by Brenda Trim
She suspected Bhric had an addiction and had been going through withdrawals all week as he recovered. The nausea, fever, and sweating were all classic signs. The way everyone in the room stopped chatting and focused on Bhric confirmed her diagnosis. She wondered what he would do under temptation.
They’d been alone in her home and hadn’t been drinking. The one time she had offered him a mixed drink, he disliked the taste, but it hadn’t been scotch, which was apparently his drink of choice. He was still detoxing, so it was likely he’d fall back on old habits.
“Aye. I havena had any scotch all week,” Bhric told his friend.
“I’m impressed, brathair. That has to be a record for you. Maybe now that you have a mate, you willna drink so heavily and put yourself at risk,” Breslin replied. “You wouldna have been stabbed if you hadna been wasted. I could kick your arse for being so reckless.”
Alex heard the fury and concern laced in Breslin’s words. The dark circles under her eyes and her haggard appearance told Alex she’d been through hell the past week. The bond between siblings was powerful. She had a very close relationship with Brad, and they weren’t twins, so she could only imagine the depth of Bhric’s connection to Breslin.
Bhric accepted his drink and crossed to his sister’s side and wrapped his arms around her.
“I was drunk and irresponsible. I promise to take better care, but no’ only for my mate. I put you through too much and am sorrier than you will ever know,” Bhric admitted.
“Aboot that. What the fuck were you thinking not telling me aboot Pasha?” Breslin said as she hit his shoulder.
Bhric winced and gulped his drink. That woman with the baby was, no doubt, one reason Bhric had been drinking so much. Alex knew it hadn’t been the only one though. She heard the voice of a lost little boy when Bhric told her about his parent’s death. The mark left on his soul was indelible.
“Och, this tastes like shite,” Bhric said with a grimace then put the drink on a side table. “And, to answer your question, I was dealing with Pasha on my own. She’s trying to gain a position within the royal family and will do anything to get there. Please tell me you didna sign an agreement with her,” Bhric pleaded. “I doona even know if the bairn is mine.”
“Nay. I didna give that female a damn thing, and neither did Zander. I had her number the moment I laid eyes on her. But that bitch loved pointing oot that we were no’ as close as I thought if I didna know aboot her, or your plans to mate with her,” Breslin said, confirming what Bhric had told Alex.
Alex reminded herself not to get too excited. Pasha was determined on getting Bhric, and all it would take was a wag of her ass and Bhric would go running. All that crap he spouted about being Fated Mates wasn’t going to mean shit then. No man was going to settle for skirt steak when he could have a juicy filet mignon.
“That’s where you’d be wrong, Alex,” Cailyn said as she entered followed by a familiar face. Alex was so shocked to see the physician from Harborview that she almost overlooked the tiny men that scurried into the room chasing two furry critters.
Shaking her head, Alex looked to her co-worker and his lovely wife. “Cailyn, Jace? You are the last people I expected to see here. Are you guys…vampires, too? Is that how you read my mind just now?”
“No, we aren’t vampires,” Jace explained. “I’m a sorcerer and my mate was human like you. She was born telepathic, which is how she read your thoughts.”
“Was human? What is she now? And, what the hell are those?” Alex blurted as she watched the tiny dwarves tidying the room while playing with the small animals that resembled koala bears.
“I’m still human,” Cailyn replied with a chuckle, “but I’m immortal now, like Jace. When we exchanged blood during our mating ceremony, my DNA altered. And, those puff-balls are Mack’s kippies, and these little guys are our resident gnomes.” Cailyn bent down and picked up one of the gnomes. “Don’t worry though. They’re harmless, right Pepper?”
“Stop picking me up. I’m not a child. I’m a grown ass man,” Pepper complained, and Alex saw his razor-sharp teeth, making her question their friendliness.
“You tell her, Pep,” Mack called out and high-fived the gnome.
“Of course, they’re gnomes because that’s normal,” Alex observed, overwhelmed by Bhric’s reality. “Next thing you know a dragon is going to walk through the door.”
“Someone call for a dragon?” Nate asked with a sparkle in his red eyes.
Alex met him when she entered the home, but he’d left the room soon after, and she’d forgotten about him. Now, she couldn’t stop gawking at his ruby-red eyes. They were as eerie as Rhett’s orange eyes, but at least Nate looked normal otherwise. Rhett’s glowing skin was the strangest thing she’d ever seen.
“You’re a dragon?” Alex quipped, wondering what he meant by that. Was he a small dragon, like a horse, or was he a fire-breathing monster like she’d seen in the movies?
“Yes. I am a mighty Cuelebre Maáhes. How may I be of service, gorgeous?” Nate replied with a bow.
Bhric growled low in his throat, and she put her hand on his arm to stop him. “Nothing, thank you,” she replied to Nate before turning to Jace. “I can’t believe this world has been right under my nose all this time. And, I could’ve called you when I found Bhric in the ER last week. You could’ve avoided all the hurt and confusion thinking he was dead.”
A part of Alex was glad it turned out the way it did. Days of Bhric making love to her and the multiple orgasms she’d experienced were memories she’d always cherish. Nothing felt as good when he pricked her flesh and brought her numb body to life. Hell, her breasts looked like she had the measles with all the bite marks he left behind. It was worth it, she thought and shuddered as she recalled the sensation. Maybe she was a fan of fate, after all.
“He was in the ER?” Jace asked as he rubbed his silver cuff. “How the fuck did I miss that? When was he admitted? What were his injuries? Do you need to be healed?”
Bhric chuckled and gave Jace a brief rundown of the past week. “I’m good, Jace. My mate took excellent care of me. I do have this lingering nausea, but what I really need is a paternity test. I need to lay Pasha’s claims to rest so my mate and I can move on.”
Jace glanced at Alex with a raised eyebrow. “Congratulations. This will make for interesting conversation in the break room. Can you imagine what Peter would say if he knew?” he said with a laugh before turning to Bhric. “The testing has already been done. I took Breslin’s blood and was on my way home to deliver the good news when Zander blasted into my head. I nearly swerved off the road given the excitement in his voice.”
Alex looked to Bhric curiously. Jace said Zander blasted into his head. This day was getting more outlandish by the minute.
“As Vampire King, my brathair has the ability to mentally communicate with the Dark Warriors,” Bhric explained.
The king part wasn’t a surprise because Pasha had mentioned royalty. Not such a big deal, but all this mind reading and control over thoughts made her uncomfortable. Alex’s heart raced and her chest constricted from the overload of information. She glanced around the room nervously, wondering if anyone in the room was probing her brain. She locked eyes with Cailyn and remembered her previous comment.
“Sorry. I know it’s a lot to take in, but you’ll get it eventually,” Jace reassured her.
Yeah, she didn’t have faith in his assessment. Vampires, sorcerers, dragons, and gnomes. This kind of stuff belonged in the fantasy novels she enjoyed reading.
“Anyway. The baby is not yours,” Jace added.
“Och. Thank fuck. That female assed out when she picked this family to manipulate,” Bhric growled.
“Damn straight, and she’s going to pay,” Breslin snarled, and Alex saw the rage behind her threat.
“Umm, not to change the subject,” Alex interjected, hoping that Breslin didn’t mean she was going to kill the female. Any woman who would use her child to try and maneuver her w
ay into a position of power was the lowest of low, but no one deserved to die. “I want Cailyn to explain what she meant earlier when she said I was wrong.”
Alex knew Cailyn was telepathic and was curious what part of her thoughts was she receiving. How could she ever let her guard down in their presence? Bhric had promised he wouldn’t invade her privacy, but could she expect the same from the rest of them?
“Mating is for life, Alex. You and Bhric belong to each other. He’ll never look at another woman sexually again. You’re it for him,” Cailyn explained with a shrug.
“I need some fresh air,” spouted one of the men abruptly as he stood to leave. Alex thought his name was Caell but wasn’t certain. “Welcome back, Bhric,” he added and exited the room.
Alex watched him go and tried to assimilate everything she’d been told. Suddenly, fresh air sounded good to her, too. It was difficult to breathe, and she felt dizzy. There was too much noise in the room, and she had to get away.
“I think it’s time for me to go. You need some time alone with your family. I need the keys to my car,” Alex muttered to Bhric as she stood.
“Nay. You canna leave,” he replied wild-eyed as he jumped to his feet. “I need you with me. Please, doona go.”
“Bhric, I think it’s important for you to be with them, without me here. Plus, I have to get home and change before I go to work,” she said as she held out her hand, waiting for her keys.
Bhric shook his head, but before he opened his mouth, Elsie was standing beside him, holding her head as if she had a migraine. “You must stay with us. It’s not safe for you to leave.”
“What did you see?” Bhric demanded.
“I haven’t seen anything yet, but I know with certainty she won’t be safe from the demons if she leaves,” Elsie replied emphatically.
“You need to listen to her. Elsie has premonitions, and she’s never wrong. Her visions have saved many lives,” Bhric explained.
“This is ridiculous. I can’t stay here forever. I have to go, but I’ll be careful,” Alex countered and reached into his pocket to fish for her keys since he wasn’t handing them over willingly.
She saw genuine fear in Bhric’s eyes and hated it, but she needed space to think. Regardless, Alex wasn’t part of their world, and the dangers they faced weren’t hers. She would be fine.
“Doona leave,” Bhric repeated.
“We’ll talk soon. I promise,” she asserted and turned to leave.
An attractive man with shoulder-length blonde hair approached before she made it out of the room. Again, she’d been introduced to him but couldn’t remember his name.
“I’ve seen what the demons do to humans. It’s why I’m here training to be a Dark Warrior. If you insist on leaving, take this potion with you. It will protect you in an emergency.”
She took the small black vial and fingered the wax seal around the top. It tingled in her palm and emitted a soft glow as if it was battery operated. She didn’t see a switch anywhere, so she knew it wasn’t that. It was very pretty, but how in the hell was this glass container supposed to protect her? These people and this world made no sense to her, and she didn’t know what she could trust. The sooner she left, the better.
As Alex walked out the front door, she acknowledged her deep attraction and feelings for Bhric, but she couldn’t accept the baggage that came with him.
Chapter 14
Alex leaned against the nurse’s station and looked down at the small vial, rolling the glass bottle between her fingers. She tried to wrap her mind around the events of the past week. She’d fallen down the rabbit hole, except she wasn’t in another world. She was at Harborview but didn’t recognize it anymore. The white walls and tile floors of the hospital were familiar but she felt out of place.
When she left Bhric’s house, she drove home fast as possible. She wanted to escape him and everything he represented. The paranormal. Unfortunately, as soon as she walked into her home, all she could see was her Ice-Man.
Their pile of dirty dishes lay in the sink. She was usually such a neat freak, but they had spent more time between the sheets than tidying up their mess. In fact, the bed was still unmade, and memories of her and Bhric made her heart ache.
Their lovemaking was earth-shattering.
She walked to the bed and picked up a pillow. Inhaling deeply, his masculine musk filled her nostrils. She recalled the feel of his hands on her body and the bite of his fangs.
An outfit she’d purchased for him was in a heap at the foot of her bed. She smiled at the image of him slowly undressing before prowling up the bed to her naked body. Heat flushed her cheeks when she remembered how it felt as he ravished her sex greedily. God, what that vampire did with his icy tongue.
She quickly shoved those thoughts aside. She needed to put them, and Bhric, out of her mind. The coup de grâce was she questioned everything. For all she knew, the overweight patient with chest pains in Trauma One was a dragon shifter.
A week ago, she would’ve called for a psych consult to assess her sanity. She couldn’t believe that Dr. Miakoda was a sorcerer, that she’d taken a vampire lover, or that she met tiny gnomes and an actual freaking dragon.
“That’s cool,” Peter said looking over her shoulder. “What is it?”
She quickly shoved the vial in her pocket and gave him a smile, hoping it masked the panic she felt.
“Nothing important. Have we gotten the lab work back for Forbes? There wasn’t anything concerning in his EKG, but I need those results before I can release him,” she quipped, changing the subject.
“Not yet. The lab said another five minutes. Also, we have a pregnant teen with premature labor at 25 weeks in Room Five. She’s preeclamptic and her parents are in the room with her.”
Shelving the supernatural drama, she went into doctor mode. “Get L&D down here. I need an ultrasound and terbutaline,” she instructed.
“I’m on it,” Peter replied and Alex turned and walked away before he could ask her anymore questions about the vial.
Entering the room, she noted the blood-stained sheet beneath the teen. The situation was far worse than she’d expected and they needed to act immediately. Grabbing her stethoscope, Alex introduced herself as Peter walked in the room. Alex began her assessment while Peter administered the drug.
“Where is radiology with that ultrasound machine?” she snapped.
“On their way,” the nurse responded.
The sound of glass shattering in the hallway caught her attention. It didn’t sound good. She hoped it wasn’t another patient high on drugs. They always wreaked havoc before staff managed to get control of them.
“I’ll be right back,” she told Peter and the family, grabbing a scalpel from the trauma kit on her way out of the room.
Weapons were never her first instinct before meeting Bhric. Now, she was paranoid, but the past week taught her that the unimaginable was possible, and protection was necessary.
“What’s going on? Why did you grab a scalpel?” Peter whispered in her ear.
“I have no idea. Stay here,” she hissed at the nurse.
The moment Alex stepped into the hall, she wished she’d called in sick and stayed home. It was a scene from a horror movie.
Were those angels? She’d met Illianna but these creatures looked nothing like the beautiful angel with golden wings.
These women were the walking dead. Or, what Alex thought of as the dead, given their grey skin and mummy-like wrappings. If vampires and dragons existed, why not zombies, as well. The color of their flesh made her think of death and decay, and their negative energy made her skin crawl.
Alex recalled what Tristan told her regarding demons, and her heart pounded against her chest as she considered if these were actual demons from Hell.
When she envisioned a demon, she thought of a man with red skin, horns, and a pitched fork. These women had massive blue wings and long, black hair. But, when she saw their empty black eyes, she knew they were pure evil.
And, the women were practically naked. At first, Alex thought they were but realized there were strips of gray cloth wrapped around their limbs and across their torsos. It was difficult to determine their skin from the fabric because there was only a slight color differentiation.
“What the fuck?” Peter blurted from beside her.
“Go back inside the room,” she ordered.
The nurse ignored her as he gaped at the two women. Their wings spanned the width of the hallway. Suddenly, an orderly rushed towards one of them and the demon swept out a wing, and the claws on the end of the wing shredded the man’s face and throat. Blood sprayed the walls, creating a gruesome painting.
Patients and staff snapped out of their shocked stupor and screamed. Chaos erupted and Peter rushed to help the downed orderly.
“Peter, no!” she shouted and reached for the hem of his shirt, trying to stop him, but it slipped out of her grasp.
Her scream caused the demons to turn her way, and Alex realized she had made a mistake. It was scary enough to watch the destruction, but now she was terrified to be their sole focus.
Suddenly, one of them flapped her wings and tried to take flight, only to do an awkward hop toward Alex while the other creature grabbed hold of Peter. It was then that Alex saw the disproportioned wings of the one headed for her. One of the demon’s wings was half the size of the other. If she wasn’t mistaken, it looked like the appendage had been cut off and was growing back.
Flight or fight kicked in and Alex took off in the opposite direction. She was a healer, not a fighter, and didn’t stand a chance against these demons. Why stick around and try to fight them off when she could run and get help? She wished she knew Bhric’s phone number. Surely, he could defeat these beasts. Jace came to mind, but she didn’t have his number, either, and there wasn’t time to head to HR and find it.
A hard shove from behind sent Alex sailing down the hall. She lifted her arms over her head and tucked as she hit the hard floor. Her body ached, but she didn’t move as one of the demons towered over her, consuming all the space in the corridor. The enormous size of the wings worked to Alex’s benefit as it hampered the creature’s mobility.