by Dia Cole
“Kaden, you can see Mira when she’s all better,” Havana said in a calm voice. Her unshakable faith in my abilities splintered my heart.
Getting ahold of myself, I checked that the prescription sedative I’d found in one of the hotel rooms was still inside the bag. Mentally, I calculated the dosage I’d need to stop the little girl’s respiratory and circulatory functions.
Ah, Christ. My hands shook for a moment, until I brought my emotions back under control.
“There’s no cure for the zombie virus,” Marshall shouted.
Rebecca glared at him. “Shut up, Marshall.” Then she looked at my mate with wide eyes. “Havana, were you infected?”
Havana nodded. “I got zombie blood in a cut right here.” She held up her hand. “I would have died, but Mason healed me.” Her eyes shown as she looked over at me.
“Are you saying there’s a cure?” asked a blonde woman named Rhonda.
My mouth dried as over a dozen pairs of eyes focused on me. “I—”
Gabriel saved me by stalking over with a handful of clothes in his hand. “I found Mira’s things.”
As Havana helped the little girl put her clothes on over the much too large swimsuit, Nathan gave the Enforcers their orders. “Liam, you’ll stay here and guard the hu—the others. Gabriel you’re with us.”
Gabriel and Liam nodded as if they’d been following Nathan’s orders for a lifetime instead of an hour.
Nathan scooped the fully dressed Mira into his arms and we hurried to the lodge next door.
After a quick pit stop to pick up some crayons, we headed to the clinic. It was on the second floor between some offices and the stairs. The room was barely big enough for two exam tables, a desk, and a sink, but that didn’t stop Nathan, Gabriel, and Havana from cramming into the dimly lit space.
As Nathan gently laid Mira on one of the tables, I went over to the sole window and retracted the mini-blinds. Bright morning sunlight streamed in, illuminating the room, and the stark expressions on Nathan and Havana’s faces.
“What’s the plan, Wheeler?” Nathan demanded.
Havana gave him a cross look. “Dr. James needs to examine her. Give him a minute.”
The three adults moved back allowing me to stand next to Mira.
Although I’d already seen everything I needed to see, I grabbed the stethoscope and sphygmomanometer hanging on the wall and took Mira’s vitals. Her readings were perfect. It seemed improbable that in less than twelve hours the child would be dead, but that’s what made this virus so tragic.
Nathan watched every movement I made with an intensity that put my hair on end.
The Alpha was barely keeping it together. I feared how he’d react when he discovered the reality of the situation.
“Can I look at this?” Mira asked, pointing at the stethoscope. There was no resisting the impish grin on her face.
“Be careful,” I said, handing it to her. Medical equipment would be hard to come by in future days.
Nathan rounded on me. “Can you save my child?”
I waved him and the others over to the desk so that Mira couldn’t overhear us.
“Can you save her?” Nathan asked again.
I slowly shook my head.
Havana gasped. “But you saved me. Why can’t you save Mira?”
“I used Tasha’s blood to push you through your first transition. Mira is nowhere near her transition. If she could shift she could heal herself, but she can’t so—”
“She’ll die,” Nathan finished. He looked at his daughter, the color leeching from his face.
“No. That can’t happen. It can’t be…” Havana’s legs gave out.
Gabriel caught her before she collapsed.
Feeling her pain and grief as keenly as my own, I wheeled the desk chair around and helped Gabriel situate her on it.
Havana white-knuckled the chair armrests. “We can at least try giving her Tasha’s blood.”
“I’ll go to Sanctuary and get some,” Gabriel announced, heading toward the door.
I held up my hand to stop him. “We don’t have any more of Tasha’s blood.” Liam had brought all the Beast’s blood bags to the cabin when we were trying to save Havana’s life. The ones we hadn’t transfused into Havana were long destroyed.
Nathan balled his hands into fists. “If it will cure my baby, then I’ll go to the Beast and drain her dry.”
Gabriel snorted. “Even if you could somehow get Tasha’s blood, you’d never get from here to Winterhaven and back in time.”
Nathan’s expression fell.
Havana wrung her hands. “What makes Tasha’s blood so special? Can’t you just use our blood?”
“It’s not that simple.” I ran my hands through my hair. “I’ve been searching for a cure to the Z-virus for weeks. I’ve analyzed every sample of Lykos blood I could get my hands on and all were effective at killing the Z-virus—”
Havana opened her mouth.
I continued before she could say anything. “—along with all other healthy cells. Just a small amount of Lykos blood is fatal to human and latents.”
Gabriel nodded his head. “Everyone knows that, Mason.”
“I didn’t know that,” Havana said in a small voice.
I gentled my tone and took her hand. “For some unknown reason, Tasha’s blood helped heal you without killing you. I believe you would have perished with a transfusion of any other Lykos’s blood.”
“Do you think it is because Tasha is an Original?” Nathan asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know, but that’s my prevailing theory.”
Gabriel looked as if he was mulling something over. “Would pregnancy influence blood?”
Strange question. I looked down at Havana. “Well, potentially. The Lykos immune system, like the human immune system, is naturally suppressed during pregnancy to keep the mother from rejecting the fetus. Why do you ask?”
“Tasha donated that blood a month ago, just before she lost her last babe,” he said slowly. “I remember it because she pulled one of my Enforcers off his detail to deliver the blood to Sanctuary.”
“Tasha was pregnant?” Nathan asked, a look of surprise on his face.
“Yes,” Gabriel said in a clipped voice, his gaze averted. “She had to shift to stop an assassination attempt at the Interfaction Games. She lost the babe soon after.”
“That’s terrible.” Havana rubbed her still flat belly, her lips pinched together.
Hmm. Pregnancy was a unique immunological state wherein natural killer cells, immune cells, regulatory T cells, and neutrophils all behaved differently. It made perfect sense that the immune-system suppression of pregnancy would mute the normally lethal aspects of our blood. Otherwise, the Lykos species would have died generations ago. “You may be on to something, Gabriel.”
I looked from Havana to Mira, my mind bubbling with possibilities. “We may have our cure.”
Nathan’s gaze fixed on my face. “We do?”
“We do?” Havana echoed, her full lips falling open in surprise. “What is it?”
I leaned down and kissed her nose. “It’s sitting in front of me.”
8
Havana
Keeping my head turned from the doctor drawing blood out of my arm, I focused on the little girl coloring pictures on the exam paper. Please let my blood heal Mira. The alternative was far too painful to consider. My throat grew tight and tears stung my eyes.
Mason, always sensitive to my moods, paused. “Are you okay, love?”
“Yes.” No. If I’d only rescued her from the helicopter sooner, she never would have been infected. Even worse, some part of me must’ve known about the virus. That’s why I’ve been feeling dread this whole time.
Gabriel squeezed my free hand. “Don’t you dare blame yourself, Princess. The fault is mine for not getting the chopper in the air fast enough.”
Nathan, who held his hand down on the exam table for Mira to outline, looked over at Gabriel. “No. The fault is
mine for putting Mira in that situation.”
Mira stopped coloring and cocked her head to the side. “What’s a sit chew shon?” While her father murmured a reply, her gaze fell on the syringe in my arm. “Does that hurt?” She tried to jump off the table.
Nathan caught her before she reached us. “Sunshine, you need to sit there.” His voice was steady and without the panicked pitch it’d held just minutes ago. He too held onto hope that my blood would help Mira.
Please let this cure her. A fist seemed to close around my heart and I struggled to take a breath.
“Are you sure you're okay, love?” Mason asked, switching out another test tube.
I nodded. “Do we have to worry about our blood types being incompatible?” I didn’t even know what my blood type was.
Mason shook his head. “That would be the least of our concern.” He switched the full test tube with another one.
“Enough.” Gabriel stepped closer to the desk. “You’ve taken five vials already. Havana won’t have any blood left in her body.”
Mason let out a strained laugh. “It looks like more than it is. I want to be sure we have enough.” He untied the elastic tourniquet on my upper arm.
“Take whatever you need.” I’d give anything to keep Mira alive.
Nathan looked over at me. “Thank you.” His gratitude and appreciation poured through our bond.
“Don’t thank me, yet,” I cautioned. “We don’t know if this will work.”
“I think it will work,” Mason said, insinuating himself into our conversation.
Instead of being angry at the intrusion, Nathan gave the doctor a grateful look. “When will you give her the infusion?”
“In just a minute.” Mason popped out the last vial and removed the needle from my arm. “Gabriel, make yourself useful and hold this down.” He pushed Gabriel’s finger over a cotton ball on the inside of my elbow and brought the vials of blood over to the windowsill. With careful precision he lined them up.
Gabriel pressed down on my arm with enough force to make my eyes water.
“Easy there.” I pulled my arm away.
“Did I hurt you? I’m sorry.” The huge male crouched down next to my chair and kissed my arm.
The move was so uncharacteristic for him, I smiled. “I think that’s the first time I’ve ever heard you apologize for anything. You never said sorry for being such a dick to me when we first met.”
Gabriel wrapped his arms around me and laid his head in my lap. “I’m sorry you thought I was a dick.”
I yanked his hair.
He yelped and nipped at my thigh through the fabric of the robe. “I’m sorry I was rude. But didn’t I make it up to you by giving you a babe?” He rested his hand on my stomach.
“How do you know you’re the father?” I asked, amused by his arrogance.
“I just do,” he said with a cocky grin.
“Do you have children with anyone else?” I asked, not liking the idea.
“No,” he said quickly. “I’ve never wanted young before. Not until I met you.”
I rubbed the black stubble on his chin trying to imagine a child with his bronze skin, dark hair, and flashing eyes. “Your daughter would be breathtaking.”
“Our sons would be invincible,” he corrected.
Liam’s deep voice rang in my mind. “Is everything okay?”
Gabriel must’ve been on the telepathic channel too, because he responded, “We don’t know yet, broth—”
“Stop!” Nathan shouted at Mason who’d approached Mira with a blood-filled syringe.
Gabriel jumped to his feet, looking ready to attack something.
I tried to stand, but my spinning head had me sitting back down. “What’s wrong, Nathan?”
The Alpha male looked over Mason’s shoulder at me. “What if this injection—”
“Infusion,” Mason corrected.
Nathan thrust his hands through his hair. “What if this infusion doesn’t work? What will happen?”
Mason must have responded telepathically, because Nathan rocked back on his heels. “No,” he murmured.
I looked between them, quickly filling in the blanks. Oh, God. The blood could kill her.
Mason spun around to look at me. “The blood is the only thing that may save her.”
May being the operative word. My hands shook as I twisted the belt of my robe into knots. “Could we test it first?”
“I’ll get a human,” Gabriel announced, moving toward the door.
“No!” I yelled. “We can’t use the survivors as guinea pigs.”
Mason nodded. “Agreed.”
“Why not?” Gabriel asked.
“I can’t believe you would even ask that,” I replied, shocked by his utter lack of morality.
“You’re the one who suggested we test it,” Gabriel countered.
He’s right. The guy who used to assassinate people isn’t expected to have a conscience, but I should. Swamped in shame, I looked over at Nathan.
He wore a conflicted expression as if he too was struggling with the idea of risking another’s life to save Mira.
“I won’t entertain the notion of infusing a healthy person,” Mason said with a quick shake of his head. “The only reason I’m trialing this on Mira is if it doesn’t work, she’ll be no worse off.”
Translation, she’d be dead. I blinked furiously to keep my tears from falling.
“Lykos blood poisoning is a painful way to go,” Gabriel added with a grimace.
I sucked in a breath. “It is?” Oh, God, maybe we should rethink this.
Mason gave the dark-haired male a sharp look. “In that event, this will make her passing quick and painless.” He motioned down at a syringe filled with cloudy white fluid.
Although Nathan didn’t visibly react to Mason’s words, our bond exploded with grief and pain.
Needing to comfort him, I used the desk to push myself to my feet. This time, after an initial spell of dizziness, I stayed upright.
Gabriel reached for my arm, but I gently pushed him away. I needed to be with Mira and Nathan. Slowly I made my way over to them.
Nathan was staring down at his daughter, tears welling in his eyes. “I need a minute,” he said in a choked voice.
“Why is Daddy crying?” Mira asked me.
I sat down next to her on the table and put my arm around her. “He’s just worried about you. We all are.”
She burrowed into my lap. “I’m worried too.”
“There’s no reason to be.” I tried to keep my voice comforting.
“But he’ll stab me with that.” She peeked around my arm at Mason who waited with the syringe.
I smoothed back a tendril of her hair. “It’s only a pinch, love bug. Look my arm has already healed.” I showed her the inside of my elbow.
She didn’t look convinced.
I glanced at Nathan.
Shirtless, barefoot, his gaunt face wracked with indecision and grief, the Alpha male had never looked less like the dominating billionaire, businessman, who’d swept me off my feet.
“Honey, what do you want to do?” I asked gently.
Nathan’s ran his hand through his silver-streaked hair. “I don’t know. Damn the fates. I don’t fucking know. What do you think we should do?”
I blinked in surprise. Nathan was always decisive and sure of himself. Never once had he consulted me on a single decision, even when ordering food from a restaurant. It was an aspect of his personality that both intrigued me and drove me crazy. Seeing this vulnerable side of him tugged at my heart.
I glanced at Mason. “Can we wait on giving Mira the cure?”
The doctor frowned. “We can. However, every second we delay the virus damages more vital organs. Acting sooner versus later may increase the odds of a positive outcome.”
That settles it. I took a deep breath, inhaling Mira’s little girl smell, imprinting it to memory. “Can you be brave?” I asked her, but my gaze was on Nathan.
“Ye
s,” she said, her face muffled against my side.
Nathan gave a small jerk of his head. He walked over to the table and wrapped his arms around the two of us. “I love you so much.”
The tears running down his face mingled with the tears running down mine.
I sobbed and clung to them both. “Nathan, we can’t lose her.”
Nathan tightened his grip around us. “We won’t.” It was the promise of a desperate man, but it was comforting just the same.
“Daddy, you’re messing up my hairloom!” Mira squeaked.
Nathan let out a weak laugh and pulled away. “You’re my little miracle you know that?” He tapped the diamond hairpiece.
“I know,” she said with a smile that would break hearts one day. “Okay, I can be brave.” She held out her arm.
Mason had me grip the underside of her elbow to keep it extended, while he slowly injected my blood into her vein.
Other than a small flinch at the insertion of the needle, Mira held herself still.
“I’m so proud of you,” I exclaimed as Mason withdrew the needle and put a Band-Aid over the tiny puncture. I leaned over to kiss her cheek. The sight of black veins crawling up her chin made me gasp.
Nathan cursed. “The virus is spreading.”
Mason, who’d been putting the syringe into a sharps container, pushed Nathan aside and peered at Mira’s face and neck. The serious expression he wore sent a chill down my spine.
Mira let out a heart-wrenching cry and convulsed in my arms.
“What’s happening?” I cried, trying to keep a grip on her thrashing body.
“Mira!” Nathan shouted, pulling her from me.
Mira’s eyes rolled back as her entire body trembled and shook.
“It’s okay, sunshine,” Nathan chanted, rocking her body.
Oh, God! Helplessness and raw terror engulfed me.
“Lay her on the floor!” Mason ordered.
As Nathan eased her shaking body down, Mason turned Mira on her side and slid a ball of fabric under her head.
If anything Mira shook more violently, blood trickling from her mouth and nose. The sound of her bones snapping shredded my soul.