Fated Healing [Kindred of Arcadia 5] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) (10 page)

weaker weren’t exhibiting new symptoms.

Felix did what he could to help, but it was like pouring water through a sieve. Without knowing the

cause, they were just fighting against time.

“Doc! Doc! Please help!” Liam’s voice shouted as he carried Sebastian in, Kent frantic beside him.

“What happened?” Claybourne demanded, running up and directing them to one of the cots.

“He said he was tired and went to bed early last night. Everything has been so crazy and he hadn’t

shown any symptoms before, we didn’t think anything of it. This morning he was still sleeping so Kent and

I snuck downstairs for a conference call with Grandfather, and when we went back upstairs he was still

asleep, he hadn’t moved. He is in and out of it,” Liam explained, tears dripping from his chin.

“This is all my fault!” Kent exclaimed. Liam turned to his other mate and pulled him into his arms.

“No it’s not! We both missed it.” Liam’s voice broke.

“It’s not your fault, stop blaming yourselves,” Sebastian said from the cot. Liam and Kent were instantly

on their knees beside their mate.

“We won’t, but you have to get better,” Liam tried to bargain. Felix felt himself begin to shake. He

couldn’t lose Sebastian, he was his only family.

“Tylenol, IV, blankets! I’ll…I’ll get them, hold on!” he yelled. He ran over to the supply station and

stared in shock at how little they had. He grabbed what he needed and turned around to race back to

Sebastian when he ran into Claybourne’s chest. Claybourne reached out, took the supplies from his hands,

and put them back on the table.

“It’s okay, Felix,” Claybourne said.

“No, he’s my friend. He needs me. I can’t lose my shit now,” Felix said and couldn’t stop the sobs.

“No! I don’t have time for this.” Felix struggled in Claybourne’s arms, trying to get back to Sebastian.

“Shuush. Baptista is setting up his IV. Love, look at your hands, you wouldn’t be able to stick him

without hurting him. You have been there for everyone, let us handle this for you,” Claybourne whispered.

Felix sagged against his mate.

“I can’t lose him, I can’t,” Felix whispered over and over again. Claybourne rubbed his back.

“Come on, let’s go see him. He’s worried about you.” Claybourne pulled his mate back over to where

Sebastian lay looking small and weak.

“I hope you don’t think you’re to try getting a needle in me, Felix, your hands are shaking,” Sebastian

joked, opening one eye to look at his friend. Felix shook his head and sniffed loudly. If his Sebastian could

be brave, so could he.

“Pul-lease, having two mates I’d thought you’d welcome more holes,” Felix rebuffed. Sebastian’s

mouth dropped before he began to laugh softly.

“Oh my god! I can’t believe you said that.” Sebastian grinned up at him. Felix winked.

“We’re giving you extra fluids since you’re pregnant, evidently.” Claybourne raised an eyebrow.

Sebastian winced.

“We were going to tell you…” Sebastian started.

“How can I help?” Nic asked, running over. He had been bouncing between Kate and Damian, helping

to care for them since the temporary clinic was set up.

“Make sure that you keep refreshing his fluid bag, just like Kate’s. It’s important for them to stay

hydrated with them both being pregnant,” Felix explained.

Nic pushed his curly bangs out of his eyes, exhausted.

“Nic, you need to make sure you take the time to rest. It won’t do them any good if you collapse,” Felix

admonished. Nic nodded.

“Claybourne!” A majestic voice shouted, and waves of power and panic drifted through the gym.

Baptista dropped the blanket he was holding for Sebastian and sprinted over to his prince, directing him

over to an empty cot.

“Oh my god, that’s Ashby!” Felix gasped. All of the blood drained from Nic’s face before he ran over to

his best friend.

“Go, go help him,” Sebastian insisted. Felix felt torn as he watched his mate race over to the vampire

prince.

“He’s not awake, Felix, he’ll need you more.” Sebastian yawned.

“You stay awake, fight this, Sebastian. You’re all I have,” Felix whispered and hugged his friend

fiercely.

“I will. Go.” he pushed him toward Ashby. Felix ran over to see Baptista taking deep breaths before

attempting an IV. Carefully he took the bag and needle from him.

“You did the same for me. I’ve got this. See?” Felix said, showing him steady hands. Baptista nodded

and swallowed hard.

“Hang on, Ashby!” Nic wept and held his friend’s hand tightly. Felix watched as Nic became unglued.

After the IV was in, he went to the locked supply closet they had brought in. He unlocked and opened the

door and pulled out the small glass bottle he was looking for. He took out a syringe and measured the

dosage he wanted. When he got back to Ashby’s cot, Nic was incoherent.

“He’s my family! I can’t lose my brother, oh please don’t be sick, don’t leave me!” Nic screamed.

Claybourne stepped forward and Felix, standing behind Nic, held up the syringe and pointed to Nic.

Claybourne and Gabriel grabbed the shifter’s arms as Felix jumped forward and stuck Nic in the leg and

pushed the plunger.

“What…?” Nic asked before his eyes fluttered shut. Baptista lifted the smaller man and lay him close to

Ashby. In their sleep the two men turned to one another. Gabriel sighed.

“How did he get sick? He’s been at the coven house the entire time,” Gabriel demanded.

“I don’t know! We know so little about this virus,” Claybourne said, reaching over to check Ashby’s

vitals.

“I missed the signs. I thought that he wouldn’t be affected. We don’t live with any shifters. Hell, he

didn’t even go to Field Day.” Gabriel paced in front of Ashby’s cot. Felix pulled the blanket up over the two

men and froze as his words sunk in.

“What did you say?” he asked in a horrified whisper.

“He wasn’t exposed to other shifters.” Gabriel looked confused. Claybourne looked over to Felix, fear

and impotent frustration flooding their mating bond.

“Prince Gabriel, we have set your mate up like the others, with extra fluids and a low dosage of Tylenol.

That is the most effective treatment that we have at the moment. Please excuse me.” Claybourne barely

managed to get the clipped words out. With clenched fists he walked away from the cot before going over

to the supply table. With a roar of frustration he flipped the table, spilling everything across the gym floor.

Everyone stared at the normally composed doctor in shock.

“Goddammit!” he yelled, then kicked the gym door off its hinges before leaving.

“What is it, Felix? You know, don’t you, why he’s so upset?” Gabriel asked.

“After days of treating this thing, we were going on the theory that this virus had a twenty-four to forty-

eight hour incubation period and that the source was something at Field Day. With Sebastian and now

Ashby coming in, the incubation period and the Field Day theories are out the window. We’re back to

square one, which is with no answers and people dying.” Felix ran a hand over Ashby’s soft blond curls.

“Go to him, Felix. We need him. Ashby needs him functioning,” Gabriel ordered.

Felix stepped back and his eyes met the prince’s. He hadn’t seen hopelessness like that in a man’s eyes

since he had been stuck in that cage.

“Lots of fluids. Don’t hesitate to come get me.” Felix ran after his mate.

* * * *

When he entered the teacher’s lounge, Claybourne was breathing hard and staring out the window.

“Meredith Wade slipped into a coma today,” Claybourne said quietly, not bothering to turn around.

“I know,” Felix said and stood behind his mate. He reached out one hand and placed it in the center of

his mate’s back.

“I was the one who delivered her. I delivered most of the children,” Claybourne whispered.

“It has to be Field Day.” Claybourne shook his head.

“Not everything fits into neat little boxes, my mate. You know it can’t be Field Day, not with Ashby and

Sebastian getting sick. You’re too intelligent to continue beating your head against that wall.” Felix felt his

mate’s back muscles flex as he took in a deep, ragged breath.

“It has to be, Felix, because otherwise I don’t think I can save them. All the time we spent gathering

samples cannot be for nothing.” He continued to stare out the window.

“It hasn’t been for nothing. Every time we test something, we eliminate a source. That is a lot of work

done. It’s not for nothing.” Felix leaned forward and placed his forehead against his mate’s back.

“I acted like an idiot,” Claybourne admitted.

“No, you acted like a man who has the weight of the world bearing down on him. We’ve all had so

much to deal with today, you more than others. No one is blaming you in the least.” Felix wrapped his arms

around his mate and held him tight so that his chest was flush with the hard contours of his mate’s body.

“Remind me to light a candle for Fate. She knew what she was doing when she brought you to me. I

don’t think I could have gotten this far alone.” Claybourne turned so that Felix was staring up into his eyes.

“Having a nurse around was a help too, huh?” Felix smiled. Claybourne shook his head.

“Not just any nurse. You, my love. I have come to lean on you so much, so fast. It’s because it’s you.”

Claybourne hugged Felix tightly. Felix closed his eyes and buried his face in Claybourne’s chest, breathing

in the smell of his man. No matter what happened, he would find a way to protect this. This gentle and

amazing man.

A knock sounded at the door. A sheep-faced Emmett stood there.

“I really hate to interrupt, but Pint-Size has called a meeting. She is calling all the leaders in and we need

you, Doc,” Emmett explained.

“I’ll be right there. Where are we meeting?” he asked. Emmett sighed.

“The principal’s conference room.” He shook his head and shut the door.

“Is Rebecca seriously calling all the leaders to the principal’s office at two o’clock in the morning?”

Felix asked. Claybourne shook his head.

“Thank whatever gods that are listening for that small woman. Come on, Felix, one thing I have learned

about Rebecca, is that you never, ever want to piss her off.” Claybourne wrapped his arm around his mate’s

waist as they headed to the principal’s office.

* * * *

“All right, gentlemen. Sit down. Let’s get started,” Rebecca said when they walked in. Felix and

Claybourne quickly found seats around the long table where the town’s leaders sat. Aleks, Caleb, Bran,

Liam, Kent and Gabriel, along with all of Aleks’s brothers, Baptista, Roman and Riley.

“My ma and every single member of my Inner Court is laid out in that gym. What do we know?”

Rebecca started.

Everyone looked to Claybourne. Rebecca spoke up.

“I want answers and observations from everyone. Claybourne can explain some of the medical

symptoms, but he’s been up to his eyeballs in treating people. You gentlemen have been out in town, talking

with people and helping to gather data. Everyone needs to speak up,” Rebecca said. Felix wanted to do a

fist pump. Pint-sized or not, Rebecca knew the score.

“None of the vampires are infected. Not one. Ashby managed to contract this illness with no contact

with any other shifter. I think that is a huge piece of the puzzle,” Roman pointed out.

“Excellent. Next,” Rebecca ordered.

“Did anyone bring anything back from Field Day for Ashby to try?” Claybourne asked. Felix gave him a

look.

“I’m not trying to fit things into neat boxes, but the timing is too close to be coincidental and easily

discard,” Claybourne explained. Rebecca nodded and turned to Gabriel.

“He tried the ice cream the twins made and some other things. I’m afraid I don’t know everything he

tried.” Gabriel ran a hand over his face sadly.

“David and Daniel would know,” Roman said.

“Call them in,” Rebecca said. Roman got out his cell phone and all but threatened bodily harm to get the

twins to come. Rebecca sighed.

“I should’ve called them.”

A few minutes later a timorous knock sounded on the door.

“Come in,” Rebecca called out.

“You needed to see us?” Daniel asked.

“Yes, can you recall what foods Ashby tried from Field Day?” Rebecca asked. Daniel brightened.

“Yes. He had some of the ice cream we made, though he was still kinda mad we used his equipment,”

Daniel started.

“He calmed down when Gabriel offered him new equipment for the shop.” David smiled.

“Yup, then he tried Ma’s apple pie. Man, that was good.” Daniel sighed.

“Oh and he tried those meat skewers that Beau did, though he only got half because piggy over there ate

most of them.” David jerked a thumb to his twin.

“Oh yeah, well you ate most of the cotton candy we brought home for him to try,” Daniel retorted.

“That was good too.”

“It was.”

“Let’s see, he also tried the funnel cake, the lamb burger, the shifter footlong. We had fun with that

one.” David leered.