I swallowed, a weak feeling coming over me causing my fingers to release him. I slowly slid back down to the tiled floor and breathed heavily, each breath becoming easier than the last.
Something was happening inside of me. The pain had mostly dissipated, and there was a lingering pressure. Something pushing and pulling through my muscle and flesh.
“Ewww, is that the bullet?” a voice I didn’t recognize asked from somewhere above.
“Yes, Ives,” Jack snapped, shoving someone away. “He’s healing. Now get back. Aren’t you supposed to be watching some rebels?”
“Sorry, geez,” Ives muttered. “I’ve never seen vampire blood work before.”
I winced as the pressure built until something metal clinked on the floor. The bullet, I presumed.
“Hey,” Jack murmured, brushing my hair from my face. Her fingers smelled of blood.
I forced my eyelids open, blinking them several times to clear the blurriness from them. “Hey, back.”
Jack leaned over me, her face tear stained, just holding my hand like I’d disappear if she let it go.
I reached up to brush my fingers across her cheek where she must have brushed her hair, leaving a smear of my blood on them.
“You’re a mess.”
Jack laughed through a sob. “You should see yourself.”
My lips curled up in a smile that turned into a wince as I tried to sit up.
“No, don’t. Stay here.” Jack pressed her hand to my chest. “We don’t know if you’re completely healed yet.”
My lips pursed together, and I mentally cataloged my body. I was a bit sore. More as if I’d been through a rigorous workout without a cooldown than I’d gotten shot. But overall, I felt fine.
“Please, just until the medics come and check you out. For me.”
I choked out a laugh. “Why not? I already took a bullet and compromised all my beliefs for you. What’s ten more minutes?”
“Hey!” Jack smacked my shoulder making me wince. “Oh, I’m sorry.”
Letting her baby me, I tried to peer around the room. A lot had happened while I was dying. The group that had been threatening us were scattered, either dead on the ground or chained with special metal cuffs for supernaturals. Still, something bothered me.
“Where’s Kyren?”
Jack chewed on her lower lip. “He’s over with Tate, giving a statement.”
My brows furrowed. “Why isn’t he in chains?”
Blowing out a breath, Jack looked off to the side. “It was a trick.”
“What?”
She nodded her head toward a prone figure I couldn’t quite see completely around her but catch sight of auburn hair.
“Kyren was pretending to get on their side so he could rip Hamish’s heart out.” She let out a tired laugh. “He said, ‘When the captain is dead, the soldiers will flounder.’ Or something like that.” She let out an aggravated sigh. “Would have been nice if he’d let us in on his plan.”
“Yeah,” I murmured. My eyes wandered around what I could see of the room until I found the very vampire whose blood pumped through my veins.
As if knowing I was looking for him, Kyren glanced our way. He bumped Tate with his elbow, and the two of them approached us.
“Hey, how you feeling?” Tate asked, kneeling next to me.
I grunted, pushing myself up to my elbows. “Like I just got shot.”
