Jaded Hearts
Chapter 78

Tyson

“Kade! Look at me, damnit!!”

I shook him as hard as I could without giving him brain damage until he finally focused his eyes on mine.

“Hey, snap the hell out of it! We need to move quickly if we’re going to get them out of there.”

“They’re dead. Just leave them in—”

“What the f**k are you talking about? They aren’t dead; they’re trapped. Listen!”

The five guys with us stopped working for a few seconds, just long enough for the sound of clanging metal to reach our ears.

“That’s them. I know it is. Now get your a*s up and help us get them out. We need to move fast before the humans show up.”

He seemed to be finally registering what I was telling him, but I didn’t wait to replace out. I went back to the pile of rubble and started moving chunks out of the way. Whatever caused this mess happened right above the basement, and the damage was massive. The odds were against us that all three of them were still alive, but I was a betting man, and I couldn’t accept anything less.

Kade finally moved to my side, pulling rubble away as he gave an update. “Team B is all alive and accounted for. Whoever set off the explosion did it when they saw them coming, but none of them are hurt. They’re clearing the house, and then they’ll move down for the rescue.”

“Good. We don’t need anybody sniping us out while we’re trying to work.”

It took us just a few minutes to clear a small hole big enough for us to stick our heads through. I leaned in and could definitely smell b***d, a lot of it.

“You guys alright down there?” I called out.

“You know it’s going to take more than a building crashing down on me to take me out. I’ve still got to kick your a*s at the poker table,” Xander replied.

“Oh, thank the Goddess. Xan, you fucker, you scared the s**t out of me!” Kade barked out a laugh.

“Oh, my bad. Excuse me for being held hostage in a building that happened to implode. That’s completely my fault. Just get us the hell out of here.”

We went to work, making the hole big enough for them to squeeze through when I heard Xander curse under his breath.

“What’s wrong, Xan? How are Lex and Matt?” Kade asked.

“Bad. They got the worst of it.”

That was all I needed to hear. I moved even faster, and once the hole had doubled in size, I squeezed through it and jumped down.

“That was not in the plan, Tyson! If this house collapses, then you’re all f****d,” Kade warned me.

“Well, keep it from collapsing then!”

In the corner of the basement was a huge concrete beam that appeared to be resting across Matt’s back. I rushed over to him and crouched down to see how bad the damage was. He was slumped over Alexi, who also wasn’t moving, but didn’t look to be too hurt. It looked like the beam probably slammed into him on its way down, easily taking him out.

“Can you help me lift this thing?” I asked Xander.

We both grabbed on to a side, but this beast seemed like it weighed a ton, literally. It would not move.

We looked around, but there was no way we could squeeze either of them out. That beam had them firmly blocked in.

“We’ve got humans on the way! Maybe five minutes and this place is going to be swarming with them!” Kade yelled.

“You may want to back up a few steps. Once I get this lifted, pull them out.”

Xander looked confused until I began to shift into my bear. I’d never tried to lift anything this heavy before, but we didn’t have any other choice at this point.

I crouched down and wedged my head underneath the beam, then pushed. We got a little movement, but it also caused more of the roof to fall down as well.

This was not going well.

“Okay, we’ve got to be quick. If you can get your head far enough underneath there to lift it just a couple of feet, I can pull them out.”

I nodded and got in position. At the count of three, I pushed as hard as I could and, somehow, lifted the concrete far enough for Xander to pull the guys free. Matt’s left leg was completely crushed, and his arm didn’t look any better. Alexi, on the other hand, didn’t have a scratch on him.

Matt took the entire blow by himself.

Xander lifted Alexi and carried him to the hole, where he was easily pulled out. Meanwhile, I shifted back to human form.

“Alpha, we need to get you out of here,” one of the guys from outside stated.

“Go. I’ve got him, and we’re right behind you,” I said, nodding at Xander.

They pulled Xander through, and Kade once again stuck his head down. “Move your a*s, man. Let’s go!”

As gently as I could, I hauled Matt up and over my shoulder, taking care not to hurt his arm and leg any more than they already were. When I got to the hole, Kade was ready to pull him up.

“Be careful. His left side is pretty bad,” I said while pushing him through.

“Alright, teddy bear. Your turn.”

“Now I remember why I hated you so much when we first met,” I replied. Behind me, chunks of concrete began falling from the basement roof—time to go.

I took both Kade and Xander’s arms and pulled myself up. As soon as my feet were clear, the entire basement collapsed, sending a huge plume of dust and dirt hurling into our faces.

“Talk about perfect timing. Let’s get out of here; I don’t know how we’re going to explain a huge naked guy to the humans,” Xander laughed.

* * *

Taylor

Waiting at the hotel was complete agony.

It had been hours, and I had no clue how many tiny bottles of liquor, but I was still on edge. Alaia came and sat next to me and took my hand.

“How are you holding up so well? Both of your husbands are down there, and you’re cool and calm. Are you on Xanax or something?”

She laughed and shook her head. “It’s one of my powers. My wolf keeps me from losing my mind; otherwise, I’d look like an insane woman rocking and talking to myself in a corner.”

“That’s exactly how I feel. I just haven’t picked the right corner yet.”

“You love him, don’t you?”

“Of course I love him. Matt means everything to me; I can’t imagine losing him now.”

“Not Matt, Tyson. You love him more than you want to admit. That’s why you’re so nervous. You never got to tell him what he really means to you, and you’re afraid you never will.”

She was right. I still didn’t know what I wanted us to be, but I knew that I wanted him in my life as more than a friend. “Yes, I love him. So much.”

“You know, I called it all those years ago when you two first met. Y’all were obsessed from the beginning,” Morgan chimed in.

She’d had way too much to drink, and since she was mainly human, she was completely wasted. She was slurring every other word and could barely stand.

“Sit down here beside me. I need my best friend right now,” I said to keep her from going back to the minibar.

She smiled and threw herself down on my other side. I rested my head on Alaia’s shoulder and waited, hoping that I would get the opportunity to finally stop being afraid to show my true feelings.

* * *

The three of us fell asleep on the couch, curled up together, and I was pulled awake by a strange tingle down my spine and chills all over my body. Somehow, I just knew it was him.

“Girls, wake up. They’re back!”

I peeled myself off the couch and rushed to the door right as the guys stepped off the elevator. Well, three of them stepped off. Kade was holding Alexi, and Tyson had Matt. Neither was moving, and I felt my heartbeat speed up tenfold.

“Please tell me they are alive!” I yelled as I rushed forward.

“They’re banged up pretty bad, but they’re alive. Just let Alaia get to them; they’ll be alright,” Xander said.

I walked up to Matt and gently pushed the hair back from his face. I couldn’t stand to see him hurt. It broke my heart.

“Let me lay him down, sunshine. He’s heavier than he looks,” Tyson said.

“Oh, sorry!”

Once both guys were on the bed, Alaia came over and crawled in between them, sitting up next to their heads. “I don’t know which one is worse, so I’ll do both at the same time, then individually if they need it.”

Her eyes turned purple, and I moved around to take Matt’s hand while she hummed. I could see the bones in his arm straightening out and moving back into place. The crunching and grinding sound made my stomach roll, but I never left him.

Alexi began to cough and rolled onto his side, over the edge of the bed halfway through. Alaia took that as a good sign because she let his hand go and placed it on Matt’s badly injured leg. When his eyes fluttered open, I could see that he was in so much pain. But still, he focused on my face and smiled.

The song came to an end, and I began to run my hands all over him, looking for any imperfection on his beautiful body.

“I’m fine, tesoro. I promise.”

Hearing his voice again opened the floodgates, and I immediately started wailing all over his chest. “You weren’t fine! You were kidnapped and broken and bloody. Don’t ever do that to me again!”

“Don’t cry, angel. I’ll try my best to never do it again, I promise. How’s Lex?”

“I’m fine, you a*****e! Why would you do something so stupid? You could’ve gotten yourself killed!”

“If I hadn’t, you would be dead. So, you’re welcome.”

I leaned back and wiped my face. “What did we miss?” I asked.

“This i***t shielded my body with his like he’s f*****g Superman or some s**t like that. Who even does that?!”

This time, it was Alaia’s turn to burst into tears. She launched her tiny frame at Matt and hugged him as tight as she could.

“Thank you so much, Matty! He refuses to accept that he’s more vulnerable now that his wolf is gone, so thank you for thinking of him.”

Matt smiled. “Of course, bean. I love him too, even when he’s being stupid.”

I helped Matt to sit up, and when he was comfortable, he looked over to Kade and Tyson. “Please tell me that this is all over, and one of you got Drew.”

“One to the head, two to the heart. Finished my career off with a bang,” Tyson proudly stated.

“I’m sorry it wasn’t me, but I’m damn happy he’s gone. Thank you, man.”

“There are three other rooms in this suite, so how about we all get cleaned up and have a rest before we head home?” Kade said. He had one arm around Morgan and placed a k**s on top of her head.

Xander looked down at his dust-covered clothing. “That sounds perfect. I’m dying for a shower right now.”

Matt tried to push himself up, but as soon as he put weight on his leg, he fell back on the bed.

“You have to take it slow, Matty. Your bones are back in place, but there’s still swelling. It was too much for me to heal completely, so you’re going to be sore for a few days. I’m sorry,” Alaia said, looking at him helplessly.

“You did good, bean. Really good. I can handle a few days of limping around.”

I helped him to his feet and to the bathroom. “Do you want me to help you into the shower?” I asked.

“No, baby. I can take it from here. Could you do me a favor, though?”

“Anything. What do you need?”

“Go check on Tyson. He looks exhausted, and he’s the only one without someone to look after him.”

“But don’t you need me?”

“I’ll always need you, but I’m willing to share.”