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Chapter Twenty-Seven
Niko caught sight ofhis face in the mirror as he lingered in front of the sink. The small restroom was just down the hall from Shale's room and he'd ducked inside to use the facilities, then wash up while Deena bearded the wounded wolf in his room.
Injured dominant Therians could be a pain in the ass, something Niko knew well. He'd witnessed it in action, from himself, his father and his friends.
Shale would take Deena's attention better alone—and before he faced his Prime, so Niko held back his need to see to his friend.
Now, eyeing his reflection, he blew out a sigh. He looked like shit.
He wasn't a vain man but he was a smart one who knew how to use every weapon in his arsenal. Looks could be used as a tool, the same as his claws or teeth.
Under most circumstances, Niko was a decent-looking guy. When the need arose, he could use both looks and charm to his advantage. If doing so would help protect the pack, either the small pack here in the heart of Appalachia or the vast sprawling combined packs that fell under his protection as the Prime of Appalachia, then he'd do it without compunction or regret.
He'd also do whatever he felt was necessary to protect Therians on a worldwide stage, as long as it didn't violate the code of honor his father had instilled in him.
One thing he'd learned at his father's knee was that being Therian didn't automatically preclude one from being an asshole. He, himself, was proof of that. All he had to do if he ever forgot was look back at how he'd treated Zee.
Now, with rage still boiling inside him over the events of the past night, his face was drawn in harsh lines and the dark growth from going nearly Twenty-four hours without a shave gave him an even rougher edge.
He looked just this side of feral, and plenty of people who had seen him had taken one look and backed off.
Niko felt just this side of feral.
The three hours of sleep he'd gotten after leaving the hotel in the early hours of the morning would be enough to see him through for several days. He was the Prime. Strength and endurance had been built into him.
If the need arose, he could go days without sleep, but rest would keep him sharper, more focused.
It also helped him keep his anger honed to a razor's edge instead of spilling out of control.
The primal urge pulsing in his blood chanted at him to leave this prison of concrete, stone, metal and glass—go, hunt, find, kill. An enemy had come into his territory and lifted a weapon—Shale was hurt.
Zee could have been hurt. Zee could be dead.
Niko would hunt the son of a bitch down and rip open a throat.
Boone had transferred the injured trespasser to a secured facility and Niko wanted to confront the bastard now. But first, he had questions.
Too many of them and they needed answers.
Boone had talked to Zee, but she’d had precious little to offer. Once they’d Shale somewhat stable, Niko had also asked her to explain what had happened. But while she'd given a concise explanation of the facts, there was still any number of things she hadn't been able to tell them.
Niko needed to talk to Shale.
It had been that need that pushed him to leave Zee while she still slept, warm and soft, in the hotel where they'd gone after leaving the hospital.
The pack's heartlands were too far from the hospital, the trespasser stashed away where he wasn’t a threat.
Niko couldn't leave the city yet. Not until he saw with his own eyes that Shale was going to survive. He also had to have security in place, and find out from his lieutenant what had happened last night.
Several of his wolves were due to take up position around the hospital so both Shale and Deena had protection. Shifts had already been arranged to cover security until Shale could be transported home either tomorrow or the day after that and Niko knew two of the best were watching over Zee, in addition to the security he’d had sent to the facility.
Zee...he didn't like leaving her side.
It hadn't settled well, although his instincts weren't shouting danger warnings at him.
Saint had been stretched out in the hotel lobby, his lazy air nothing more than an act, while Etan had been parked watching the hotel's back entrance, acting as a secondary guard.
Niko's soldiers had their eyes on the other exits and he'd spoken to hotel security—the hotel was a chain owned by several Therian groups. Several of his people were employed by the hotel’s security division and guest safety was top priority.
