Blood Bond (48 page)

“I know.”

“Where’s Olivia?”

“In a cell in the woods. I’ve got guards on
her.”

“Wes? Derek?”

“No, they aren’t here yet.”

“Where the hell are they?”

“I don’t know. Alex said—”

“Alex is here? I’m getting a headache.”

“Would you shut up and let me talk?” She
rolled her eye—the one that wasn’t swollen shut—

and made a show of pressing her lips
together. “Olivia’s been keeping hybrids here, only, they were
sick. The change wasn’t working on them. They must’ve been part of
Miles’s earlier batch. Before he figured out my blood was key. She
knew, though, and she made me inject them.”

“With your blood?” Cord asked.

“Yes. It healed them. And it sort of …
bonded us.”

“As in, emotional connection? Soul mates and
all that crap?”

“Sort of. I guess. It happened really fast.
I broke their connection to Olivia and they turned on her.”

“Excellent.”

“I managed to call them off before they
killed her. We put her in the cell she had me in.”

“Damn. Still alive, huh? I almost liked
them.”

I gave her a look and she fell silent. “Alex
showed up. He brought Kane’s strike team with him and they
attacked. I didn’t know it was him, not until after. Geez, Cord, I
bit him.” I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the image of
Alex’s mangled wrist.

“You bit him?” She blinked. “Wait … You
shifted.” It wasn’t a question. I could hear the understanding—the
full impact of my words—hitting her. “Is he all right?”

“He’s sedated, but I can see the infection
already spreading. Fee needs to get here soon.”

“Where are they? What happened to them?”

“Alex misled them. I’m not sure how. I think
he didn’t want them walking into the middle of things with Kane’s
team on rampage.”

“Why was Kane’s team here? How did they find
us?”

“Alex brought them here.”

“So nice of him,” she said, twisting her
lip. The movement reopened one of the cuts there.

“Cord, your lip.”

“I know.” She patted it with her tongue and
swallowed the blood. “Listen, it’s getting a little fuzzy around
the edges.”

“You should sleep some more.” I rose from my
chair. My backside tingled as feeling replaced the numbness caused
by the hard seat. “I’m going to check on Alex.”

“Hey, Godfrey … I mean, Tara.” I stopped in
the doorway and turned back. She licked her lip, her fingers
twitching at her sides. “Thanks.”

I nodded and left.

*

A commotion at the front door drew me. I
picked up the pace at the sound of raised voices. My legs ached,
protesting the movement, though it was nothing like my shoulder. I
tried to hold my arm steady against my side as I walked.

The main door was cracked, a foot wedged in
the opening. Chris, in human form, and another Hunter I didn’t know
blocked the entrance.

“Just tell us if she’s in there.” The voice
came from the other side of the door, muffled and drowned out by
Chris’s yelling, but I’d know it anywhere.

“Wes!”

I ran forward and shoved Chris aside. “It’s
all right. He’s with me,” I told him.

The Hunter moved slower, not quite as
submissive as Chris. I bumped him the rest of the way with my hip
and wrenched open the door. Wes practically fell over the
threshold, grabbing me and crushing me to him. The embrace lasted
only a second before he yanked me back, his hands on either side of
my temples as he inspected me head to toe.

“Are you all right? Are you okay?” His eyes
were wild, unfocused. George, Jack, and Fee shoved through the
opening, surrounding me. I could see their confusion as they tried
to read the situation. George’s relief flowed through me, matching
mine.

“I’m fine,” I said. “Where were you?”

Wes’s jaw hardened and his eyes turned three
shades darker.

“Alex’s guys jumped us a few miles out. He
set us up,” George said. He rubbed his head with his palm. “They
knocked me out to kill our connection.”

I started to ask more but winced at the
pressure of Wes’s hand on my shoulder.

“You’re hurt,” George said, the bond between
us an open channel now.

“My shoulder was dislocated. They had to pop
it back into place.”

“What’s with the scrubs?” George asked.

“I—my clothes … It’s a long story.”

“Where the hell are we?” Jack asked,
inspecting the room.

I shrugged. “Not sure. A forgotten bunker of
some sort—”

“What is that?” Wes demanded. He stared at
something over my shoulder.

“This is Chris. He’s—”

“He’s a hybrid,” George said, his voice
filled with surprise, confusion. He dropped back, his hands
shaking. He looked ready to shift at any moment.

“He’s with me,” I said, putting enough
authority into it, they all turned and stared.

“What?” Jack and Wes echoed in unison.

“Everyone calm down,” Fee said. “Tara,
explain. Quickly,” she added glancing at the Hunter—and the CHAS
logo on his jacket.

“If you’ll stop interrupting me,” I said,
looking pointedly at Wes and George, “I will.”

I told them everything that happened,
beginning with Olivia forcing me to inject the hybrids and ending
with Alex. Kane came up behind me as I told them about the bite. “I
swear I didn’t know it was him,” I said. I looked at Fee. “Can you
help him?”

“He deserved it,” Wes said.

I noticed Fee didn’t correct him. Her
expression was hard, but she nodded at me, then Kane. “Where is
he?” she asked.

“This way,” Kane said. “You.” He pointed to
the Hunter still hovering near the door. “Stay here and guard the
door. No one comes in, no one goes out.”

Jack took Fee’s hand and shot us a look
before they both followed Kane down the hall.

“Where’s Cord?” Wes asked when they’d
gone

“She’s sleeping. Olivia beat her up pretty
bad,” I said. Wes’s and George’s cheeks flushed a matching shade of
red. I didn’t need a bond to tell me they were furious. “She’s safe
now,” I assured them. “Olivia’s locked up.”

“We saw her on the way in,” said George.
“Derek and Cambria are keeping an eye on the perimeter.”

“They’re not going to attack any of the
hybrids, are they?” I asked, suddenly nervous. I saw Chris take a
step forward. Wes noticed it too, and moved so his body blocked
mine.

“Why?” George asked.

“They’re with me now,” I said. “They can’t
hurt them.”

“They won’t do anything until we say,”
George said.

“Are you sure? Because you have to be sure.
I can’t—they can’t hurt them.”

They exchanged a look. “All right,” George
said. “I’ll go let them know.” He slipped out the door and I
relaxed. I wasn’t sure how much he suspected, but I knew he’d keep
his word.

“And this guy’s with you?” Wes demanded. One
hand gripped mine with the pressure of a vise. He used the other to
gesture at Chris who’d backed against the far wall to give me
space. He wouldn’t leave unless I ordered it.

“Yes,” I said.

“But he’s a hybrid.” It was an accusation,
filled with contempt.

“Yes.”

Wes opened his mouth, as if to question
further.

A yell pierced the silence. Alex.

“In a minute,” I promised, letting go of
Wes’s hand and running toward the sound.

Alex lay on a cot in the open area of the
clinic. The crowd parted to let me through and my throat closed up
at the sight of him writhing on the bed. Only Fee held her ground.
Her fingers moved over the wound, poking and pulling at the torn
skin around his wrist. Her frown left deep lines around her mouth,
her brows drawn together in a single line.

“Alex?” I asked, grabbing his other hand
lightly in both of mine.

He didn’t answer. His eyes looked glassy,
his pupils dilated as he tried to focus on my face. He was
breathing heavily.

“Fee?” I asked.

“I don’t know, Tara. It’s pretty bad,” she
said quietly.

“You can do something,” I
insisted. She didn’t respond. Panic speared through me; black dots
clouded my vision. I leaned against the cot in order to stay on my
feet. This couldn’t happen. Not to Alex. Not because of me.
“Freaking do
something
!”

“Tara.” Wes put his hand on my shoulder and
tried to draw me back. I jerked away. My eyes stung but I refused
to let tears fall. Tears were for death. There was no death
here.

“Master?” Chris’s voice, the tone of it, cut
through the panic that clouded my brain. I found him standing
behind me, unimposing but watchful. His hands were fisted at his
sides. I knew, to some extent, he felt my panic, my agony. “What
about a transfusion?”

“Master?” Wes echoed. I ignored him.

“A …” I couldn’t think straight. I couldn’t
form the words or finish the thought.

“It worked for me,” he said. “It can’t
hurt.”

“Yes, yes, I can inject him. Like with you.
It healed you. I can heal him.” I rushed to the cabinet and flung
it open. I grabbed at a tourniquet, a vial—all of the supplies I’d
used before. My hands shook and I dropped the vial. I cursed and
grabbed another.

“Tara, slow down.” It was Fee. “You healed
the hybrids from an injection. Alex was bitten.”

She stood close behind me, blocking my way.
She didn’t touch me, which was good. I felt shaky, unsure of my
form. I took a deep breath.

“The hybrids were almost dead and my blood
brought them back. I get the catalyst is different but the outcome
might not be. I have to try. I’m going to inject him with my
blood.” My voice sounded disturbingly calm. I didn’t wait for an
answer before I slid around her and sat, working the tourniquet
awkwardly around my bicep with one hand. I almost dropped it but
another pair of hands appeared and helped secure it. Male
hands.

I looked up at Wes. “Thanks,” I said.

“What’s next?” he asked.

“Unwrap that syringe and hand it to me.” He
didn’t look up as he worked. Fee stood back, watching, thinking.
Worry lines came and went in her forehead, but she didn’t stop me.
I met Chris’s eyes across the room. They were steady, an
anchor.

“Now what?” Wes asked.

“That vial, get it ready.” I stuck my arm
without hesitation this time, easing the needle into the vein. I
ignored the pinch and watched as blood flowed into the vial. I
filled it and pulled it free. “Cap it with this.”

Wes complied, then handed it back. I dropped
the syringe and took the vial. “Fresh syringe,” I said. Wes handed
it to me unwrapped and followed me to Alex’s bedside without a
word. Fee trailed behind, still looking unsure. I ignored her.
She’d given up. They all had. All I could do was this. And so I’d
do it.

I reached for Alex’s arm. He didn’t pull
away. Instead, he turned his head side to side, as if fighting off
a bad dream. I positioned the needle over the crook in his elbow.
My hands shook and the point slipped left. My injured shoulder
throbbed at the angle I held it. Another pair of hands came around
either side of me. I breathed in the scent of Wes as he pressed
himself against me and his hands steadied Alex’s arm.

“I’m here,” Wes said quietly, “whenever
you’re ready.”

I swallowed the lump in my chest. Alex had
betrayed me—betrayed us all. An act that almost got Cord and me
killed. He’d swooped in with a team of killers, purposely lured
away those who would’ve rescued us, and in the end, had tried to
end me with a metal-tipped stake.

Knowing all of that, Wes stood here, his
arms wrapped around me, his hands steady over mine, willing to do
whatever it took to save Alex’s life.

Whatever happened after this day, my choice
had been made.

I blinked against the tears that blurred my
vision, adjusted the point of the needle against the vein, and
pressed down.

***

Acknowledgements

This book wouldn’t be complete without a
page full of thank-yous. This particular story held the most
growing pains for me—I want to bang my head against the wall
numerous times. But in the end, it taught me the most about
stretching and growing and believing in myself and in my writing.
If not for the following people, I might still be at my desk,
banging my forehead raw and meaty. You people keep me sane. Or at
least keep me looking that way to the rest of the world.

Angeline Kace, your
feedback and always -honest critiques are priceless. This story
wouldn’t be
this story
without your help. Thank you times a zillion. So glad we
found each other and recognized the soulmate friendship that
awaited us. I’m here for you, always.

Big, fat thanks to Jennifer Sommersby, my
editor, and the third point in our soul mate friendship triangle.
The journey is so much sweeter when taken together! I am forever
grateful that we have each other to lean on, cry with, rant to.

Most importantly, I’m so glad my life story
includes both of you.

To my street team,
Heather’s Hotshots, you guys rock my world! Especially the ones
who’ve been here since the beginning and thus deserve special
recognition: Cambria Hebert (Author of
Heven and Hell
series, and my
Cambria’s namesake), Cameron at What the Cat Read, Taneesha Freidus
at Diary of a Book Addict, Supagurl Heather, Awesomesauce Amber,
Shana at a Book Vacation, Andrea at Bookish Babes, Heather at
Nightly Reading, Alli at Magnet 4 Books, Kristen at Seeing Night,
Jamie at Bookerella, Tiffany at Escaping One Book at a Time, Book
Chatter Cath, Katja at Coffee Mugged, Renee & Stacey at Sassy
Book Lovers, Jackie at Sated Faery, Katrina at Page Flipperz, Tanya
at All Things Books, Kara at Great Imaginations, Maghon at Happy
Tails and Tales (my stalker extraordinaire), Tishia at Paranormal
Opinion, Jenni at Alluring Reads, April at Book Hoarder Moms, Emily
at Doodle’s Book Blog, Amy at The Book Diaries, Susan Haugland,
Sarah at Wondrous Readings, Bianca at Bianca2b, Delphina Reads Too
Much, Andrea at Phantasy Crossroads, Emily the Awesamazing at Leave
No Book Behind, The Cover by Brittany, Tess at My Pathway to Books,
Angela at Chaotic Book Corner, Reviews by Molly, Nikki at Vamps and
Stuff, Katy at Book Time For Life, and Heidi at Rainy Day
Ramblings.