“Now! Quit gawking and run. If she dies, you’re next.”
The scientist’s shoes squeaked on the floor as he bolted away. He was back in seconds. Cain spun and grabbed the bag.
“Did you turn her?” Willis asked, his voice filled with incredulity. “I’ve done everything you asked, and you turned her?”
Cain lunged at the stupid human. Willis jumped back, his hands shaking.
“If you want to live, you will leave my presence right now.” The vampire didn’t have to repeat himself. Willis’s legs moved so fast, the boy looked like a cartoon, rushing away in a cloud of dust. Maybe Willis wasn’t as dumb as Cain thought.
Cain went to work getting Alice’s wound cleaned and bandaged. Then he set her up on an IV. Though she didn’t know it, he did actually have some medical training. He’d worked in hospitals over the course of his life. What better place to get blood where no one asked questions when a person died?
He shook those thoughts away, knowing she wouldn’t approve. It irked him that he cared about her approval, but there was no sense in wondering over it. He’d learned long ago that some things you just couldn’t change. Fretting over them was pointless.
When he was finished getting everything set up, he sat down beside her and cupped her pale cheek. “Alice, don’t leave me alone. I’m so tired of being alone.”
Epilogue
“He has crossed a line that should not have been crossed. He has broken a rule that never should have been broken. Nothing will ever be the same again.” ~Claude
Tenia flashed into the spelled room to look like Fane’s office at the sprite stronghold. Fane and Jacque both were present, Fane sitting at his desk. He rose to his feet while Jacque remained on the couch.
The fae held a phone to her ear. “What do you mean, you ripped her throat open, and he gave her his blood?”
“Just what I said, fae.” Claude’s deep voice was calm and smooth. “Cain was going to kill the wolf. That would have killed his mate because they’d both bitten one another. But Cain couldn’t be reasoned with. He was in a bloodlust. He must have gone too long without feeding. I knew that the healer’s blood would be too tempting to pass up, especially in that state. So I did what I had to do. It was the only thing I could do to save the girl. I knew Cain wouldn’t let Alice die. He was going to have to stop killing the wolf to save Alice. Quite simple, really.”
“She’s not human,” Tenia snapped. “Cain cannot turn her.”
“Maybe, maybe not.” Claude sounded as if he couldn’t care less. “But she’s still alive. Though not conscious. It would be best if she didn’t die.”
“Bloody hell, of course it would.” Tenia gripped the phone tightly in her hand.
“No, you don’t understand,” he said. “Cain has chosen her to be his mate. It doesn’t happen often but, sometimes, ancient vampires no longer only think of blood. She has begun to tame him. If she dies, everyone in this compound will die, as well.”
Tenia’s stomach twisted. She’d heard of vampires taking mates, but not other supernaturals. And like Claude said, it was very rare. “Claude”—Tenia infused the command with her magic—“you will continue to give me updates.”
“Yes.”
“And you will make sure Cain doesn’t know you are working for us.”
“Yes.”
“Please make sure none of them die.”
“That’s what I did.” Now, instead of sounding bored, the vampire sounded confused.
“Yes, you did. Next time try to do it with less blood loss.” Tenia ended the call and looked at Fane and Jacque. “You heard all of that?”
Both alphas nodded.
“She’s alive.” Jacque sounded relieved, though her eyes were filled with worry.
“We need to speak to Rachel.” Fane looked thoughtful. “She’s the oldest healer. Maybe she will know if Alice will continue to live. As Tenia pointed out, she isn’t human, and the vampire virus will not work the same way on her.”
Jacque pressed herself against Fane, and her large, green eyes glowed softly with her wolf. “If what Claude says is true, then getting Alice out of there has just become a death sentence for everyone else.”
“Thank you, Tenia.” Fane inclined his head. “Please continue to keep us up to date. We appreciate it.”
“Of course.”
