Chapter 27

Chapt er 27

Maverick

I stare down at the healer and take note of the stiffness of her body. I know she's angry with me, but I couldn't care less. I scan her body, checking for any sort of injuries from tonight. My blood is still boiling from finding her at the fight club. I take a breath and put that thought from my mind, or I'm liable to shift and tear into something. I focus on the problem at hand. "You thought I was with another woman?" I can barely say the words; they leave an awful taste in my mouth.

She stares up at me with those wide eyes. "Yes." There is no hesitation in her voice. The fact that she even thought that kills me.

"Why?" I ask. It's the only thing I'm capable of saying right now.

"You leave almost every night around ten and don't return until nearly three in the morning. And you're always carrying a bag. What was I supposed to think?" she asks, crossing her arms.

I stare down at her as a million thoughts fire through my head. "You were jealous?" That's the only thing I can come up with.

She sucks in a sharp breath. "No."

It's a lie; I can tell. I bite back a smile. I think she can tell because her scowl deepens. But it's hardly in her nature to be angry or mean. She can't even scowl decently at me. I step close and reach out a moment before I catch myself. My hand drops. "I would never be with another female." I stop short of saying anything more.

She gives me an indignant look. "Well, how was I supposed to know?"

I stare down at her. I already know I'm going to need a long run in wolf form after all this. I'm too keyed up, and those two fights barely took the edge off. "Come on. I'll walk you inside; it's late." I watch as the fight drains out of her. She starts toward the entrance, and I fall into step next to her. I slow my stride so she can walk beside me without having to jog to keep up.

We're almost to the front door when she asks quietly, "Why do you do it?"

I don't answer right away. I open the door for her and follow her inside. It's silent as we walk up the stairs to the hallway where her apartment is. I had planned on moving back to this wing after I healed but haven't gotten around to it yet. When we stop in front of her door, she looks up at me with those big chocolate, brown eyes. I tighten my fists, so I don't do something stupid like touch her. She looks lost tonight, and I find myself hating that I put that look there. I decide to answer her question honestly. "For the release." I know she doesn't understand, and while I can't tell her all of it, I can tell her some of it. "My wolf is very difficult to control, and fighting helps keep him...and me in control, somewhat."

"That actually makes sense. The Northwoods Pack actually has a fight night I think for the same thing."

I nod because I've attended a few of those before. She stares up at me. "What?" I finally ask.

"It's just...you're talking to me. We're having like our second normal conversation."

I scowl at her. "Goodnight, Healer."

Her laugh follows behind me as I walk down the hallway. That laugh—it does something to me, something I don't know how to explain. I listen for the sound of her door closing and locking before I jog down the stairs. It's time for me to have a talk with Cade. I glance at my watch. Because my fights got cut short, I made it back earlier than normal. It's just a little after midnight now. Knowing what I do about Cade, he'll still be up. Instead of knocking on the door and waking Amber and Paige, I reach out through our pack link. Are you up?

Yes.

Do you have a few minutes? We need to talk.

I'll be there in a minute.

I lean against the wall and wait for him to come out. He opens his door a moment later and nods his head toward the meeting room. He walks right over to the coffee station. "Want a coffee?"

I lift a brow. "It's past midnight."

"I won't be going to sleep any time soon." Once he has his coffee in hand, he sits at the table with me. "Is this about tonight?"

"In a way."

He takes a sip of coffee. "I'm all ears."

"The healers came to my fight tonight in downtown Orlando."

He slowly puts his coffee down and pins me with a look. "You took Rose and Ava to the fight club?"

"No. I didn't take them with me; but they were there. They followed me." He smirks, but I ignore it. "I'm just letting you know in case anything comes of it or if somebody says something."

"You're covering yourself," Cade says with an eyebrow raise.

"Exactly."

Cade eyes me, and I don't like the look in his eyes. "Your time at the fight ring has increased as of late." I nod. "Why is that?"

"Just what I do."

"You know there's an easier way to deal with the stress you're under, the stress your wolf is under," he says, sitting back in his chair.

"If you're talking about getting close to the healer, it's not going to happen. She's way too soft and has too many...emotions." Cade is quiet, and it irritates me but I can wait him out.

"Where's the guy that drove me crazy for months telling me every day that she needed to be here and not with the Northwoods Pack?"

I scowl at the mention of their pack. "She did need to be here...in our pack, where I can make sure she's safe."

Cade lifts an eyebrow. "But you're not going to mate her."

My voice hardens. "You know why I won't."

Cade stares at me. "You're not the person you make yourself out to be, Mav."

"You know me; you know my wolf. I won't subject her to a life sentence of being stuck with me."

"And you're not going to let her decide what she wants?"

I snort. "The healer would never choose me."

"Would you stop calling her the healer. She's your mate. Why do you refuse to call her by name?"

I squeeze the table. "Because then she becomes real. If I just call her the healer, it's not personal."

"Newsflash, Mav. She's already real." I don't say anything; there's nothing to say. "You've got to let the past go. You were young; it's not your fault what happened to your sister."

"Don't," I say, locking my jaw. My muscles tense, and I'm ready for a fight.

"Julie's not coming back even if—"

"Stop!" I thunder at him. My chair topples over. "Don't say her name."

Cade waits a beat and then gives me a nod. "If you won't claim Rose, then is she open to somebody else in the pack to be able to claim?"

A fierce growl explodes from my chest, and he gives me a knowing look. I don't say anything, because I can't. My wolf won't let me even think about not mating Rose, let alone some other shifter having her. But I won't do that to her. I never planned on having a mate, and just because the little healer came into my life doesn't mean that will change. She's here now where I can make sure she's safe, and that's all it can ever be.

Cade stands to his feet and levels a look at me. "You can't destroy her future, Mav. You can't not claim her but not let anybody else either."

I run my hand through my hair. My anger is rising. I'm angry that the healer showed up tonight, ending my fight early. I'm angry she showed up and put herself at risk. I'm angry at the thought of any other male touching her or of any male claiming her. I growl again and rub my chest.

Cade gives me one of his looks. "Amber is really coming to care about Rose, so you better not hurt her, or my mate won't be happy."

"Anything new from Stu?" I ask, needing to change the conversation.

"He's tearing apart their online presence, trying to find connections anywhere and everywhere. Nothing yet. Nothing to explain why they would come after our pack. It doesn't seem that they have any wolves in their company."

"Vampires?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "Not that we know of at least."

"It doesn't make any sense."

Cade rolls his neck. "I know."

"You look exhausted, Cade. Go back to your mate and get some sleep."

"I'm planning on it. Are you going to disappear anywhere tonight?"

I give him a grim smile. "No. I'm here for the rest of the night."

"I guess I have a certain healer to thank for that."

I shake my head, irritated. "That was really stupid and dangerous. I can't believe they followed me. I'll be talking to the enforcers to see who was on duty that let them through."

Cade looks unsurprised at my words. "Just make sure they're alive when you're done with them."

Knowing we're done, I head over to the door. "Maverick." His voice stops me. "Please don't hurt her. She's a good person."

I turn back to him. "Do you know what Julie looked like?" I ask softly. Her name from my lips brings a physical pain to my chest. I haven't spoken her name in years. I don't wait for him to answer, though I'm pretty sure I've told him before. "She was short with pale skin and long dark hair." I pause a moment and try to push past the lump in my throat. "And she had these huge, expressive brown eyes."

Cade drops his head. "I'm sorry, Mav." He knows I just gave a perfect description of the healer. Then he looks up and meets my eyes. "But maybe that's not a coincidence. Maybe she's what you need to heal in more ways than one."

"No." I meet his eyes, so he knows exactly what I'm saying. "I told myself after what happened to her that I would never take a mate. I intend to keep my word."

"Yeah. The word of a grief-stricken ten-year-old kid," Cade says, standing to his feet. "I get it, Mav. I really do. But you're wrong about this; you're making a huge mistake. But your life is your own, and you can do with it what you want. If you want to be cranky and miserable and hard to get along with, then be my guest. But know this." He steps close until we're eye to eye. "She is under my protection, and you won't hurt her. She is a good person and has risked so much to stay here and heal our pack. She deserves nothing but respect. And if the time comes for her to leave and you've decided you're not going to make her yours, she will be free and able to be with another man." I grind my teeth but stay quiet. I manage a short nod and leave the room. I tug off my shirt and pants at the back door and shift as soon as I'm out the back door. My wolf and I need to run off this aggression.