Skin Walkers - King (10 page)

Chapter
17

Sucking back her tears, Lilly cursed herself for acting like a child
.  After all, Jenny had told her there might be a way.

Hearing the front door to the cabin open, Lilly swiped her palms across her
cheeks and sucked in a breath, hoping to hide the fact that she’d just been having a breakdown.  King entered the room and her shoulders slumped.  There was no way the Chief of Security hadn’t already scented her agony and tears.  She wasn’t fooling anyone.  Dipping her eyes, she shifted uncomfortably without looking up.  “Forget something?”

***

Despair was etched in the delicate contours of Lilly’s face.  It was obvious she was trying to hide it, to compose herself, but the set of her body, so small looking on the large bed, screamed misery.  King’s hackles rose.  He needed to defend her from whoever or whatever was the source of her agony, but it had already been done.  His anger gave way to a gnawing ache that he knew he’d just have to endure.  For Lilly, he would.  For her, he’d endure his dismal sorrow at witnessing her own, and if he could, he’d gladly carry the weight of her agony as well.

Jerking off his jacket,
he dropped it carelessly to the floor and stalked to the bed.  He hiked up a leg to sit beside Lilly as she watched him with suspicious eyes.  Not knowing what to say, he said nothing as he reached for her and pulled her onto his lap and into the safety of his embrace.  If all he could do was hold her and shield her from the world, then that’s exactly what he’d do.

Her body was rigid at first and she opened her mouth—he knew to protest—but before she said anything, her teeth clicked closed and she leaned into him.  That’s all it was at first.  A lean
.  The subtle gesture of testing her weight against his body to see if he would support her.  His arms tightened around her in response.  The room was silent, when he’d expected hysterics and accusations, and angry words.  The hand on her hip gently massaged and he brushed his cheek against her hair, that’s when he felt the damp heat on his shirt.  Tears.  He had to grit his teeth at the angry growl that was forming in the center of his chest.  He didn’t want Lilly to cry.  He didn’t know how to make her stop.

“Lilly…please!”  The words were ripped from him on an agonized growl.  She was killing him.  Her pain was undoing all the hardened steel he’d erected around his heart and he couldn’t stop it, he wouldn’t stop it if it meant comforting his Lilly.

Slender shoulders shook against his chest and a feminine whimper brought a stinging pain to the back of his eyes.  If she were his mate, she’d be mourning the loss of
their
children.  The thought had King trying to swallow around the emotion that suddenly clogged his throat.  King Mulholland didn’t cry.  He
NEVER
cried, but in that moment, he wanted to.  He wanted to mourn with Lilly.  Instead, he held her.  He rocked her.  He soothed his hands over her body and was strong despite the fact that his own anguish matched hers.

What felt like hours later, he placed a sleeping Lilly gently on the bed before covering her small
frame.  Part of him wanted to crawl into the bed with her to keep on holding her through the night.  It wasn’t a good idea.  He was attracted to her and in her emotionally weakened state, it’d be easy for her to ask him for something that he wouldn’t be able to deny giving her.

Bending, her brushed lips across her temple and watched her sleep for several moments before forcing himself to leave the cabin.
 

***

Four weeks later, Lilly was so restless that she was actually looking forward to her appointment with Jenny.  She’d showered and dressed herself and was hobbling out to the sitting room of her cabin when King’s angry growl stopped her. 

“What are you doing out of bed?  Where’s your Nurse?”  King closed the space between them and lifted her effortlessly into his arms.

“Put me down!”  Lilly struggled in his arms, but only feebly as her abdomen was still tender.  “Did you think I’d just stay in bed for the next year?”

King frowned down at her, but didn’t say anything.  Instead he carried her out the front door and down to the waiting car.  All the while, the scent of Lilly’s anger got stronger and stronger until finally as he set her in the back seat of the car and reached over her waist to buckle her in, she slapped at his hands
in frustration.

“Enough!  Stop it!”

He pulled back, trying to hide the smile that tugged at his lips.

“What in the hell is wrong with you?  Do you think I’m some kind of baby?” 

My baby. 
He didn’t say it aloud.

Lilly jerked the seat belt angrily across her chest before clicking it in place.  Then she stared straight ahead, ignoring him as he stared down at her
.  “Are you driving me or not?”

King closed the door, a smile cracking his features as he crossed to the driver’s side door and eased into the seat. 

The short ride to the infirmary was quiet and it didn’t go unnoticed that Lilly was avoiding his eyes in the rearview mirror. 

Before the car pulled to a halt in front of the
manor Lilly ground out, “And I’ll be
walking
into my appointment.”  A self-satisfied smile touched her lips, but faded just as quickly when she thought she heard King growl in the front seat.

When the car came to a halt Lilly unfastened her seat belt just in time to hear the doors lock.  She raised her eyes slowly to meet King’s in the mirror. 

“Ms. Worthington, who is the Chief of Security here at StoneCrow?”

She didn’t answer, just glared at him.

“And your capacity here at StoneCrow is…aide to the CEO I believe.”

Lilly was fuming.  “You know damn well what my
capacity
here is.  And just because you’re the Chief of Security doesn’t make you the Chief of me.”

King drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, keeping his eyes pinned on her.  “I can do this all day
, Ms. Worthington, but I doubt Dr. Houlton will hold your appointment. 

Lilly yanked on the door handle,
even knowing it wouldn’t open before she ground through clenched teeth, “Fine.  We’ll do it your way.”  She dropped her hand from the door and fell back against the seat, scowling at him as he exited the vehicle and crossed to open her door for her. 

He
extended his hand, which Lilly ignored as she bit back the pain she caused by climbing too quickly from the car.

“See
!” King growled before scooping her up.

“Damn Walkers
! Isn’t there anything you can’t scent?” Lilly muttered rubbing a small hand gingerly over her midsection.  Jenny had been teaching her more and more about Skin Walkers and their abilities with each of her visits. 

King carried her effortlessly into the building and down the narrow corridor that led to the
wing that made up the infirmary.

“There you are
,” Jenny smiled as King and Lilly approached.  “How are you feeling?”

“Fine.”  Lilly winced at the too airy tone she used.  She wanted Jenny to begin the treatments as soon as possible but knew the Doctor only intended to do so once Lilly was fully healed.

“Dr. Houlton,” King cut in, “she strained herself getting out of the vehicle.  You may want to take a look.”

Lilly’s face flushed in anger and embarrassment.  She could call King a liar, but knew better.  Doctor Jenny Houlton was also a Walker and it was
obvious now that she used her Walker abilities and senses to aid in her treatment of her patients. 

“I’m just stiff from lying around
the last four weeks.”  It wasn’t a full lie, so Lilly hoped neither of the Walker’s would detect deceit. 

“Well, I still need to take a look.”  A frown now marred Jenny’s features.  She extended her arm, “King?”

He followed her direction and carried Lilly to the nearest exam room and placed her gently on the exam table.  With King’s help, Lilly reclined back and watched as Jenny snapped on latex gloves before she grabbed the hem of Lilly’s shirt.

Lilly’s hand shot out and grabbed the Doctor’s wrist.  When Jenny looked to Lilly, Lilly’s eyes shot to King who stood near the door watching.  “You can go.”

Jenny, who seemed to not have noticed King was still in the room, turned angry eyes on him.  “You heard the woman.”

He scowled
at Lilly for several seconds, his eyes shifting with a crystalline reflection to a dull black.  She watched him inhale sharply before he turned and left.

Once King was gone Jenny turned her eyes back to her patient and rolled up her shirt before carefully removing the bandage that covered her
healing wound.

“Jenny?”

“Hmm?”  The Doctor didn’t look up.

“Can you ask M
r. StoneCrow to assign someone else to…
babysit
me?”

Jenny looked up, a hint of a smile on her lips.  “Having a rough go with King
I take it.”

“He’s a damn
neanderthal.  He won’t let me walk anywhere.  I haven’t been allowed to leave my cabin; he’s treating me like I’m a prisoner.”

Jenny shook her head, the grin not leaving her lips.  “Well, in his defense, he is the Chief of Security.  He’s used to guarding prisoners, not taking care of injured women.”

“So why is he?”

“What?”

“Why has he been assigned to me?  Surely, there’s gotta be someone better suited for the task.  Legion?  Bronco?  Bishop?  Hell, I bet even RedKnife’s got a better bed-side manner.”

Jenny laughed, “Come on, Lill.  He can’t be
that
bad.”

“Don’t ignore my question
, Jenny.  I want to talk to Monroe.  I want to know why King’s been assigned to me.”

Jenny
sighed, “I’ll have one of the nurses try to get him down here before our appointments over.  In the meantime,” Jenny rolled Lilly’s shirt down, “you’re healing nicely.  No infection, wound looks good.  How’s your appetite?”

“Fine.”

“Are you sleeping well?”

“Fine.”  Lilly’s eyes darted to Jenny
as she watched the Surgeon trace notes onto her e-tablet.  Then Jenny’s nostrils flared and her finger stilled.

“You’re having trouble sleeping?”

Lilly sighed in exasperation.  It was impossible to keep anything a secret here.  “I’m just not used to being away from home.”

Jenny stared at her angrily, “That’s a lie.  What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Lilly barked defensively.  “Do we have to discuss everything?”

Jenny set her
e-tablet on the nearest table and propped one hand on her hip.  “Look, I’m trying to prep you for some unprecedented treatment.  So yes, we have to discuss
everything
.”

Lilly rolled her eyes.  “It’s just a few nightmares.  Once I wake up and shake ‘em off, I fall right back asleep.”

Lilly’s frown softened to concern, “Do you need something to help you sleep?”

“No.”

“Lilly, if...”

“NO!”

“Fine.”  Jenny picked up her tablet and continued her exam.  She took Lilly’s blood pressure, checked her shoulder wound, and then pulled up a stool.  “So, you’re progressing well enough for us to proceed as planned.”

For the first time in days, Lilly
felt a sense of hope.  “So you’ve got my list of candidates?”

“Well,” Jenny began, but Lilly
stopped her.

“
Wait!  Are we alone?”

Jenny’s brow wrinkled.
“Yes, we’re alone.”

Lilly frowned at the door, “No, are we
alone.
”

Jenny smiled then went to the door, opened it wide and stepped out into the hall before turning back to Lilly, “Yes, we’re alone.”

Lilly waved the Doctor back in excitedly.  “Okay, so back to my list of candidates. What should I be looking for?”

Jenny rubbed her hands together.  “Before we go over the
candidates, you need to know that there are certain factors to consider.  First, intelligence, physical strength, and character are all traits you’ll want to fully consider.  You also need to know that Walkers are different from other men, Lilly.  Mated Walkers are excluded from being candidates.”

Lilly’s brows knitted, “Why?”

“Because we have animalistic tendencies.  We’re extremely territorial and fiercely possessive.  So much so, that no married Walker could have his scent on a woman that’s not his angel.”

“His scent?”
  While Jenny had been teaching Lilly more and more about Skin Walkers and their abilities, there always seemed to be some new revelation that had Lilly perplexed.

“I’m not even sure you’ll be marked, but to be safe I’ve excluded all m
ated Walkers.”

Lilly gnawed on her bottom lip.  It sounded so personal, so permanent.  “Will there be side effects?”

Jenny shook her head, “None that we can predict.”