One second, two seconds, three...
He lay completely still on the table—head turned toward me, eyes closed, the rise and fall of his chest unnervinglynot there.
Letting Whisper go, I ran to him—
But Roger stepped in front of me and held up his hands. “Wait.”
Whisper roared and pawed at the ground, snapping at air.
Four seconds, five seconds, six...
Bolting around Roger, the panther launched toward his unconscious master just like I wanted to do. Balancing on his hind legs, he planted both paws on Lucien’s bare chest as if he could give the Heimlich manoeuvre and bring him back to life.
Harry reeled backward, the defib paddles still in his hands.
The panther looked as if he was moments away from slaughtering everyone.
Which...if Lucien didn’t wake up, was a very high probability.
Seven seconds, eight seconds, nine...
I couldn’t do it anymore.
I stepped toward the desk—
Lucien jerked, his spine arching off the blood-soaked desk, his lips parting wide as if his soul slammed back into place.
The two doctors tried to go to him, but Whisperroared.
Lucien gasped again, deeper, harsher, dragging air into his lungs and clawing his way back to life. His fingers twitched. His eyes snapped open—wild and unfocused—before locking onto the beast looming over him.
He blinked once. Twice.
His hands came up and he smooshed the giant cat’s face. He tried to speak but coughed instead. “T-Trying to eat me...while I’m still warm, huh?” He coughed a second time, then smacked another kiss—just like he had in bed—right on Whisper’s nose.
My heart swelled until it no longer fit in my ribcage. I planted both hands over my mouth to hold back the sobs.
Did this mean everything would get better now?
Is he free?
“Fuckmethat hurt,” Lucien groaned.
Whisper snorted as Lucien pushed him away and...sat upright. Slow and shaky, but with raw determination and abnormal strength. No one who’d gone through what he had should be able to sit up so quickly...should they?
Whisper dropped to all fours as Lucien pressed a trembling hand to his chest, the glint of white bandages thick and tight around his wrists, his fingers trailing over that awful thing trapping his heart.
Harry muttered something under his breath as Roger stepped gingerly toward the desk. “How are you sitting up? Lie back down. You just took a full shock.”
“Yet another sign that whatever the hell is going on around here, you most definitely arenotnormal.” Harry stared at Lucien as if he was a freak of nature. “You should be barely conscious, let alone upright. You should be disoriented,hypotensive, confused. Yet...you’re acting as if I just gave you a shot of coffee.”
Lucien’s lips twitched. “It was the biggest caffeine shot I’ve ever had, but...I feel fine.”
“You feel fine.” Harry rolled his eyes. “Uh huh.Sure, you do. That just proves my point.”
“What point?” Lucien narrowed his eyes.
“That whatever you are isn’t like the rest of us.”
