Page 31 of Ruined Wolf

The rescue seemed painstakingly slow. The medics had to make their way down to the truck through the trees and rocks with special harnesses, and then we were both loaded onto special stretchers to get us back up to where the ambulance waited. I insisted they take Nova first, but Maverick had been adamant I go, arguing they needed me out of the way to concentrate on her. I finally allowed them to take me back up the cliff, knowing he’d protect her. He looked like hell, and as they fought to cut her out of the truck, it reminded me of the day we’d discovered that Jaxon had gone. It had shaken him to his core.

It seemed like a lifetime before they finally appeared on the road with Nova. They loaded her into a second ambulance, and we were driven away. Maverick travelled with her at my insistence. He’d offered to come with me, but we both knew she was the one in danger, and she needed him the most. For the first time, I found myself wishing Lucas was here.

CHAPTER TWELVE

MAVERICK

The whole day felt like some kind of nightmare.

I felt like I was wandering through some alternate reality as I paced the hospital corridor, waiting for news. My feet dragged, and my limbs felt like lead, but I was too wired to sit anymore. I had spent the first hour sitting with Asher as the doctors patched him up. The head wound had required some attention, but once the skin wounds had been cleaned, they had begun to heal quickly.

The constant hum of noise kept my nerves on edge, though I thought silence would have been worse. The thrum of activity echoed through the hallway, a cacophony of beeping machines and the constant chatter of medical staff. I contemplated going to find something to eat, but I felt nauseous. It was the third time this week, and I hoped I wasn’t coming down with anything—that was all I fucking needed. I sipped water instead.

Asher and I had quickly fallen into our own silence as we waited for news on how Nova was doing, but it felt like there were so many words inside both of us that needed to be said. Not now though. Not yet.

I looked up, and a small amount of relief bloomed as my brother walked through the main entrance to the hospital. Clad in a black suit with a black shirt, he looked more like a grim reaper than a wine merchant, but I was glad to see him.

To my surprise, he reached out and put his hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently. His dark eyes met mine, and I could feel the pain inside him—the same as my own. We’d grown apart over the years, so it seemed crazy that something as horrific as this would be what had brought us closer together—this and Nova. She tied us together, brother mates, and we’d never be torn apart again with her in our lives. I just wished Asher could see that and realise he should be a part of it.

“How is he?” Lucas asked.

“He’s okay. Head wound. They are keeping an eye on him.”

Lucas nodded. “And her?”

“In surgery.” I couldn’t tell him anything else, and it hurt like hell.

I turned and led him back towards Asher’s room. I gestured for him to go in, not missing his clenched jaw as he entered and saw our little brother wired up.

“Ash,” he said, crossing the room and kneeling down next to the bed. He bowed his head, not looking at Asher.

“Lucas, what are you doing?”

“I was a fucking dick to you,” he murmured without raising his head.

“Is this guilt?” Asher looked up at me in surprise, and I raised my eyebrows and shrugged. Asher gave a quiet laugh. “You’re always a dick, Luc. Don’t worry about it. I’m used to it, but yeah, you’re a dick.”

He grinned as Lucas raised his head. I shook my head. Sometimes, Asher was too damn good for the two of us. I realised that if Nova came through this, I needed to make him see how much she needed him in this family, how much we all needed him. The three of us had our own darkness, but Asher was the light that chased the shadows away. I swallowed the lump in my throat and sat down in a chair by the bed as Lucas took the other.

“What happened?” he asked Asher.

Asher shook his head. “I’m not sure. We were going home. Nova wasn’t feeling well, sick or something. Then this truck just pulled out of one of the turns, but fast, like a fucking bat out of hell. It hit us side-on. Nova’s side. The truck was forced off, and we rolled down to the rocks.”

Lucas looked at me, his dark eyes glittering. “Who was it?” he asked, the menace in his voice utterly chilling.

I didn’t think badly of him for it. I felt that same hatred towards the driver of that truck as he did, and I would be more than happy to point Lucas at them and let him go.

“We don’t know,” I said, my voice as hard as his. “They drove off before we got there, but we’re searching.”

“There can’t be that many black trucks on the island,” Asher argued. “And the front end must have sustained some damage. He hit us pretty hard.”

“You didn’t see the driver?” Lucas asked.

Asher shook his head. “Happened too fast.”

We fell into silence, each of us lost in our own thoughts. After what seemed like an age, the door to the hospital room opened, and the doctor overseeing Nova’s care stepped through. Lucas and I got to our feet, and Asher sat bolt upright in bed, wincing at the sudden movement.

“What news?” I asked, barely able to get the words out.