Chapter 7

Nathan could see John's interest in Dana. He didn't like it one bit. There was a time long ago, before Dana had left, when he'd imagined John would be one of the men he'd share his future mate with as per pack law. But, now, having her back again, Nathan found himself less than keen with that idea, a fact that he'd share with Dana if she ever gave him a chance to say his piece.

Jealousy or not, though, he couldn't deny Dana needed the attention of a doctor. While her Lycan blood would heal her, broken bones still needed to be set straight, and while rare, there was still a chance of infection.

Nathan pulled back the blanket, exposing her upper chest and breasts that were more defined than he remembered. The cooler air of the cabin made them pucker, and his mouth dried up, even as lust shot through him, hardening his cock. A quick glance up caught John staring with his mouth open, his eyes glazed.

"Get on with it," Nathan growled.

John didn't reply, just went to work checking her heart rate, blood pressure, and other vitals. He then proceeded to gently clean the myriad scratches that covered her from head to toe. Nathan cursed himself all over again for not having arrived sooner. It killed him to see the pain she must have suffered.

Never again. I promise.

The exam done, John injected her with some antibiotics to prevent infection, along with another dose of tranquilizer. Exhausted, Nathan closed his eyes, memories of the past catching up, memories of Dana from a time before she hated him.

He'd noticed her from a young age, not that he let her or his buddies know. He did, after all, have a reputation as a tough-ass to retain.

When she'd finally gotten old enough, he'd begun to court her in secret. He'd had no choice, even as she assumed their furtive meetings were because of her own stringent parents. The truth was it would have driven Nathan's father-a man who ensured through tests that Nathan was his-wild if he'd known. At the time, Dana wasn't considered good enough for the son of an alpha. But eventually Nathan had reached a point in his feelings that he didn't care. He loved and needed her.

Dana had drawn him with her smiles and laughter, with her tough inner core and the way she looked past his sometimes brutish nature. In fact, she'd told him on more than one occasion, with blushing cheeks, that she enjoyed it when he pulled the dominant male on her.

And he'd loved making her melt. Then the night he'd claimed her body, everything changed. He'd had lots of years to regret the fact that he hadn't marked her that fateful night. But he'd foolishly believed in pack law, and he'd lost her.

And now that I have her back, I won't make the same mistakes of the past.