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Taggart was Selene’s lifelong friend, and a wolf determined to mate with her before she’d met and mated with Zander. Tag hadn’t taken the news well at first, but after leveling a warning at Zan to treat her right, he’d backed off.
“Tag wasn’t in the car, thank God.” She sniffed. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if I had lost him.”
“Well, there is me,” Zan said, stepping from behind Nick. Immediately he had his arms full of his mate.
“You know what I meant.” She gripped Zan tight. “Tag is one of my best friends.”
“I’m glad he’s okay, sweetheart. Why don’t we go see Damien?”
Nick led his family inside the building, which turned out to be the clan’s hospital. It was a nice facility, almost as well-appointed as the Pack’s new hospital. He couldn’t help but be even more impressed. It didn’t escape his notice that Damien’s care and attention to his clan’s needs might ultimately save his life.
A clan doctor met them on the second floor, and Nick made introductions. The doctor introduced himself.
“I’m Dr. Simon York,” he said politely, shaking Nick’s hand. “Why don’t we talk in the family room for a moment?”
Once they were settled, with the doctor seated in front of them, Nick asked, “How’s Damien?”
Dr. York nodded. “Weak, but hanging in there. He suffered multiple lacerations, sustained both from the wreck caused by the attack, and the fight itself. He’s had internal bleeding, which we’ve managed to stop, and a few broken bones, which will mend when he shifts.”
“When will that be?”
“Depends on Damien. The Alpha is healing quicker than we thought he would, which is a terrific thing. Could be tonight, but more likely tomorrow.”
“So, in your opinion, he’ll survive?”
“Yes. He passed the critical point while you were en route, took a turn for the better. I’m confident he’ll be good as new in no time.”
Nick pushed aside the relief he felt. “May I see him?”
“Sure. Room two twelve. He’s been asking for you.”
He had? That choked Nick up all over again, and Selene, too. Now that the crisis was past, he was tempted to run again. Far and fast. But he couldn’t do it. Not this time. Not when he’d almost lost his brother.
He did let Selene and Zan go in first, though. Selene had been in already, but Zander wanted to pay his respects to her uncle. Then a couple of Damien’s clan, but they didn’t stay long. Too soon, it was Nick’s turn.
Walking to the room on wooden legs, he had no idea what to say. Then he was out of time to think, because he was through the door and Damien was lying there, face cut and bruised, lip busted. His arm was in a cast and there was an oxygen cannula in his nose. Dark hair was swept back from his face and he stared at Nick hard for a few seconds before his expression crumpled.
“I thought I was being a good Alpha. I followed the letter of the law instead of my heart,” he whispered. He didn’t bother to hide the sheen of moisture in his eyes. The devastation. “Forgive me, brother, please. I can’t stand to face one more day knowing I drove you away when you needed me most.”
Nick’s legs started moving, and before he knew it, he was crouched at Damien’s bedside. Pulling his brother into his arms, he choked, “I forgive you. I’ve got a long way to go to forget, but I do know I don’t want to be without my brother in my life.”
“That’s a good start.”
“Yes.”
After a few moments, Nick forced himself to let go and took a seat in a nearby chair. He wasn’t sure what to say, so he settled on his first impression. “You’ve done so much for the clan. You’ve turned it into a community to be proud of.”
Damien’s smile was pleased, but not for himself. “The clan pulled together to do all the work. I just made the money available from the clan account to make improvements and boost our businesses and jobs.”
“You know, you sound nothing like Dad in your vision of what community looks like,” Nick observed. “He didn’t believe in spending clan money. We never could convince him that funneling the yearly dues back to the community would help everyone in the long run.”
“Thanks.” Damien flushed at the compliment. “He was a good man, but stuck in the seventeenth century.”
“Literally.”
“Yeah.”
They were sharing a smile, and it was weird. But good, too. His brother’s exhaustion took over, and slowly his eyes drifted shut. Nick sat by his side for the longest time, studying his face and thinking about how lucky he was to have the chance to rediscover their bond as brothers.
