Dead by Midnight

by Kelex

  Questions kept circling and re-circling in his mind. How had they gotten in that field in the middle of Mississippi? What had brought them there?

  Why did he feel like he was missing someone?

  Someones?

  He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but there was supposed to be more than the three of them. Jeph was sure of it. He could feel the presence in his heart and soul, but when he tried to remember, he came upon a blank spot where someone belonged.

  Family.

  “What is it?” Griffin asked.

  Jeph lifted his stare to the pair across from him. “We left someone behind in that field.”

  “Not this again,” Nick muttered. He sat back in his chair and glared at Jeph. “Who did we leave behind?”

  “I don’t know… but I know someone else is supposed to be here. Two more someones if I’m right. I keep trying to remember them, and it’s like something is forcing me back.”

  No one spoke for a moment. The air was heavy around the table, charged with ire and fear and the unknown.

  “Does the name Hart mean anything to either of you?” Griffin suddenly asked.

  Fine hair lifted on Jeph’s arm. “No… but I think it should.”

  “I dreamed of some guy named Hart last night… we were all in college… and he and some other guy were with us. I didn’t get the other guy’s name, but one—Hart—he spoke to me. It felt so fucking real.”

  “You, too?” Nick turned and asked.

  Jeph showed Nick the goose bumps coating his arm. “We still don’t know why we were in that field out in the middle of nowhere. All three of us suddenly wake up and can’t remember how we got there? Do you have an answer for that, Nick?”

  Nick was silent a moment. He sighed and shook his head. “No. I don’t.” He fished his phone from his pocket and flicked a finger over the surface. “And I don’t have an answer for this, either.”

  Nick showed them the screen. It was a picture of the three of them…

  And there were two darkened figures just behind them, their faces blurred in movement.

  Griffin took the phone. “That was the night I dreamt about.”

  “I took out my phone last night at the hotel and searched through everything again, looking for some kind of answers as to why we were there. I have no calls, no emails… nothing… for a span of about eight days. It’s like someone cleared my phone. So I went through pictures—and there are huge gaps there, too. Months pass between me taking photos and that just doesn’t feel right. It feels like chunks of my life are simply… gone. Then I came onto this one… their faces were darkened, so did whoever cleared my phone miss this one?”

  “We need to go back,” Jeph said pointedly.

  Nick shook his head. “Whatever we encountered there was strong enough to wipe our memories and smart enough to cover their tracks. This is like government level shit. What if we came across some top-secret experiment? If we go back, we might not survive it the next time.”

  “We left people behind out there,” Jeph said. “People I sense would’ve gone back for us.”

  Nick and Jeph both turned to Griffin.

  Griffin still stared at the photo on Nick’s phone. After a moment, he whispered, “Reese.”

  Jeph felt the hairs rise on his arms and the back of his neck again. Hart and Reese. The names felt so familiar. Yet there were no memories there to link to.

  Memories that were supposed to be there.

  “We have to go back,” Griffin said before lifting his head. “We have to go back and find them.”

  Jeph smiled before turning to Nick. “Are you coming with us or what?”

  Nick looked between them before grabbing his phone from Griffin. “I suppose we’re turning our rental around.”

  Chapter Four

  Present Day…

  Adriel sat at Eilam’s bedside. The small ICU room was dark. A monitor beeped as it showed the too-slow heartbeat of his bear. He clung to the man’s hand, refusing to let go.

  Not until he wakes up and I know he’s okay.

  He’d lost so much blood. Adriel stared at all the blood still coating his hands and clothing. There hadn’t been time to clean up. Now it was a constant reminder of how close they’d been to losing him.

  He came close to death—so close that we’re not sure if there will be permanent damage.

  The healer’s words replayed over and over again in his mind.

  Permanent damage. I might never see him whole again.

  “All this time we wasted,” Adriel muttered aloud. “All these months when I could’ve accepted you and your brother bear… and now…”

  Adriel felt a tear slip down his cheek.

  Another came. He lowered his head and rested on the edge of the bed, his body wracking with sobs.

  * * * *

  Noah raced along the hallway, his heart slamming against his chest. He barely noticed the scent of disinfectant and death, too numb from fear to make much note except in the far reaches of his mind. Not far away was a room where the male he loved lay dying. He nearly ran into a nurse coming from one of the rooms, seconds before seeing a door with two gold-armored guards alongside it.

  The King’s Guard. He must be there…

  After a quick apology, he moved about the nurse and raced forward. Quickening his pace, he ran straight for the door, only to be held back by the two guardsmen.

  “I need to see Eilam!” he screamed.

  “No one enters,” one of the guards spat. “But for the doctors and nurses.”

  “Eilam’s my brother bear!” Noah cried.

  The guard opened his mouth to argue—but the door whipped open. A small man with flowing black hair and violet eyes stood in the doorframe, made to look even smaller by the two huge guards flanking him. Energy and the scent of magic surrounded him.

  Noah met the man’s red-rimmed eyes and gasped as need slammed into him. Not now. Not like this.

  “Let him in,” the warlock murmured. He stepped back as the hands were removed from Noah’s chest.

  Noah stalked past their mate and into the room to see a pale Eilam lying on a hospital bed. He froze at the end of the bed. His strong brother bear was always larger than life. Now, Eilam looked small. Fragile.

  Those weren’t words he equated with Eilam.

  “Is he…”

  “He’s alive. Barely,” the king said as he moved to the outer side of the bed. The man lifted one of Eilam’s hands into his. “My magic…” The king paused, his voice sounding as if it shook. “My magic doesn’t work on him. I tried to stop the bleeding.”

  It was then that Noah took his first true look at the King of Midnight. Eilam had described the male, but what he saw now merged with the mental image he’d imagined from those descriptions.

  The two weren’t too far off.

  He was small, perhaps only a few inches over five feet. He had a fae appearance, hinting at something other than witch blood pumping through his veins. His long, silky black hair fell down in a shimmering cascade.

  His clothing was also dark…

  No…

  Not dark. They were stained with blood.

  Eilam’s blood.

  When he looked up at Noah, the king’s violet eyes were anguished. “I couldn’t use my magic to save him. I’m so, so very sorry.”

  Noah wanted to say there was no reason for the king to be sorry—but he couldn’t find the words. Perhaps none of this would’ve happened if I’d been on the king’s guard.

  “Will he live?” Noah asked, fear squeezing his chest so much he wasn’t sure the words had come out.

  “The healers say he’s lost a lot of blood, too much. So much that his body is struggling to heal itself. They’ve said something about… taking blood from one and giving it to the other. They took a little sample of mine. I wasn’t a match, they said.” The king turned to look at him. “Perhaps you might work better being a bear like him?”

  Noah took the few steps separating him and Eila
m. He took his brother bear’s hand and squeezed it. “I’ll do whatever needs to be done. Without question.”

  A doctor came into the room moments later. Noah was brought fully up to date about his brother bear’s condition, but he struggled to comprehend everything when his heart was breaking. He could only stare at the faded version of Eilam in that bed.

  “Do you understand what it is I’m asking?” the doctor said, bringing Noah’s attention back to the doctor.

  “I’m sorry… can you repeat the question?”

  The doctor smiled wryly. “I know you’re worried about your mate—”

  “Brother bear,” Noah corrected.

  “Of course. Brother bear… but we need to make decisions about his care and you are the one authorized to make these decisions.”

  Noah caught the king’s stare. There was another there who could’ve made decisions. Their mate.

  “A transfusion is something we’ve adopted from the human world in cases such as these. If we can find a donor to give a few pints of their blood, it can be given to the patient to offer them added strength. We’d like to test you to see if you’re a match.”

  Noah pulled off his jacket and offered an arm. “Test away.”

  The doctor paused a moment and looked as if whatever came next was going to be difficult. Noah tensed, trying to ready himself.

  “Even if we get his blood levels back… there’s a chance… a chance the blood loss was too severe. It prevented oxygen from getting to all his organs… his heart, his lungs… his brain.”

  Noah tensed. “So you’re saying there’s a chance he won’t be the same man, even if he wakes up?”

  The doctor nodded. “I can’t say one way or another… he might awaken and be perfectly fine. Or he might not. I just need you to be aware of the chance.”

  Noah clenched his jaw, trying to hold back his emotions. Hearing a sniffle, he turned to see tears streaming down the king’s face.

  “I’ll send a nurse in to get a blood sample and have you sign some papers.”

  Noah nodded.

  “If you’re a match, we’ll get moving immediately,” the doctor said before leaving the room.

  Things moved in a flurry after that. A nurse came in to check his blood. He was able to breathe better once he heard he was a match. He was immediately connected to tubes, pumping out his blood. It went into a machine that then pumped it directly into Eilam’s body.

  “This might take a while,” the doctor said. “Get comfortable. Relax.” The man rose and checked a few of the machines chirping around Eilam. “You might also feel fatigued. That’s normal. I’ll have the nurse bring you something nourishing to help fight that feeling some.”

  Noah nodded and squeezed the little ball they’d handed him. Supposedly it would help the flow move quicker, so he squeezed as hard as he could. He stared at Eilam, willing his brother bear to awaken.

  He also did his level best to avoid the small warlock. His body was seized with lust, even as it was seized by the pain and fear of losing his brother bear. His body was oblivious to what happened in that room. Instinct only knew his mate was a few feet away.

  And it wanted.

  After a few moments, he eyed the king. “Your Majesty? You don’t have to stay. Now that I’m here.” The mating need he felt wasn’t welcome… not now. Not when Eilam lay unmoving in the bed between them.

  The king lifted his stare. Tears shone in his beautiful, violet eyes. “I’m not leaving until I know he’s safe.”

  “I can send word,” Noah said.

  “I’m staying… and that’s final.”

  “Why do you care?” Irritation filled him. This man, who had refused them both, now refused to give them privacy in the moment they desperately needed it.

  “He is in my employ. Wounded in the line of duty.”

  “Is that truly all he is to you?” Noah wasn’t in the mood to argue, yet he knew there was more to the king’s refusal to leave. If the man wouldn’t admit their connection, he needed to go.

  “He’s the head of my security… he was wounded protecting me. I won’t leave without knowing he’s no longer in danger. That is all.” The king released Eilam’s hand and crossed his arms before him. He leaned back in his chair, away from Eilam.

  One of the monitors began to beep lowly.

  It was then that Noah wondered if he’d made a mistake. He stared at Eilam’s empty hand for a few seconds, a battle taking place in his mind.

  The beep became a wild alarm.

  “Hold his hand. Even if it’s only for a few hours.”

  The king met Noah’s stare. “What do you mean?”

  “Mates lend strength to one another.”

  “He’s not my mate.”

  “Pretend then,” Noah said, a little more forcefully. “If it saves him, pretend he’s yours.”

  The king stared at Eilam’s hand a second before finally untucking his hands and grasping the one on the bed.

  Two nurses tore into the room… but then the alarm went off. The nurses remained a moment, apparently waiting to see if the alarm would sound again.

  When it didn’t, they finally left.

  A tear rolled down the king’s cheek as he lifted Eilam’s hand to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss to it.

  “Come back to us, Eilam,” the king whispered.

  Noah took Eilam’s other hand and squeezed it. “Hurry, my love.”

  Chapter Five

  Adriel awoke to the gentle hum of machines. He lifted his head from the bed and saw his hand still wrapped around Eilam’s. Sitting up straighter in the hospital chair, he saw that Noah was no longer linked to the machine and was now dozing lightly in the chair on the other side of the bed, his hand still entwined with his brother bear’s.

  Eilam’s eyes were closed, but Adriel noted a little more color in the man’s face. He was no longer as white as the sheets he slept in.

  A nurse came into the room and checked the machines. Adriel sensed the power in her and knew her to be one of his kind. A witch.

  “How is he?”

  “He’s gaining strength, Your Majesty. It appears the transfusion helped.”

  Adriel lifted a hand and wiped the sleep from his eyes. “Good news, indeed.”

  “It is,” the nurse finished her checks before turning to him. “Is there anything I can get for you, Your Majesty?”

  “No, thank you,” he murmured before she smiled and left the room.

  The witch waved a hand and the lights lowered slightly before she bowed and exited the room.

  Once they were alone again, Adriel took the opportunity to look over both shifters. They were huge—both well over six feet and muscled all over. They dwarfed his five foot six frame and took up too much space in the room.

  Yet he’d never felt safer than inside that little room with them.

  Both were dark haired and handsome. Eilam had a stately, almost regal look to his face—especially now in slumber. At least now there was no anger in the lines of Eilam’s face. That anger was too familiar these days. They had argued too much… the desire they had morphing into something ugly. He hated it, even more now.

  He allowed his gaze to travel over every inch of the man’s face before turning to his brother bear and doing the same. Noah was dark and brooding, with a little danger in his look.

  Together, they were even more dangerous. He’d felt it the second Noah had walked into the room. The lust he felt for Eilam had doubled in an instant.

  Fortunately, the fear he had for Eilam’s survival had been stronger.

  He rose to his feet and stretched his body before heading for the door.

  “Leaving?”

  Adriel turned to see Noah’s eyes barely open. How long has he been awake? Did he see me staring at him? Embarrassment wasn’t an emotion he had much familiarity with, and it threw him off guard.

  “Just checking in with my guardsmen,” he answered before opening the door.

  Apparently, a changing of the guard
had taken place as he slept. Garretson and Cannon now stood on either side of the doorway, not Kaeso and Ruger.

  “Your Majesty,” Garretson murmured before both men bowed. After they rose, Garretson asked, “How is Eilam?”

  “Improving, but he still hasn’t awakened. I plan to remain here until he does.”

  Garretson nodded. “We will be here to protect you, sire.”

  “Is there any news on who the attacker was?” Adriel asked.

  “Theis and Valen notified us they’re on the way. They have information on that front to share with you,” Garretson answered.

  “Good. Send them in as soon as they arrive. I want to know who attacked us.”

  He returned to the room, his gaze washing over both men. Eilam still slept as Noah stared back.

  “Any news?”

  “Two of my guards are on their way with information. I’ve asked that they be sent right in to share it.”

  “Do you mind telling me what you know?”

  “Of course,” Adriel said before returning to his seat and taking Eilam’s hand in his. “We were arguing—Eilam and I. As we do so often. As he was storming out, a portal opened inside my study. Directly between us. An assassin—all in black—emerged and attacked. My magic bounced off the assassin… Eilam threw himself between me and the attacker. Eilam killed the man in black.” The king paused, tears shimmering in his eyes again. “Just as the assassin slit his throat.”

  Adriel paused again, trying to hold back the emotion he felt. When he could speak again, he lifted his stare. “My magic doesn’t work on Eilam for some reason. That’s saved him from a few slings and arrows over these past months as we’ve argued, but it also prevented me from helping him when it mattered most. The door was bound by magic… no one could get inside to help. I had my hands at his neck, trying to stop the bleeding. I had to let go and break the spell on the door or… he definitely would’ve died.” Adriel gasped. “But I wonder if those precious few seconds made things worse for him. If he awakens and isn’t himself…”

  “It sounds as if you did all you could,” Noah murmured. “Had you not opened that door, he might not be here struggling at all.”