When the door closed, I leaned close to Sky's ear. "Sky? Can you open your eyes?"
Honey colored lashes blinked open, revealing hazy amber orbs.
"There's something I can do to help you," I said softly, staring into his eyes. "Not a hospital," I assured him when his lips began to tremble. "But it will change you forever. It will turn you into a shifter and that will give you a better chance of surviving."
Sky's Adam's apple bobbed when he swallowed. "Okay."
"You're sure?" I asked, still staring into his eyes. "It can't be undone. You'll be a shifter until you die."
"Yes. Do it."
The door behind me swung open, slowly this time and from the scowl on Seb's face, I knew that Alrick had told him. I met the other Alpha's eyes. "He consented."
Alrick raised a brow, an expression I understood all too well. Had Sky really consented? Was he even in any condition to?
I ground my teeth together to keep from begging him to understand and he finally nodded.
"Not here, Colt."
Shit. He was right. Even three hundred and twenty plus years after the infamous witch trials, Salem was still lagging significantly behind the rest of the nation in the rights of both Omegas and everyone who wasn't a human.
"How long until it's too late, Seb?"
Seb rubbed his face over his hands and groaned. "I can give him another shot of antibiotics and it might help, but no more than three hours. After that, the shock will be too much for his body."
"I can be over the border in two," I said grimly. "Do what you need to do and we're out."
It wasn't until five minutes later when Alrick was helping me settle Sky into the makeshift bed I'd thrown together in the back seat of my truck that I realized I was bailing on my mission.
"Alrick, I need you to report this to Rafe," I said quietly. "I'm supposed to be in a holding pattern."
"Once he's stable?" Alrick asked.
"I'm continuing home to hand him off to Doc." After all, at that point, he'd be a werewolf shifter and that was something Doc was more than qualified to handle.
"I'll let them know," Alrick assured me, clapping me warmly on the shoulder. "Möge das Mondlicht deinen Rücken bedecken."
"May the moonlight cover your back as well," I returned the sentiment, clasping my hand briefly over top of his. "Thank you."
"Of course." Alrick closed the truck door. "You need to go."
I held my arms open to Sebastian, ignoring Alrick's muffled growl as I hugged his mate. "Thank you, Seb. It's a damned good thing you were in the area."
Then I climbed into the driver's seat and, as an afterthought, handed the room keys out the window to Alrick before cranking the engine over and stomping on the gas, completely oblivious to the gravel spraying the lot behind me as I pulled out onto the street.
Seb had warned me that Sky would become less responsive as the epinephrine that he'd administered wore off, and by the time I crossed into Connecticut one hundred and twelve minutes later, the Omega was lying so still that I wasn't sure I'd made it in time.
I pulled off the road and parked the truck underneath the massive blue sign that readWelcome to Connecticut, Constitution Statebefore climbing into the backseat and closing the door. I eased Sky up into my lap and his head flopped back against my shoulder, making me fear the worst. I pressed my fingertips to his wrist and heaved a relieved sigh when I found a faint pulse.
I relaxed my hold on my inner beast, allowing the were to slip out as carefully as possible. Raising Sky's wrist to my mouth, I sank my fangs into his vein. Then all I could do was hold him in the early dawn light and wait to see if I'd made it in time.
