“You know better.” Joseph shook his head. “I would never hurt your woman. Tell me what’s in her blood.”
“Tainted blood combined with a demon’s blood.”
“Well then.” Joseph smiled. “She’ll survive. We’ve just discovered that their blood donor is Zack Savage. We think he’s allowed them to capture him. There’s no telling what the hell he’s up to, but he’s a stubborn son of a bitch. He’s strong. His blood is strong. We need to get the saltwater out of her lungs. Turn her head to the side.”
Joseph placed his hands on her chest. “This is going to be very unpleasant for her. Hold her down.” He sent healing energy into her body and a burst of power into her lungs to force the saltwater out.
She started violently coughing and choking as she fought to take a breath. All the while, eyes wide, she stared at Joseph.
“You need to talk to her. She doesn’t know you’re here. She’s fighting me. And?” Lee Anne made a horrible growling, snarling sound. Joseph laughed. “Yep. She’s fixing to get feisty with me. She’s nearly fully converted. She really wants blood in a bad way. But she needs to wait until the conversion is complete. It’s best to have as much of Zack’s blood in her as possible while it’s occurring to fight the tainted blood. And right now, to be completely honest, I do not really like the idea of allowing your possessed little lady to bite me. Zack’s blood will do just fine. ”
Jake wasn’t surprised by Joseph’s humor. It was how he normally behaved. He’d known Joseph long enough to know what he wasn’t saying: he was willing to give Lee Anne his blood to save her if he had to.
Jake looked down at Lee Anne and used a compulsion to force her to focus on him rather than Joseph. “It’s okay. You’re confused. But it’s okay. He’s trying help you.”
She started coughing and gasping for a breath again as saltwater spewed from her mouth. Jake held her tightly as Joseph continued to send healing energy into her body.
“It’s done, Jake,” he said after several moments had passed. “You need to put her to sleep now.”
Jake sent the command, and she instantly went limp in his arms. “Will she survive?”
“She’ll survive, but we need to get her warmed up. Don’t forget that it’ll be best if you wait to give her blood until the transformation is complete.”
“Do you think it’ll work?” Cradling her against his chest, Jake stood.
“You’re an ancient. Your blood is pure. It’s powerful. After she has fully changed, take as much of the tainted blood from her as possible and replace it with yours. Don’t allow her out of your sight until there’s no tainted blood in her system. You can’t allow her to kill anyone for blood.”
“If it doesn’t work?”
“Is she your mate?”
Jake nodded. “Yes.”
* * *
“It will work.” Well, Joseph hoped like hell it would. If it didn’t, Lee Anne’s thirst for human blood would increase until she turned into a merciless killer. Jake would have no choice but to end her life.
Joseph lifted his head and concentrated on a disturbance in the atmosphere. “They’re getting closer.” It was odd for any vampire to pick a fight with a demon, but that was exactly what Jeremy and his men were doing. “These vampires are much stronger and more powerful than ever before. I’m not really sure what we’re dealing with.”
“Do you feel that?” Jake asked. “Is it one your friends?”
With a thought Joseph placed a fiery hedge of protection around then as he took a slow look around. Examining the atmosphere and extracting information, he searched for the identity of the demon moving closer. “Demetri.”
“We need get her out of here.”
Joseph knew Jake could shift from one place to another with no problem, but he wouldn’t be able to take Lee Anne with him. He also knew Jake would never allow him to take Lee Anne. “I can take both of you.” He smiled when he saw the relief in Jake’s eyes. “Having a woman certainly makes decision making much more difficult, does it not?”
Jake laughed. “Yes.”
Joseph placed his hand on Jake’s shoulder. “Give me the image of where you want to take her.” Within seconds of receiving the image, Joseph had managed to take them to the destination Jake envisioned.
As Jake lowered Lee Anne onto the bed, Joseph said, “You’ve lost a great deal of blood. I will watch over her until you return.”
Jake turned to face Joseph. He was obviously conflicted because he knew Joseph was right. He needed blood to survive, but he no doubt feared that if Joseph saw Lee Anne as a threat to his kind, he would kill her.
“Considering the situation, I don’t blame you for questioning my motives. But you have no reason to worry. If I wanted her dead, she would be dead.” Joseph wasn’t bragging. He wasn’t threatening. He was stating a fact. “Despite being a vampire, you are a man great honor,” he teased. “You would never allow her to suffer. If you can’t cure her through a blood exchange, I trust you to do what is best for her. I will make sure she remains asleep until you return.”
Jake nodded. “Thank you, Joseph.” He turned to walk away but then stopped and turned to face Joseph. “How did you know to come tonight?”
“I didn’t. I was looking for wolves.”
“I’ve heard that Eli is here to claim his mate.”
“It’s true, but he has chosen the wrong woman.”
“Mia?”
Causing flames to ignite in the large stone fireplace, Joseph waved his hand. “Yes.” Joseph turned to face Jake. “Jeremy has turned. He must be destroyed.”
“I know.”
“Immediately.”
“You don’t have to worry about it.”
Joseph nodded.
“Let me know if you need help with Eli’s pack.”
“I will.” Joseph rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Don’t allow any of my people to learn that Zack’s blood was combined with tainted blood and injected into her. Some will be able to detect it in her easily. You can never allow her to get too close to my kind. Most wouldn’t consider harming her, but there are those that would view her as a threat. Demetri’s betrayal has caused great discord amongst my kind.”
“I will return shortly. And again, thank you, Joseph.” Jake turned and walked out of the room.
~ Seven ~
JOSEPH STOOD IN front of the fire. He reached for Mia mentally and found her sleeping peacefully, just as he’d left her. He smiled. The only time he knew she wasn’t in getting into trouble was when she was sleeping. He shook his head. Of course, that could change in an instant.
His life had been such a waste up until the moment he’d met her. And now it was a waste because he couldn’t save her. Worse than a waste. It was doomed. He couldn’t save her because she, the only woman he would ever love, wasn’t his true mate. Fate was a cruel enemy, and it seemed he couldn’t, no matter how hard he fought, defeat it.
He couldn’t figure out why her cancer was so resistant to his power. Despite his many attempts to heal Mia, every day her life was slipping further and further away. It didn’t matter that he would never give up. Her cancer would never give up. In the past, being immortal, he’d never truly paid attention to time, but now time consumed his every thought because he was running out of it.
Being lycan, she took many unnecessary, completely unacceptable risks on a regular basis. And thanks to her morphine-induced outbursts of rage, she’d made several dangerous enemies. She was a fearless warrior. She defended the weak with just as much passion and conviction as he did. Truthfully, that was a lie. She possessed far more passion and conviction than he’d ever had. He respected her inner strength and honor.
Joseph felt Mia’s familiar presence in his mind. What’s wrong, Joseph? Do you need help?
He smiled. Their connection was growing stronger every moment of every day. She’d reached for him because she’d sensed he was troubled. None that you’re willing to give me … yet.
Her laughter filled his mi
nd. It’s never happening. He felt her sorting through his memories, trying to figure out where he was and if he was in danger. He could’ve easily blocked her, but he didn’t. He lived for the connection they shared. He kept his mind fully open to her at all times unless he was fighting an enemy.
It’s only a matter of time. Your resistance to my charm is growing weaker every day.
In your dreams.
Lee Anne moved. Every night. Glancing at Lee Anne, Joseph made sure Mia felt the warmth of his breath on her neck and ear. He walked over to Lee Anne and placed his hand on her forehead. At the moment, she shouldn’t have any awareness, but she was having a nightmare.
Where are you? There was no missing the contempt in her voice. She knew he was with woman, touching a woman, and it bothered her.
Mia was jealous. Joseph couldn’t help but smile. You’re supposed to be sleeping. He pushed the nightmare from Lee Anne’s mind and sent her into a deeper state of unconsciousness.
I’m not tired. And I’m not jealous. Who is she?
She belongs to a friend. You gave her a pitcher of ice water to dump over his head,
He hurt her because of it? And women do not belong to men.
No. She was attacked by an impure vampire. And I meant no disrespect to her. He would gladly tell you that he belongs to her.
Will she survive?
Yes. She will be fine.
Where are you?
He smiled. She wanted to make sure the woman was okay. Close your eyes.
* * *
She closed her eyes, allowing the sensation of weightlessness to take her as she felt his arms wrap around her and hold her against his body. Many erotic visions played in her mind as she thought of her fingers moving slowly over his hard, muscular body.
“Are you thinking about me naked, my naughty little angel?”
Her eyes flew open. “No!” Even she knew that she’d answered too quickly. She actually blushed. She tried to move away from him, but he held her firmly. “Let go.”
“I will as soon as you admit that you enjoy the thought of touching my naked body.” He bent his head as if to kiss her so that he whispered the words against her lips.
* * *
Standing on the very tips of her toes, Mia wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his. Making himself vulnerable, he returned her kiss even though he knew she was preparing to put him in his place and it might very well hurt. She kissed him long enough and with just enough passion to cause him to forget she was using the kiss to overpower him. When she bit down on his lip, he growled, though not in anger. It wasn’t a threat; it was a warning. She was playing a dangerous game. Her aggression only increased his urgent need for her. It took every ounce of his strength to control his nature.
Releasing her, he laughed softly as he reached up to rub the sting from his lip. “You get meaner every day.”
Mia turned away from him and leaned over Lee Anne. “Are you sure she’ll be okay? She doesn’t look good at all. She looks like Caylee did after the vampire forced her to take blood.”
“She will be fine.” Joseph placed his hand on her shoulder. “Jake will take good care of her.”
* * *
Mia turned to face Joseph. She felt the warmth of his healing power generate from his hand and seep into her flesh. She knew it was his way of setting her at peace. Given the woman was a stranger, some people would not understand how deeply Mia felt for her, but Joseph knew. He always knew. And he always took care of her. Even when she lost her mind in fits of uncontrollable rage, he was always there to patiently guide her back to sanity.
One day soon she would die. She’d never feared death, but it had been such a lonely journey until he walked into her life. She was so very thankful for his friendship, but she would never allow it to turn into anything more. It wouldn’t be fair to him. Joseph Payne loved fully, completely. She suddenly felt bad for getting angry over the thought of him being with a woman, helping a woman. She didn’t like to think of him finding and falling in love with another woman, but she hoped he would one day find the love of his life.
“There’s only you, Mia. There’ll never be another woman for me.”
* * *
“Why would you say something so stupid?”
“It’s true. You’re the most remarkable woman I’ve ever known. Why would I ever consider another? She could never come close to intriguing me as thoroughly as you do. It wouldn’t be fair to her at all.” Joseph knew Mia wasn’t his true mate. She belonged to Eli. Keeping Mia from Eli would only be possible if he killed Eli and the majority of the males in the pack. And that was exactly what Joseph planned to do.
“Shouldn’t we be more concerned with what’s fair to her?” Mia looked down at Lee Anne. “I’m sure she’d rather not be forced to listen to you make a fool out of yourself.”
“No worries. She’s unconscious.” Joseph paused. “As soon as Jake returns to take over her care we have a vampire to hunt down and destroy. Do you feel up to it?”
“What?” Mia turned to face him. “Are you serious?”
Joseph struggled to keep a straight face. Happiness looked so damn good on her face, especially when he was the cause of it. “Sure.” He shrugged his shoulders casually. “After all, I assume you’d rather not allow the vampire to get away with doing this to her and probably the same thing or worse to someone else.”
He had every intention of killing the vampire and taking her with him, because he knew she had every intention of tracking down the vampire by herself. Since she was so hell bent on seeking out and destroying forces of darkness, keeping her close made keeping her safe a whole hell of a lot easier.
Mia rolled her eyes. “Stop screwing around with me, Joseph. You know I planned to go after him. Do you think …” She paused. Joseph waited while she decided whether or not to continue. Mia wasn’t the type of woman to trust easily. He respected her for that, and he had no problem working to gain her trust. “Do you think he has ties to Mary Tate?”
Joseph smiled inside himself. It felt great that she was choosing to involve him in her war against Mary. “I’ve no doubt of it.”
Just then, Jake returned.
Without saying another word or even acknowledging Jake’s presence, Joseph wrapped his arm around Mia’s shoulder and walked her toward the door so she wouldn’t have a chance to realize Jake wasn’t human. Being lycan, she had keen sense of smell and could possibly detect the scent of blood since he’d just fed. And just as he was hoping, she was so eager to go hunting for the vampire she didn’t balk as he ushered her out of the room.
The last thing Joseph needed was for Mia to realize Jake was a vampire. Eventually he would tell her there were good vampires, but not while she was still suffering from morphine-induced bouts of rage. She really, really hated vampires. And poor Jake had been through a horrible ordeal. He didn’t need to add having his ass kicked by a woman to his day.
~ Eight ~
JAKE STRETCHED OUT on the bed and gathered Lee Anne into his arms. It had been four days since Jeremy had injected tainted vampire blood into her system and three days since Jake had converted her. To make the process less traumatic, he’s kept her in an unconscious state and used a compulsion to get her to consume large quantities of his blood on three separate occasions.
In all his existence, he’d never dreamt of finding true and lasting love because he’d never believed in it. His deep feelings for Lee Anne were a complete mystery to him. She was everything to him. His heart. His soul. His life. He would sacrifice anything to ensure her well-being and happiness.
He would never forget the night he’d found her, so cold and near death, after her car accident. He’d searched for hours before he’d found her. He’d watched over her for years, but it was the first time he’d ever physically touched her. He wasn’t ever supposed to have physical contact with her. He’d always known handing her over to another man would be difficult, but when he picked her up in his arms and she looked up
into his eyes, he knew he could never do it. It had just taken him a little while to come to terms with it.
For the moment, she was at peace. Until she was awake, he wouldn’t know whether or not he’d managed to dilute the tainted blood enough to prevent her from being consumed with the urge to kill for blood. With her life at stake, he was naturally reluctant to wake her up, but he couldn’t allow her to sleep any longer. No matter the outcome, it was time to move on.
Joseph had arrived yesterday to warn Jake that Jeremy was still a threat. Joseph planned to continue tracking Jeremy down, but the odds weren’t in Joseph’s favor because Jeremy had managed to consume a large quantity of Zack’s blood and was utilizing ancient forms of Demetri’s magic. The combination had made Jeremy far more powerful and elusive than any other vampire. It was only a matter of time before Jeremy showed up to seek more revenge, but that wasn’t the greatest threat to Lee Anne.
Unless drastic measures were taken, keeping her safe would be impossible. Because of the discord Demetri’s betrayal had caused among demons, some would not hesitate to kill her. Joseph advised Jake to move Lee Anne as far away from the area as possible. In fact, since Zack’s blood remained very detectable in her system, Joseph offered to send them to the past.
Manipulating time was a nearly forgotten ability to most demons. Very few still possessed the power to do it, and the act was strictly forbidden. Unfortunately, going back in time to change something that had already happened wasn’t simply forbidden; it was impossible. No one had ever really understood why, but whenever it had been attempted, disaster struck hard with vengeance. One way or another, even if Joseph went back before Lee Anne was poisoned and he killed Jeremy, Lee Ann’s cruel fate would have its way with her.
When Jake questioned Joseph’s willingness to go against the laws of his people, Joseph told him the one thing he’d learned from events such as Demetri’s betrayal was that following the laws meant suicide. Jake knew it was true. It was a time of war. And because of their great power and strength, demons were naturally inclined to make up their own laws and protect whatever they held dear to them with deadly brute force in times of war.
Sweet Decadent Fire Page 6