A shudder racked my body. “Much. You look happy. What’s going on?”
She swiped a hand up the back of her black hair piled on top of her head. “Ben is awake. The shifter blood seemed to do the trick.”
I pressed my fingers into my chest and pushed out the air in my lungs as a ten-ton weight lifted off me. “For real? That’s fantastic news. And Pops?”
She tucked her hands into the lab coat with her name embroidered on the chest. “He’s not awake yet, but tests show that the vein is healing slowly. And as it turns out, Abbey was right. Dad needed our blood.”
I grabbed the second bottle and twisted off the cap. “I don’t understand. We gave him ours.”
“You’re right. But Dad also needed his own blood. Dr. Vieira mixed all three, and that did the trick. We think it’s working because the mixture is super strong with lots of iron and platelets, which is the key for Dad since he’s an older vampire.”
I didn’t care how it worked as long as my father was healing.
“I’m so glad that Dr. Vieira keeps our blood in supply for emergencies,” Jo said.
He’d been doing that as protocol since becoming the attending physician for the vampire Navy SEAL team many moons ago.
I closed my eyes, praying that three was a charm and Layla would also wake up. Unfortunately, blood wouldn’t heal her since she was human—unless… My eyes flew open.
“What is it?” Jo asked.
“I need to speak to Doc.” I hopped up. “Is he in the lab?”
She hurried behind me. “Yeah. He’s working with the lab tech on Layla’s DNA testing.”
For the first time in four days, hope blossomed and happiness loomed. I couldn’t get down to the second floor quickly enough. I opted for the stairs to keep myself moving.
Jo was right on my heels. “Sam, tell me what you’re thinking.”
“I will when we’re with Doc.” It was better to say it once. If I articulated it too often, I would get my hopes up, only to be shot down.
I rushed into the lab minutes later. Dr. Vieira was examining something under a microscope while the lab tech, a pretty blond vampire named Giselle, typed on a computer.
They both looked up at me, surprise evident on their faces.
I skirted two lab benches before I was standing across from Doc. “If we suspect Layla has the vampire gene, maybe blood would do the trick. She is super pale. I know you said she doesn’t have any internal injuries, but I can’t help but think that blood is the answer. She seems to react to my blood for some reason. She craves it, actually.”
Jo stood beside me. “Sam, Layla’s been through a lot. Before the showdown in Montana, she’d been sick with the flu. Her body needs time to heal. She’ll wake up when she’s ready.”
I loved my sister, but I was ready to bite off her head. I didn’t want to hear the standard medical jargon about how the body will heal on its own and blah, blah, blah.
A beat passed as dead silence zipped around the lab, bouncing off glass cabinets and the scores of lab equipment scattered around the room.
Dr. Vieira exchanged a knowing look with Giselle, who was one lab bench over but in line with Doc.
“What is it?” I asked. “Did you find something?”
Dr. Vieira grabbed the back of his neck and rubbed. “Sam, you might want to sit down for this.”
I could feel my eyebrows drawing down. “I’m fine standing up. Hit me.”
Dr. Vieira cleared his throat. “Layla is pregnant.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, opened them, and shook my head. “I’m sorry?”
“You heard me,” Doc said. “Layla doesn’t carry the vampire gene, but she’s Vel negative.”
Motherfucker.I blew out one breath then another. “You’re right. I need to sit.”
