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When I woke up, I was alone in bed. I blinked in confusion at the afternoon sunlight that filtered in through the stained-glass window of my bedroom. I guess feeding an incubus and a vampire in one twenty-four-hour period did take a bit out of a girl, even if said girl had some kind of freaky magic growing inside her. It was still summer, but this was Michigan. It wouldn’t be long before it was already starting to get dark by this time of day. So, I gave myself a moment to just soak in the warmth of the sunshine, saving up the feeling for when it was once again cold and gray. There was probably a life lesson in there somewhere. Ugh.
Finally, I stretched and hauled my butt out of bed and into the shower. When I emerged from the massive shared bathroom, Chike called out to me from down the hall. I followed the scent of grilled meat to the kitchen to find my pretty siren dishing up two plates of grilled chicken, wild rice, steamed veggies, and—oh, gods yes—chocolate cake.
I joined him at the table and dug in. He chuckled fondly as he watched me destroy my food. “Rhys got up way before me. But he left a note saying he was going to work, and I needed to feed you lots of protein and carbs to restock your body’s reserves.” He raised a perfectly shaped lavender eyebrow and his amethyst eyes twinkled. “But he obviously didn’t have to worry about you missing a meal.”
I flipped him off and started in on my cake.
The only thing better than a sexy supernatural lover who could make you orgasm with his teeth? One who could also cook like a pro chef and didn’t mind pampering you when you needed it.
Chike laughed and went to take care of our plates, pausing to drop a kiss on the top of my head. “You going to the clinic?” he asked as he rinsed off the dishes.
I sighed. “Yeah. I want to see how the new patients are doing. The nymph, especially, could probably use an energy boost.”
He nodded and wiped his hands off on a dishtowel. “I’ll come with you. I don’t have work today. Maybe they could use an extra hand.”
I smiled at him. Chike tended to be standoffish to other people. But the truth was, he was a sweet guy when no one was looking. He volunteered a lot of time helping out the kids who stayed at the orphanage, which was just White’s cover for unwanted or cast-out supe youth. Chike was always willing to lend a hand when someone needed it, even if he was usually full of snarky words and sullen looks and made it sound like a chore.
He finished drying his hands and tossed his long lavender braid back over his shoulder. “What?” he asked suspiciously when he caught me staring at him.
I went to wrap my arms around his slender waist and squeeze him tight. “I love you,” I sighed as I nuzzled into the crook of his neck, inhaling him like I could draw him inside me and keep him there forever.
He huffed but wrapped his arms around me anyway. “Love you too, weirdo. Always.”
I just stood there for a minute, drawing strength from him. Chike had been one of my closest friends ever since I moved to Ontonagon as an orphaned teenager. I was afraid things would change when we started getting naked together, but if anything, our friendship had just morphed into something stronger. I needed this. I needed to know there were constants in my life, when so much was changing.
Stepping back, I grinned at him. “This is going to be fun. I wonder how long it’ll take before you get kicked out of the clinic for being mean to patients. Your bedside manner is bound to be amazing.”
He lifted his chin and gave me a frosty look, the hint of fine iridescent scales along his high cheekbones glinting in the soft light. It was just not right how ethereal and pretty he looked, when really, he was covered in a barbed shell of snark. “I would never be mean to a sick person,” he said, as if I’d just offended his honor.
I snorted. “Uh, remember that time when we were teenagers and I got the flu? You told me to go finish dying somewhere further away from you because the noises I was making were, in your words, ‘the most disgusting thing I’ve ever heard, and you smell.’”
He headed toward the door, rolling his eyes. “Oh, come on. I’ve seen walruses barf up entire fish with more subtlety than you honking your nose. And you hadn’t showered in days. So, the walruses probably smelled better too.”
Wait...why did I like him again?
It was warm outside, so we walked to the clinic, soaking up the afternoon sunshine. It was nice. For just a few minutes, I could pretend the world was normal and it was just me and Chike out for an afternoon stroll. My mer-siren cross looked as pretty as always, wearing fitted dress pants and a button up sprinkled with tiny blue stars that somehow managed to meet the requirements for volunteering in the professional setting of the clinic while still showing off all that personality of his. I squeezed his hand and breathed in the warm afternoon sunshine, pretending we were on a date, rather than off to deal with the survivors of an interspecies war.
But then, my own frumpy clinic-wear wasn’t exactly date worthy. It was hard enough finding normal clothes that fit right when you were a plus-sized girl. But when it came to finding anything even remotely attractive in semi-professional clothes? Forget it. I was currently rocking a pair of khakis that puffed out too much over my lower belly, and pinched in too tight over my upper belly and my hips, giving me some epic muffin top. It was that or get the ones that were too long and formed a loose sack around my butt. My life was so glamourous. I glanced down at my boring polo shirt and decided it was a good thing this wasn’t a date. I wouldn’t be seen dead with me at a bar or a fancy restaurant right now. And, as if I needed another reminder that things weren’t really as normal as they seemed, Chike hadn’t made a single comment about my awful clothes. He was quiet, clearly thinking about things that I didn’t want to contemplate right now. It was almost a relief to reach the clinic.
When we arrived, Dr. Willis had a stack of field manuals and research materials waiting for me at the front desk. They were all about triage and field medicine. He had attached a sticky note that said Nurse Jones had mentioned that I tended to get distracted in the field, and that I’d better study up if I ever wanted to leave town again—White’s orders.
I wrinkled my nose at the unicorn’s helpful comments while Chike laughed his ass off.
Then, we went to find Aria, who was more than willing to give us stuff to do. The patients from Detroit were all settled in and doing well. Several were already getting ready to discharge home with their families. I stopped in and found the eagle shifter pacing by a window using a pair of crutches, clearly impatient to be free. I smiled at him and gave him the good news that he was being released.
Then I moved on to the wolf shifter and a few others, spreading my soothing energy around and helping to ease physical or emotional pain wherever I could. I saved the nymph for last. She was sitting in one of the alcoves reserved for patients, watching as a fake fire burned in the electric heater while piped-in cricket noises played in the background.
I sat beside her and offered her my hand. She took it in silence, and we watched the logs look like they were burning while never really changing. I let the energy flow between us as my own thoughts wandered. I jumped when she spoke.
“Can I go to my forest now?” Her voice was soft as a summer breeze.
I squeezed her hand, grinning at her while my eyes watered. “We’ll have to check in with the doctor, but I’m sure you can.”
Her big, bright eyes met mine and I could still see the shadows there, but they were a bit lighter. At least I could see a little bit of her personality peeking through them. “Will you come visit me? The trees and earth haven’t seen a goddess in so long.”
My smile fell a bit, but I plastered it back on. “Well, I’m not really a goddess. Not anymore. But I’d be happy to come visit your forest.” I squeezed her hand again. “The doc is probably going to want you to do some therapy for a while, even once you go home.”
She frowned at that. “I don’t wish to talk about what happened.”
I sighed. “I know. But eventually you need to. It will help you heal.”
She looked down at our clasped hands. “If you say I must, I will, goddess.”
I wanted to argue with her about the reverent way she was speaking to me. But if it got her to take care of herself, then so be it.
“I say you must.” I stood. “I’ll go tell Dr. Willis you want to go home.”
She nodded and went back to staring at the fire.
My heart still ached for her. She was still wounded inside. But she had her voice back. I knew she’d recover, in time. I went to find Aria to ask her to page Dr. Willis. I also wanted to see what she had Chike doing. I could just see him giving the more difficult patients hell. The sun was just starting to set, and we should probably head home, maybe meet Rhys somewhere for dinner.
Maybe we could eat at the little Italian place around the corner from the apartment. They had managed to stay open through all the turmoil, and despite what all the human stories said, my vampire really loved garlic and pasta dishes. A relaxing evening with my guys. It was nice to have such normal thoughts when everything else around me was so...not normal.
I had almost reached the front desk when my cellphone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out with a soft smile, expecting it to be a call from Chike asking me to come save him, or from Rhys on his way home from his teaching job and wanting to make dinner plans.
My smile faltered when I saw who was calling. Orion Black. I stepped into an empty alcove along the hallway, my hands shaking. What did he want? Was he calling to talk to me for personal reasons? Or was this just some business call he was making for White. My palms were suddenly sweaty, and my heart was racing. What the heck, Troy? Seriously?
I swiped the answer button and held the phone to my ear. “Hello?”
Orion’s silky voice lacked its usual professional tone. “Troy, has Rhys contacted you recently?”
I blinked at the wall across from me. “Rhys? No. He went to work at the school today.” But even as my mouth formed the words, my brain piped up, giving me chills. He never actually said he was going to the school. Chike only said Rhys was gone when he got up and had left a note about going to work. We both just assumed “work” meant his actual day job.
“He hasn’t been at the school,” Orion said calmly. “He’s been with Derek. And I lost contact with them hours ago.”
I swallowed hard. “Where are you?”
“At the casino,” his voice was composed, but somehow it sounded lost all the same.
“I’m with Chike at the clinic. We’ll be there in a few minutes.” I sucked in a breath. “And Orion? Thank you. For calling me.”
He let out a shuddery breath that echoed my own. “Thank you for answering. I’ll see you shortly.”