She started crying again. Her tears were hot against his skin, filling him with the burning need to do everything in his power to make her smile again. He kissed the top of her head. Maybe knowing the rest of the story would make her feel better.
“Your brother was able to help Christian take out what was left of the werewolves, but by the time they got to the Planetarium, you were gone. From what I understand, they pulled up outside The Rivers Building just a couple seconds before the sun rose.”
She jerked back away from him. “What about the guy who brought me my sword? I don’t even know who he was. Is he okay?”
Drake nodded. “His name is Jayson, and yes, he’s fine too. He’s probably gonna be pretty sore when he wakes up, but Christian pulled him into the limo just before sunlight hit the sidewalk.”
“How did you know what was happening?” she asked as she sat up. “How did you know where I was?”
“I felt you. I hadn’t really felt you all night…but all of a sudden your blood inside me started screaming. And the minute I heard it, I knew something was wrong.”
She wiped the tears from her eyes. “You were a werewolf…but you’re a vampire.”
He smiled at her. “I was kinda hoping you didn’t notice.”
She pinned him with a serious glare. “How are you a werewolf?”
“I was born that way,” he said with a shrug. “I didn’t really have a choice in the matter. And I can’t exactly change it. Well, I can…but I have to split myself in two to do it, and sometimes my werewolf side tries to fight with my vampire side and it’s all very…weird.”
She tipped her head to the side and stared at him for a long moment. “Clint told me a story about how vampires were created. I don’t remember a lot of it, mostly because he made it sound kinda complicated. But I remember him saying something about a guy who was supposedly born as both a vampire and a werewolf. He got all of the power and none of the bad stuff. And he could like…kill everyone with a thought.”
Drake nodded at her. “The Equilibrium?”
“Yeah, him,” she said somewhat cautiously. “Is that you?”
“No, no, no, no…not me. Not me at all.”
She arched a brow. “But if it’s not you…then how are you both?”
“The guy you’re talking about is my dad. Apparently, someone forgot to tell him that his junk still worked. So, much to a lot of other supernatural’s shock and horror…here I am.”
“So you get all of the power and none of the bad stuff?”
He tipped his head back and forth. “I may be a hybrid, but I don’t really agree with the whole idea that my line gets all the good and none of the bad. I hate myself, pretty much all the time.”
Sadness marked her face. “What do you mean you hate yourself? You’re the most beautiful person I know.” And almost as if to prove her belief, she leaned forward and captured his lips.
Drake smiled and kissed Toni back like there was no tomorrow. The woman was crazy if she thought he was all good. But he was more than willing to believe he was better when he was with her.
When she pulled back from his mouth, he smiled again. “The vampire side of me hates the werewolf side of me and vice versa. It’s why I’m in the profession I am.” He looked down at the bed. “If I don’t find a way to let out all the hatred inside me, I can turn into a monster without much warning. I was pretty much born and bred to fight. It’s really all I know.”
When Toni leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him, Drake followed suit. “I can’t change what you are,” she whispered in his ear. “Not that I’d want to, because I love you the way you are. But whenever you feel bad about yourself…I’ll be there to tell you otherwise…for as long as you’ll let me.”
Warmth flooded Drake’s veins at her words. “It’s a deal.”
They both groaned when the doorbell screamed at them…again.
“It doesn’t like you,” she laughed as she leaned back from him. “That stupid thing doesn’t like it when I think about you. It doesn’t like it when I touch you. It won’t even let me read letters from you.”
Drake grinned. “Well, it’s just gonna have to get used to me, because I’m not going anywhere. Well, except over to answer the door. You might wanna get dressed.” He picked up the hideous pajamas from the end of the bed then handed them to her. “Those things are still ugly.”
She slid the tank top over her head. “I know, but I love them.”
Drake crawled out of bed and willed his clothes on as he walked over to the door. As soon as Toni had her pants on, he pulled the door open and smiled when he saw Robert.
He leaned down near Robert’s ear. “Brace yourself, Old Man, the minute I let you in – she’s gonna attack hug you.”
Robert nodded as he stepped inside. “I’m prepared.”
Drake laughed when Toni spied Robert and rocketed off the bed. She ran straight to him and jumped into his arms, much like Drake thought she would. “I’m so glad you’re okay…”
Robert hugged her tight. “I’m fine, my dear. But how are you?”
She held onto him for a minute then asked, “Is Christian all right?”
“Yes, he’s fine. He was able to heal all of his wounds, and looked as good as new when I left him earlier this evening. However, I wish I could say the same for you,” he said as he lightly touched the deep claw wounds on her neck. He then cast a glance to Drake. “I’m surprised you haven’t healed her yet.”
Drake raised his hands. “I wanted to…but I wasn’t sure how Christian would take it. I didn’t know if he wanted to see her wounds to make sure most of them were defensive or what. I just didn’t wanna do something that might cause a problem for her.”
“Hey,” Toni said. “I’m still alive, and that’s all that matters.”
“Yes, my dear. That, above all else, is the most important thing. And now that I know you’re all right, I must pass along that Christian would like to see you in his office as soon as you are able. He would like to discuss the results of your investigation.”
She nodded at him. “Okay. I’ll get dressed and go right over.”
Robert smiled at Toni. “I’m so very glad that you’re all right.”
“Thanks, Rob,” she said, and then kissed his cheek.
Robert reached up and patted Drake on the shoulder. “Drake, as always, it was a pleasure to see you again. Be good.”
Drake winked at him. “I’ll try.”
Robert had no more than closed the door when Toni turned and stared up at Drake. “I broke the rules, Drake. I killed Stryker…”
“I don’t think Christian’s going to punish you for killing Stryker, especially after what happened. I have no doubt that the Locke could’ve killed all the werewolves by himself, but he wouldn’t have walked away near as well if it hadn’t been for your brother.”
She flashed a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I hope you’re right. I’m gonna get dressed and go talk to him. I won’t feel right until I know if I can stay, so I’m just gonna go get it over with.”
Drake nodded at her then wandered into the kitchen while she got dressed. He opened the refrigerator door and pulled out the tray of meat and cheeses he’d partially demolished the other night, then went to work at making another sandwich.
“You can eat, too?” Toni asked from behind him.
He smiled down at the tray. “Yes, yes I can.”
“That’s just not fair. You can make your clothes appear out of nowhere, you can teleport from one place to another, you can go get a tan anytime you want…and you can eat. You suck!”
“I like to think it’s a nice trade off for wanting to kill everything. And, I do suck…but only for you and only if you ask nicely.”
“I’m sorry, Drake. I didn’t mean it like that.”
He turned around to look at her. “Don’t worry about it. It’s part of who I am, and I’m okay with it…especially now that I have you.”
She only shook her head as she slid
her t-shirt on. “I still shouldn’t have said it.” She stepped into her boots before she joined him in the kitchen and kissed his cheek. “I’ll be back.”
Drake smiled as he watched her walk out the door. He could really get used to hearing her say that. He finished making his sandwich and had no more than sat down to eat it when someone knocked sharply on the door.
“Who is it?” he yelled.
“It’s Derek. I need to talk to you.”
“Come on in. It’s not locked.”
When Derek walked through the door, Drake purposely pulled an Odin and smiled up at his Boss with a mouth full of food.
Derek scowled at him. “Now, that’s just disgusting. How the hell does she put up with you?”
“She loves me,” he said with a shrug. “Did you talk to Crypt?”
“Is Toni here?” Derek asked.
“No, she left to go see Christian a little bit ago.”
Derek nodded, but then took a deep breath that made Drake a little nervous. “Okay. I talked to Crypt. But I have good news…and I have bad news. Which would you like first?”
Drake set his sandwich on the plate. “Give me the good news.”
“You can stay with Toni as long as you’d like, as long as you don’t part with any more information about The Organization.”
Drake smiled as happiness raced through him. That was the one and only piece of news he’d wanted Derek to tell him. But that same smile faded when Derek’s face sobered remarkably. “What’s the bad news, Derek?”
Derek’s eyes went straight to the floor, his shoulders close behind. “Crypt fixed The Box so it would hold you…”
Drake surged to his feet. “I thought you said I didn’t have to leave her!”
Derek put his hands up. “Crypt fixed The Box so it could hold you, and he wanted to put you in there for three months, but…someone else took your punishment.”
Drake blinked at him. “Don’t tell me he put my dad in The Box.”
“Yeah right,” Derek said with a half smile. “Nothing Crypt ever does is going to make that happen. You may be your father’s child, but you aren’t the same when it comes to power.”
“Then…who’s in The Box?”
“Oktober…”
Drake growled and closed the distance between him and Derek within a few strides. He grabbed Derek by the shirt and slammed him into the wall. “You did not just say that Tober is in The Box.”
Derek sighed. “I did…”
Drake pulled him off the wall and slammed him back into it. “Why did you let him do that? You know what The Box does to him! It’s the only fucking thing in this world that he’s afraid of. You know what he goes through when he’s in there!”
“I know,” Derek said. “But he offered to take your punishment. He said he didn’t want you to leave Toni. He was afraid if you weren’t here that there’d be no one to protect her…he knows how much you care about her.”
Drake dropped Derek and turned around. As his beasts thrashed and clawed, he tried to rein them back in. Hurting Derek wouldn’t change the situation. “Is he in there yet?”
“He’s been in there since about Noon. I asked him if he was sure he wanted to do it, and he said yes. Then he threatened to throw me out the window when I asked again. Look, Drake, I know what happens to him when he’s in there…but he offered and Crypt accepted. And Crypt wasn’t stopping until someone was in The Box.”
Drake stared down at the carpet. As much as he wanted to take Oktober’s place, there was no way he could leave Toni. Once again, and damningly so, Oktober had been there for him when he’d needed him the most.
He turned around and glared at Derek. “I expect him to be out of that place in three months. And I swear on my life…if I hear anyone laughing about this…I’ll kill them where they stand. Organization or not, Brother or not…they die. And you know there’s nothing you can do about it. You got that?”
Derek nodded. “I’m sorry, Drake. I tried to get Crypt to change his mind, but when you popped in and saved Toni last night, after he specifically told you to stay away from her, that sealed it.”
“I felt her and I went to her. You’re never going to make me feel bad about that. But make no mistake…I know exactly what Crypt’s doing. He punished me anyway.”
Derek arched a brow. “He did?”
“I get to stay with Toni, but Tober’s in the worst place he could possibly be…and he’s there because of me. He’s in that God forsaken Box because he wanted more for me than he even knows how to want for himself…”
“I really am sorry, Drake,” Derek offered as he walked over and opened the door. “This isn’t how I wanted this to end for you.”
Drake folded his arms over his chest. “Make sure you pass along what I said about anyone laughing, Derek, because I meant every fucking word I said.”
***
Toni wrung her hands together as she stood in the elevator that would deposit her outside Christian’s office any moment. As much as she wanted to believe he would let her stay, she couldn’t ignore the fact that he’d made it pretty clear what would happen if she broke any of the rules.
And she’d definitely broken the rules…
When the bells chimed and the elevator doors opened, Toni was greeted with the sight of Dominic and 8-Ball standing in the foyer, talking to the man who’d thrown her sword to her.
Without thinking, she jumped into Dominic’s arms. “I’m so happy you’re all right…” She trailed off when he squeezed her so tight she thought her ribs might crack.
“I’m just fuckin’ glad you’re okay…”
She looked up at her brother when he finally set her back on the floor. “Did you get hurt at all?”
“Nah, just a few scratches. Looks like you did though,” he said as he gently touched her neck.
“I got a few cuts and bruises, but I’m still alive.”
Dominic nodded. “Hey, that’s all that matters.”
Toni smiled before she turned to face the man on her left. “You’re Jayson, right?”
When he nodded, she hugged him too. “I’m really sorry I couldn’t stop her from pushing you off the roof. I tried to get there…but I wasn’t fast enough. Thank you so much…”
“It’s okay,” he said as rubbed a hand down her back. “Don’t cry for me, I’m the reason she got to you in the first place.”
Toni released her hold on him. “What do you mean?”
“No, he ain’t,” Dominic interrupted. “Don’t let him tell you that shit. He was following us to try and help us. But Stryker threatened to kill his family if he didn’t tell her what we were doing.” He turned to face Jayson. “She fuckin’ used you man, and we ain’t gonna hold that against you.”
Jayson slowly nodded. “I appreciate that.”
“Locke’s expecting you, Toni,” Dominic said. “Just go on in.”
“Hey! What about me?” 8-Ball whined. “Why don’t I get a hug? I’m the one who helped you get back in the city. Where’s my love?”
Toni moved to hug 8-Ball, but stopped when her brother drew back and punched him square in the jaw. “Dominic! What the hell did you do that for?”
“This fucker knew where I was and didn’t tell you. He also knew you were still alive and he didn’t tell me. I owed him one.”
“Fuck you, Dom,” 8-Ball said as he rubbed his jaw. “I only did what Clint asked, and what we all thought was best for Toni. Besides, nobody can tell you anything without you getting pissed.”
Toni pointed at her brother. “See, see, I’m not the only one who thinks you have attitude.”
“Ha, ha, you’re real funny,” Dominic said as he slapped his knee. “Don’t you have a meeting to go to?”
She blew out a sigh as she looked over at what appeared to be a brand new set of heavy French doors. Now that she was standing in front of them, she really didn’t want to go to the meeting…but going was the only way she’d find out if she was allowed to stay.
“I’ll
catch you guys later,” she said as she walked over to stand in front of the doors. “Maybe…” She heard them all say something before they walked away, but the meaning of their words didn’t truly register in her mind.
Toni swallowed the lump in her throat then opened the doors, but pulled up short when she stepped in and didn’t see Christian.
“I’m over here by the windows, Miss Tutoro.”
She turned and shifted her gaze to the sparkling wall of floor to ceiling windows. Christian looked so regal and proud standing there, staring out over the vibrant Chicago skyline.
“You wanted to see me?” she asked.
He motioned to the chair in front of his desk. “Have a seat.”
She quickly did what he’d asked. He didn’t sound overly happy, and that couldn’t be a good thing.
“I wanted to discuss with you the results of your investigation.”
She nodded at him. “Okay. What do you want to know?”
He crossed the large room and sat down in his high back leather chair. “Are you able to provide proof that Stryker lured werewolves into my city?”
Toni sucked in a deep breath. He was going to kick her out, she could feel it. “Not really. The only proof I have is that I actually saw her with them. Thomas, Death, and Rattle were all with her at the Planetarium.”
Christian nodded, but much like the first night she’d come back, his face was like stone. “And they were also with her on the roof of The Rivers Building?”
“Yeah. She said she sent more to kill you, and that you and Dominic were dead…” She stopped as the memory flashed through her mind and tears stung her eyes. “You might be a little rough around the edges, Christian, but I never wanted you to die…I just wanted to make sure she couldn’t hurt you. I’m sorry I broke the rules. And I’m sorry that I killed Stryker…but I swear I’ll behave. Please don’t make me go…”
“You’re sorry that you killed Stryker?”
She looked up at the sharp note of confusion in his voice. “It didn’t change anything, Christian. It didn’t bring back my family. It didn’t make me happy….well, I guess in a way it did. It made my beast happy, but that’s not something I’m proud of. And now I might lose my home again…because of her. So, yeah…I am sorry.”
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