Cold Blood

by Heather Hildenbrand

  “Won’t it look suspicious?” came a woman’s voice. The nurse who’d checked us in. She sounded even more mousy and nervous than when I’d met her earlier. Kane probably had a way of bringing that out in people.

  “We’ll pull the curtains around them. No one will notice, and if they do, your patients will appear asleep,” said Kane.

  “But –”

  “It’s the best we can do until we figure this out,” he snapped.

  “O–okay,” she stammered.

  Approaching footsteps sounded on the linoleum. “Sir?” It was a female’s voice but overly deep. A mental picture of Betty popped into my head. “You wanted to see me?”

  “How are the wards coming?” Kane asked, confirming my suspicions.

  “Slow, sir. I’m not as good at this as Vera – I mean, Ms. Gallagher.”

  “Well, work faster. We don’t need any more of these getting in,” he said. “Or more importantly, any unwanted information getting out, until we have it under control.”

  “Yes, sir,” Betty said. “Are those the survivors from the cave?”

  “Yes. There were only these two.” Kane sighed, but it sounded more impatient and aggravated than sad. “There were a few more but they managed to slip away. And if these two are any indication, this is a long way from over.”

  “Is it true then?” Betty asked. “I wasn’t there, but I heard… I mean – are they really–?”

  Kane cut her off. “Mr. and Mrs. Lexington? That information is highly classified until I say otherwise, do you understand?”

  “Yes, but they’re…” Betty trailed off, her voice a mixture of disbelief and awe.

  “Some sort of hybrid,” Kane finished for her. He sounded grim. “It shouldn’t be possible, but here they are. CHAS is going to have their hands full with this mess.”

  No one responded, and I heard the sound of another arrival.

  “Professor Kane? We’ve got a situation.” It was Alex.

  I froze, the pounding in my head momentarily forgotten as I held my breath and listened.

  “What is it?” Kane asked.

  “Intruders at the main gate. A pack of them, sir, and some are familiar faces. The students won’t fight their own people.”

  “They’re not our people anymore,” Kane growled.

  “Either way, this isn’t going to end well unless you get out there,” Alex said.

  “Fine. I’m going. Betty, you’re with me. See what wards you can construct while we’re there.” Footsteps started and then stopped again. “Harriet, I trust you can keep our patients… quiet until I return?”

  “Yes, Jonah, I can do that,” she said, her exhaustion coming through in her tone. She obviously didn’t like what was being asked of her.

  “Is there a problem?” Kane demanded, his tone harsh and impatient.

  “Well, I’m not sure we should–”

  “I don’t have time for this,” Kane interrupted, his voice rising.

  “Jonah, please. You’ll wake the others,” the nurse said.

  “I’ll stay with them,” Alex said.

  “I can’t spare a fighter right now,” said Kane.

  “You’ll have plenty of manpower at the front, if you can get them to fight,” Alex said.

  Kane sighed. “Fine, but keep your earpiece on. I’ll call if I need you.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The footsteps receded, and the door creaked closed. The throbbing in my head lessened some once they left, and I tried to make sense of what I’d heard. Victoria’s parents were alive, lying in bed somewhere in this room. And they were… hybrids?

  The curtain in front of me fluttered as it was pulled aside. I tensed. I had no time to move or react before a face appeared from the other side. I let out the breath that had caught in my throat and forced the adrenaline away.

  “Alex,” I said.

  His eyes narrowed. “I thought you’d be asleep. How much of that did you hear?” I didn’t answer. “That’s what I figured,” he muttered. He stepped into the small space and came closer. “You can’t tell anyone about them.”

  “By them, do you mean Victoria’s parents or the Hunter–hybrids as a whole?”

  Alex sighed. “Yes. I mean, all of it. At least not until we figure out how to deal with them.”

  I raised a brow and winced at the throbbing it caused. “We?”

  Alex shrugged. “The school, CHAS, the Hunter community.”

  “And you’re back to being a part of that?”

  “I never stopped being a part of that,” he said. His words were gentle, but his expression was serious. “Just because I helped you with Miles and kept it from Kane for a few days doesn’t make me a traitor to my own kind. It doesn’t mean I’ve turned my back on my purpose.”

  I scowled. It sounded so childish when he put it that way. Of course he hadn’t turned his back on anyone. “I know that, I meant –”

  “And to prove that I’m not taking sides, and that I can be your friend AND be true to my Hunter side, I’ll tell you something you don’t know. Something that I’m not supposed to share.”

  “What?”

  “Remember that pack of rogue Werewolves that attacked us in the woods near Luray? The ones that killed Miles’ errand boy?”

  I nodded. How could I forget?

  “Well, after everything went down at the cave today I told Kane about them, and he sent some guys up there to take a look and the entire pack of them were hybrids.”

  “What? Hunters?”

  Alex shook his head. “Not Hunters. Humans.”

  I stared back at him, wide eyed. “But how…?” I remembered Miles saying that humans didn’t take to the serum very well, so he’d used Hunters instead. It made sense when I thought of the wolf that had pinned me. He’d been so violent, so intent on killing… there was no humanity there like there was in other Weres.

  “I don’t know,” Alex said. “But I know they had it out for you, for some reason. I’m telling you this because I think you might still be in danger, and I think you deserve to know.”

  I nodded, still processing everything; still connecting all the dots.

  “Even on school grounds, I want you to be careful. Betty’s skill with wards isn’t entirely solid yet.”

  “Yeah, be careful, don’t get dead. I get it,” I said, waving a hand. My head was cramping again. I leaned back and shut my eyes.

  “How are you feeling?” I could hear the frown in Alex’s voice even with my eyes closed.

  “Nasty headache,” I said through gritted teeth.

  Alex didn’t answer. I cracked an eye open and found him leaning over me, frowning in concentration.

  “What?” I said.

  “I don’t know. You feel different.”

  “This again? I can’t deal with this right now. My head hurts.”

  “Interesting…” He leaned closer again and our eyes locked.

  I felt a shudder go through me, and the pain cleared enough that I felt my muscles tense in excited anticipation. I stared up at him, feeling warm and shaky all at the same time. He stared back at me, his dark eyes burning into mine for what felt like forever.

  “I might’ve lied,” he said finally. It was a whisper, gruff and low, and I could feel his breath on my face. He didn’t pull away but he didn’t come closer, either.

  “About what?” I breathed.

  “About staying away from you. About letting you go. And about my ability to do either one.”

  “Oh.” I blinked up at him, trying to think of something else to say, but my brain was foggy.

  “You’d kiss me back right now if I kissed you,” he said, and I tried to decide whether to even attempt a denial. “But then you’d remember him and you’d feel bad for it.”

  His face clouded, and I dropped my eyes from his, already feeling guilty at the reminder. His hand came up and brushed hair away from my face, his fingertips barely grazing my skin and leaving a trail of tingles in their wake.

  “When
you won’t feel guilty anymore, I’ll kiss you again.” He eased back, looking down over me with an expression that said he was actually enjoying my speechlessness. “Get some sleep,” he said. Then he turned and slipped out.

  Chapter Thirty Four

  The sound of a door being yanked on its hinges raked across the nerves behind my eyeballs, and I tensed and grit my teeth so hard my jaw hurt. Before I could form a complaint, even to myself, the goose bumps began. Voices sounded in the outer office and got louder before the sound of hurrying feet cut off the words. I looked around for a weapon, trying to ignore the pain in my head, but I came up empty. Unless a bedpan counted. Probably not.

  Then the curtain surrounding my bed was being viciously ripped aside. I blinked into the dim fluorescent lighting and a halo of auburn hair came into focus.

  Wes was at my side before I could move.

  He grabbed me and pulled me up into his arms, holding me tight against his chest and burying his face in my hair.

  “Hey,” I mumbled.

  My voice was muffled against the leather of his jacket, but I didn’t care. I closed my eyes and inhaled the scent of leather and woods. An ache that I’d never even realized was there dissolved into relief.

  We stayed like that until someone cleared their throat. I jerked away, remembering the goose bumps. Two pairs of eyes stared back at me from the foot of the bed.

  “Jack, Fee, you came.” I beamed at them, and they smiled back and came closer.

  “Of course we came, honey. How are you feeling? I was worried when they said you were in the infirmary,” Fee said. She came and put a hand on my forehead, a motherly gesture. Warmth flowed from her hand to my skin, and the headache dialed back into something bearable.

  “Oh, I’m fine,” I said, sighing at the small relief from the headache. “I stayed to keep an eye on George.”

  “And how is he?” she asked.

  “Seems okay. A few bruises but nothing serious. They kept him overnight for observation.” I glanced at Wes again, who was staring at me with an intent expression, like he was trying to memorize the sight of me. I squeezed his hand and he squeezed back.

  “But you’re sure you’re okay?” Fee asked, her brows pulling together in concern. Her eyes scanned my body and she frowned.

  “Other than a massive headache, yes,” I said.

  “Ahh. I knew there was something. I’ll take care of it.” She came closer and laid her hand across my forehead again. She bent down close to me, whispering a string of words that were too low and quick for me to understand. Then she fished in her bag and handed me a small vial of clear liquid. “Drink this. It’ll clear you right up.”

  I took it gratefully, trying not to remember how gross her potions tasted. “Thanks.”

  She nodded. “I’m going to go speak with the nurse and see if there’s anything I can do for George,” she said. “I would’ve already asked, but someone wasn’t very nice on his way in and I didn’t get a chance.” She sent Wes an accusatory glare.

  He shrugged. “She wasn’t going to let us in until morning.”

  Fee rolled her eyes. “You catch more flies with honey, ever heard that?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t like flies. They’re annoying.” He grinned. “I’d rather catch hell.”

  Fee shook her head. “Obviously.”

  She disappeared around the curtain, and I pulled the lid off the vial and braced myself before downing the medicine all in one swallow. I made a face and shuddered, but I could feel the medicine warming inside me as it traveled to my stomach and spread. Already, the pain in my head was receding. In another moment, it was gone. I sighed.

  Jack took Fee’s place on the empty side of my bed and looked down at me. He leaned heavily on a polished cane, but otherwise, he looked good. His beard had grown out and he looked more like the bear I imagined he was.

  He grinned. “You went off and had all the fun without us.”

  “It’s boring here,” I said. “And they don’t yell at me nearly as much as you do. Had to find something else to pass the time.”

  He grinned wider. “I knew it. Hunters are going soft.”

  “He’s really dead, though, right?” Wes said. He wasn’t smiling. He looked worried.

  “He’s really dead,” I said.

  “Vera said it was Cord who finished him,” said Wes. His lips pressed together in a thin line, and I couldn’t tell if he was pleased with the news or not.

  “That’s right,” I said, and left it at that.

  Remembering those last few seconds with Cord still made me uncomfortable. The look in her eyes, the level of violence, was disturbing. Not that I had any real sympathy for Miles, but part of me felt like Cord had been a little too hasty with killing him. He could’ve just as easily been pulled aside and restrained. I’d yet to find a minute alone to confront her about it but I fully planned on it, very soon.

  “Ah, you’re only jealous it wasn’t you, kid. Wipe the sourpuss look off your face,” Jack said. He slapped Wes on the shoulder and it seemed to pull Wes out of it because he smiled and swatted at Jack.

  “I’m not the only one jealous of missing the action, old man,” Wes said.

  “Damn straight. Next time, I’ll be in it, I can guarantee you that.” There was a serious promise in Jack’s eyes, and I didn’t doubt him for a second. He wouldn’t be kept out of the fighting for much longer, not by anyone. And I was glad for it, because it meant he was alive.

  “If we don’t take a year to get here, that might be possible,” said Wes.

  Jack frowned, and I realized it really had taken them a lot longer to get here than it should have.

  “What took you guys so long anyway?” I asked. Jack and Wes exchanged a look that I didn’t like. “What?” I demanded.

  Wes spoke up. “You know Miles found a way to create Werewolves, right?” I nodded. “He failed to mention he left a pack of them outside the front gates of the school.”

  My eyes widened. “Were you attacked?”

  “No. Detained,” he said in a flat voice.

  Even Jack looked pissed, and I realized what they meant. “They didn’t think you guys were part of them? But Vera would’ve vouched for you.”

  “Vera was a little busy with Miles’ body and other arrangements. They conveniently couldn’t get a hold of her right away,” said Wes.

  “Thought I was going to have to put those kids in their place,” Jack muttered.

  He looked annoyed and dangerous, but I wondered how well he really would’ve done against a group of Hunters, with his injuries. I was glad it hadn’t come to that.

  “Did they hurt you?” I asked, looking at Wes again.

  He shook his head. “No, but only because they thought we were one of Miles’ people. They were on orders to detain, not kill, so they could bring them in. Apparently, he found a way to turn Hunters into Werewolves, creating some sort of hybrids. Some of them were recognized as the alumni that have gone missing.”

  “He said he’d found a way to turn Hunters.” I was reminded of the shocked gasps from Alex and the others when the Werewolves had walked into the cavern. They must’ve recognized some of them… like Victoria’s parents, maybe? I remembered what I’d overhead from Kane earlier in the night. I opened my mouth to tell them but I was interrupted.

  “Tara?” George’s sleepy voice came from the other side of the curtain and then he was pulling it aside, rubbing his face. He blinked when he saw that I had company and then his eyes narrowed as he realized who it was.

  “Hello, George,” said Wes. He nodded stiffly, which was about all I could hope for at this point.

  George gave some sort of grunt and nodded back, looking fully awake now. “Wes, right? What are you doing here? Do you go here, too?”

  George had asked me a lot of questions when everything had quieted down, but I’d really only answered the ones I had to. Like the fact that no, he wasn’t crazy; those were people turning into wolves. And no, I wasn’t one of them; I was a
Hunter, which led to a whole new round of explanations needed. Cord hadn’t looked very happy that I’d spilled everything; neither had Alex, for that matter, but there was really no better option. George had been infected and on the off chance it led to a monster version of himself, he needed to know that Werewolves existed. But none of my explaining had covered Wes, so George was guessing right now.

  “No, I don’t go here,” was all Wes said.

  George raised an eyebrow at him. Jack cut in and held out his hand across the bed to George.

  “I’m Jack,” he said.

  George took Jack’s massive hand in his and they shook.

  “George.”

  “Nice to meet you, George. Thanks for being there for Tara today.”

  That seemed to be all George needed to hear to make up his mind because he smiled, and I felt some of his tension dissolve. “Anytime. Tara’s a really special girl.”

  Wes’ hand tightened on mine.

  “That, she is.” Jack was smiling and glancing between Wes and George, and I could see he was enjoying this way more than he should.

  Thankfully, Fee came back and poked her head around the curtain.

  “Oh, George, you’re awake,” she said. She came into the little room and held out her hand for him to shake. “I’m Fee, Jack’s wife. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Nice to meet you, too, ma’am,” George said, taking her hand.

  “Oh, listen to you. A boy with manners,” she said, poking an elbow at Wes, who grumbled. George grinned wider. “The nurse says you escaped with minor injuries, but I want to make sure you’re feeling okay. Can we talk for a minute, in your room?” Fee asked.

  “Sure...” George glanced from her to me. I nodded, letting him know it was okay to go with her, and they disappeared behind the curtain.

  I could hear Fee asking him to show her his bruises and scrapes and then offering him a vial of something to drink. When they were done, George returned looking like he’d chugged a pot of coffee.