Tyr reluctantly released Beth's hand and peeled off his ruined shirt, revealing the already-healing bullet wounds in his chest and arm. Tobi quickly wiped away the blood with efficient movements, then tossed him a clean black t-shirt.
Tyr shrugged into the fresh shirt, his attention never straying far from Beth as she lay, still and quiet, on the massive bed. She wasn't out of danger yet. Wouldn’t be, unless she accepted the Turning.
Tyr watched as his twin moved to Beth's other side, taking her small hand in his. The uncharacteristic gentleness from his usually boisterous brother made Tyr's throat work silently.
"You'll be welcome among us, little sister," Tobi said softly, his usual mischievous demeanor replaced by sincere warmth. "You will be family."
Beth's fingers curled weakly around Tobi's hand as tears gathered in her blue-grey eyes.
Tyr felt his own throat tighten at his twin's immediate inclusion of Beth into their supernatural family. Trust Tobi to cut straight through any awkwardness or uncertainty with his characteristic directness. His brother might play the fool, but he had an uncanny ability to say exactly what someone needed to hear.
Beth's voice wavered. "I would have to drink blood?" The words came out somewhere between a statement and a question, her blue-grey eyes searching Tyr's face.
Tyr nodded solemnly. "When you're a vampire, you won't mind it at all. The thirst becomes natural, like breathing."
Beth was quiet for a moment, and he could almost see her mind working through what this meant. What she wouldbecome. What she might lose. There were so many implications, so many considerations. But without his blood, she would die.
Sudden alarm flashed across Beth's pale features, her hand tightening around his. "Wait - will I lose my leopard?"
Tyr met Tobi's equally uncertain gaze across the bed. Neither of them had an answer. In all their centuries, they'd never encountered a shifter being Turned. The situation was completely unprecedented.
A tear slid down Beth's cheek, leaving a glistening trail through the smudges of blood and dirt from the parking lot. "I've always had my leopard with me," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I-I don't want to lose her."
Tyr rubbed at the dampness on her cheek with one thumb. "Beth... if you're not Turned, you'll die, and she will die with you." His voice carried the weight of harsh truth. He continued, more gently, "I would give you assurances, if I could, but the plain fact is, we just don't know."
He lifted her delicate hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss against her cool skin. Her pulse fluttered beneath his touch like a trapped butterfly, each beat precious and fragile. His chest ached with emotions he'd thought long buried during his centuries of existence.
"Choose life, Beth," he whispered against her fingers. "Stay with me. Be my Chosen." The words emerged rough with intensity, carrying the weight of their kind's most sacred bond, as well as his own desperate need to keep her in his world.
Her blue-grey eyes widened at the term, recognition flickering across her pale features. Even half-conscious and gravely wounded, she understood the significance of what he offered. Not just immortality, but a permanent bond - the deepest connection possible between supernatural beings.
"Your... Chosen?" Her voice came out barely above a whisper, but he heard the wonder in it.
"Yes." Tyr brushed another kiss across her knuckles. "I knew from the moment I saw you. I just... I wanted to court you properly first. Give you time." His voice roughened with self-recrimination. "I didn't expect this."
Beth's fingers tightened weakly around his. "You want me?" The vulnerability in her voice made his ancient heart clench. After everything she'd endured, she still struggled to believe anyone could truly want her.
"More than I've wanted anything in centuries," Tyr admitted, letting her see the truth in his eyes. "Choose life, little cat. Choose to stay with me."
Beth's eyelashes fluttered, her already pale skin taking on an alarming grey tinge. She was dangerously weak, barely hanging on to life. Time was running out.
But then - the tiniest of movements. A slight nod, so faint he might have missed it without his vampire senses. Her fingers tightened weakly around his, and relief swept through him with such intensity his hands shook.
She had chosen. Chosen life. Chosen him.
Her blood called to him, even as she grew weaker with each passing second. The metallic scent filled his nose, triggering every predatory instinct he possessed. But this time, he embraced those instincts, channeling them into the ancient magic of the Turning.
Tobi's presence across the bed anchored him, his twin's steady support a reminder that Beth wouldn't face this transformation alone. She would have both of them to guide her through what was to come.
Chapter 23
Dawn was less than an hour away, and Beth lay fighting for her life in his bed. Tyr forced himself to remain seated at the West Side Inn's dining table, every instinct screaming to return to her side.
Aleksei commanded the head of the table, his presence immediately focusing everyone's attention. The attack on Beth had left its mark on everyone—Jake and Joe showed signs of wolfing out, their alpha tension barely contained. Katerina's usual feline grace looked brittle, while Tobi fidgeted restlessly and Antonio studied his tablet with grim focus. Jacinth's magical energy shimmered with barely contained concern, and Remi sat vibrating with agitation. Only Aleksei maintained his composure, the general who once served under Alexander the Great well accustomed to conflict.
Tyr fought to keep his expression neutral, but rage still burned through his veins like molten silver. His thoughts kept drifting to the warehouse where Beth now lay in his bed, yet he understood this security meeting couldn't wait—not when the threat that had nearly taken her from him might still endanger others.
Aleksei's voice cut through the tension like a blade. "We have little time - barely an hour before dawn." His fierce gaze fixed on each of them in turn. "Last night, a sniper targeted Beth Kerrigan and Liam outside the veterinary clinic. Liam and Tyr were wounded but will recover. Beth..." He paused, his gaze meeting Tyr's. "Beth required emergency Turning to save her life."
