Now he felt like a complete shit for making it sound like it was Karl’s fault for having a social life. “It won’t happen again.” And, that was a lie. “I really need to get home and horizontal. Can I retract my earlier bullshit statement about getting there on my own and ask for a ride?”
Karl grimaced. “Yeah, sure. Asshole,” he added, but with a grin.
As they made their way to the exit, the typical moans and groans and beeps and whirrs of the place became drowned out by a wailing that struck a familiar chord. Trey stuttered to a halt just as the doors swung open and EMTs rushed in with an incoherent redheaded boy strapped to their gurney. A frantic giant with a Mohawk tore in after them, while hospital personnel tried to hold him back.
“Jesus, fuck,” Karl muttered.
Trey pushed forward, grabbing his badge out as he did so. He held it up for the nurse and the orderly to see. “I’m a cop. Let this man through. He’s the patient’s fiancé, plus I need to talk to him.”
The orderly threw up his hands, and the nurse said, “Fine. But he needs to keep himself under control. The EMTs damn near tossed him out on the ride over.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Trey put himself in Val’s path. It was like standing in front of a moving train. He didn’t so much as stop the man as ended up being pushed along himself. “Val, what happened?”
He turned crazed eyes on him. “A club member slipped Mackie that drug to make him more pliable for playing.”
“Fucking hell.” Trey turned to Karl. “Do me a favor and go to the club and see if that fucker is still there. I want his ass in a cell.”
Karl nodded. “On it. What’s his name?”
“Warren,” Val spit out, still moving.
Trey was no longer trying to slow him down. He picked up speed to stay apace. “I’ll make sure Paz gets called in on this.”
“He can’t help, but I think Harry finally can.” He slowed enough to grab Trey by the arm and haul him up on his toes. “We need him to help Mackie. Understand?”
“Absolutely. I promise I’ll make it happen.” How he would honor that vow, however, Trey had no idea.
* * * *
There were a lot of sounds in a hospital, the middle of the night notwithstanding. Humans were a noisy species. A hive by comparison had a quiet hum to it and little else. His species only became loudly vocal when in stress or conflict. Val had long ago learned to tune out the things he didn’t need to hear. He wondered, though, while he watched helplessly as Mackie thrashed within his restraints, if the boy wasn’t being tormented by noise he didn’t know how to block.
The transformation wrought by the drug had already begun, of course. Warren had told Kitty about how Mackie had broken through his cuffs. She had briefed Val as they’d raced up to the roof about the way Mackie had shimmied up poles and overturned tables, all done while he’d laughed insanely and avoided their efforts to catch him. There was no question that the body Val knew so well was transforming into something different—and ultimately fatal.
He reached over to smooth the boy’s hair from his sweaty face. It did nothing to soothe either of them, and Val felt that failure like a knife twisting in his gut. He couldn’t help his sub find peace in his confines or pain. Val was impotent and a failure. He’d confessed his feelings when it was too late. Because of his cowardice and selfishness, another boy was going to die.
A soft knock caught his attention. The human doctor who had been too smart about the drug entered. He gave Val a nod before checking Mackie’s medical information and the machines that surrounded him.
“There is no change in his condition, if that’s your purpose.” Val delivered the information in a low tone, not sure what Mackie could hear. He also wanted the well-meaning man gone. The only person Val pitted his hopes on was Harry.
The doctor, Paz, grimaced. “I know. It’s just a thing we do. I promise you that our lab is working on the blood we took. We hope to learn how to counter the effects of the drug. It’s a surprising synthesis of unknown compounds.” The man gripped the metal guard rails on Mackie’s bed. “I’m off my shift and promise to stay here with you and help keep him comfortable.”
Val supposed he should say something to try to shake the man off track and get him out of the room. He couldn’t muster the energy. What did it matter? Let this world know of his people’s existence. Let Dracul’s schemes come to light. Val only knew that he would fight until his dying breath to avenge what had happened to this lovely boy. Mackie had only wanted to be appreciated for who and what he was, to be loved.
The door opened, taking his attention once more. Duncan came in first, followed by Emil and, thank God, Harry. The doctor carried what Val recognized as the old-fashioned doctor bag the man had acquired over a hundred years ago.
Dr. Paz started to object. “Sergeant Duncan, who are these men? I haven’t authorized any other visitors.”
No one responded. Instead, Duncan took up a position against the closed door, Emil headed for the doctor. In a quick, but still human move, he had his hand over Paz’s mouth and had him pressed up against the far wall and out of the way.
“My most sincere apologies, sir, for this rude aggression,” Emil said into the man’s frightened and angry face. “I assure you it is necessary and won’t last long. I hope.” He gave the man a shallow bow.
That was all the attention Val gave them. He trusted Emil to keep the doctor in check, although what they would do with the man afterward was something he couldn’t think about. Harry had put his bag down and was checking Mackie’s vital signs.
“He’s in extremity, but I may be able to stop the progression. He took out a vial of murky liquid and filled a syringe. “Val, I have to warn you that this is untested.”
“I understand.”
“Do you, my friend? I could end up killing him.”
A shudder ran through him. He stared down at Mackie’s beautiful face, twisted in pain and anguish. “He’s already dying.” He lifted his gaze to Harry. “I heard someone tell the doctor out in the hall that the woman from Cambridge had died. Mackie has very little time left, and better he die now and quickly than slowly in agony.”
The words practically choked him. Harry didn’t question him or make him repeat himself. He simply shot the antidote into Mackie’s IV. Behind Emil’s hand, Paz made some sound of outrage. Val ignored him. He kept his focus on Mackie’s face. It didn’t take long, only a few minutes, before the boy’s features smoothed out. The thrashing slowed, then stopped. The squiggly lines of the machine he was hooked up to slowed, as well.
“This is good,” Harry said, a smile crossing his face. “I think it might be working.”
More time passed, and most of the signs of Mackie’s condition improved. Val dared to look at Harry. “I think you’ve saved him.” Val’s hope was short-lived when he saw the look on the man’s face. “What?”
“It seems that I’ve neutralized the drug, yes. Remember what I told Logan? I don’t think I can reverse the effects.” He shook his head. “I can’t tell the damage done to his body without doing a scan.” He glanced over his shoulder. “I would need someone in the hospital to authorize it.”
Val placed his hand against Mackie’s cheek. It still felt hot. “It’s bad. It must be, given how long it was in his body. There’s no point in putting him through anything when we basically know the answer already.”
He sat there feeling helpless, not wanting to see the looks of pity on everyone’s face. It was the same as it had been with Robbie, although this time Val would witness the death himself. I’m so sorry, my love. I brought you to this end. He had, too, as if he’d fed his blood to him and changed Mackie’s body himself.
Change.
Val raised his gaze to Harry. “He’s half changed, isn’t he?”
“I suppose…in a way.”
“What if I do it all the way—not reverse the damage but override it. Complete it?”
Harry rubbed his chin. “I-I don’t know. I can’t say that it wo
uld work. I don’t know enough about what we’ve been dealing with.” He shrugged. “You can’t make matters worse, though, I suppose.”
That was enough for Val. He wasted no more time. He dropped his fangs and scored his wrist with one. Again, Paz made a muffled noise, although this one was more like a squeak then a yell. Beads of blood welled up. Val placed his hand over Mackie’s face. A drop fell onto his chapped lips. Mackie’s face screwed up and he turned instinctively away.
“No, baby. You need this.” Val clasped the boy’s head to hold it in place and pressed his wrist against his mouth. “Drink, Mackie. Come on.”
The blood dripped down the human’s chin. Val realized he was going to have to bring his Dom out if he stood any chance of getting this mad scheme to work.
“Open up, boy. Fasten your lips around my wrist and suck. Treat it like you would my cock,” he added in a low, seductive voice close to the boy’s ear.
That did the trick. Mackie opened his mouth and latched on like a baby—or a good sub. Soon he tugged at Val’s vein in earnest, drawing the blood down his throat.
“That’s it, baby. Good boy.”
Val’s cock hardened. His pulse beat in time to the rhythm of Mackie’s sucking. Val’s breathing became shallow and quick. The sensation of an orgasm built as his balls tightened and his dick twitched. Mackie moaned around his mouthful of Val’s wrist, the sound sending a wave of pleasure straight to Val’s groin.
He’d forgotten this. Feeding a lover was almost as powerful as taking from him. “Yes, that’s it, greedy boy. Suck me dry.”
He curled his fingers around the strands of Mackie’s hair and leaned forward. His climax was almost upon him when Harry lashed out and grabbed his wrist. He pulled it away from Mackie’s mouth. The sight of Val’s blood coating the boy’s lips was almost enough to send Val over the edge.
“Val!” Harry’s voice was like a vice on Val’s dick. “Enough. Human stomachs are delicate things. Too much blood will make him sick and he’ll vomit it up.” He stared back at Val with a mild-mannered expression.
Val pulled himself under control. Licking his flesh closed, he nodded in appreciation. “Thank you, Harry. I’m not myself right now.”
“I would say that you are yourself for the first time in a long while, actually. No matter. Let’s get this boy home where I can keep an eye on him.”
“Do you think it worked?” he asked, standing.
“Time will tell. You can feed him again later.”
Val nodded in assent, already embarrassed at how he’d lost control, yet looking forward to another chance to have Mackie tugging on his vein again. He put down the safety bars and gathered Mackie’s limp form with the bedding wrapped around him. Already it seemed as if the boy was calmer and sleeping naturally. Maybe that was wishful thinking.
He turned and caught sight of the human doctor still pressed against the wall and muted by Emil’s hand. “Shit. Duncan, can you please figure this out?” he asked, jutting his chin in their direction.
“Sure. I’ll have a little chat with Dr. Paz if you’ll lend me Emil?”
“I can drive us home,” Harry offered.
“I’ll see you later,” Emil chimed in. “Sorry, sir,” he said to a wide-eyed Paz. “This indignity won’t last much longer. And you are in no danger. You have my word on that.”
Val doubted the doctor was relieved by Emil’s words, but that was not Val’s concern at the moment. He needed to get Mackie home to the club—Val’s bedroom, to be exact. He waited until Duncan had confirmed the hallway was empty before striding out of the room. His path was clear—that night and forever. He would make Mackie well, then he would make him his.
Trey played doorman, ushering a determined Val and a hopeful Harry out with Mackie cocooned in Val’s arms, as safe as he was ever going to be. Now all Trey had to do was get Paz to believe that. The doctor stood like a statue, Emil’s captive. The cook shot Trey an encouraging smile, clearly not interested in taking on the task of educating and coopting the man to the aliens’ cause.
Trey really wished he’d taken up his own doctor’s offer for pain meds a couple of hours before. With a sigh, he joined the other two men across the room. He met Paz’s hostile glare with a firm nod. “Okay, doc, let me tell you a tale that you’re going find hard to believe.”
First, he switched his attention to Emil. “Would you mind providing a little show to my tell?” He made a circle with his finger around his mouth.
Emil frowned, then his eyes lit up. “Oh, sure.” He opened his lips and flashed his fangs at the doctor.
Paz freaked and tried to break through the wall against his back. His fingers scrambled against the plaster and he yelled through Emil’s finger gag.
“It’s okay,” Trey jumped to reassure him. “He’s not going to hurt you. These are the good guys in all of this. Give me a chance to explain. Emil,” he added without taking his gaze off the doctor’s face, “please take your hand away.”
“You sure, Duncan?”
“Yes. Dr. Paz is going to hear me out before he starts screaming for help. Right, doc?”
Paz glared at him for a few seconds before nodding. Emil slowly removed his hand, although he still boxed the man in. The doctor licked his lips and took a few deep breaths.
“Okay,” he said in a surprisingly strong voice. “I’m listening. It better be good, though, otherwise I’ll have you all in jail. And that boy needs to be in a hospital.”
“Believe it or not, he’s getting the best possible care, but I appreciate your skepticism. I was where you are now not long ago. I made the decision to keep what I’m about to tell you secret because it’s the right thing to do.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
“Yeah,” Trey conceded, “you will. So…this all starts a thousand years ago.”
* * * *
Val only paid attention to who came into his bedroom because he was surprised it was Demi. Harry and Quinn were frequently in and out. Alex had also come in to check on Mackie and to reassure Val that Duncan had somehow put the lid on Dr. Paz, not that Val cared. He knew he should, but nothing mattered to him except Mackie opening his eyes and proving a steady diet of Val’s blood had counteracted the ravages of Dracul’s drug.
“Why don’t you go take a shower. I’ve got this.”
Val shook his head. “I’m fine.”
Demi tsked. “That’s an obvious lie. You’re a mess. When was the last time you changed your clothes?”
“What does it matter?” Val had lost all track of time.”
“You won’t do Mackie any good if you run yourself into the ground. You’ve given him so much blood in the last few days that you’re starting to look haggard. You need more food and water—and rest.”
Val gave the boy only a second of his attention. “Everyone brings me what I need. And, I sleep fine on the floor.” He hadn’t dared share his massive bed with Mackie for fear of accidentally doing some harm to him. “If you’re worried about me, bring me something up from the kitchen,” he added.
“If that’s what you want.” Demi raised the covers by Mackie’s waist.
“What are you doing?”
“Checking his catheter and making sure his bag doesn’t need changing.” He glanced at Val. “Don’t worry. My father taught me what to do. I’ve been helping him with his medical stuff for a year or so now.”
“I didn’t know.”
Demi chuckled. “You think all I do is make my parents crazy and dance around the stages when no one’s looking?”
“Yes.” It was an easy, automatic answer.
Demi laughed out loud before clapping his hand over his mouth. “Sorry. I don’t mean to be a nuisance now. I really want to help.”
Val, as usual, was concentrating on Mackie, watching his every move for signs that he was improving. So, he saw the twitch of the boy’s lips and how his head turned in Demi’s direction. “No, it’s fine. I think Mackie might like that you’re here.”
“I don’t know why. I’ve always been a pain in his ass.”
“You’re too similar. Both brats.” He managed to work up a smile for the boy.
Demi sighed as he smoothed Mackie’s bed covers back down. “I suppose that’s true. I only hope I can find as good a Dom as he did.”
Val looked up sharply. “He didn’t. Find a good one, I mean. I failed him. His lying here is proof of that.”
“You know, no one tells me squat around here, and I’m just this dumb hybrid kid and all. But if you had actually gone through with sending Mackie from your life, I would have joined a monastery and made fruit cake for the rest of mine. It was never going to happen, Val, and you’re not responsible for what that moron Warren did.”
The man’s very name caused fury to surge through Val. If he’d been able to leave Mackie’s side, he would have skipped a shower and food to find time to force a fistful of vamp down the man’s throat and drop his crazed remains in the harbor.
“He made a terrible Dom.”
Val froze, momentarily unable to accept where that observation had come from. Afraid that his mind might be cracking under the strain of worry, he slowly shifted his gaze from Demi to the head of the bed. Mackie was awake. He lay there, blinking owlishly up at Val. Then his trademark sly, bratty grin broke out. “I don’t know what I was thinking going with him to our playroom.”
Val was struck dumb, unable to muster up any rational response. Relief made him weak like nothing else had ever done.
“I’ll get my father.” Demi left the room in a blur of movement.
The boy’s alert response pushed Val to act, as well. He leaned over and cupped Mackie’s chin. “Baby, how do you feel?”
Mackie frowned. “I’m thirsty.”
“There’s water right here.” Val fumbled for the bottle on the nightstand.
“No.” Mackie licked his lips. “Blood. I want your blood.”
Dangerous Dance Page 19
