by Day, Vella
For once, Piper was happy he was so intuitive. “Both are true. Things have been happening that I can’t explain.”
“Like what?” He leaned forward in his listening mode.
“I know this might be silly, but last night after you dropped me off, I picked up a piece of window glass from the floor and cut my finger.”
He glanced at her hands. “Ah, yes. You’re wondering why the cut is no longer visible. I forgot to mention that shifters have the ability to heal faster than humans.”
“But I’m not a shifter,” she whispered.
“Maybe not, or at least not yet, but you will gain certain shifter traits even if you can’t change forms, like that of being able heal. It’s a by-product of being mated.”
She sat back in her seat, trying to absorb this news. If she hadn’t seen the cut go from deep to better in a few hours, she never would have believed it. “Something else happened today.” She told him about Jill and Sammy.
Cord placed a palm on her hand. “How are you feeling? Is your stomach upset, your heartbeat rapid, or your skin flushed?”
Piper stilled. He knew something. “All of that.”
“Did the symptoms come on slowly or all at once—like just when you were around these two?”
“All of a sudden.”
Cord shook his head, blew out a breath, and leaned back. “Damn. Storm was ill before he shifted, but given the speed of your symptoms, coupled with what happened, something else might be going on.”
“What?”
“It’s possible I passed on my mother’s talent to you.”
“Talent?” His mother was a bear shifter, yet Piper couldn’t shift.
The waiter stopped by and took both their drink and food requests. The Hidden Hills Café prided itself on quick service. She rushed the man along, needing to find out more.
“My mother is a bear shifter, but she’s also a healer. She doesn’t talk about it much and neither do I since it can be very dangerous for her.”
Piper’s stomach cramped at idea that what was happening to her could be dangerous. “You mother might be able to heal people, but I can’t. I just seem to be able to calm them down.”
“That’s what happened to my mom at first, too. Your abilities will become stronger to the point where you can heal a person if you concentrate hard enough. Here’s the thing. This ability comes with consequences.”
She tried to imagine what that would mean. “Don’t tell me that when your mother touches someone, she heals them, but then absorbs what’s wrong with them?” That would be terrible, though it was almost what she felt when around Jill.
“Not exactly, but it does take a tremendous toll on my mother’s health every time she touches the person and wishes to heal them. It’s why she tries not to let on that she has this power. People from miles around would seek her out, and my mom can’t say no to anyone in need.”
“She sounds wonderful. The moment I spotted Jill in distress, I wanted to help her, too. The same thing happened with that poor little boy. Can I control this? Stop it from happening?” What if she could no longer be a nurse?
“To some degree. As long as you’re careful not to make direct skin contact while wishing to help, you should be fine.”
Her stomach unknotted. She could pay attention now that she understood what could happen. “You said this healing takes a toll on your mom’s health. How long does this ill feeling last?”
He glanced off to the side as if he was debating whether to tell her. “The residual effects never quite go away. Each time she heals someone, it shortens her life—or so we’ve been told.”
Piper leaned forward and kept her voice soft. “Did this happen when you bit me?”
He picked up both of her hands in his. “Yes and I’m sorry. I had no idea I could transfer this gene. My mother’s ability is both a gift and a curse. Over the years, she’s learned to control it, which means you, too, can learn. I know what a kind woman you are, and that you want to help everybody, but from now on, you can’t—at least not in this new way.”
This was so unfair. “I’m a nurse. It’s why I went into this field.”
He let go of her hands. “I don’t imagine helping someone who has a cold would be too hard on you, but if someone were seriously injured, and you thought healing wishes, it might kill you.”
He had to be exaggerating. His mother was still alive.
Their food arrived a few minutes later, and they both dug in. He looked up at her. “Are you having regrets having met me?”
“No! You’ve not only made me the happiest woman alive by being with me, you’ve given me a gift, which I will use wisely. I promise.”
His shoulders relaxed. “Okay, then.”
Since they both had to return to work, they ate quickly. After he paid, he walked her to her car, and desire flooded her. Suddenly she was almost brought to tears at the idea of being away from him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, not caring if the whole town saw them. “Maybe we should play hooky for the rest of the day.”
He tapped her nose. “I can see I’m going to spend many years suffering because you seem determined to distract me.”
“Moi? Never.” Cord was the strong one. “I’m off work at seven. Will you be able to stop by?”
He drew her close, kissed her hard, and then squeezed her butt. She loved how much Cord seemed unable to keep his hands off her.
“You can’t keep me away,” he said then winked.
He waited for her to leave before slipping into his SUV. Because she’d eaten, Piper’s energy slowly improved. When she returned to work, she made certain to put on her gloves before touching her patients even though she had no intention of thinking about intense healing thoughts.
Close to seven, Piper was cleaning up her examine room, excited about being with Cord, when Claire poked her head in. “Piper?”
Her coworker looked shaky. Maybe the flu was going around, and Piper’s own symptoms had nothing to do with the talent Cord claimed he’d given her.
“What’s wrong?”
“There’s a man out here, a Jackson Kenner, who says he has to see you right away.”
A giant claw squeezed her insides, but Piper wasn’t ready to consider why he was here. “Did he say why?”
“No, but he had blood all over him.”
Oh, my God. “Cord!”
Barely able to breathe, Piper rushed out of the room.
Chapter Thirteen
Jackson was waiting in the corridor for her, his hands behind his back. The front of his shirt was streaked with blood, and Piper nearly staggered trying to reach him.
“What happened?” Her voice trembled and her chest tightened.
“Cord’s been shot.” He stabbed a hand through his hair. “It’s my fault. I distracted him. We should have sensed the men coming out of the alley.” He glanced everywhere but at her, looking like demons were beating at him.
Piper wanted to shake him. “How is he?” Her hands were clenched so tightly her nails dug into her skin.
“He’s in surgery now. A bullet might have nicked the artery in his leg.” His lips pressed together, and he was rocking side to side.
She turned toward the surgery bay to find out more, but Jackson stopped her. “You can’t see him yet. He’s in surgery.”
His words finally registered. He was right. She couldn’t just barge into a sterile environment. The doctor in charge wouldn’t be able to give her an update until he finished. Her thoughts shifted to Jackson. “What about you? Are you hurt?”
“No. This is Cord’s blood when I tried to stop the bleeding. Before they had a chance to hit me, I shifted and chased them off.”
“How could this have happened? Cord said things like bullets didn’t hurt him much.”
“They don’t when he’s in his shifted form.”
She knew that. Her thoughts were totally jumbled. “What should we do?”
She was the professional, yet at the moment, she wasn’t able
to think clearly. Panic and grief had blocked her usual nurse control, and her life was spinning out of control. This was her mate.
“Let’s sit in the waiting room. I’ve spoken with the attending nurse and she said the doctor will speak with us as soon as he’s out of surgery.”
She followed him down the corridor toward the surgery wing. “I thought he said he always wore a vest.”
“He did.”
Her brain was mush. The vest wouldn’t cover his leg. “When was he admitted?”
“Not more than half an hour ago.” Jackson helped her sit. “I’ll be right back. I need to wash off some of this blood.”
“Sure.”
Jackson returned a few minutes later but had only been able to clean his hands. While she wasn’t really in the mood for small talk, she wanted to learn Cord’s frame of mind when he was shot. He’d said of late that he’d been distracted thinking of her.
“Do you remember what you two were talking about when the incident occurred?”
“Me moving here and taking a job at the department. I’d decided to give Hidden Hills a try, and Cord was giving me the lowdown on what a regular day was like for him. We were on Fur and Robertson, near that strip mall and weren’t paying attention. All of a sudden, three men shot out of an alley carrying stuff—unwrapped. One of the men who stopped to help told us those men had robbed an electronics store one block over.”
She tried to picture their exact location, but couldn’t. “And when they spotted you two, they shot Cord?”
“Yes. It must have been his uniform. They fired before either of us had the chance to assess the situation. One bullet hit Cord in the leg and the other landed somewhere else.” He leaned forward, planted his elbows on his knees, and dropped his face in his palms.
“It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t shoot him.”
He sat back up and ran a hand over his head again. “No, but if I hadn’t distracted him by asking so many questions, he might have heard their pounding feet coming down the alley. Unlike the rest of us, Cord can shift almost instantly. Shit. He shouldn’t be the one here. I should be.”
Jackson leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes as if he was trying to come to grips with what had happened. Leaving him to deal with his own issues was probably best.
She, too, leaned back and tried to calm herself. What seemed like hours later, the doctor came out, and both she and Jackson jumped up.
“How is Cord?” she asked, her stomach swirling.
“He’s out of surgery, but he’s lost a lot of blood. While he has yet to regain consciousness, he should wake soon. Cord is strong. All we can do now is send him a lot of positive thoughts.”
“May I see him?”
“Are you a relative?”
While she’d seen this doctor in the cafeteria, they’d never spoken, and as much as Piper wanted to say she and Cord were mates, she wasn’t aware this doctor was a shifter and hence he might not understand. “No. Not yet.”
The man had the beginning of dark circles under his eyes, but he exuded an aura of sympathy. “I’ve always been a strong believer in love.” He glanced between them. “I can allow one of you in his room.”
Jackson placed a hand on her arm. “You go. I need to clean up, but I’ll be back when he wakes.”
Cord’s friend looked so dejected. “Thank you for everything.”
Jackson nodded then turned and left.
“I’ll walk you down to Cord’s room,” the doctor said. “He’s in intensive care.”
Most likely if she hadn’t been a nurse in the hospital, they wouldn’t have let her stay with him—mate or no mate. When she stepped into Cord’s room, her heart broke and tears brimmed. While he wasn’t intubated, he was hooked up to monitors and bags of fluid were dripping into his veins. His face was pale, and he looked thinner, though she knew that had to be her imagination. At lunch, he’d appeared robust.
She pulled up a chair and sat next to him, her heart racing and acid dripping into her stomach. “Cord? Can you hear me?”
She really didn’t expect him to answer, but patients had told her that when they’d been unconscious, they could sense when a loved one was near. If she and Cord were mates perhaps he could sense her presence. She mentally sent him a message, hoping he’d understand. “I love you.”
He’d told her he could communicate telepathically with others of his kind and that eventually, the two of them would be able to, as well.
Tears trickled down her cheeks. All the time she’d known him, she hadn’t thought about what it would be like to have Cord ill. He was always so strong and imposing. Being able to shift into a panther or a bear made him almost invincible. Damn human form.
“Jackson feels really bad about what happened,” she said to his sleeping form. She sniffed, found a tissue, and blew her nose. “I know you won’t think it’s his fault in any way, but when you’re better, you should tell him.” Piper looked behind her to make sure no one was within listening distance. Hopefully, just the sound of her voice would seep into his soul and give him a reason to live.
A finger twitched, and she grabbed his hand, willing him to get better. She understood that she hadn’t learned how to heal someone, but he’d said that if she’d concentrated very hard, she might be able to help. Holding on too long might be bad for her health, but she didn’t care. Nothing was more important than Cord.
Clasping his hand with both of hers, Piper channeled all of her love and calming thoughts into him. Waves of lust and oceans of pain swamped her. Please get better.
She didn’t know if there was some kind of shifter god she could appeal to, or if her human one was good enough, but she prayed, begging anyone who would listen to help him.
The waves of dizziness grew stronger, and she hoped it meant she was helping. Cord’s breathing began to even out and she could detect some rapid eye movement under his closed lids as if he was slowly waking up. She couldn’t give up now despite her light-headedness.
“Open your eyes, Cord,” she whispered. “For me?” Her voice cracked.
His fingers moved as if he could tell she was there. She just needed to give him her strength for a little bit longer, and then he’d be okay.
* * *
“Piper, wake up.” A hand gently shook her.
She opened her eyes, but her vision remained blurry. “Cord?” She blinked a few times and the man’s face cleared. “Jackson. What are you doing here?”
“Do you know where you are?”
She looked around, not remembering how she’d ended up in a bed. An IV ran into her vein and she was hooked up to monitors. “I’m at the hospital.” The memory of holding Cord’s hand flashed in her mind’s eye.
“You passed out.” Jackson answered her unspoken question.
She didn’t remember much other than feeling faint. Her attempt to heal Cord must’ve overwhelmed her. “How long have I been asleep?”
“About twelve hours.”
“Twelve hours?” This was more than a fainting spell.
Thin streams of light eked around the sides of the shades, implying it was morning. As she tried to push up to a sitting position, her strength gave way, and she plopped back down.
Jackson placed a hand on her shoulder. “You rest. It’s what Cord would want.”
“How is he?” She wasn’t sure she could take it if the news wasn’t good.
Before he could answer her, someone knocked on the door, and it swung open. A nurse stepped in followed by Cord in a wheelchair. Surprise and joy collided. She couldn’t believe her eyes. His color had returned and the smile on his face implied he’d greatly improved.
“Someone say my name?”
“You’re alive!”
“Yes.” He wheeled up to Jackson. “Can you give us a minute?”
“Sure, buddy. I’ll be outside if you need me.” Both Jackson and the nurse left.
When the door closed, Cord picked up her hand. “I thought I warned you what would happen if you tri
ed to heal someone who’d been seriously injured. You aren’t ready yet. This could have killed you.”
A blast of indignation raced through her. “You aren’t just someone. You’re my mate. I love you, Cord Triggert and don’t you ever forget it. If anything happened to you, I don’t know what I would’ve done.”
He stared at her for a moment as if the words he was about to say had completely evaporated off his tongue. “Did you just say you loved me?”
“I most certainly did.” As if he didn’t know that already.
His grin—and maybe his strong grip—helped boost her energy. “Well, I’ll be damned, ’cause it just so happens, I love you, too.”
Suddenly, the weakness that had claimed her lessened. Piper pushed up on one elbow and leaned toward him, hoping for a kiss. She’d have to make sure not to think healing thoughts when they connected.
Cord held up a palm. “Oh, no you don’t. If I kiss you, we’ll be doing it on that bed.”
She chuckled and rolled onto her back. “You are incorrigible.”
“You love it and you know it.”
Piper could only imagine how much fun she and Cord were going to have once they both healed.
* * *
Three months later
Piper wrapped her arms around Cord’s neck. “What time did you say everyone was coming over?”
“Not for another two hours.” Jackson had been offered a job at the Hidden Hills Police Department and Cord was throwing him a party at their house. The job offer came right after the successful sting operation, but Jackson said he had to finish up at his job in DC first.
She thought back to that fatal time. The doctors had been amazed at his speedy recuperation, but he’d kept quiet about the source of his miracle.
A month after her discharge, Cord had suggested they move in together. The pull between them had been too intense to remain apart any longer, and she couldn’t be happier.
She also had decided to test his little theory about not being able to conceive by going off the pill, and she was waiting for the right moment to tell him his fears had been unfounded.
Both Piper and Cord had spent the morning preparing for the festivities and now it was time to burn off that excessive sexual energy that was coursing through her.