by I. T. Lucas
“Good girl,” he praised, caressing her cheek as he waited for the drug to do its thing.
“I don’t even know your name,” she mumbled.
“Dalhu,” he told her before her lids fluttered down over her eyes.
CHAPTER 27: KIAN
“Master, I’m sorry to bother you, but I think you should come up. Mistress Syssi just returned from her excursion and asked me if we have any Advil. She said she is not feeling well and is going to lie down. I called the front desk and they are sending someone up with the medication, but I thought you would want to know.”
“I’m on my way, Okidu.” Kian ended the call and rushed to the elevator. It’s probably nothing. A mortal coming down with a cold or the flu wasn’t something to worry about… or was it?
As he entered his bedroom, he found Syssi in bed, shivering, looking flushed and sweaty, the down comforter pulled all the way up to her chin.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” He sat down beside her and brushed sweaty strands of hair away from her forehead.
“I’m so sorry…” She sniffled, a tear running down her flushed cheek.
“Whatever for?”
“For ruining our plans… I got all pretty for tonight… and now I’m sick… I never get sick… why today?” she whined, looking miserable. “I hate it… I hate feeling weak and useless like this… Did you bring me the Advil?” She wiped a shaky hand across her tear-stained face.
“It will be here in a moment, but I think we need to get Bridget to take a look at you before self-medicating.” Heading to the bathroom, Kian texted the doctor on the way, then got two wet washcloths to clean Syssi’s face with.
After wiping off her smeared makeup, he grabbed a clean one and patted her face to cool it down. “Don’t worry about a silly thing like us going out. We’ll do it some other night. Just concentrate on getting better. Something tells me you’re going to be a very fussy patient.” He forced a smile in an attempt to cheer her up.
“I know, right? Who gets all teary-eyed over a little fever?” She smiled a little smile and took a shaky breath.
“Master, Dr. Bridget is here.” Okidu let the doctor in. “And I also have the Advil Mistress Syssi requested, and a glass of water for her to wash it down with.” He placed the items on the side table.
“May I trade places with you, Kian?” Bridget motioned for the bed, dropping her doctor’s bag on the side table next to the Advil.
“So, what exactly is going on?” Bridget asked as she wrapped the blood pressure cuff around Syssi’s bicep.
“I feel crappy. I’m cold and sweaty at the same time. I think I have a fever.”
“Any aches and pains? Sore throat? Runny nose?” Bridget removed the cuff and touched the thermometer to Syssi’s ear.
“I feel weak and my bones hurt… can bones hurt? No sore throat, though, and no runny nose… I’m sniffling because I’ve been crying…,” Syssi said in a small voice, dropping her eyes to look down at her hands.
“Well, your blood pressure is a little high, and your temperature is a hundred and one. It’s elevated, but not dangerous. Let me take a blood sample as well.” She pulled a syringe and a packet of antiseptic gauze from her bag.
“Any nausea? Stomach cramps?” she asked as she took Syssi’s blood, quickly and efficiently.
Syssi didn’t even cringe. “No, just general discomfort.”
“Well, that rules out food poisoning,” Bridget mumbled, returning the tools of her trade to her bag.
“So what do you think?” Kian stuffed his hands in his back pockets, forcing himself to stay put and not pace like a caged animal.
“I think we should bring Syssi down to my clinic. I want to hook her up to the monitors. I’ll send one of the guys with a gurney.” Bridget pushed up from the bed and lifted her doctor’s bag off the bedside table. Standing, she looked first at Kian, then at Syssi. “I’ll know more when I take a look at your blood, Syssi. For now, it doesn’t look like a cold or the flu, or a food poisoning… It might be some other viral or bacterial infection… Or it might be the start of the change,” Bridget dropped the bomb.
CHAPTER 28: DALHU
Dalhu made the drive from the motel to the mansion in exactly eight minutes, and left the car idling in front of the entry as he rushed in and up the stairs. Taking them two at a time, he ignored the men greeting him as he passed them by on the way to his room.
Once there, he opened the safe and emptied its contents into a duffle bag. There wasn’t much, just his two other watches and what remained of the money he was entrusted with for the mission’s cash expenses.
His weapons were in a fireproof lockbox in the master’s walk-in closet. Crouching over the open lid, he pulled out the semi and the nine-millimeter handgun, loaded them, and then double-checked the safety before screwing the silencer on the SIG.
The knives were next.
Dalhu strapped two of them to his biceps and one on his calf, and four more went into the duffle bag. Whatever space was left, he filled with boxes of ammunition. Zipping the bag closed, he slung it over his shoulder, then grabbed a jacket on his way out.
Taking a look around the master bedroom, he scanned for anything else he might need. His laptop was on the nightstand, next to the picture of his beautiful woman. He took both, reshuffling the contents of the bag to make room.
The last items he decided to add didn’t require a lot of space. Opening his desk drawer, Dalhu took out a bunch of plastic packets and shoved them into the side pocket of the duffle bag. Who knew how many more times he’d have to drug his beauty to sleep?
And besides, they might prove useful in other situations. He needed all the resources he could put his hands on.
As he slipped on his jacket over his personal arsenal, Dalhu quickly decided on a probable cover story to tell his men—one that would explain his rush and buy him some time.
On his way out, he grabbed the first man on his path. “I’ve identified an enemy male entering a restaurant less than one mile away from here. A Guardian. I came back for my weapons.” Dalhu clapped the man’s shoulder before dashing down the stairs.
“Need backup, commander?” the man called after his retreating back.
“No, the fucker is mine.” Dalhu slammed the door behind him and ran the short distance to his car.
CHAPTER 29: KIAN
“Have you ever witnessed a transition start like this?” Kian’s voice faltered as dread squeezed his heart like a vise.
“It’s rare, but there were instances where a transitioning boy, in addition to the normal pains of growing venom glands and fangs, developed a fever accompanied by skeletal pains. So it’s a definite possibility, although all the girls transition smoothly with no side effects.”
“Is there anything we can do?” Kian ran a shaky hand through his hair.
“Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done other than waiting. That’s why I want Syssi monitored. I have no idea how severely the transition could affect an adult female.” Bridget gave them an apologetic look. “I’ll send the gurney up.”
Kian sat back on the bed and took Syssi in his arms. “I love you so much,” he said, hating how desperate he sounded.
“Why are you so sad? This is exactly what we were hoping for,” Syssi whispered, trying to return his embrace. But holding her arms up proved to be too much of an exertion in her weakened state and she let them drop.
Kian sighed. “I’m scared shitless. Not knowing what’s going on and powerless to do anything to make it better for you is driving me insane.” His body sagged in defeat.
“Don’t. I need you to stay strong for both of us,” Syssi whispered. “Can you hand me that water?”
“Of course, my love.” He brought the glass to her lips, propping her head with his hand as she drank.
A knock on the open door was followed by Anandur and Brundar’s worry-lined faces peeking in. “We brought the gurney. How is Syssi?” Anandur asked.
“Not so good, you can l
eave the gurney out in the hallway. I’ll carry her out.” Kian pushed up from the bed and walked over to close the door. “Thank you, guys. I’ll keep you informed…”
As he turned around and faced Syssi, Kian squared his shoulders and plastered a smile on his face. “Would you like to change into a nightshirt before I take you to the clinic?” He peeled the comforter of off her.
“Can you help me shower first? I’m sweaty and sticky.” Syssi was shaking so hard that her teeth chattered.
Kian felt like crying. But Syssi was right, he had to man up and be strong for both of them. She needed him to take care of her and not fall apart like a wimp…
What the hell was wrong with him anyway?
When did he become so weak?
“Sure, let me prepare a bath for you, I’ll be right back.”
To keep her warm, Kian pulled the comforter back up to Syssi’s chin, then hurried to the bathroom and cranked the thermostat all the way up before running hot water for her bath.
CHAPTER 30: DALHU
Finding Amanda still fast asleep when he returned, Dalhu sighed in relief. The drug was supposed to keep a mortal out for a couple of hours. But even though the whole roundtrip took him less than half, which should’ve left him with plenty of time to spare, this kind of thing wasn’t a precise science.
And more to the point—his captive wasn’t mortal.
He still couldn’t believe how lucky he was. He had done the impossible, snagging himself an immortal female—and not any immortal, but the stunning professor. Now that he had her, he would do everything in his power to keep her, and the last thing he needed was her waking up and sounding the alarm.
On the way back, he’d gotten rid of her cellphone, smashing and dumping it in a big trash bin next to a strip mall he’d passed. And had done the same with his own for good measure, despite it being the prepaid kind. It was vital for both of them to disappear from the grid.
If captured, he was a dead man, regardless of who found them first; her clansmen or his fellow Doomers. He had to find them some deserted place—somewhere far and secluded so his captive would have nowhere to run… and no one to hear her cries for help. After all, he couldn’t keep her drugged and chained to a bed—that would certainly not endear him to her. He needed a safe place where he would have at least a shadow of a chance to win her heart.
His best option was to find a remote cabin—a winter retreat unoccupied during the summer months. Before going there, he would need to gather supplies to last them a couple of weeks. Hopefully, by the time they ran out and needed to go for more, she’d warm to him, and he’d figure out what to do next.
Dalhu pulled out his laptop and typed in the motel’s Wi-Fi password, connecting to the Internet, then opened Google maps and started his search.
Let’s find us a nice place to hide.
CHAPTER 31: KIAN
Kian pulled out a chair and sat next to Syssi’s bed in the clinic, holding her limp hand as he listened to the rhythmic sound of her heart monitor. Covered in the warmed blankets Bridget had supplied, she had thankfully stopped shivering and fallen asleep.
He heard Bridget’s light footsteps coming up behind him. “I have Syssi’s blood results,” she said quietly.
“And?”
“I’m still not sure what’s going on. It’s definitely not a bacterial infection, and I’m pretty sure it’s not viral. My best guess is that she is going through the transition.”
“Be honest with me, is she in danger?” Kian pinned Bridget with an uncompromising stare.
“I honestly don’t know. Her heart is doing all right, and the fever is not high enough to be dangerous, and it’s holding steady. But her blood pressure is climbing.”
Kian shook his head. “I feel so helpless, wishing there was something I could do. I have no idea how mortals deal with things like that, watching their loved ones get sick, not knowing if they’ll pull through. Their existence is so short and full of misery.”
Mortality.
Kian was no stranger to death claiming loved ones. He had watched generations of his descendants live their lives and die. But most managed to live to an old age, in no small part thanks to his discreet help. And he had been away when his brother Lilen had fallen, finding out about the tragedy only after the fact. But never before had he felt as helpless and useless as he was feeling now. With all of his clan resources—the money, the advance technology—he was forced to watch, powerless, as the woman he loved fought for her life.
Bridget patted his shoulder. “They deal because they have to. If it would help, you might try praying. Mortals find it calming and reassuring at times like that.”
CHAPTER 32: AMANDA
Amanda woke up with her arms stiff from being pulled over her head. Still groggy, she had a moment of confusion trying to figure out why she couldn’t bring them down.
Dalhu, the name popped into her waking mind—the lunatic Doomer who wanted to make her his wife. Concentrating, she tried to remember everything he had said and done so she could figure a way out of this mess. Taking a peek from under her lashes, she looked around the dingy motel room, finding him hunched over a laptop.
First thing first, however, she needed out of these handcuffs. Her arms hurt too much to think clearly.
“Hey you, Dalhu, how about removing these cuffs. My arms hurt.”
Startled, he jumped. “You’re awake.” Dalhu walked over and unfastened the cuffs, then sat down beside her on the bed and began massaging her stiff muscles.
Amanda said nothing, watching the Doomer as he worked at her kinks with surprisingly gentle hands. He was quite handsome: dark short hair, dark big eyes, and a classically structured face. Not to mention a big, powerful, yummy body…
It was such a shame that he was broken…
“What are you planning to do with me?” she asked.
Looking at her as if she was a hard-won prize, Dalhu kept massaging and bringing circulation back to her arms. Then, when she thought he wouldn’t answer her, he took hold of her hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss. “We are going to run—away from your people and mine. I found us a place to hide for a while. We will get to know each other… get close…”
His eyes were so full of hope that she felt sorry for the delusional bastard. “A modern time Romeo and Juliet running away from their families, with just one small twist: Juliet doesn’t want to run, she is happy where she is…”
“Are you happy, Professor? With no mate? And no hope of ever finding one? Just going through your life alone? I know I wasn’t happy. I just existed, not really living through the long centuries of my life until I found you and grabbed a chance. We are each other’s only hope. Face it, there are no other compatible mates for us. It’s either this or a very long and lonely life. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make us happen. How about you give us the same chance?” The besotted look was gone, replaced by iron determination.
Amanda was speechless for a moment. The lunatic actually made sense… or maybe she was just losing it, succumbing to the Stockholm syndrome. “Could you bring me some water, please?” She bought herself a few moments to gather her thoughts.
Sipping slowly from the fresh water bottle he had handed her, she speculated that he’d found out her name and title by going through her purse. Probably had gotten rid of her phone as well, eliminating the only chance of anyone locating her. It was up to her to convince him to let her go…
Yeah, right, as if that is going to work.
Except, with no other options she had to at least try.
Okay, here goes nothing…
“I understand your logic, but it’s flawed.” Amanda assumed her teacher’s voice, preparing for a lecture. The Doomer was crazy but not stupid, maybe she could make him see the light. “We come from very different worlds, different values, different beliefs, opposing beliefs actually, conflicting goals. We are each other’s worst enemies. This kind of differences could never be reconciled, and you cannot build a hou
se on such shaky foundation, for it will crumble and fall. I’m sorry, but this will never work between us.” Amanda actually reached for his hand in an effort to comfort him.
He caressed the back of her hand with his thumb, smiling at her as if she was a misguided fool. “Didn’t I tell you I’ll do whatever it takes? You want me to take up your clan’s humanitarian mission? I’ll do it. You want me to forsake the Brotherhood? Already done. I don’t give a flying fuck about either. All I want is a little piece of heaven with you, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy.” He looked triumphant; there was nothing she could say to that.
“It’s not that simple,” was all she could manage on the spot.
“It is. Unless you can honestly say that you find me repulsive, ugly…” Dalhu arched a brow.
Damn, remembering how she’d begged him to fuck her, she knew she couldn’t lie about this. “No, I can’t say that… You’re not completely unfortunate in the looks department.” Amanda shrugged dismissively.
“That’s the best you could do? Come on, Professor, I’m sure you have something better up your sleeve.” Dalhu lifted her hand up for a kiss, moving his thick, firm lips back and forth over the back of it, sending shivers down her spine.
Did he have to be this sexy? Really? Bad guys were supposed to be ugly and mean. It just wasn’t fair. “I’ll think of something. I promise.” And she meant it. There must be something that would burst his hopeful bubble.
She just had to find what it was.
CHAPTER 33: KIAN
“Master Kian, may I bother you for a moment?” Onidu asked from beyond the threshold.
Kian tensed, knowing that Onidu would never disturb him unless it were important. Releasing Syssi’s hand, he laid it gently on top of the warming blanket, then stepped out of the room and closed the door quietly behind him. “What’s going on, Onidu?”