Darkest Hour Before Dawn (THIRDS 9)

Taylor stared down at his hands. "I... I'm so sorry." He winced, as if it hurt to talk.

Whatever tremulous hold Taylor had on his emotions shattered, and Dex was there to catch him, holding him as Taylor quietly sobbed against Dex's shoulder. Taylor clutched Dex's arms, as if Dex was the only thing holding him up. Several minutes later, Taylor pulled back with a sniff. He rubbed his eyes and averted his gaze, embarrassed it would seem. His face was flushed, his nose and eyes red.

"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 physically and psychologically--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 of 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, 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