“Murphy!” Jaxson called. “What’s our ETA to parking?”
“Need some distance, boss!”
“Copy that,” he threw back. “We also need some surgery. ETA!”
There was silence for a moment—Daniel was consulting the GPS. “Four minutes to a good spot to go to ground,” he shouted above the tire crunching and creaking of the van. A good, hard bounce forced a groan out of Jared, but then the ride went smooth. They were back on paved road.
Jace was an Army medic and had stitched up more humans and shifters than almost anyone Jaxson knew. “Four minutes?” Jaxson asked. Would it be enough?
Jace gave him a nod. “Four minutes.”
Jaxson tipped his head to the bleeding prisoners behind him. “Tend to the others.” They had been in Agent Smith’s custody—their injuries were probably minor, but God only knew what Smith did to them before Jaxson’s pack freed them.
But Jace didn’t move, just eyed Jaxson’s shoulder, which he was still holding. “You all right?”
“I’m fine.” And he was. The bullet took another chunk out of his shoulder in the exact spot where the last one was still healing—so it hurt like hell. And probably aggravated the previous wound. He wasn’t quite sure what Smith had injected in him to suppress his wolf, otherwise he wouldn’t have even bothered trying to staunch the flow of blood.
Jace nodded and eased up from Jared’s side, moving to one of the prisoners to check them over. Jaxson settled on the bare-metal floor of the van next to his injured brother. Jared’s breathing had way too much rattle in it. Shifters healed pretty damn fast, but if the magic of their wolves was repressed… Jaxson didn’t know how much of that would carry over to Jared’s healing powers. They could still communicate mentally as a pack, so Jaxson was counting on there being enough magic left in Jared’s blood to keep him from dying—at least until Jace could sew him up. Then, even a small amount of magic would take him the rest of the way.
Jaxson laid a hand on his brother’s shoulder, which caused him to drag open his squeezed-shut eyes.
Jared peered up at him. “Still here?”
He didn’t know if he meant Jared was still here—as in not quite fulfilling his death wish yet—or if Jaxson was still by his side. Which he would be until Jared was up and walking again.
“Still here.” Jaxson shook his head. “And, by the way, you do not have permission to check out, soldier.”
Jared nodded, but even in the dim moonlight falling through the front and back windows of the van, Jaxson could see it was shaky.
“Yeah, all right,” Jared said. “I guess I’ll stick around a while.”
“Damn straight.” Jaxson choked up a little, which surprised him. Usually, the emotional stuff didn’t catch up until well after the fight. “Look, let’s get something straight here. All this shit went down because of you. We do all of this together, all right? No more lone wolf crap, for fuck’s sake. I can’t afford to lose you.”
Jared huffed a short laugh, then winced and stopped. “You don’t need me, bro.”
Jaxson dropped his voice and edged closer, dipping his head down to talk quietly with his brother. “I do need you, Jared. And not just because you can shoot your way out of a cluster of armed paramilitary guards.”
Jared snorted. “Eh, you’re just getting soft.”
“You’re probably right about that.” Jaxson grimaced. But he really did need Jared to pull through this. To stick around. Because Jaxson wouldn’t be much longer. “And I’ve got another problem.”
“What’s that?” Jared looked askance at him.
“I’m in love with Olivia.”
Jared’s eyebrows lifted, and he didn’t say anything for a moment. Jaxson glanced at Jace at the back of the van, talking softly to one of the prisoners. If he heard, he didn’t give any sign of it.
“She’s not secretly a wolf, is she?” Jared asked, drawing him back. There was surprise in his brother’s voice.
Jaxson gave a short laugh. “No.” And now wasn’t the time to explain she was part witch, either. Being human was bad enough. “She’s not a wolf, but she’s the best damn thing to happen to me in… well, forever.”
Jared listened to him, wide eyed. “You’d leave the pack for her.”
“Yes.”
Jared nodded, slowly. “Grab her while you can. Don’t lose her like I lost Avery. If Olivia’s the one, Jaxson, don’t fuck it up. Don’t let her go.”
Jaxson smiled even as his heart ached. “I don’t know if I can convince her to have me, but if she will… I’m going spend my life with her.”