Chapter Thirteen

I flashed into Garrett’s room with Sinc and Ethan. Garrett was at rest, not breathing or moving, but I knew he would wake as soon as I touched his mind. “Ethan please put her on the bed next to Garrett then turn on the light. The supply cabinet outside the bathroom has first aid supplies.” He laid her down gently, then left the room.

I sat on the bed and cradled my mate’s head between my hands. “Wake up Garrett, Sinc is hurt and she needs your blood.” His eyes popped open and he shivered slightly in an effort to sharpen his wits to deal with the crisis.

“Tell me.” Seeing Sinc next to him, he sat up and moved closer, biting into his wrist and holding it to her mouth. But she wasn’t awake and she didn’t swallow.

“I’ll have to go into her head and try to wake her up. Ethan will tell you what happened.”

“We’ll do an intravenous line.” Ethan was back and already ripping the packaging on intravenous needles and tubing. Garrett inserted one end into one of his veins, attaching it to Sinc’s after using some suction to get the blood flowing.

“Okay—okay, that’s good. She’s getting blood now. I’ll give you some of mine.” I was shaking badly as I lifted my wrist, noticing with surprise the amount of blood that had soaked through my shirt and dried on my arm. It smelled like my blood.

Garrett gently took my hand and lowered it. “I’m fine, but you’re bleeding. Tell me what happened.” I knew my cuts were only minor, although they hurt like a hundred tiny paper cuts all over my arms and back. Plus, my ears were still ringing and it was hard to hear. Ethan was examining Sinc’s injuries looking furious at first, then more worried with every passing minute.

I was pretty sure I had him beat in the anger department. “A freakin’ bomb is what happened. Brina was burned and God knows what else. She was in the back bedroom, right over the explosion. Liam took her to Faerie. They blew up the house thinking you were all in the basement—you and your nest. Gabriel got Sinc out with some lame excuse before the explosion but she ran back in to get her phone. He tried to convince me to go back inside the house. He wanted me dead. I bet he thought the bomb would kill Liam too. I made Kaera bring him with us so we have a hostage. I want to interrogate him.”

Garrett's bright blue eyes had iced over in an angry silver swirl as I'd spoken. The only thing keeping him in the bed and not vamp-speeding it into the kitchen to rip out Gabriel’s throat was that intravenous line giving Sinc the strength she needed to recover.

Farrell appeared in the doorway looking somber. “I’ve relieved Kaera; she’s gone to Brina. I’ve brought Ashlyn as backup and she’s watching Gabriel upstairs in the common room. The wolf is conscious, tied up and not going anywhere. Kyle is uninjured and on the phone with Peter. What else can we do?” He looked down at Sinc, his brow wrinkling with concern as he moved into the room. He knelt by the bed and took the injured foot gently in his hand, examining it. I was ashamed at myself for looking away, so I forced myself to look again. It was raw, red and blistered, parts of it blackened like burnt meat and twisted in an odd way. I couldn’t even tell if she still had all her toes.

Farrell spoke with some authority, reminding me that although he was one of the youngest fae, he was still eighty-five and savvy. “She needs a hospital. I’ll take her. I know several of the surgeons at Crescent City Hospital.” I nodded gratefully as he pulled out the needle feeding her blood and Garrett removed his. CCH was a hospital that serviced humans and supernaturals, keeping them separated by floors. It was conveniently built over a powerful ley line crossroad, so magic was easily accessible whenever necessary.

“I have to go with her. Please.” Ethan was still clutching her hand.

Farrell grabbed his arm and nodded. “I’ll take you also.” Ethan lifted her gently and they disappeared. We noticed Kyle standing in the doorway. He’d seen Farrell sift into the lines with Sinc and Ethan.

“How is she?” Sinc would have smiled to see how worried he looked. It seemed like they’d argued for as long as they'd known each other, but their friendship was solid.

Garrett answered, having calmed himself when Farrell arrived. “The bleeding's slowed, but her foot is seriously injured. Farrell’s taken her and Ethan to CCH. I need to take care of Jackie’s wounds. Could you please call Rob and Aaron?”

“No prob. If it’s okay, I’ll tell Rob to go to the hospital and bring Ethan some food. None of us has eaten since breakfast. I’ll make you and Ashlyn something, Jackie.”

“I’m not hungry.”

Garrett raised an eyebrow. “She’ll eat. Thank you Kyle.” His expression was implacable. There was no arguing with Garrett when he was in crisis mode.

“Okay, I’ll eat, thanks. She’ll be fine, you know. She’s strong.”

“Yeah, and too stubborn to give up.” He looked back at Garrett. “What do you want me to tell Aaron?”

“Use the phone in my office and close the door. We want our 'guest' to remain in the dark. Tell Aaron about the bomb and that we believe they wanted all of us dead, with the possible exception of Sinc. Ask him to inform the other packs and...” He smiled as he had a new thought. “Perhaps ask the WPC for a vote calling for sanctions against the Los Altos Pack. Quentin will be furious. Tell Aaron we have Gabriel with us and we haven’t harmed him. Perhaps he could contact Quentin directly to tell him that Gabriel is in our care. Ask Aaron if he’ll mediate for us.”

“I’ll take care of everything. Gabriel’s awake and you should see him. He’s all trussed up like a rodeo steer and Ashlyn is scaring the shit out of him, telling him what the fae do to murderers. Pretty gruesome stuff. Of course he keeps babbling that it must have been a gas leak or something like that.” Kyle looked at me. “You’re bleeding, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He nodded and left to make his phone calls and our lunch, only his lemony scent remaining behind.

Garrett ran a gentle hand down my face. “We need to clean your wounds. You’re still bleeding slightly. Come into the bathroom.” I nodded and dragged myself up off of the bed and into the large bathroom with Garret beside me supporting my elbow. “I’m cutting off your shirt. You’re sliced up pretty badly.” I sighed in resignation. It was one of my favorite shirts. I wondered idly how many outfits I’d ruined since I’d joined the team last May.

Garrett was as gentle as anyone could ask for, but it still hurt like crazy. The disinfectant burned and the tweezers poking into already sore areas made me jump and wince and grit my teeth. “Try to stay still, my little cheetah. I know this hurts, but I have to get the splinters and the glass out quickly. We don't want your skin to heal over these pieces.” He dropped another bloody splinter into the trashcan, then took a moment to squeeze my hand. “It could have been so much worse.” His voice caught with emotion.

When he finished removing the bits of glass and wood, he put down the tweezers and turned my face toward his, displaying a bit of desperation. “This was too close. It could be you in the hospital.” He cradled my face and kissed me hard, startling me at first. My own need kicked in as I kissed him back, trembling as the truth of what might have happened set in.

I pulled away and leaned my forehead against his, clutching at his arms, whispering hoarsely, “Kaera saved my life. She covered my body with hers and beamed me to a safer spot. As soon as she knew I was safe, she flashed inside to get Sinc. Liam fished Brina out of there as quickly as he could. It was all so fast and so—so horrible. Brina looked bad, burned and bleeding. Kaera too.”

“Liam will be able to help them.” Garrett kissed me again, then hugged me very tenderly, being careful not to hurt me. “I should have listened to his advice and gotten you out of there last night.”

“Pulling something like this is off the charts crazy. What did they think? That they could just explain it away as an accident?”

“I fear Quentin and Karl are unbalanced.” He gently kissed my cheek and smiled, running his finger along my jaw. “I'm feeling rather proud of you. The entire team pulled together in the middle of all that chaos, and as injured as you were, you thought to bring Gabriel, which gives us a bargaining chip and a source of valuable information.”

“It was more Liam than me. I was scared and angry. I'm not always clear-headed in that state.”

“You handled everything perfectly, my love.”

“At least they didn't try this when you and your nest...” I swallowed down a sob. “When you would have been there.” The thought of losing Garrett brought on a bout of violent shivers.

“Shh.” He stroked my hair. “We're fine, and soon to become Quentin's bane, I believe. It's unfortunate that all of our data is lost. I really wanted to help those boys.”

“The physical evidence might be lost, but Sinc emails the reports to herself every couple of hours. You should have Kyle print them out here so we have the information just in case someone hacks into her email.

Garrett nodded as he took one more look at my back and my arms, licking two of the deeper wounds, then bandaging everything up. I resembled a mummy by the time he finished. Even though nothing needed stitches, he gave me a small amount of his blood but wouldn’t let me give him any of mine, saying he’d go out to a donor when Sasha got up in a few minutes. Kyle had made sandwiches and french fries and after one whiff, I had to admit I was famished.

Garrett brought food upstairs for Ashlyn. When he came back down, he was laughing. “Gabriel is about ready to tell us anything we want to know. Sasha’s up, so we’ll question Gabe when I get back.” He kissed my cheek so sweetly, then left in a silent blur.

Sasha rushed into the kitchen. I told him the whole story again while I ate. Angry sparkles glittered in his clear blue eyes. After Kyle and I finished we marched upstairs. Gabriel was tied up and on the couch. Ashlyn took his gag out and cut only the rope connecting his bound hands to his tied feet.

“I was tired of hearing him go on and on about how it wasn’t his fault.” She zoned out for a second then came back online. “Liam says Brina will recover in a week or so and that Kaera is cut up with some minor burns and will be fine by tomorrow. He wants to know how Sinc and Jackie are.”

“Tell him I’m fine and we’ll let him know about Sinc as soon as we hear from Ethan.”

“I’m thirsty.” We all glared at Gabriel. He had a big gash on his forehead where he’d collided with the fence and a split lip where he’d probably collided with Kaera’s fist, as well as a few of the same kind of cuts that I had.

“Kyle could you get him a water bottle? The kind with the spout.”

“Sure, but if it was up to me, I’d let him stay thirsty.” Kyle glared at Gabe, but got up to get the water.

Gabriel asked, “Is Sinc okay?”

Kyle was suddenly back and choking him, with a knife in his other hand. “You almost killed her, dogbreath! If you say her name again, I’ll cut your ear off.”

I put my hand on Kyle’s shoulder. “Get me the water, Kyle. We’re waiting for Garrett. Please.” He backed off and did what I asked. I squirted some water on Gabe’s injured lip and forehead and then in his mouth. I left the bottle in front of him on the coffee table. He'd be able to pick it up, even though both hands were tied together in front of him.

Sasha took a closer look at my bandaged arms and back, visible under my tank top. “Do you need more blood?”

I smiled at him but shook my head. “I’m really fine. I’m just worried about Sinc. Why don’t you go feed, then head to the hospital? I want to hear the minute anyone knows anything about her condition.”

“Of course, Mistress.” He disappeared in a breeze of sweet cherries.

“He calls you Mistress? They treat you like you’re powerful. More than just a shifter.” Gabriel was only being curious, but I wasn't in the mood to answer any of this criminal’s questions. I turned away in disgust to look out the window. Ashlyn lowered herself into the chair across from Gabe, ready to have some fun.

She smiled in an evil way as she drew a long blade from a sheath at her belt. “We’ll have to send your father some proof that we have you. So, young wolf, do you want to keep your nose or your ears? If I were a wolf, I’d choose to lose the ears. You track with your nose, and it affects your ability to taste your kill. I believe you would still be able to hear without the outside of your ear, unless I pierce the eardrum. Or I could just remove a thumb, but that would make handling objects difficult as a human, so I wouldn’t choose a thumb if I were you. There are other odd parts we could discuss.” She looked at his groin and Gabriel’s breathing speeded up. He looked like he was going to wet himself.

“You’re just fooling with me, right?” You’re not cutting me, are you?”

Her expression turned icy. “Do you know what I am?”

“A fae.” There was only respect in his tone. “A High Seelie fae, from Cascade?” It appeared that Gabriel didn't feel the same prejudices as his father.

“With your coward’s weapon, you injured Jacqueline, a valued ally of the fae people, as well as Sinclair, a former member of your own pack. The two fae warriors you harmed are my cousins, but are more like sisters to me. You are craven scum, wolf, and you don’t deserve the kind treatment you’ve been given so far. If it were up to me, I would take my blade and dip it in a particular poison that works slowly, but causes much pain. I would cut you in several sensitive places, so that you would suffer horrendous agony for perhaps a week before your body gave up its strength and you no longer fouled the air with your breath.” She shifted her blade to rest beneath his chin. He was smart enough to stay very still.

“Ashlyn, I think you’ve scared him into submission. Thank you.”

“I am never in a position to frighten an enemy. It is most enjoyable.”

“Yes, I see.”

Kyle was grinning from ear-to-ear. “That sounds too easy on him. I think we can come up with something better.” Ashlyn smiled, nodded in his direction and lowered the blade so that Gabriel could breathe again.

Liam flashed into the room, moving quickly toward me. “The sisters will recover. How are you?”

“Right now, I’m furious. Later the panic will sink in.” He looked at my bandaged arms and back and then suddenly pulled me closer and hugged me. It wasn't a typical action, but today had been intense and I guess we both needed the comfort. I hugged him back.

He spoke out loud when he pulled away, looking slightly embarrassed. “Kyle, Ashlyn will take you to Sinc, if you’d like to go.”

“Great, yeah I would.”

“Ashlyn, you and Farrell may return to Faerie after you’ve delivered Kyle. Thank you.”

“Yes, Liam.” She nodded and lowered her eyes.

I caught Kyle’s eye. “Tell Sasha when you see him, that he can come home whenever he wants. Make sure you call here when you know anything.” Ashlyn took Kyle’s hand, nodded at me, then disappeared. Gabriel slumped down with a sigh, obviously relieved she’d left.

So now it was just me and Liam and Gabriel. I pulled up some magic and sat on the couch next to him, my body tense and thrumming with energy. Liam looked at me curiously, but didn’t say a word, deciding to see what I had planned. Gabriel straightened, took the water bottle with both hands and squirted some in his mouth.

I waited until he looked at me, then I asked, “Why? Why did you want us all dead?”

“I’ll tell Garrett everything. I have nothing to lose at this point.”

“You’ve already lost your honor, but there’s still your life.” Liam was sitting in the wingback chair where Ashlyn had sat only minutes before.

“My honor? I’ve been told the fae know nothing of honor.”

“Who told you this?”

“My father.”

“He misspoke. You haven’t answered my question.”

“I told you, when Garrett’s back, I'll explain everything.”

I wanted answers so badly. “I’d like you to tell me now.” A thin line of blood appeared on his upper arm where he could see it. He winced from the pain and looked at me in shock.

“What are you doing?”

“Convincing you to answer my questions.”

Liam sent, “Jacqueline, you need to stay in balance.”

“Did you see her foot? Sinc may not be able to run or hunt ever again. Brina must be in pain. You say it’ll take over a week for her to recover, that’s a long time for a fae warrior.” I said the next part out loud. “You wanted me to go back inside the house to die with Brina and the vampires you thought were in the basement.”

He looked away, maybe feeling ashamed or guilty. I couldn’t even guess. “You don’t know what’s been going on.” When he turned back his expression was stubborn again. “I'm sorry, but I’ll only speak to Garrett. If anyone kills me, the pack will retaliate by coming after you. Garrett will know how to negotiate my return without anyone else getting hurt. Garrett will protect you.”

“I can protect myself.”

He shook his head. “You're a female shapeshifter.”

“Why should we negotiate at all? What about the boys and Sinc and Brina?”

“I can't help them now. I tried to help Sinc...”

I wanted to kill him, not because he’d put down my sex but because of his narrow-minded arrogance and disregard for the pain he’d caused. I found myself staring at his neck, wanting so badly to put my hands around his throat and slowly crush his windpipe, then wrench his head from his body. I wanted to do it for Sinc and Brina and Kaera and for Clarissa Bernard and those silent female servers who looked at me with haunted eyes. Mostly, I wanted to do it for the teenaged boys who might never be found. I leaned in a little closer to him.

Gabriel started shaking and whimpering, backing as far away as he could get while still staying on the couch. “Stay away, please, please.”

“Jackie, your eyes.” Liam had his hand on my arm and was sending me healing energy as he dragged me toward the bathroom.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror over the sink. My eyes were bright orange, the color they turned when my demon blood kicked in. But instead of getting angry with Liam for pulling me away, I started to laugh. We were a pair all right: looking like characters from a bad B movie. The Mummy from the Demonic Plain on a Bad Hair Day meets Alien Encounters of the Fae Kind. As I laughed I watched my eyes shift back to green.

Liam shook his head and smiled as we left the bathroom. “You must learn to control your demonic powers ASAP.”

“Tell Isaiah. And did you just say ASAP?” I shoved his shoulder playfully.

“What’s this?” Heinrich asked. He and William had just come upstairs and were moving toward Gabe, who was still trembling from his encounter with my wild side. “Why is Gabriel tied up? Did Garrett tie him up because he flirted with you?” He chuckled.

“What happened to you?” Will asked. They’d finally noticed me in my mummified glory. I sat down again with a sigh and told them everything. As I spoke their fangs extended and they began to glower at Gabriel. He wasn’t as freaked out by these two as he’d been by me, but I wouldn’t say he was enjoying his time as our guest either. Just as Garrett and Sasha whisked up the stairs the phone rang. Liam got it.

“Liam.” He always answered that way. He listened then sighed. “I’ll let them know. That’s fine. I agree. Thank you, Kyle. When she wakes up, let her know we’re here for her.” He hung up and turned to us, his face taking on a serious aspect. “Sinc is going to lose her foot. Nothing can be done. Otherwise, she’ll recover well. She had three broken ribs, which had already started to heal because of Garrett’s blood, and a slight concussion. Her legs and hands have second-degree burns but they are also healing well. The doctor said getting her to Garrett made a big difference, especially because his blood is so strong. Kyle suggests you come tomorrow to see her, since she’s heavily sedated now and will be operated on within the hour. Ethan and Kyle are staying. Peter is there too.”

Garrett sat next to me on the couch and pulled me into his arms. I buried my head against his chest, wrapped my arms around his waist and breathed him into my lungs, trying to find comfort and courage there. “I should have tried to heal her.”

“You wouldn’t have known what to do. You’re not a doctor. And you were hurt yourself, Jackie. She’s alive and she’s going to be fine.”

“She won’t be able to hunt or climb a tree or run...”

“Others have learned to do those things with three paws and Sinc is resourceful. She’ll live and love and find a mate and have children, if that's her choice. She'll continue her work and her research with us. All the most important things.”

“She won’t see it that way.”

“You may be surprised. I’ve known her for ten years now. Sinc is a realist. She’ll still be the team’s forensic expert, and that's always been her passion. Plus, she has all of us to see her through whatever roadblocks occur.”

I pulled away and gave him a gentle kiss. “I know you’re right, it’s just hard.” I decided to get my mind on the matter at hand. “We have a wolf to interrogate.” I twisted my body on the couch and Gabriel looked at me warily. “Talk. If you lie I’ll cut out your tongue and make you eat it.”

“Jacqueline, please.” Liam’s plea wasn’t going to work this time around.

Garrett and the other vamps were laughing. William choked out, “He won’t be able to talk without a tongue.”

“Fine, I’ll revise my threat. If you lie, I’ll geld you.” All the guys winced and shut up fast, watching for Gabe’s reaction.

Gabriel wasn’t sure what to make of me, but after a moment he twisted his mouth into a resigned expression. “Karl uses blood magic to control the pack. We haven’t found a way to get around him. If anyone tries, he usually kills a family member. Sometimes a kid.”

“Liam could you lend me your fae blade, the one I killed Antoine with?”

“I’d like to speak to you privately on the balcony.” Liam was angry with me, but my friend was in the hospital and she’d never run again. I ignored him. Garrett remained unusually quiet, but the other three vamps were grinning ear to ear.

“I’m telling the truth.” His eyes were growing wider with fear. He was finally beginning to take me seriously.

“Karl doesn’t have that kind of power. If he’s doing what you say, then he has help.” Gabriel didn’t say anything but I knew. “It’s your mother.”

He looked at Garrett. “I won’t speak against my mother. I’ll give you Karl on a silver platter, but I won’t throw my mother under the bus. She had nothing to do with the bomb. She feels responsible for Karl because he inherited her genes.” He turned back to me and glowered. “I won’t say anything else about her, so go ahead and cut me up, bitch.”

Heinrich was surprisingly fast. He picked Gabriel up with one hand and threw him against the wall, making the hanging pictures vibrate and almost fall. Holding Gabriel there as his legs dangled above the floor, Heinrich growled, “You will speak to Jacqueline with respect or I will do worse than anything she has suggested.” His fangs were out, only inches from Gabe’s neck. “Now apologize, wolf, and be polite.”

Gabriel managed to choke out a few words. “I’m sorry…if...I offended…you.” He started coughing and gasping in air as soon as Heinrich loosened his hold.

“Heinrich, please put him back on the couch.” Heinrich did what I asked, then resumed his seat in the chair across from Gabriel. “Thank you.” I took a minute to think. “We’ll leave your mom for now. Tell me about the bomb.”

“It was put in place on Karl’s orders by Jake and a few others before you ever arrived. We had no intention of using the bomb with anyone in the house, at least that's what I was told. It was only to be set off to destroy any evidence you’d gathered. No one realized you’d be bringing your own lab and not setting things up inside the house. The Western Pack Council had been notified about the missing kids, so that’s why we were forced to hire you. We couldn’t let it look like we weren’t doing anything to find them and you had a good reputation. We didn’t know you’d be so thorough.”

“He’s using the boys for his blood magic?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure. After last night’s meeting, Karl insisted that the vamps, the fae and you, Jackie, had to go. It would look like a gas explosion—a horrible accident.” My expression must have frightened him, because he leaned away from me. “I argued against it, I swear. I tried to tell him the Fae Elders wouldn’t buy into the accident scenario. That they’d descend on us like a virus if any of their people died. The minute they made the decision to set off the bomb, I knew our pack was history.”

“They?” This was the first time Garrett had spoken.

He hesitated, but knew by now that we could tell if he lied. “Karl and my father and Jake.”

“Why didn’t you fall under Karl’s influence?” he asked.

“I can resist most of his magic, but he constantly threatens the lives of my pack members if I don’t stay silent. So I have, until now.”

“Your father should have been powerful enough to resist him as well. Did you allow your father to fall under Karl’s spell, so you can take his place sooner rather than later?” Garrett had leaned forward and was definitely working a little Influence of his own on Gabe.

“Karl doesn't need to influence him, they agree on just about everything.” He spoke calmly as the glamour kicked in. “I used to want to be alpha, I was proud to be his son and I followed him around like a pup. Then he tossed Sinclair in the dumpster because she was a shifter.

“Did you know we were chosen for each other? I was young, but I was in love with her. It didn’t make any difference to me what she was. He did the same thing to a few of my pack mates who’d fallen in love with shifters. One of them tried to leave the pack and move in with his girlfriend. Her dad was beat up one night coming home from work. They told my friend that her little sister would be next. I knew my dad ordered it, but no one would admit to having anything to do with it.”

He looked at me and slumped down. “When Karl got older, things got much worse. He was experimenting with blood magic, something my mother refused to do. When he was more powerful than her, he started giving orders to the pack. If his orders weren’t followed, someone would be hurt, usually a weaker family member. This morning, Karl told me that if I told you about the bomb, he’d kill—he’d kill our mother. She was against the bomb. He’s more powerful than ever, because of the blood.”

“But I don’t feel the kind of power you’re talking about, unless he can mask his level somehow. Liam?” I didn’t turn my face away from Gabe’s as I was reading his reactions.

“He’s tainted with blood magic and has a fair connection to the lines. He may have performed a masking spell.”

“Why did you come to the house, if you mom was in danger?” I asked.

“I went to the house to get Sinc out of there because I knew Karl wouldn’t care about one lone shifter surviving the explosion. Only she was the one who got hurt the worst.” He dug his fingers into his hair, resting his elbows on his knees. He was distraught but I couldn’t bring myself to care. Still it wasn’t in me to torture the guy. Not unless we found out he was lying about everything.

I stood. “Sasha could you check his wounds? I’ll get him sweats to wear and a sandwich. We’ll cuff him to the bed for tonight.”

“Why not throw him in the back room in the basement? No furniture, no windows and no light: a perfect place to keep a prisoner.”

“He’s a hostage for now. Let’s see how he behaves.” Sasha nodded and brought the first aid kit over to the young wolf who looked at him warily. I sent to Sasha, “He’s to be treated humanely until we figure out what to do with him. Aaron will want to interview him. Let him use the bathroom to clean up, make sure he eats, then cuff him, but not too tight. We’re not Karl—or Eleanor. We just want to make sure he doesn’t go anywhere.”

“I hear and obey,” Sasha teased. I shook my head in exasperation. My stomach was churning again. I got up to search the medicine cabinet for an antacid. Maybe I was allergic to gluten or something.

Liam touched my shoulder. “I’ll get the clothes and the sandwich, Jacqueline. You need to rest.” He was right, but I didn’t think I’d be able to sleep.

“You probably need rest too.”

“I wasn’t injured. Let me do this.”

I wasn’t strong enough to argue about it. In fact, I was unbelievably tired as the adrenalin rush finally left my system. My arms and back still burned from all the small cuts that Garrett had tended. I could have healed myself with my magic, but it took so much energy I’d probably pass out immediately after. Right now I needed to talk to Garrett. “Thank you, Liam.”

“You two should go out to feed now.” Garrett nodded at Rick and Will then took my hand. He and I followed them down the stairs as they joked about my interrogation techniques. I didn’t find any of it funny, but I wasn’t angry with them because they hadn’t been there. They hadn’t seen the glass and the wood and the stone raining down around us or felt the heat from the fire or seen Sinc’s mangled, bloody foot.

Garrett and I sat outside on the patio, needing some time to reconnect and recharge. Sasha and Liam could take care of Gabriel and I didn’t want to think about him or how close I’d come to killing him. The sky was darkening with the threat of another storm, so we sat under the awning, squeezed together on one lounge chair, our hands moving restlessly as we held each other.

There was no reason to voice the obvious. Garrett and his nest would be dead if he hadn’t made the decision for them to rest at home. I’d probably be dead along with Sinc and Kaera and Brina if Gabe hadn’t come strolling in to rescue Sinc, not that he’d meant to save the rest of us. We both should have listened to Liam's advice. I trembled in his arms.

Warm breath caressed my ear and neck. “We were meant to be together for all time, my love. Nothing can change our fate, not even a bomb.”

I smiled at his attempt to get me out of my black mood and turned my body, lowering my head onto his chest and draping my leg over his. “For all time is a very, very long time.”

“I have connections.” He stroked my hair and kissed my head.

“Oh? I think even the fae don’t live forever.”

“The gods do.”

I lifted my head to look into those incredible blue eyes that continued to warm my heart each time he shared them with me. “I’m impressed. When do I get to meet one of your godly buds?’

“I’m a jealous vampire and they’re all very powerful and handsome. I think it best if I just continue to text them.”

I laughed. “And what do you ask them for?”

“World peace.” I giggled. “And to spend eternity with the most perfect of all females.” His voice brushed over my body like a silken sheet. I closed my eyes to enjoy the sensation.

When I opened them again I pretended to scowl. “Wait a minute. Who’s she? I thought I was your mate.”

Now Garrett was laughing. He searched my face with an expression of wonder, as if I was a dream to him still. He ran his knuckles gently along my jaw, down my neck, coming to rest at my pulse. He left his hand there, feeling its slightly quicker rhythm. “You are my entire world.”

My lips brushed across his. “And you’re mine. But what do these gods want from you in return for granting your wish? Gods can be greedy.”

“That I do all in my power to deserve you.”

“I like these gods.” I smiled.

“So what can I do?”

My smile turned a little evil. “You can start by kissing me. Then we can go from there.”

“The gods will be pleased.” He gave me a solemn look.

“Just worry about pleasing me for now.” I licked his lower lip and watched his fangs extend, a sure sign that he was enjoying himself.

When he kissed me, my body responded by arching against him, trying to close all the space between us. It didn’t matter that the rain had started to fall or that the wind had picked up, blowing the drops in our direction. I was angry and worried and feeling vulnerable and only Garrett’s loving attention would make me feel centered again. Selfish? Maybe, in the light of what Sinc was going through. But she’d be laughing at my misplaced guilt and telling me to go for it, so I did.

Garrett pulled away first, his eyes popping with silver stars and his delicious lips swollen from our kisses. His voice had a husky tone. “I know you don’t want to end up catching pneumonia. Perhaps the bedroom? Or a hot bath? “

We were both pretty soggy already and I was feeling cold, so I opted for the bath. Luckily my wounds had healed enough to take off the bandages. I sat across from him in the giant tub, the hot water soothing me enough to relax and open up to him. “When you were out feeding, I almost killed him. Liam had to pull me away. My eyes turned orange.”

He took a washcloth, soaped it up and moved closer to wash my back. “Your cuts have almost all disappeared, but it'll take longer to get over the shock. The explosion was only hours ago. It’s natural for you to feel rage at the attack on your friends and fear for what might have happened.”

“I hate not having control. Liam was worried.”

“Was it hard for you to come back to yourself?” He ran his fingers through my blonde locks to get out the usual knots. He wet my hair then poured shampoo into his palm and began to work it through my hair. Good thing I was wearing the cap and had my hair in a ponytail, otherwise it would have been covered with glass as well.

“Not really. I just thought of something funny and my eyes were green again.”

“l could hire a fool like in medieval times, and he’d make you laugh.” He teased me with a sweet kiss on the cheek.

“We already have Kyle.” I giggled..“I guess that was mean. He’s definitely not a fool. He’s more a stand-up comic.”

After Garrett finished rinsing my hair I snatched up the washcloth and went to work on his back, enjoying the feel of his firm muscles under my hands. I ran the soapy cloth over his strong biceps and elbows, moving in front of him to wash across his solid chest and abs. He had an athlete’s body, somewhere between a runner and a swimmer. All lean, sexy muscle. He took the cloth away and leaned closer. I felt his fangs graze my neck so I tilted my head to the side to let him feed. He bit his wrist so we could share blood together and before long we were pulling up magic and sharing our bodies.

Later that night, when we made love again, I let go of the images that still troubled me and gave all of my energy and devotion to Garrett as he gave his to me. Every moment with him trumped all the other minutes of my life, because between us there was trust and truth and passion. Spending time with couples like Katrina and Quentin, who lived with lies and suspicions and accepted cruelty as the norm, made us cherish all the more the extraordinary bond we shared and the life we were building together.