He grinned and closed his eyes. “I knew it would.”
“Of course, you are Chicago’s Rude Goldberg machine building champion.”
“Rube.” He cleared his throat. “Rube Goldberg.”
She hid her grin. She needed to keep him conscious until help arrived. The cuts she could find appeared superficial, but his skin was slick with blood. She remembered long ago when they’d been attacked in their first apartment by the old Ayumu pack. Tyler had rescued her then. He’d hovered over her after she’d been hurt, taking care of all her needs. This time it was her turn.
She shoved her shoulder under his arm. “Lean on me.” They needed to get off this ship before anyone noticed them. She didn’t know how many from Chen’s pack came with him, but they’d return home without an alpha. With no heir to follow him, it would take decades for the packs to sort their territories in China. She’d be forgotten.
* * * *
Arm in arm, he and Katrina walked to the ladder. The distance sound of sirens grew louder. He stared at the cargo container crushed on the docks. “Wow.” Then at the smear Chen had left on the deck. “That’s a mess.” He glanced down at the ladder and sighed. “Who gets to carry who down?” He smiled at his mate, who grimaced.
She was hurt. He could tell by the tightness around her eyes and the way she breathed. “Let me go down first, Katrina. That way if you fall I can break it.”
“Stop joking.” She hugged him tighter. “I am very worried about you.”
“I’m fine.” He really was. They’d won and he’d gotten her back, all by himself. Maybe a warrior did exist in him.
Tires squealed around a corner and she stiffened in his arms. Eric’s pick-up drove toward the ship. “Better late than never.”
Chapter 11
Hospitals carried the scent of blood and it was driving Daedalus mad. Sugar’s health stressed him out, which in turn made his hunger worse. Trapped in a vicious cycle, he eyed the staff as they came into his fiancee’s room. However, snacking on a med student would be bad.
The stiff, cheap chair provided for visitors gave him the impression the hospital didn’t want them staying long. Even the undead developed sore backs.
Why did he hesitate to turn Sugar? Sure, she would hate him, but then she’d have forever to yell, kick, and scream at him for betraying her wishes. Her present silence, lying in bed, reminded him all too well of her frailty. Being tied to life support only postponed her inevitable fate. Even if she pulled through, she would still die one day.
Leaving him alone for an eternity.
No one compared to her. Over the millennia, he’d known his fair share of females, yet none had ever made him consider following them to the grave. Without Sugar in the world, life didn’t seem worth fighting for.
A quick walk outside on a nice sunny day would fix his problem if Sugar passed.
Daedalus shifted on the seat, relieving a cramp. Dumbass. Falling in love was a huge mistake. Like a cancer, it rooted in his heart and grew out of control. Too bad there wasn’t a cure. No chemo or radiation to prevent heartbreak. His gaze wandered from Sugar’s still form on the bed to the covered windows.
Hospital maintenance had just finished nailing thick black plastic over them to prevent the sunlight from creeping in. Money could buy the best customer service. All protests about him staying at Sugar’s bedside disappeared with a nice donation.
He glanced at his watch. The funeral home would be delivering the coffin soon. With enough effort, he might resist the need to rest, like some of his older brethren, but he wanted a plan B in case he caved and needed to sleep.
Daedalus sensed Spice close by and steeled his expression. Her presence plowed ahead of her arrival into the room like a storm of grief and suffering. She didn’t need to know he endured the same emotions. She’d been through enough the last twenty-four hours.
Her swollen lip and black eye matched Sugar’s, her identical twin. “Any change?”
“Not in the last hour.”
Sugar wore her curly, blond hair long like he loved it. The thick, heavy waves fell to the middle of her back. Her twin cut her hair short, making the curls tighter and out of control.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Spice held her sister’s hand. “Eric just called. He has both Katrina and Tyler. They’re in the emergency room getting patched up, then heading here.”
He nodded. The monitor continued to beep in time to Sugar’s heart. After spending the whole evening here, the rhythmic noise faded into the background, yet his gaze still drew to the machine. Maybe he feared that it would stop without his notice? He closed his eyes.
“What are we going to do?” Spice whispered her voice hoarse.
“I don’t know.” The sheets on the bed rustled. He glanced across the room where Spice had twisted to face him.
“What do you mean? You always have a plan.”
“Not this time. My only option would go against her wishes.”
Spice clutched Sugar’s hand to her chest. “She’d hate you.”
Sighing, he leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. “I know. That’s why she’s still human.”
Spice chewed on her lower lip and winced. “What if I make the decision for you?”
He raised a non-existent eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
Displaying her hand for him to view, she grew claws from her finger tips. “I could make her pack. She’d live and wouldn’t blame you.”
He tilted his head to the side and frowned. “I know you’ve offered to infect her before today.” Spice had a good heart. However, she could drive a vampire to pray. She’d never liked him and thought her sister too good for a vampire. “I also know Sugar refused. She’d hate you instead.”
She blinked away tears. “We’re twins. She’d eventually forgive me. We share a special bond.”
“She wants to stay human.”
“And you’ll sit there and watch her die?” She let go of her sister’s hand and stood with her hands on her hips.
“I don’t know.” He shrugged and shifted again on the uncomfortable plastic chair. His plans weren’t anyone’s business. Hell, he didn’t know if anyone from the vampire council would respond to his request. “But you can’t make her a werewolf. In her state, she would never survive the infection.” He stared at his boots, not wanting to give anything away. “Just be patient. Let the doctors work their magic medicine.”
“Fuck that.” Spice reached for Sugar.
Before she moved an inch, he made it across the room and grasped her wrist. “Don’t make me break it.” He wanted to shake her. Bad pup. The original Omegas trusted him, but Spice had vampire issues. “I love your sister and have her best interests at heart.” On impulse, he brought her clawed hand to his lips and kissed the knuckles. “Please, trust me.”
Brows drawn together, she slid her hand from his. “Fine. A little more time.”
Someone knocked on the door. “Am I interrupting?” Robert’s glance darted around the room. “Do you have a minute, Daedalus?”
Nodding to Spice, he followed the beta from the ICU to an empty waiting area and sat across from him.
The werewolf leaned forward, his eyes glittering. “I finally traced the email’s source.”
“What e-mail?” Daedalus rubbed the spot above his nose that ached. “Do we have to do this now? Can’t you deal with it?”
Robert’s mouth fell open. “I guess, I can.”
With a heavy sigh, Daedalus slumped in his chair. “This place is getting to me.” He gestured to Robert to continue.
“The email you had me trace, the one Esther got doubling the price on your head. You know, the one that sent an arrow through my chest?”
The tension in Daedalus’s shoulders doubled. “What did you find?” The slayer, Esther, had given them access to her professional email account so they could track the assassination contract on him. She’d shed her old life when she’d become a werewolf and part of the pack. Her obvious commitment to Rober
t was the only thing that kept Daedalus from making her dessert after she had tried to kill him.
“You’re going to get pissed. I’m warning you.”
“Don’t sugarcoat it, Robert. I’m already pissed.” He chuckled without mirth. Bad things always happened in threes. This sounded like it would be number two on his list. What next? “You don’t get to my age without making enemies. Spill it.”
“I know, but I want to keep my head attached to my shoulders.”
“Robert!”
“Pal Robi, inc.”
“Shit.” He clenched and unclenched his fists. “Fuck.” Staring at the announcement board behind Robert on the wall, Daedalus couldn’t move, like the planet’s gravity surged all of a sudden.
“Do you know who in the company would do this?” Robert whispered.
When vampires had become legal citizens, twenty years ago, he’d started the security company and named it after himself under orders of the vampire council. As Prime of the Northeastern America, he needed an excuse for prowling the area.
Pal Robi was his company, but the money and power flowed from above him. Just because humans had finally acknowledged their existence didn’t mean they’d abandon their ancient political structure. The council still held sway over the world, the humans just didn’t know about it.
“I’ve a few ideas.” Sugar’s health would take priority. What if he’d led his enemies to her? What if they came for him again? The best defense was an offense, any true football fan would agree with him. He needed a plan, but most of his resources came from Pal Robi.
Daedalus’s ears picked up the sound of alarms ringing in the ICU with his keen hearing. Spice’s muffled voice climbed higher in pitch and volume. “Something’s wrong.”
“No shit. Someone in your company is trying to kill you.”
“Not that. With Sugar.” He stood and rushed back to her room.
Robert followed without question.
Chaos flowed in organized groups of humans wearing scrubs rushing in and out of Sugar’s room. A huge red cart was pushed through her door as Spice hurried out.
She dashed to his open arms and hugged him tight. “She’s dying. I can’t…” Thrusting away from him, she met his gaze. “You have to turn her. Now.”
He broke eye contact and stared at the mass personnel in Sugar’s room. “I can’t.” What was left of his unbeating heart ached just as bad as the night he’d died and became vampire. He caught a glimpse of a small pale hand on the bed.
“This ain’t the time to grow morals, vamp.” Spice grabbed his shirt and pulled with her shifter’s strength.
The seams protested, but he didn’t budge. “Nosferatu are incapable of changing humans to vampires. They all die.”
She dropped her hands at her side. “What?” Twisting, she glanced at the room. “Then what are we going to do?”
Gathering her small frame into his arms, her body identical to his female, he rested his head on hers. “Have faith in your sister. She wants to live. I can sense it. She’ll survive this.” She had to. Help wouldn’t be here for at least another day.
He stretched out his power and slipped into her mind like he’d been doing intermittently since he’d arrived. As before, it was still. Quiet. His ribs turned to ice. Gentle and tender, he searched for her. A soft cry, distant and frightened, called out. He plunged deep, lost in the dark, not caring if he ever found his way out.
A gleam of thought shone far away. With every ounce of strength and power in his unsalvageable soul, he latched onto Sugar. Threading himself into her essence, a moment of warmth spread into him like sunshine and days at the beach. He’d forgotten–
As if tied to a bungee cord, his mind snapped back. His knees buckled and hands caught him under his arms. He blinked, finding Su–he sighed–Spice holding him. “I’m fine.” Straightening, he glanced into the room.
The doctor stepped out. “She’s gone into what we call ARDS, acute respiratory distress syndrome. Her lungs have become stiff with the trauma. I’ve put her into a coma to allow the ventilator to do all the work.” She moved over to allow the red cart to be parked by Sugar’s door. “We’ll keep a close eye on her. All this trauma makes her at risk for throwing blood clots and stroke.” Then the doctor left, giving instructions to a nurse.
Spice wheeled around. “What do mean you can’t change her?”
“Nosferatu are a different breed of vampire.” A headache pounded in his temples. Rescuing Sugar’s soul took a lot of effort. “Look. Now’s not the time for details.” Drained of energy, he drifted to Sugar’s bedside and brushed a stray curl from her face. That precious moment in her mind when they’d touched souls…he’d forgotten what it felt like to be alive.
Chapter 12
A new door hung in the main entrance to the brownstone. Someone in the pack had repaired it for them and Eric had given Katrina a new key. As she stepped over the threshold, the air left her lungs. The damage, so much of it, made her home a disaster area.
Chen’s men had violated the brownstone, attacked her small family, and almost killed her best friend. May that bastard rot in hell with demons picking on his bones.
Seeing poor Sugar and Daedalus had given Katrina a reality check. Her injuries and Tyler’s were minor in comparison. Their troubles easily fixed. They’d survived a horrid day and found each other once more.
Tyler limped inside and closed the door. He contemplated the mess. “I really need some shut eye. Can we clean tomorrow?”
“Yes.” She snuggled against his chest, absorbing the solid strength of his body. The doctor in the emergency room had eased her pain with medicine. By morning, she’d be healed. Without it to distract her, she could sense her season escalating. “I want to sleep.” But she doubted with her growing need she could. How could she broach this subject with Tyler? He looked beat.
“Come on.” He tugged her.
Following a trail of debris, Katrina descended to the basement, but detoured into the bathroom they shared with Sam, and turned on the shower. Tossing the remains of her dress into the trash, she stepped under the icy water. Its clean scent washed away the faint stink of fish clinging to her body, and cooled her aching desires.
Just a quick wash. She stepped out, wrapping a thick towel around her. It didn’t hide the bruises and scrapes on her face. She’d been beaten before. Never this bad, though. The collar was still around her throat.
She grabbed it and yanked. The silver in her blood stream had worn off so her beast loaned her strength. Bending slightly in her hands, the metal dug into her skin. A trickle of blood slid along her neck, slipping over her shoulder.
“Stop!” Tyler barged into the bathroom and removed her hands. “You’re hurting yourself. Let me do it.” He caressed her face, then positioned his fingers around the tight collar. The muscle along his jaw bunched with focused strain as he pulled the locked ends apart. Sweat beaded on his forehead, then the collar clattered onto the tiled floor.
She stared at the shattered remains. Not a prisoner anymore, not a slave, or a dog. Her breath shuddered as she exhaled.
Tyler sported a fresh black eye and his bottom lip hung in a swollen pout.
Tracing a finger along it, she whispered. “I’m sorry for not telling you about Chen.” She swallowed around a tight ball in her throat. “When I came to America I wanted a fresh start. To forget…”
He kissed her fingertips. “If I’d really wanted to know, I would have asked. You’ll talk when you’re ready. I trust you, Katrina.”
“Even now?” A vise squeezed her chest.
Resting his forehead against hers, he closed his eyes. “What do you think?”
“I don’t deserve you.”
“Yeah, but you’re taking the universe out of context when you begin talking like that.” He opened his eyes; amusement twinkled there.
She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. The weight of a thousand suns lifted from her shoulders. “I love you so much. I cannot even express it
.”
“Express it by letting us get some sleep.” He kissed her nose. “I love you more.”
Pressing her face against his, she sighed. Sleeping at home with Tyler, her small slice of heaven wrapped in curly red hair and freckles.
* * * *
Lying on his side, Tyler admired the graceful line of Katrina’s back as she sat on the edge of the bed.
They’d taken a nap but he wasn’t ready to leave his comfortable spot. He traced his finger along her spine.
Shivering, she glanced at him over her shoulder. The spark in her gaze stirred him.
“I haven’t welcomed you home yet.”
“Really?” She raised an eyebrow. “And how would you like to welcome me?”
He placed his hands behind his head. “Let me think.”
Laughing, Katrina tore the blankets off him. “While you’re thinking, I am going to occupy myself.” She ran her hand over his already stiff cock.
“Oh, yes.” He closed his eyes and pulled her onto his chest. Her scent had changed. It was heavier with something exotic mixed in. “That’s an excellent idea.” Slipping his fingers between her thighs, he smiled when he found her pussy wet.
Her silken hair brushed his shoulders as she pressed soft kisses on his face. “I’m in heat now.”
“Is that what I smell?”
“Yes.”
“I like it.” He took a deep breath through his nose, savoring the aroma.
“This will make us parents. Are you sure?”
Was he ready to be a father? Running his hands over her legs, he settled Katrina over his hips. “Never been more sure of something in my life.”
The kiss she planted on his lips tasted of sweet relief. Slow and gentle, she explored his mouth.
Knots in his shoulders untangled and the aches vanished. Melting into the king-sized bed they’d once struggled together to carry, Tyler pressed his cock into her pussy.
She leaned into him, rocking her hips back and forth to ease him deeper.
Luscious velvet wrapped around him. Tight and hot. He groaned. Sliding deep inside her, he waited a moment before dragging back out. Each time Katrina tried to increase the speed, he slowed her down. Easy and smooth, in no time he had her digging her nails into his flesh.
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