by D McEntire
Mya pulled away from Trigg's wrist. Though he didn't feel she'd taken nearly enough, he wasn't going to force her. With a sigh, he closed the wound then stood with her in his arms, careful not to hold her too tight and keep his movements slow because the child had no idea who any of them were. Her brother seem to be her only solace, which he observed, since she kept her focus on him as if not wanting to let him out of her sight.
Tank watched Trigg carry the girl in his arms like a cherished gift. He couldn't believe the emotions playing across the Watcher's face even though the warrior obviously fought to keep them from those present in the room.
He noticed the frequent glances Trigg cast down at the child. He also noticed the girl stare up at him a few times with eyes too big for her small face. Warmth radiated off the warrior and even from where he stood several feet away, he felt it.
Trigg and Mya, the picture perfect sight of a father holding a child protectively in his arms, morphed into an image in his head. One of him holding a child of his own.
Tank gave himself a mental head shake. Now was not the time for such fantasies. He turned to Vane. "We need to go. Any more Rogues around?"
"Trigg and I took down three on the other side of the building. They had two human females with them. The Rogues had already finished their little party when we got here. The females are dead."
With a heavy sigh, he nodded, hating to hear they were too late to save the humans. "Call the crematorium and have the bodies picked up and disposed of. We can't let the media get wind of two dead females and plaster it on the news."
Tank thought this was the worst part of his job as Watcher. The victim's families would never know what happened to them, but it couldn't be helped. Covering their tracks, as well as those of the Rogues', was for their protection. The knowledge of vampires living among the humans had to be kept secret.
Sonya moaned. Tank leaned down and brushed her forehead with his lips and discovered her skin extremely warm. He couldn't waste another minute. He needed to get her to the Cell.
"Should I contact Dr. Peltier?" Vane asked.
Tank thought a moment about the doctor and the clinic for vampires. Even though the doctor had been able to pull Robyn through a touchy conversion which was complicated by a bullet wound to her neck, the thought of placing Sonya into another male vampire's care was something he found he couldn't do.
"No." The tone from his barked remark echoed in the room and he noticed both Si and Mya jump. Regaining control over possessive instincts attempting to take over his mind, he took a deep breath before speaking. "I'll take her to the Cell and handle this myself."
Tank hoped he wasn't thinking irrationally. Though he knew he should take Sonya to Dr. Peltier, he couldn't. Not only did he not want her out of his sight, or his arms for that matter, the possibility that taking her to the clinic would place her life in more danger put an immediate nix on the idea. Humans converted by Rogues generally became rogue vampires themselves. Violent conversions never ended well. Either the new vampires immediately fell within the grip of bloodlust or they went insane.
Tank stared at Sonya's face. Thoughts of what may have happened to her if he'd not found her in time ran rampant through his mind. The Rogue, or Rogues, who'd done this to her would've forced her to drink from a human victim, thus triggering the bloodlust and awakening a killer. Once the thrill of the kill got into their system, there was no turning back. The new vamp, now a Rogue, would have to be destroyed.
Holding Sonya closer to his chest, Tank vowed never to let that happen. He'd see her through the conversion and make sure she was taught how to satisfy her needs without bloodshed. She wouldn't become a Rogue.
Tank raised his head and swept the room with a glare. "I'll follow protocol and notify Dr. Olivia." Silently, he dared anyone to question him further.
No one spoke.
His mind made up, Tank led the way out of the building. Limp and light in his arms, he couldn't stop thinking about how Sonya had obviously suffered in this horrid place. Being blind, he had no doubt the inability to see her captor or surroundings had been terrifying. The beast inside bristled at the idea of anyone causing her fear and pain. It sought to find the Rogues and kill them slowly.
Darting around Tank, Kern opened the rear door of the SUV, then held it open while he maneuvered himself inside with Sonya in his arms. Thankfully, no one offered to hold her while he settled in the seat. As tightly wound as he was right now, he knew he'd be unable to hold back a rather harsh rebuke.
Every cell in his body ready to scream if they didn't get going soon, Tank tried to focus on Sonya and what to do for her as he waited while Kern closed the door and climbed into the driver's seat.
"You two can ride with Trigg and Vane in Vane's car," he told the newbies, not wanting anyone else close to him at the moment. His nerves on edge, he didn't know how much longer he could contain them.
When they turned and trotted to Vane's Mercedes, he growled out orders to Kern, not caring the slightest how he acted.
"Punch it."
Kern obliged. Tank felt himself pushed backward into the leather seat with the force of the SUV lurching forward. Glancing out the window, he watched Vane's Mercedes left behind in a cloud of swirling snow.
Sonya shivered uncontrollably in his arms. Tank rested his cheek on her head, knowing he couldn't do much for her until he got her to the Cell, which he had to do quickly before the convulsions began.
The SUV took a sharp turn. Tank braced himself as Kern pulled inside the Cell's garage and parked, but as soon as the door opened, Tank extricated Sonya and himself, then bounded up the stairs, taking two at a time.
Tank bursting through the door caused shrieks of surprise from the girls to echo in his ears.
"Damn it. Can't you guys enter the door like normal people?" Robyn yelled. He ignored her outburst, making a beeline for the stairs instead.
Kern heard the commotion upstairs as he followed Tank's path up the stairs and into the Cell. As soon as he came through the door, he caught the back side of Tank carrying Sonya to his room.
From the shocked expressions on the girl's faces, he needed to do some quick explaining. Heading directly for Marie, he pulled her to his side then spoke to the group.
"Sonya's going through the change, and she's going to need help."
Robyn's gasp was audible.
"Going through the change? Who...?"
"It wasn't Tank," he said quickly, making sure no one ventured into that line of thought. "We found her in the basement of the old sanatorium. Whoever took her really worked her over. Most likely it had been Rogues since we dusted a few there." Kern knew better than to bring up the two human females whom the Rogues had killed. He didn't want to upset them further.
"Where are Trigg and Vane?" Robyn asked.
Kern noticed Trigg's mate wring her hands anxiously as she stared at the empty doorway.
"They shouldn't be long. I needed to get here as quick as I could. Tank was pretty insistent on that. They've got the newbies with them...as well as a couple of guests."
"Guests?"
The question, uttered in stereo, made him wish he hadn't mentioned it at all. Worse yet, he had no idea where, or how, to begin. Taking a moment, he gathered his thoughts hoping to lessen the blow. "When we found Sonya, we also found two children."
Just as he'd predicted, their faces paled, and they started to fidget. Kern held up his hands, hoping to forestall hysterics. "They're fine. Just dirty and hungry."
Lines of worry continued to crease each of the women's foreheads. "We'll find out more about the kids when they get here, but in the meantime, Sonya's having a rough time with the conversion."
"Do you think he'll let us help?" Marie asked. He watched her gaze settle on the closed door to Tank's bedroom.
"Yeah, we know how you macho males can be when a woman's involved. He'll probably rip our heads off as soon as we step through the door."
Kern almost laughed at Rosa's sarcastic j
ab.
"Tank refuses to take her to Dr. Peltier."
"Why not?" Robyn asked, turning to face him. "He saved my life."
Kern blew out a breath and ran a hand though his wavy, dark hair. "He didn't voice his reasons, but I can guess what they are. As I said, Sonya was most likely converted by Rogues. With that being the case, there's a strong possibility she could turn Rogue. It all depends on her. If she can fight the bloodlust..."
"Then she'll be okay," Rosa finished.
Kern nodded then continued his explanation to Robyn. "You and Marie had mates who helped you through the transition. It was their love and support that kept you on the right path. You weren't forced to survive the change through the bloodletting of others, namely humans. You were given what you needed from your mates, sort of like a controlled environment."
"The poor girl," Marie whispered. "So, Tank's going to see her through?"
"From the way he acted when he found her, I'd say he definitely will do what he can, but I'm sure it'll be hard for him. They aren't mates, and Tank has always been known for his honor. She doesn't belong to him and that's going to complicate things, if you know what I mean." Kern smiled at Marie who blushed heavily, and from the gleam in her eyes, he knew she understood exactly what he hadn't said aloud--the intense desire for more than just blood during a transition.
"Oh, boy," Marie breathed, glancing up the stairs to Tank's closed door.
Tank closed the bedroom door behind him with the heel of his boot and strode over to his bed. Yanking aside the covers, he laid Sonya down. Though she shivered, she hadn't stirred otherwise. Another soft moan tore at his heart.
He stood over her, gazing at the beautiful woman from his dreams who now looked frail and broken on his bed. Red, angry bite marks and smeared blood covered her mocha skin. Her face looked hollowed, almost sunken, and etched with pain.
Tank hurried to the bathroom, ran a washcloth under cool water, wrung it out and returned to her side. Fever had a hold of her body and needed to come down. He placed the cloth on her forehead, hoping it would help.
Never had he converted a human, but he'd once been human and had gone through the change over two hundred years ago. Though he didn't remember every detail of his conversion, he did recall pain and sickness. He also knew not all conversions went as planned, and not all survived the change. Some came through physically, but mentally found their new life and turning away from the bloodlust too much bear. Tank thought of those he'd had to assist in destroying. Though knowing it had to be done because they were a danger, not only to themselves, but to others, hadn't made the job any easier.
Sonya's body jumped at the sudden presence of the cool washrag on her forehead, and he grimaced.
"Sonya? Sonya, can you hear me? My name's Tank. I'm going to help you." Tank fought to keep his voice soft and soothing, and not his normal deep, rough tone he used well as a commander of this Cell.
She moaned again and turned her head from side to side. He hated to rouse her because the more conscious she was, the more pain she'd feel. He knew if she stayed unconscious, she wouldn't suffer the pain of her changed blood forcing everything to adapt to the new chemistry while the body's normal defenses kicked into high gear to fight it all the way.
"Sonya, I need you to stay with me. At least for a little while so I can track your progress and make sure you're okay."
Sonya opened her mouth as if to speak, then arched her back. Realizing the convulsions had begun, he quickly gathered her into his arms in an effort to keep her from injuring herself.
Sweat streamed down her face and neck, drenching her blouse. Tank felt his own sweat down his back from the panicked racing of his heart. Holding on tight, he closed his eyes and braced her body against his, riding out each convulsion with her. With jaws clenched, he held back the roar threatening to erupt, angered at her suffering and his inability to take it from her. All he could do was watch and wait as the process took its course.
It seemed like an eternity before she grew quiet once again, and after several minutes of watching her closely and wiping away the streams of sweat with his thumb, he eased her from his lap and laid her on the bed.
A soft knock sounded at the door. Tank turned and scowled. He didn't want anyone to witness her suffering. His instincts screamed to protect her, which included her dignity and privacy.
Robyn stood outside the door to Tank's room, her hand poised above the painted wood, almost afraid to knock. Her presence most likely won't be well received.
"Tank, it's me, Robyn. I just wanted to check if you needed any assistance."
A low rumble sounded from behind the door. She knew Tank wasn't going to say, "Sure. Come on in," or open the door to her intrusion. She'd been with Trigg for close to nine months, and knew all too well how overprotective the warriors were.
"Tank. I understand you want to protect Sonya and don't want anyone near her right now. I only want to know how her fever is doing. Has she started convulsing? If her fever is too high, it can be dangerous."
Tank didn't answer.
"Men can be so pig headed," she muttered while shaking her head. "If her fever is really high, run a bath, then put her in. Remember the ice we used for Marie when Kern brought her in? Do you want me to bring up buckets of ice?"
Still no answer. Robyn leaned her forehead against the door, feeling like she was talking to the air. She hoped that even though Tank didn't want her intrusion, he listened intently to her instructions and realized she only wanted to help them both.
"Okay. I'm going to leave you alone now, but please don't hesitate to call for help...at least for Sonya's sake. All right?"
Robyn sighed and turned to leave, then thought of something else she needed to say. "Oh, sorry, one more thing. I saw her clothes when she came in. I'll get something from Rosa and place it outside the door. She might be more Sonya's size."
Robyn pictured Rosa, who was tall and lean, much like Sonya, whereas she was petite, both in weight and height.
Rosa motioned to her as she ascended the stairs. Robyn followed Rosa to her room where her best friend opened her dresser drawer and began rooting through clothes. She'd obviously heard her speaking to Tank, or rather to the paint on his closed door.
Clothes hit the floor in piles as Rosa searched through her belongings. Robyn almost laughed at how many skimpy outfits she possessed.
Finally, Rosa pulled out a knee-length flannel shirt with matching pants, which Robyn was surprised to find as part of Rosa's wardrobe. She also produced a pair of clean panties. Robyn gathered the clothes and did just as she'd said she would. She laid them outside Tank's door.
Tank applied the cool washrag to Sonya's forehead several times, as well as washed away the sweat from her face and arms. He grimaced when he took another look at her clothes. She could use a bath to wash away the dried blood, and perhaps ease the fever as Robyn had said. He also hoped a bath would help her feel a little better when the worst of this was over, and she was more alert.
Leaving her side, he eased open the door to his room and retrieved the garments he'd heard Robyn put by the door. His heart lightened at her and Rosa's thoughtfulness. All three of the women had been such a blessing to the Cell. Not only did they make the place feel like a home instead of where the Watchers crashed while not hunting Rogues, they pulled everyone together like a family. The three mated Watchers were now at peace, well grounded and full of life. He knew he shouldn't entertain thoughts about his own life right now, but he couldn't help but hold out hope someday he'd experience the same.
Tank closed the door and placed the clothing on the bed, then walked into the bathroom and turned on the faucets, making sure the water was as Robyn had instructed. He let the tub fill to just a tad over halfway, then turned off the faucets.
Now there was the task of undressing the woman on his bed. He was ashamed of himself at how the male side of him wanted to see the beautiful body hiding beneath her clothes, but the Watcher side hesitated, trying to hol
d her honor above all things as should be the way a woman, his woman, should be treated.
Tank gave himself a mental slap. Where the heck did that come from? You're setting yourself up for a world of trouble. You didn't protect her. She sure as hell isn't going to fall all over you for that.
Kern, Marie, Robyn and Rosa were in whispered conversation when Trigg strode through the door with the small, dirty girl in his arms. Her body leaning into his chest, blonde curls tickled his cheek as her head buried in his neck just below the chin. Deep in sleep, she breathed slowly, rhythmically.
Stepping out of the doorway, he made room for Si who entered the room with a wide-eyed gaze darting from one place to another, and his mouth agape, he looked more amazed than afraid.
Vane and Eric followed with Nathan bringing up the rear.
Trigg wasn't surprised Robyn reached him in two strides. Her hands hovered just above the girl in his arms. She leaned to one side, then another, in an effort to see the child's face.
Robyn's eyes filled with tears, and her voice a soft squeak behind trembling lips she said, "She's so tiny, just a baby."
He felt her sorrow more than what showed on her face and knew her heart neared the breaking point at the sight of the two young children they'd found in the abandoned sanatorium.
Trigg couldn't help but smile at Robyn. He was holding a beautiful child in his arms and staring at the face of the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. When he'd looked into Mya's big blue eyes and took in the sight of her blonde hair, he'd immediately thought of his mate and what she must have looked like as a child. Now, he was drawn to Mya as well, not able to let her out of his arms.
"Robyn," he whispered. "This is Mya, and this is her brother, Si."
Si turned to Trigg and Robyn at the mention of his name. The boy smiled. "She doesn't talk anymore, but I'm ten, and she's three."
As Robyn returned the boy's smile, Trigg was amazed at how the boy was holding up under the circumstances. Brave and with a big heart, Trigg knew he'd make an excellent warrior when he became of age.