“I think you need to rest,” Dex said gently. “We’ll come back.”

  Hudson agreed with Dex. Taylor didn’t look well. He’d been in a feral state for so long, who knew if there was any internal damage after his shift? The room flooded with TIN medical staff, and a tall, elegant-looking cougar Therian with bright green eyes stopped at the end of the bed. Her smile was warm.

  “Agents,” she greeted. “I understand Agent Taylor has important information you need. However, I must insist we be allowed to take all the necessary measures to ensure his health, both physical and psychological, has not suffered irreparable damage due to the ordeal. I would suggest returning in two days.”

  Taylor’s eyes widened, and he grabbed Dex’s hand, the fear in his eyes tugging at Hudson’s heartstrings. Dex covered Taylor’s hand with his.

  “It’s going to be fine. She’s right. You’re more important. We’ll talk about what happened when we return. I promise you I’ll be back. Do you trust me?”

  Taylor nodded, his shoulders slumping in resignation.

  “Hey, you can do this,” Dex assured him, squeezing Taylor’s bicep. “You’re a THIRDS agent, remember? We’re made to kick ass, right?”

  Taylor’s lips curled up on one side. He wrinkled his nose and nodded.

  They stayed a few minutes longer as the doctor in charge explained to Hudson what they’d be doing for Taylor, the tests they would be running, along with any medication he might be given. Dex spent some time reassuring Taylor, as well as making certain the doctor knew to contact him immediately if anything changed.

  “I’m leaving him in your hands,” Dex told her.

  Despite his smile, Hudson didn’t miss the intensity in Dex’s eyes. He was certain the doctor hadn’t missed it either. If anything happened to Taylor under her watch, she’d be dealing with Dex. What startled Hudson was how much sway Dex seemed to have around here. Not as surprising, however, was the confident manner in which Dex seemed to embrace that power.

  Back at the office, everything continued as if they hadn’t left. Being involved with an organization as powerful as TIN was definitely odd. So much went on behind closed doors with not even a hint as to their existence. Of course they existed, and everyone knew they did, but on the surface, it appeared as if they didn’t. No one spoke of TIN. What was there to speak of? Operatives were out there, but it wasn’t as if they announced themselves or listed their employment as “Operative for the Therian Intelligence Network.”

  As Hudson walked to his office, he surmised it was likely TIN had more operatives working at the THIRDS. Hudson’s phone buzzed, and he received a text from Nina stating she was in the canteen grabbing some lunch and would be back soon. Hudson had just taken a seat behind his desk and powered up his desk interface when someone stood in his doorway. Rafe hovered by the door, and Hudson wondered if Rafe had been waiting for him. Odd. He couldn’t remember the last time Rafe had been to his office.

  “Nina’s not here,” Hudson informed him. “She’s gone to the canteen for some lunch.”

  “Actually, I’m here to talk to you.” Rafe motioned to the chair in front of Hudson’s desk. “May I?”

  “Of course.” What on earth could Rafe Hobbs have to talk to him about? Having Rafe in front of him was difficult. He stirred up too many painful memories from a time when Hudson had once again found himself losing what he cared for most. For some time, Hudson had feared he might lose his career as well. His life had been placed under a microscope. Every case he’d ever worked on, every testimony, every signature had been called into question, all of it gone over with a fine-tooth comb. Even though Hudson knew his work was beyond reproach, he feared for his position, feared losing the only thing he had left. It had taken years to repair his reputation. Few blamed Seb, believing he had no choice but to protect his mate, while most placed the blame on Hudson, even if they didn’t say as much. As the one who was marked, his “pull” on his mate—as if he had any control over the actions of others—was always brought up. It wasn’t fair, by any means, but it was the way it had always been. Hudson lay the blame at both his and Seb’s feet. Together they had failed, and a little boy died because of it.

  “How are you doing today?” Hudson tried to summon a smile. The least he could do was be civil, for Seb’s sake. The brothers were closer than ever, and Hudson wasn’t about to come between them. Rafe squinted at him, and Hudson let out a soft sigh. “I’m not being snide. I’m genuinely interested.”

  Rafe still had a way to go to redeem himself in Hudson’s eyes, but Hudson felt for him. Having known the Hobbs family for years, being present for some of Thomas’s worst days, Hudson wouldn’t wish the condition on anyone. The knowledge that Rafe would one day end up in a wheelchair like his father, at the mercy of agonizing pain, hurt Hudson. Rafe was Seb and Ethan’s big brother. A huge tiger Therian built of what seemed like solid muscle. At seven foot two and over three hundred pounds, he eclipsed Hudson’s smaller wolf Therian frame. As big as Seb was, Rafe was just that tiny bit bigger, certainly broader. It saddened Hudson. Rafe hadn’t always hated him. Once upon a time, Rafe had been kind to him, had even smiled.

  “I’m okay,” Rafe replied. He cleared his throat, looking larger than life as he sat across from Hudson. “Thank you for asking.”

  Hudson nodded. “What can I do for you?”

  “I wanted to talk to you about Nina. I know things are still strained between the two of you, and it’s my fault. She did it to protect me. Please, don’t be mad at her. She loves you, Hudson. If you could only see how much pain she’s in, how much she misses you.”

  The last six months had been rather awkward. Although Hudson was on speaking terms with Nina, their relationship had suffered greatly. How could they get back to the way things were after she’d purposefully kept him in the dark? For months, day after day, she’d looked him in the eye, going on as if nothing had happened, and all the while sharing Rafe’s bed.

  “I would have thought you’d be happy to be rid of me once and for all. She’s the only connection left between me and your family.” There was no bitterness in Hudson’s voice, only sadness.

  Rafe straightened, looking affronted. “How can you say that? You’re connected to my brother in the most significant way possible, which, by the way, I don’t get you. You took three bullets for him, are obviously still as much in love with him now as you were then, and he worships you, yet you keep pushing him away. Why won’t you come home?”

  Hudson inhaled sharply. Rafe’s words hit him harder than expected. “Why… why would you say such a thing?”

  “That you two should be together?”

  “No. That I should come home.”

  Rafe raked a hand through his hair and let out a heavy sigh. He appeared to give a lot of thought to the question, as if trying to find the right words.

  “Fuck it.” Rafe met Hudson’s gaze, his eyes intense. “Because you’re a part of our family, always were. You’re his home, Hudson. He’s been lost since you left, and I don’t want to see him in pain anymore. He deserves to be happy, and that’ll never happen without you. He needs you. My family needs you. My mom misses the hell out of you. She’s always asking about you. Ethan misses you, my dad—”

  “Don’t,” Hudson pleaded, blinking back the tears in his eyes. “Please don’t use Thomas.”

  “It’s the truth. You may not want to hear it, but that’s the way it is. We are your pack, Hudson. You walked away from us, and yes, I hated you for a long time for what I believed you were doing to my brother, but I think I also resented you.”

  Hudson was stunned. “For what?”

  “For leaving. No one blamed you. Okay, I blamed you, but I was an asshole. My mom, dad, Ethan, Seb, none of them blamed you. They just wanted you home.”

  Hudson didn’t know what to say. The Hobbs family had taken him in, a lone wolf without a pack in dire need of a family, of love. They’d embraced him from the moment they met him. Unlike his own family, who had looked down their noses at Seb, the Hobbs family had welcomed Hudson with open arms, despite knowing his family had cast him out. If anything, it made Julia more determined to show him how much he was loved. How could he have thought they’d not miss him?

  Hudson studied Rafe, a man who for so long had been a source of grief for him. Unlike Seb and Ethan who looked so much like each other, sharing their father’s pitch-black hair and bright green eyes, Rafe had his mother’s chestnut hair and hazel-green eyes. His edges were harder, his expression stoic. Seb and Ethan had kind eyes, and despite their size, appeared gentle. Everything about Rafe radiated fierceness, which was why Hudson was caught off guard when Rafe reached across the desk, his palm up and his eyes filled with unshed tears.

  “I’m sorry for what I did to you. Even if you never forgive me, don’t turn your back on Nina. Please.”

  Hudson had opened his mouth to reply when a knock at the door startled him.

  “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’m looking for Dr. Colbourn.”

  “Yes?” Hudson asked. An agent he’d never seen before stood in his doorway. A handsome leopard Therian. Curious. The patch on his uniform stated Beta Ambush. “Can I help you?”

  Rafe turned in his chair to look at their guest, his expression darkening. Hudson could only fathom that Rafe’s walls were once again rising firmly into place. Why else would he scowl so deeply at the poor man?

  “You’re Dr. Colbourn?” The agent approached with caution, his gaze flickering to Rafe’s name tape before he swallowed. He moved his gaze quickly back to Hudson and gave Rafe a wide berth as he approached Hudson’s desk. Hudson smiled warmly at him.

  “Last time I checked.” Hudson stood and held out his hand. “And you are…?”

  Rafe stood, and the agent almost jumped out of his skin. With a smile that could only be categorized as frightening, Rafe slapped a hand down on the agent’s shoulder. “Agent Trent Carson on loan from Philly,” Rafe answered, his voice a deep growl. “He’s stepping in for Taylor.” He leaned into Carson, his voice slightly lowered but still loud enough for Hudson to hear. “You made some first impression.”

  “Yeah, um, your brother Seb’s quite the guy,” Carson said, then cleared his throat. He winced when Rafe gave his shoulder a squeeze, then released him. Carson held out his hand to Hudson. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  Hudson shook his hand. “Good to meet you, Agent Carson.”

  “Trent. Please. Call me Trent,” Carson said with a smile, earning a scoff from Rafe.

  What on earth was going on? Rafe shook his head. He turned to Hudson, his expression softening for a slip of a moment.

  “I’ll talk to you later, Doc.” Rafe turned and gave Trent a hearty pat on the back before heading to the door, calling out behind him, “See you around, Carson.”

  Hudson blinked after Rafe, wondering what that was all about. He turned a questioning gaze to Trent, who simply shrugged, a lopsided grin on his handsome face.

  “New-guy syndrome. You know how it is.”

  Hudson chuckled. “Welcome to Unit Alpha.” He resumed his seat and motioned to the chair in front of him. Trent shook his head.

  “I just wanted to stop by and introduce myself since we’ll be working together. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  “Oh?” Hudson’s smile faltered, an old habit he had trouble breaking after years of hearing his name whispered around the office. He braced for a pitying look.

  “Yeah, heard you’re one of the smartest guys around here.”

  Hudson let out an indelicate snort. “Someone’s been filling your head with nonsense. I’m extremely good at my job, but I’m hardly one of the smartest around here.”

  “You seem to have done pretty damn good for yourself.”

  There was no mistaking the implication, and Hudson had grown weary of these games years ago. “You mean for a marked Therian lacking his mate?”

  Trent had the courtesy to look abashed. “I didn’t mean to imply you wouldn’t have, uh, or I mean… shit.” Trent laughed. “I’m sorry. I’m really shitty at first impressions.” He smiled wide, and it reached his eyes. “I don’t care that you’re marked, and I don’t think anyone else should either. I just meant that despite the obstacles you clearly faced, you rose above all that shit. I admire you.”

  Hudson peered at him. “You really don’t care?”

  Trent shook his head. “Why should I? It’s none of my business. All I see before me is a very successful, smart, beautiful man.”

  Hudson opened his mouth, then closed it, uncertain of how to respond. His cheeks felt warm, and he bit his bottom lip. Bollocks! He was blushing.

  “Anyway, I just came by to introduce myself and make an ass of myself apparently.” He laughed, embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I’ll, uh, leave you to more important things.” He turned, and Hudson called out to him.

  “Wait, Trent.”

  Trent paused, then turned back, smiling at him. “Yeah?”

  “You didn’t make an arse out of yourself. Thank you for stopping by.”

  Trent nodded. “Thanks. I better go, or I’ll just stand here all day listening to that accent of yours. What part of England are you from?”

  “Kent,” Hudson replied.

  Trent smiled, and with a wave, he walked out. Hudson sat, unable to help his smile. His cheeks were still somewhat flushed, which was a strange sensation—mostly because someone other than Seb had put it there. At times he wondered if anyone else in his unit felt the same as Trent and simply didn’t approach him out of respect for Seb, which was silly, considering Hudson was no longer with Seb and had no obligation to him.

  “Who was that?” Nina walked into his office, holding a cup of coffee in one hand and a cup of tea in the other. The familiar tag at the end of the tiny white string dangling from beneath the lid gave it away. She placed it on his desk before depositing herself in the chair Rafe had vacated.

  “Thank you. And that was Agent Trent Carson from Philadelphia HQ. He’s filling in for Taylor while he’s on leave.” He removed the lid from the steaming-hot cup of tea, unable to help his contented sigh. This was just what he needed. Now that Trent was gone and Nina was here, it brought him back to Rafe’s visit. He took a sip of his tea and closed his eyes for a moment. Nothing soothed him like a good cup of black tea with a little milk and sugar.

  Nina took a sip of her coffee, and Hudson could tell she was trying hard to make it appear as if nothing was wrong. They’d been playing this little game for months now, skirting each other, being polite, cracking the occasional smile. Nina would sit with him in his office, much like now, and they’d have their tea or coffee, but whereas before it was filled with lighthearted banter, gossip, and teasing, now there was a heavy silence, a thick fog of hurt between them. Hudson missed his friend. One thing was for certain; they couldn’t continue like this. Rafe’s visit gave him a lot to think about.

  Two days later, as promised, Hudson once again accompanied Dex and Sloane to the TIN facility holding Taylor. Sloane waited in a separate room as he had the first time, only now he was a little more at ease since he no longer feared Dex would lose a limb. He’d been relieved the first encounter had gone without incident, until Dex recounted what happened, and Sloane all but had a bloody aneurism after he learned Dex had stuck his hand inside the cage while Taylor had been feral. Sloane’s blustering left him red-faced and winded, and Hudson couldn’t help but pat Sloane’s shoulder in sympathy. A few sweet kisses and a little purring from Dex helped soothe Sloane and his bristled jaguar Therian half.

  Hudson and Dex were led to an infirmary of sorts, and inside they found Taylor resting. The back of the bed was inclined, and they smiled when Taylor opened his eyes. He smiled in return.

  “You came back.” Taylor’s voice was still rough, and he clearly had quite a bit of recovery to do, but he certainly looked better than he had two days ago.

  “Of course,” Dex replied, coming to stand by Taylor. “Let me get you some water. I’ll be right back.” Dex patted Taylor’s shoulder and walked to the door. Hudson studied Taylor as he followed Dex’s every move. The yearning in his eyes was unmistakable.

  “I’m sorry,” Hudson said quietly. “I didn’t realize.”

  Taylor gave a start, as if he’d only just remembered Hudson was there.

  “You care for him.”

  Taylor shook his head, his frown deep before he let out a shuddering sigh. “I don’t know when it happened, when it went from just wanting to… sleep with him, to thinking about him all the time. It’s not like we get to talk on callouts or any other time, really, but when I’m around him, he just… he takes my breath away, and that’s never happened to me before. I know I can’t have him, ever, but a part of me keeps hoping, and I hate myself for it because he’s happy. If Sloane left him tomorrow, I wouldn’t care that he’s marked.”

  “You wouldn’t?” Hudson blinked at him, stunned by the intensity in Taylor’s gaze.

  “No.” Taylor let out a heart-wrenching sigh. “I don’t know what to do. I need to forget about him. To move on. How do I do that?”

  “He’s getting married,” Hudson offered gently.

  Taylor scrunched up his nose, the gesture clearly more to keep his emotions at bay than anything else. He pressed his lips together in a thin line and nodded. “Yeah.” His voice broke, and he cleared his throat. “That’ll do it, then. Thanks, Doc.”

  Hudson nodded. He knew what it felt like to love someone and want nothing more than to move on with your life, yet find yourself unable to do anything but wish to be in that person’s arms. If he could provide Taylor with any solace, help him leave behind the torture of pining for a man he couldn’t have, then Hudson would do what he could.

  Dex returned with a pitcher of water and a stack of paper cups. He placed them on the small tray table beside the bed before taking a cup to pour Taylor some water. Hudson declined the offer. While Dex and Taylor made small talk, Hudson removed his tablet from his messenger bag and swiftly typed away, taking notes on everything that had occurred up to this moment. Hudson wasn’t merely here as Dex’s personal physician. He was here to witness and document everything for Dex, and for reasons Hudson had yet to uncover, TIN was allowing it. Hudson had every intention of getting answers from Dex once they were in private, away from TIN.