by Mary Abshire
He believed in his heart she was righteous. If other agents had the same beliefs and morals as her, then he had nothing to fear. Once again, he was letting his bias toward vampires cloud his thinking.
“I’m not worried,” he said. “Are you experienced removing bullets?”
She gave him a smile. “I’m experienced in many things. You’ll be fine in my hands.” She dragged her gaze down his body before returning it to the road.
Her words and attention gave rise to his need and the erection hiding in his jeans. He wouldn’t be able to hide it for much longer if she continued to say such things. And he hoped she would.
Chapter Seven
The smell of Zale’s blood aroused her thirst. She’d taken at least six bullets and had lost quite a bit of blood. The loss of fluid made her feel ice cold. Her head ached and the pain would worsen if she didn’t replenish her system soon. But she had to take care of Zale first.
He’d saved her from getting shot in the head. While she doubted a bullet to the brain would’ve caused damage, she’d didn’t want to be a guinea pig to find out. Such an injury could’ve knocked her out, which would have prevented her from fighting. In turn, his life would’ve been in greater danger. She suspected he hadn’t thought of the latter and had acted on instinct. Considering he still had presumptions about vampires, his move to spare her had been noble. She held deep gratitude for the werewolf.
While she admired Zale, she also worried about him. He’d put his life at risk by fighting a man with a gun. The werewolf had balls. Although he had combat skills to capture the criminals of her kind, he wasn’t immortal. If he’d been shot multiple times, he could’ve died. She had to remember the type of person she was working with and take precautions. If he died because of her actions, she’d carry the guilt with her forever.
She steered onto the street leading to the DS headquarters. Pressing her foot on the accelerator, the engine hummed louder. Zale held one hand on the dashboard while he used his other to press his shirt to his injured hip. His white shirt hugged his torso and exposed his bulky muscles. They were the largest she’d seen before on a man. She tried not to look at them too much. Each time she did, she wanted to stare longer, marvel at them, and touch them.
Approaching the garage, she braked to slow the vehicle. Zale grunted softly.
“Sorry,” she said.
She turned toward the steel door leading to the underground. A pole cemented into the ground held a box with a keypad. She entered the code and within seconds the door began to rise.
“You’re office is close to the Capitol,” he said.
“Yes. Our office was built during the same time.”
She sped down the path and then rounded the corner.
“At least you have a garage. The UoJ offices only have a surface lot.”
“Your headquarters is at the pyramids if I remember correctly.”
“Yep. Before that we occupied an old apartment building not too far from here.”
“I think I remember Aziel mentioning that. I’m surprised we never ran into each other before. I guess we’ve both been busy with our jobs.”
Anna swung the car around at the second level, near the doors leading to the elevators. Spaces on each side had been marked for no parking. Ignoring the signs, she shifted the gear and then cut the engine. The empty areas were singled out for emergency purposes anyway.
“Can you walk?” she asked.
His heartbeat sounded strong and steady even though it pumped a little faster than earlier. She didn’t sense any signs of shock or trauma from him.
He pushed open his door. “I’m slow, but I can do it.”
Keys in hand, she walked around to the passenger side. Zale stood by his open door, wincing.
“Let me help you,” she said as she hurried to grab her bag from the floorboard.
“I can manage.”
He began walking while she tossed the strap over her head. The werewolf sounded determined to make it on his own. In a way, he reminded her of herself. She slammed the door shut and then caught up with him.
“Where did the bullet hit you?” she asked as she shoved the bag behind her.
“Hip.”
She reached the door before him and opened it. He slowly limped into the waiting area.
“Where are we exactly?” he asked.
She hit the call button for an elevator. One opened. She stepped inside and held her hand in front of the doors.
“The offices are a couple stories underneath a hotel. We came in through the back side of it,” she said as she entered a code on the panel.
He came to stand across from her and leaned against the wall. “And we’re going down?”
“Yes.”
The doors closed.
His gaze lingered over her body. “I can smell your blood, but I don’t see… Oh, there’s a hole. It’s hard to see them in your jacket.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
The elevator stopped and the doors parted. Anna passed him and continued down the small hall leading to the main floor. The chatter of voices, clicking on keyboards, and hum of electricity reached her ears. Of course, the only heartbeat belonged to Zale.
Several agents sitting at their desks shifted their attention to the werewolf.
“Wow, this is big,” he said.
She paused as he caught up with her. “The clinic isn’t far.” She circled around to his injured side and lifted his arm. “Put your weight on me.” She took the bloody shirt from his hand before she placed it on her shoulder.
“I can—“
“Think of me as a crutch. You can do this or I’ll get help and carry you to the clinic. Your choice.” She pressed his shirt to his injury.
Grunting, he took a step. He shifted his weight onto her when he took another step. Her bag smacked against her backside as she tried to keep pressure on his wound while they walked.
Two male agents carrying files emerged from the hall they were heading toward. They stopped and stared at her and Zale.
“Find Rachel. Tell her to meet me in the clinic. Now!” she said with urgency in her tone.
The two took off in the opposite direction.
“I seem to be quite the attraction and I don’t think it’s for my looks,” he said.
“You’re completely safe here. And if anyone did try something strange, they’d have to get through me first.”
He met her gaze. His lips took a slight curl. “Offering to protect me already?”
“Well, you did stop a bullet from hitting my head.”
“What would have happened if he’d shot you?”
“Not sure and I don’t want to find out.”
She stopped applying pressure to his hip when they reached the clinic. He took his hand off her and she opened the door for him. Two nurses in lab coats were standing near the counters. They turned their attention to her as Zale entered the room.
“I need one of you to set me up with an IV line, a bowl, alcohol, gauze, and tweezers. The other needs to leave,” she said.
The two looked at each other.
“I’ll go,” said the tall one with dark hair. He passed the other nurse and began walking toward her.
Two empty gurneys sat in the back. Zale headed toward them. She lifted the strap of her bag from her shoulder as she followed him. At the same time, the remaining nurse started getting supplies from a cabinet.
Zale reached the tables. Given his height, he didn’t have to climb onto one. But he did wince and grunt when he sat.
Anna set his soiled shirt, car keys, and bag on the table across from him. “Can you take off your shirt?” She tossed her jacket away from her shoulders and then set it on the table too.
He swung one leg after another onto the gurney. “I think so.”
A female gasp behind her stole her attention.
“Anna?” Dressed in black slacks and blue button-down, Rache
l approached with hesitant steps.
“I need you to do something for me,” Anna said before she turned back to Zale. Sweat dripped down the side of his forehead and coated a part of his white shirt. “What’s the address of the warehouse?”
“2912 East 16th street,” he said before he lifted his shirt over his head.
She spun to face Rachel. “Send a team. I exorcised three demons. One was shot. One was stabbed twice. The third has a broken nose and possibly other broken bones. There are three unconscious humans as well. Everyone will need to be interrogated. This happened in the last fifteen minutes, so they should still be there, but time is of the essence.”
She gave a jittery nod. “Got it.” She strode away from Anna.
“I have your supplies and drip line ready,” the vampire nurse said as he pushed a pole with a bag of blood hanging on it. He held the bowl in his other hand.
Zale, now shirtless, watched the nurse. A deep low rumble emerged from Zale’s throat. The werewolf’s elevated heartbeat and glare suggested he might have a problem with the vampire.
“Leave them and go. I’ll take care of it,” she told the nurse.
“Are you sure?” the nurse asked. “You look weak.”
“Yes. I’ll manage. Now go, please.”
He set the pole with the IV line and her supplies near her bag. Zale’s gaze remained on the nurse until he left the room.
The scent of his blood and sweat filled her nose. Her canines threatened to extend, but she held them in place.
“I need you to lay down,” she said as she approached him.
Quiet now, he lowered onto the gurney. “And you’re sure you can do this?”
“I told you, I have experience.” She grabbed the bowl from the table.
“How much experience?”
She set the supplies near the side of his sculpted torso. She swallowed hard as her gaze lingered over the curves of his muscles. He had so many she found it difficult to look away. “There was a time when we didn’t have a real office or medical team. We had to take care of ourselves. We cared for injured humans from time to time too.”
She poured the alcohol over a few of the gauze pads and into the bowl. It had been many years since she’d last removed a bullet, but she remembered the process well.
She scooted closer to his hip. Thin dark hair covered the majority of his chest. A line of hair from his navel continued south and disappeared under his jeans. If her heart were alive, it would be beating fast.
“I need to lower your pants,” she said as she unfastened them.
“I hope so.” He scrubbed his forehead with his arm.
His sense of humor brought a smile to her face. “I’ll try not to look.”
He chuckled. “I have nothing to hide or be ashamed of.”
She gripped the edges of his jeans. Underneath them, she felt the hem of his underwear.
“Your fingers are cold,” he said.
“Sorry. Can you lift up a little for me?”
He did and she pulled his clothes down until she’d exposed the bleeding wound. Fortunately, she’d been able to keep his manhood covered, but barely. The outline of it underneath his blue boxers along with his dark hair tempted her to stare.
Swallowing hard, she returned her focus to the hole in his hip. Without wasting any time, she wiped the area clean and then picked up the tweezers.
“This will hurt,” she said as she put her hand near his wound.
“I’m ready.”
He watched her as she brought the tweezers down. More dark fluid spilled from his body as she gently slid the instrument inside him. The beat of his heart accelerated. He balled his fists tight. When she felt the tweezers hit something, she grabbed hold it. She glanced up and found him clenching his jaw while staring at her.
“Almost done,” she said as she carefully pulled the bullet out. Blood flowed faster from the opening. “Do you need to change to stop the bleeding?”
“Yes.”
She removed the bullet and dropped it into the bowl with alcohol. Before she could wipe the area with a sterile pad, he rolled to the opposite side of the gurney. His feet hit the floor with a tap and he groaned. While he shoved his pants all the way down, she caught a glimpse of a large tattoo on his back. It looked like lady justice holding scales.
Out of respect, Anna spun away from him. She’d never seen a werewolf shift before and wanted to watch, but the timing seemed inappropriate. His breaths were heavy. She heard snaps and cracks. His sweaty scent grew stronger, but another emerged. It held a more musky almost woodsy type of aroma. The thump of his heart increased. But the strangest detail of all was the wave of heat from behind her. It had to be from him.
She waited until the noises lessened before she stepped to the end of the table. The need to look consumed her. She’d even forgotten about her thirst. Unable to wait any longer, she rounded the gurney. Her eyes widened when she found a four-legged wolf staring at her.
“Wow,” she said. It was the first word to pop into her mind.
The werewolf had radiant green eyes and thick dark fur. He was beautiful. He panted and licked his chops. Slowly, he approached her.
A click from the door grabbed her attention. The male nurse who’d prepared her supplies came to a halt near the door. His gaze jumped from her to the werewolf.
Zale growled. She looked down to find his sharp canines exposed. Snarling, he stepped in front of her as if he were guarding her.
“Leave,” she ordered to the nurse.
The vampire paled and slowly backed away, pulling the handle of the door with him.
Zale quieted and spun to face her. His fur began to twitch all over. His skin rolled in waves. Bones snapped and began to lengthen. His muzzle changed. The hairs on his body disappeared. Layers of heat rolled in waves around him. She dropped her jaw and watched in awe as the animal transformed into a man. When the change ended she couldn’t believe her eyes.
Covered in perspiration, he rose to his feet. He ran his fingers through his damp locks, pushing them away from his face. The wound had sealed. A pink mark remained. Her gaze lowered and she swallowed hard. The ice-cold feeling in her body disappeared as she stared at his thick erection.
Chapter Eight
Hot and wet from his shift, Zale pushed his wet hair back. He felt much better now, stronger and full of energy. The pain in his hip had disappeared. The wound had healed and left behind a small pink scar. Anna had done a good job of extracting the bullet.
He brought his gaze to her. Her eyes were as wide as saucers as she stared at his naked body. Surely she’d seen plenty of men before.
She blinked and lowered her gaze away from him. “I’m so sorry.”
He stepped toward her. “Told you, I have nothing to hide.” He stopped in front of her and lifted her chin.
Dark circles had formed under her eyes. They hadn’t been there earlier. Her skin seemed whiter and tighter around her cheekbones. The aroma of her blood filled his nose.
“I’m so embarrassed. It’s just… Well, I’ve never seen a werewolf change before. And you have such a solid...body.” Cheeks turning a light shade of pink, she pressed her lips together and looked away from him.
Her compliment revved his heart. From the way she blushed, he suspected she enjoyed his package.
“It’s your turn to strip now,” he said.
She veered her gaze back at him. “What?”
“Take off your clothes.”
She lifted her palm up. “I don’t think so. In fact, you should put yours on.”
He couldn’t help but grin. “You have bullets in you. I can take them out.”
“I have nurses who can help me.”
“Not the way I can.” He curled his lips on one side.
She gaped at him. “I’m sure you can, but this isn’t the time. The bullets—“
“Need to come out. I can do it. I have experience.”
“Ho
w is it you’ve never been shot but you can remove bullets?” she crossed her arms.
“I helped a few buddies over the years. It’s not unusual for us to get shot at least once every fifty or so years from hunters. I’ve just been lucky so far. Now, let’s stop wasting time. I can help you.” He took hold of the sides of her shirt and lifted.
She abruptly stopped him. “I can undress myself, thank you.” She stepped back from him.
When she didn’t remove her top, he said, “You have nothing to be bashful about. I’ve seen plenty of women naked.”
“I’m not bashful.”
“Then take off your clothes.”
“I have nurses who can tend to my wounds.”
“What are you afraid of?” He stepped closer to her.
“Nothing.”
“Then take off your clothes and let me help you. The longer you wait, the more blood you lose.”
Shaking her head, she lifted her damp shirt over her head. Dark red fluid oozed from several holes on her body. A gold necklace with a cross pendant hung around her neck. Her skin clung tight to her collarbone. A black bra cradled her breasts.
“I think I have a couple in my back.” She twisted around. “Can you see them?”
Dried blood covered a portion of her lower back. He spotted one hole with crimson fluid seeping from it. Then he noticed another below the waistband of her jeans.
“You’ll need to remove your pants,” he said.
“What?” she asked over her shoulder.
“One of the bullets hit below your waist.”
“Shit.” She turned around and unfastened her pants. “Take out the ones in my chest first.”
“Do you want me to put the IV line in your arm too?”
“No, I can manage it.”
After she pushed her pants down, she stepped out of them and her shoes. Thin black underwear matched her bra. Although dark fluid coated several areas of her body and she looked as dehydrated as a starved Ethiopian, he enjoyed eyeing her curves. His temperature began to rise while his blood headed south to his groin. While she twisted to get the IV, he couldn’t veer his gaze from her gorgeous ass. A small piece of cloth separated the cheeks.