Blood Vow

by J. R. Ward

  Sniffling, praying for strength, utterly lost, Mary made a mental note that the next time someone looked at her and told her that she had all the answers, she was going to kick them in the ass.

  "Havers, can you give us..."

  As she looked up, she found the physician and his two female nurses standing back. And the look he gave her was so full of compassion, it was nearly impossible to reconcile it with what she knew he had done to his sister Marissa.

  But no one had ever faulted him in his profession.

  "Let's just breathe," Mary said to Bitty. "Come on...breathe with me...."

  The MRIs had shown that the girl was at risk of catastrophic deformity when she went through her transition. For vampires, their growth pattern to maturity was compressed into the singular explosion that occurred during their change. It was as if, in the human parallel, a fourteen-year-old became twenty-five physically in a matter of six hours.

  In Bitty's case, there were a series of subtle, and not so subtle, curves in her long bones because of the previous fractures. And Mary had noticed them, but hadn't really dwelled on the reasons for them or their implications. The issue was that when that explosive growth happened, those deformities were liable to separate completely, snapping because the force of the expansion would be off-angle.

  The end result? Amputation. Of all or most of her limbs. Because for about six months after transition, the bones in vampires were not capable of fusing breaks.

  The decision had been made to fix them now.

  And Bitty had made the choice. She didn't want to come back in a month or a year or two years or five years to get it done. Nothing was going to change and there was no reason to have the prospect hanging over her head.

  But this was just too much.

  "I can't, I can't...I can't do this...."

  Mary couldn't agree more. She couldn't do this anymore, either. Too much. Tapped out. Over the threshold.

  Yes, there was a larger goal here, but they'd done enough. Hadn't they?

  "Can R-r-r-r-rhage come in?" Bitty stammered.

  "Absolutely. Do you want the others?"

  Anything to have this work.

  "No, because I'm crying." Bitty sniffled. "I'm not brave...."

  "Oh, yes, you are." Mary blinked back more tears. "Sweetheart, you are the bravest person I know."

  There was a tradition in vampire culture whereby the males of the species were not a part of medical interventions for females--and there were times when Bitty's modesty had been compromised out of necessity. Now, though? All bets were off.

  Mary wasn't even going to ask Havers for permission. They needed something else to help the girl finish this.

  "I'll get him," Doc Jane volunteered.

  Rhage came in and Mary couldn't help it. The second she met his eyes, she choked up so badly, she couldn't breathe. And typical of a bonded male, he went to her first, hugging her tight, whispering something in her ear the words of which did not register, the strong, steady tone of which meant everything.

  And then he was all about the little girl, his face losing color as he looked down at Bitty, his hands shaking as he reached out and pulled her into a hug.

  A lot of medical people rushed forward, and Mary tugged him back. "Her arms and leg need casts still. Be careful."

  Rhage laid the girl back down as if she were made of glass.

  "I'm not brave," Bitty moaned up at him.

  "Yes, you are," he said, brushing her hair back. "You're so brave and I'm so proud of you and I love you very much."

  They talked for a spell, and then there was a pause.

  As if sensing the time was now, Havers said gently, "Just one last one. And then you're all finished."

  Rhage's brows sank down low, and Mary knew without asking that her hellren's fangs had descended and the protective part of him was considering ripping the doctor's throat out. But that was instinct, not logic.

  She stroked Rhage's arm. "Shh, it's okay. One more and this is over."

  "One more..." He rubbed his face. "We can do this."

  Rhage nodded at Havers, who was looking apprehensive. And then the medical staff stepped up to the table again.

  Bitty's pelvis was strapped down again and her opposite leg was likewise immobilized. What Havers had to do was grip the thigh and apply pressure until there was a snap. And then he had to pull at the knee until he visualized correct alignment through the skin--something that was relatively clear given how painfully thin and under-muscularized the girl was. An X-ray would be taken to ensure that all was as it needed to be and then the casts would be put on so that the bone regenerated and reconnected itself correctly.

  The break and alignment was so primitive, so brutal, that in the midst of all the high-tech machinery and state-of-the-art everything it seemed below the modern standard of care. But there was an undeniable mechanical side to the body, and this was nuts-and-bolts stuff--and again, Mary had to give Marissa's brother credit. He'd done this a number of times for his patients before, and he'd been quick, decisive, and gotten it right with each of Bitty's limbs.

  To give Havers room, Rhage went around to the other side, his tremendous height and girth like the Great Wall of China had suddenly taken up res right beside Bitty. Taking the girl's hand, he had looked both stricken and strong.

  "We can do this," he said to both her and Mary. "We're all going to get through this together and then we go home to movies and ice cream. Right? Before we know it, we'll be out of here, we'll be free, and we're going to set this behind us."

  Mary nodded and so did Bitty.

  "Do it," Rhage ordered.

  Havers moved the little hospital gown up, exposing a pair of knobby knees that were too big compared to the circumference of the calves and thighs.

  Oh, God, as long as Mary lived, she was going to remember the sight of those blue-gloved hands gripping Bitty's thigh, squeezing into her meager flesh and--

  Bitty started to scream in pain.

  And no more than a split second later, a brilliant light flashed through the exam room, as bright as an explosion.

  At first, Mary thought the overhead fixtures had gone out, but then her brain made a horrible connection.

  Ripping her eyes away from Havers, she looked at Rhage in horror. "No, not now!"

  But it was too late.

  The beast had been triggered.

  nough was enough, Elise thought as she finally descended to the first floor. After stewing in her cousin's room for what felt like hours, she knew she was just putting off the inevitable.

  If her father wouldn't entertain a civil audience with her?

  Then she was going to get uncivil. Because what was truly unacceptable to her, what she refused to live with for one moment longer, was this familial equivalent of a media blackout.

  Besides, what was her father going to do? Turn into a great snarling beast or something?

  It wasn't a surprise to find his study door shut, and as she walked across the foyer, it was impossible not to have an attack of the couldn't-possibly's. She had never once interrupted him when he was working on the family investments--but as an image of her beautiful mother came to mind, Elise used it as a battering ram. Even as her upbringing tried to hold her back, she pictured her mahmen and what the female would have done in this situation.

  Elise didn't even knock.

  No reason to give him an excuse to deny entrance.

  She just went for it, pushing her way inside--

  That memory of her mother was power-washed out of mind as the tableau at the desk sank in: Her father was at his chair, presiding over the masculine room, his dark suit and tie his informal attire. 'Cuz formal was white tie and tails.

  That wasn't the shocker.

  There was, however, a male sitting across from him, a male who had a pair of bulging shoulders and long, thick-thighed legs that dwarfed not just the seat, but the study as a whole. His hair was dark, shaved up the nape, and his turtleneck and leathers were black. As
were the holster and the gun she could see under his arm.

  The male slowly turned around to look at her. But she didn't need to see his face.

  It was him. From the cigar club.

  Elise's body roared with heat--and her brain roared with fury. How had father found out she had seen the trainee? Had there been another vampire around when they'd argued at the side of the street? But come on, they hadn't even had much of a verbal altercation. And Peyton had interrupted--

  Peyton. That son of a bitch.

  "Father, I--"

  "And this is my daughter," her father interjected. "Please excuse her interruption. Elise, this is Axwelle."

  The male she had been thinking about non-stop rose to his feet and towered over her. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

  Elise looked back and forth between the two of them as Axwelle bowed at the waist. As an unmated daughter of high blood in the glymera, even though there was a witness, it would have been impermissible for him to offer his hand to shake, much less for her to touch him in any way. And he knew that.

  And it was just as well. Even though she was confused, what she was crystal clear on? The effect of that male on her had only gotten stronger.

  The hours she had spent thinking about him had distilled that initial attraction into a compulsion.

  But what the hell was he doing here? If her father was upset because she'd met the guy the night before, he certainly wouldn't have introduced her to Axwelle as if they were strangers.

  Well, they were strangers.

  Elise looked across the desk at her father. He had slumped in his chair, as if he were too tired to adhere to his posture standards.

  "Elise"--he indicated the vacant seat next to Axwelle--"do sit down."

  She complied instantly, crossing over and lowering herself into the seat. In her peripheral vision, she noticed that Axwelle wasn't looking at her. His eyes were focused forward on her father.

  Yeah, boy, he was...okay, she hated the word hot. As if someone you found sexually attractive was like a plate of food out of the oven? But in fact, that was pretty much the first and only thing that came to her mind. That black turtleneck so worked for him. Where had his piercings gone? He had removed them.

  What would his hair feel like? Soft and thick--

  "...and that's why I've brought him here."

  Shaking herself, she blurted, "What?"

  "After my discussions with Abalone, the First Advisor, I have come to that perhaps unmistakable, although uncomfortable, conclusion."

  Great. She had missed on the whole thing. But chances were good that none of whatever he'd said worked in her favor.

  "Well, I don't think I need to be sehcluded." Elise crossed her arms over her chest. "I think that is a backward way of handling--"

  "Which is why I believe a bodyguard is necessary if you're going to continue to pursue your studies."

  Cue the screeching tires.

  As she recoiled, her father nodded at Axwelle. "He is here applying for the position. He is a trainee in the Black Dagger Brotherhood's program, and comes highly recommended by the King himself. There is another candidate coming in in an hour. A Novo, I believe the name was. He also comes with the very highest of accolades."

  Bodyguard?

  As in this male would be guarding...her body?

  Elise swiveled her head in Axwelle's direction as the implications started to her occur to her--but then she snapped her attention back to her father.

  "Wait...so if he's with me, you'll let me attend classes on campus and do my teacher's assistant job? You'll allow me to complete my degree?"

  Her father cleared his throat. "That is correct."

  "You...I...we..." She stammered some more. "Father...what has changed your mind?"

  Felixe closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "The First Advisor is a male of worth whom I respect greatly. He made me realize...if he can allow his blooded daughter into the training center program? I can most certainly permit you to--"

  Elise burst up out of the chair and was around the desk in a heartbeat. In her family, physical displays of affection were eschewed in favor of formal interactions such as bows, curtsies, and the very infrequent air kiss on both cheeks. But it was impossible for her not to express herself.

  As she threw her arms around her father, he stiffened even more than usual, although after a moment, he did reach up awkwardly and pat her on the arm. "That's fine," he said in a rough voice. "Yes. Fine. Indeed."

  He wasn't dismissing her. On the contrary, she had the sense he was equally emotional--it was just they didn't come from people who had any ability to handle intimacy. For the pair of them, this was the equivalent of embracing, holding on, and sobbing as she apologized for lying and violating his trust and he vowed to try to be the father she needed and deserved, as opposed to the repressive force she was coming to resent.

  Straightening, Elise pulled her cashmere sweater down and glanced at Axwelle.

  His yellow eyes were on her, his lids low, his expression remote. From her father's perspective, he no doubt appeared to be intense in a professional way. But she knew better. There was fire in that stare, fire that would consume her.

  If she let it.

  "I think this is great idea," she heard herself say. "The bodyguard thing."

  --

  As Elise spoke, Axe shifted his eyes back to the female's father. One guaranteed way to lose the job before he even got it? Undress the daughter in your mind right in front of the guy.

  Even a poor kid like him knew that was "tacky."

  Plus, the truly odd thing, considering the way he typically related to members of the opposite sex, was that he felt as though pulling a leer was just plain wrong. The world was a dangerous place, and this female was extraordinary. Males, human or vampire, coveted things like her. And then there were the slayers.

  She needed protection. Deserved it.

  He was here in a professional capacity, and there was nothing professional about being the very thing he could be hired to keep her safe from.

  "Okay, dear," her father said as he shifted in his chair. Like he preferred her to go back around and be at an arm's length. "All is well."

  And that was kind of sad--then again, he'd gotten his fill of parental rejection, hadn't he. At least she didn't seem to mind, though, as she returned to the chair beside him.

  "Now, is there anything you should wish to ask of him, Elise?"

  Axe felt her glance over, and damn it, he liked it. He wanted her eyes all over his face, his throat, his naked body. He wanted to be sprawled out in front of her on some bed...maybe the floor...fuck it, he'd lie flat on hot coals for her if that turned her on...and he wanted to have his hand on his cock as he looked in her eyes and begged her to ride him.

  The submission fantasy, with him as the sub, was a new one for him, but what the hell.

  It wasn't like it was actually going to happen.

  "Yes?" Axe prompted her.

  "Um...so I go to SUNY Caldie. I attend class at night and I work with one of my professors as his assistant. Will you be able to...blend in?"

  Axe could tell she thought the answer was no, but he wasn't sure she exactly cared. Then again, she had narrowly missed being all but shut indoors for the rest of her life if a sehclusion petition had been filed.

  If he were her, he'd take a hall pass to the university in any form it came: Santa Claus...asshole in a Batman suit...him.

  "I will do whatever is necessary," Axe said--and he directed the response to her sire. "I will be as visible or fade-to-black as required. I will not hesitate to use force, but I will not provoke the humans. And yes, I am prepared to take a bullet for her if I have to. Nothing scares me and I do not run--from anything. Even my own death."

  Next to him, Elise recoiled, but he couldn't help her with that. He'd gotten a modified dose of reality last night out in the field, and he knew all too well exactly what her father was worried about.

  Felixe the Younger cleared h
is throat. "That's just fine. That is..."

  "What you need," Axe finished for the male. "That is what is necessary if you want to protect your daughter. The goal is to let her do her work and make sure she comes home alive every single night. I can give you that peace of mind because when she is in my care, she will be my only priority, above even myself. Nothing and no one will matter except for her."

  Felixe exhaled like the elephant that had been sitting on his chest had gotten up for a drink at its water source.

  "You can trust me," Axe said.

  "Well." More of that throat clearing. "That is just fine, son. Just...fine."

  Annnnnnnnd that was when he knew he'd been hired.

  Meanwhile, Elise was quiet and tense next to him, but then she was telling him what her schedule was like--which wasn't going to be a problem, because now that the trainees were heading out into the field, the Brotherhood's classes were going to be starting later.

  He listened to it all, and then her father told him what the salary was.

  Holy shit, Axe thought.

  Steak-for-dinner money. Electricity. Repairs to his father's house.

  "What is your family like, son?" the father inquired.

  Axe started to jerk back and caught himself. He hadn't been prepared for anything personal.

  At least the answer was easy: "My parents are dead. I have no mate and never will. I have no ties to anything or anybody aside from the training program."

  "Did you lose your family in the raids?" Elise asked softly. Like she was having a moment or some shit.

  He narrowed his eyes at her. "All you need to worry about is whether I can keep you alive, and I will. That's it."

  As her spine straightened in that chair, he kept his smile to himself. She might be a female, but she was a fighter at her core. And she clearly didn't like doors shut in her face, literally or figuratively.

  An image of her holding his arms over his head and putting all her weight into keeping him where she wanted him made an erection threaten behind his fly.

  Axe cocked a brow back at her, challenging her to let some of that heat out. But she wouldn't. Not in front of her father.

  Man, he couldn't wait for his first night on the job. She was going to give him an earful.

  And he was, absolutely, hired.

  Even if Axe hadn't come across as the deadly force her father was looking for, Felixe had wrongly assumed Novo was a guy: There was no way this genteel chauvinist was going to stand for a female guarding his daughter, no matter how spectacular a soldier and professional Novo was. And that was just fucked up.