like me better when I’m a bastard?”

  She pinned his gaze with hers. “I’m still a Seer, Derren. Yes, I healed you. And yes, I saved Shaya’s life. But I’m no different than I was before that happened.”

  “I know.” Derren sighed. “Everything you said when we last talked . . . You were right. I’ve been shitty toward you, and it’s going to stop.”

  “So you no longer hate me, just like that?” Doubt was heavy in her tone.

  “I never hated you.” He squatted in front of her. “You can’t feel that something’s different?”

  “You’re always hard to gauge.” Admittedly, though, the fleeting emotions she was sensing were predominantly appreciativeness, regret, and a strong protectiveness—all of which felt like the softest fur brushing against her.

  “Then let me prove it. Don’t jerk away.” Derren traced the black shadow under her eye with his index finger. “Did that hurt?”

  Shockingly . . . “No.” Not even a little. Quite the opposite, actually. It didn’t matter that the touch had been featherlight and far from seductive. The heat of his body had been like a brand on her flesh, making need begin to curdle low in her stomach. And she had to get out of there before he sensed it. She got to her feet . . . and then blushed when she realized he was now eye level with her crotch. Sensing he was about to tease her for what he could no doubt very easily scent, she bit out, “Don’t.”

  Standing upright, he raised his hands. “I didn’t say anything.”

  “You didn’t have to.” It was obvious he was stifling a smile. Silent but amused, he led her out of the room and along the landing to a flight of stairs. From there, Ally could hear multiple voices coming from downstairs—some of which were unfamiliar. It was clearly packed with people. How not grand.

  “I know you probably want to go straight back to your lodge,” said Derren, “but these people are nosy fuckers, and they want to get a look at the person who saved Shaya’s life. Just come say hi, and then I’ll get you out of here.”

  To her surprise, Derren remained slightly in front of Ally in what seemed to be a protective move as he led her into the kitchen. Instantly, a hush fell upon the room, and several emotions crashed into her, primarily curiosity.

  Relief washed over Shaya’s face. “You’re awake.” She headed straight for Ally and greeted her with a tight hug that made gratitude and affection seep into Ally’s system. “You look much better.” With a smile, Shaya turned to the others—most of whom were seated at the table. “Everyone, this is Ally. Ally, this is Roni and Marcus.”

  The slender female gave her a small nod, while her dark, incredibly hot mate offered Ally a quiet “Hey.” Ally gave them both a small wave.

  Shaya continued, “And these wolves are from the Phoenix Pack.” She gestured to two males. The burly one had a real grumpy air about him while the athletically built male regarded her warily. “That’s Ryan, a Phoenix enforcer, and Tao, who’s their Head Enforcer. The scowling, totally ripped guy leaning against the wall is their Alpha, Trey.” Whereas the enforcers appeared mostly neutral, the Alpha’s aversion to her—or, more likely, to what she was—made her skin itch.

  At that moment, the back door opened and two wolves entered. Shaya said, “This gorgeous woman here is their Beta, Ja—”

  “Oh my God, Ally!” The familiar tall female with long sable hair came flying at her, eyes wide in both shock and recognition. “Hey, how are you?”

  Ally gladly accepted Jaime’s hug. “I’m great. You?”

  Pulling back, she said, “They kept referring to you as ‘the Seer,’ but it never occurred to me that it could be you!”

  “So,” interrupted the brown-eyed tower of muscle that appeared at Jaime’s side, “you two know each other?”

  Jaime replied, “Ally was with our old pack for, like, eighteen months.” She returned her gaze to Ally. “That was almost six years ago, right?”

  Ally nodded. “You’re part of the Phoenix Pack now?”

  Jaime smiled proudly and leaned into the brown-eyed male. “This is my mate, Dante.”

  Ally wanted to ask if he was the Dante—the guy Jaime had talked about many times. Although he’d left Jaime’s old pack when he was just a teenager, Jaime had never gotten over her crush. If the fact that they were now mated was anything to go by, it must have been because they were true mates but hadn’t known back then.

  “Ally once had a vision that Gabe was going to be attacked by a group of falcon shifters,” Jaime told Dante, referring to her brother. “It saved him.”

  “Really?” Dante’s frown gradually slipped away. “It’s good to meet you, Ally.”

  Shaya released a sigh of relief. But then her entire body froze as a tiny blonde with sharp charcoal-gray eyes planted herself in front of Ally. Shaya cleared her throat. “Ally, this is Taryn, Alpha female of the Phoenix Pack.” Taryn’s shrewd gaze assessed her from head to toe and back again.

  “Taryn,” drawled Derren, knowing there was every chance Taryn would carry the same prejudice toward Seers that her mate did, given the pain it had caused him.

  She waved a hand at Derren. “Oh, cool it, Hudson. I’m not gonna give her shit. She saved my best friend’s li
fe and healed my goddaughter. As far as I’m concerned, she walks on water.” Taryn gave her a respectful nod. “If you ever need anything, just ask.” Her stamp of approval must have been what her enforcers had been waiting for, because then Tao and Ryan nodded at Ally in greeting, along with the seriously hot blond, who was grinning impishly.

  Shaya gestured at the blond, seeming reluctant to introduce him. “This is another Phoenix enforcer, Dominic.”

  His grin widened. “Hi, I have big feet.” Everyone groaned, other than Jaime, who laughed, and Derren, who growled.

  “Dominic, I really wouldn’t exercise your habit of dishing out cheesy chat lines on Ally,” Shaya advised him. “Derren’s kind of . . . protective.”

  The Phoenix enforcer was the image of innocence. “It’s just that she looks a lot like my next girlfriend.”

  Derren growled again. “Take Shaya’s advice and leave Ally be.”

  Dominic just grinned at him before winking at Ally, and she couldn’t help but smile. He was obviously a world of trouble.

  “Now you’ve all seen her, so back off,” ordered Derren. “She’s leaving.”

  Ally pointed to the blood matting her hair. “I kind of need a shower.”

  Jaime hugged her once more. “Expect plenty of visits from me while you’re here.” Ally smiled at that. Jaime was always good company.

  Shaya said, “I’ll come see you when everyone’s gone home.”

  As Ally followed Derren out of the kitchen, the Mercury wolves either offered her a “hey” or a nod of thanks—none of which were begrudging or had hints of wariness. It satisfied her wolf, who’d found it difficult being part of a pack, even temporarily, that didn’t accept or include her.

  As her lodge came into view, Ally inwardly sighed in relief. Now all she needed to do was get rid of the persistent, indomitable, and annoyingly hot male at her side. But since she got the feeling he didn’t intend to go anywhere, and he was a guy who didn’t seem to pay attention to what other people wanted, she doubted it would be easy.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Entering her lodge, Ally slung her jacket onto the sofa and headed for the stairs. Sensing that Derren had expectedly followed her inside, she said, “You can go now.”