Page 148 of Alpha Awakened
“Absolutely. I’ll steal a helo and fly myself to the target if you try to leave me behind on this op.”
Ortiz gave him an approving nod. “Then you’re in.”
On their way to the main entrance, they moved aside for a medical team rushing someone in on a stretcher. One of the nurses running at the side of the stretcher called out information.
“Captain Julian Hayes, designation alpha. Blood type A Pos. Set up OR three for multiple gunshot wound surgery.”
“Are they bringing in the rest of his squad?” another nurse asked.
“No. They didn’t make it.”
Hazard, Ice, Jax, and Ortiz all froze. Stunned, they turned to look after the stretcher that had just disappeared behind a set of swinging doors to the operating area.
“Did they say Captain Hayes’s squad didn’t make it?” Ortiz asked in disbelief.
“Yeah, they did,” Ice answered.
“Damn. That’s fucking awful,” Jax said with a grave shake of his head.
In the blink of an eye, Chin, Baker and all the others on Sierra Six, soldiers that Hazard had trained with, shared meals and joked with, were gone.
“I hope Hayes survives,” Hazard sincerely said.
There was nothing they could do for Hayes and they had a mission of their own waiting so they proceeded through the exit.
Seeing another soldier grievously injured and hearing of the loss of lives made it hit home for Hazard how lucky he’d been in the implosion. But that was the nature of their jobs. They never knew what day could be their last.
Ice must have been thinking the same thing because he brought a hand up to the nape of Hazard’s neck and gently squeezed. He left his hand there in a reassuring hold as they walked out. The warm strength of his touch reminded Hazard that today he was alive and he was together with the one that he loved.
Chapter 56
“Do you think we’ll get Cortez this time?” Dylan asked as he followed Royce into his room. They’d returned to the barracks after leaving the hospital and were on standby for the call to go after Cortez.
Royce closed the door before he answered. “I know we will. And I’m going to make him pay for what he did to you,” he said with his eyes hardening behind his balaclava.
“I’m fine,” Dylan assured him.
“But you almost weren’t.”
Dylan tucked his fingers into Royce’s waistband, using the hold to playfully push him back and forth. “You going to go after everyone who hurts me?” he asked with a teasing grin.
“Damn right I will,” Royce answered, both his tone and expression still fierce. “If you don’t kill them first, I’ll be right behind you to put them down as painfully as possible.”
Dylan breathed a laugh and stepped in close to nuzzle his face into Royce’s chest. “You say such sweet things.”
“Only to you,” Royce said as he loosely looped his arms around Dylan’s waist.
Dylan raised his head and looked into his lover’s eyes. They were softly glowing. “I’m glad.”
Royce smiled and started to lean down for a kiss.
“Wait. Will you take this off?” Dylan asked with his thumbs brushing the hem of the balaclava.
“For you? Always.”
Royce stood still and let Dylan roll the head covering up and off.
He’d seen Royce’s face several times now. But each reveal made the breath catch in his throat. Royce was a beautiful alpha. But it wasn’t his rugged, masculine beauty that made his breath catch. It was the fact that Royce was comfortable enough with him to let him see his face. And every time it happened, his heart melted a little bit more.