She was barely standing up, her face bleeding from small cuts. Bits of glass were in her hair and skin, and a large piece was sticking out of her shoulder. Placing her fingers around the piece, she pulled it out and tossed it aside.
“Fuck!” Nathan got up and walked to her, grabbing a lab coat hanging on the wall. “Violet …” His insides twisted, seeing her bloody and hurt like this.
“I'm fine,” she choked out. “Give me a few minutes. I’ve already stopped bleeding.” She nodded behind him. “Just help her. Please.”
Georgina was standing by the cages, rattling them frantically as she sobbed. Nathan didn’t want to leave her side, but his mate could be stubborn. “Put this on,” he said before striding over the Georgina.
“Please get him out,” she pleaded as she turned her tear-stained face to him.
Nathan bent down to peer into the small cage. Two small glowing eyes stared back at him. Using his claws, he slashed at the lock on the cage and the door swung open.
“Grayson!” Georgina pushed him aside and reached into the cage, taking out the small furry bundle. “Oh, Grayson. It’s okay. Mommy’s here.”
The bear cub rubbed its snout against her shoulder. Its dark fur began to recede, and the body grew smaller. A little boy, probably no more than four or five, clung to Georgina as if his life depended on it.
“Mommy,” he rasped. “The bad man … is he gone?”
“He won’t hurt you anymore.”
A soft growl from behind made Nathan turn his head. “Luke, you okay, man?”
Luke’s gaze was fixed on Georgina and her son, and the gold of his eyes was barely visible as his pupils blew up. His body tensed for a moment, and he turned away.
“Luke! Where are you going?”
He didn’t look back. “Outside.”
“Outside?”
“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “Jason and Christina’ll be here any minute.” He stomped off, stepping over Dr. Mendle’s lifeless body as he made his way to the doorway.
“Is she okay?” Violet said as she popped up behind him.
Relief swept over him. The cuts on her face were gone, so he assumed the rest of her was healing as well. It took all his strength not to kiss her and crush her to him. “Yeah,” he glanced over at Georgina, who was rocking Grayson back and forth and soothing him.
“Oh my,” she gasped. “Was that the child we heard?”
He nodded tersely, the memory of Grayson’s scream sending ice through his veins. “We should get out of here. Luke’s outside waiting for Jason and Christina.” He turned to face her. “How are you?”
“All healed up.”
“Violet.” His voice was shaky as he brushed a lock of hair aside from her cheek. “I thought I almost lost you.”
“What—” A gasp escaped her throat, and her eyes rolled back.
“Violet?”
Her eyes shut and her arms went limp. Nathan quickly caught her.
“Violet!” He picked her up and pushed her hair out of her face. “Baby, what’s wrong?” His heart pounded against his rib cage as she remained unresponsive. “Violet say something!” Her skin was suddenly hot, spiking up a few degrees. Looking over to where she had stumbled back, he saw various liquids pooling on the floor around the broken glass. “Fuck!”
“What’s wrong?” Georgina said as she came up to him, little Grayson still clutched to her.
“What was in those vials?”
Georgina bit her lip. “I … I don’t know. Dr. Mendle is so paranoid. He doesn’t work with anyone or even have any lab assistants. I’m the only one here, but I do mostly menial cleanup.”
Violet’s body convulsed, but her eyes remained closed. “Shit! Fuck! Hang on, Baby. Please hang on. Let’s go.”
Nathan led them out of the lab and the facility, keeping Violet close to him. Please be okay, please be ok, he repeated like a prayer.
“Nathan!” Christina ran toward them. “Nathan! What’s going on? What happened?”
“I’ll explain later.” He nodded to Violet. “She’s hurt. Or sick. I don’t know what's wrong! But we need to get her to the hospital now.”
“The car’s this way." She looked behind her. "Jason! We gotta go now!”
They ran to the front of the factory where Jason’s Range Rover was waiting. Nathan darted to the vehicle and opened the door, first letting Georgina and Grayson inside, then scooting in after them. He settled into the seat, keeping Violet close.
“You’ll be okay, Baby,” he whispered, kissing her forehead. Her skin was burning up bad.
Jason jumped into the driver’s seat, and Christina sat in the front passenger side. “What’s wrong with her?” she asked as Jason put the car into gear.
“A couple of vials fell on her. It could be poison,” he said through gritted teeth.
Christina reached over and patted his knee. “We’ll get her to Blackstone Hospital on time. Don’t worry. She’ll be okay.” She turned to Georgina. “Are you okay, miss? Your neck is all red. Is he hurt?”
Georgina’s lower lip trembled. “I’m f-f-ine. He’s … healed up.” A whimper tore from her throat as tears gathered in her eyes.
Christina laid a hand on her knee. “It’s okay …”
“Georgina …”
“I’m Christina, and this is my husband Jason,” she said. “And you’re going to be fine. It’s all over. You’ll be safe from now on.”
A sob escaped Georgina’s lips, and she buried her face in Grayson’s fine blond hair. Christina grabbed something from her purse—a handkerchief—and handed it to the other woman.
“I … thank you … I don’t know what to say …”
“Just relax. We’ll be in Blackstone soon and you’ll be safe.”
“B-b-blackstone?”
“Yes. You were in Verona Mills.”
“What state am I in?” she asked.
Nathan and Christina looked at each other. “Colorado,” she said. “You didn’t know?”
“I …” Her voice choked.
“We can talk about this later,” Christina said. “But just know you have nothing to worry about.”
Violet let out a soft moan.
Nathan loosened his arms, unaware he’d been gripping her so tight. “Violet, say something, please.”
“I … Nathan …” Her eyes flew open for a moment; her pupils were so dilated that her eyes were the color of coal. “So … hot … painful.”
“Where does it hurt?”
“Everywhere,” she gasped. When he put a hand on her cheek, her hand flew up and pressed it harder against her face. “Oh … that feels good … so better ….”
“Does that help, Baby?”
“Yes.” She rubbed her nose against his palm. “Oh …”
“Hang on,” he said. “We’re almost there.”
They reached Blackstone Hospital in no time as Jason broke the speed limit all the way up to town. Christina had called ahead and as soon as they pulled into the entrance, the staff was there, ready with a gurney.
“We’ll take it from here, sir,” a nurse said as she gently pried Violet away from Nathan.
“No!” she protested. She had been semi-conscious and delirious throughout the whole ride. “I want to stay with you.”
“It’s all right, Violet,” he said. “The nurses will take care of you.” He didn’t want to let her go, but there wasn’t anything else he could do but trust the doctors would treat whatever was wrong with her.
Nathan kept his eyes on her as they placed her on the gurney and wheeled her off. Looking around, he saw someone was attending to Georgina and Grayson. His stomach clenched, and barely contained fury was bubbling inside him. He couldn’t imagine what they’d been through if she didn’t even know what city, much less state, she was being held in. Her husband or mate must be going mad by now; he knew he would be if it had been Violet and their cub who’d been kidnapped.
“Nathan?” Jason’s voice broke through his thoughts. “You look terrib
le.”
“Yeah? I feel awesome too,” he joked.
Jason cracked a smile, his shoulders relaxing. “I’d ask you to go home and get some rest, but if I were in your place I wouldn’t be able to.”
“Thanks, man,” he said.
“You, me, and Christina should go have a chat. It’ll keep your mind occupied until the doctors are done, and you can tell us what happened while it’s still fresh.”
“Yeah well—fuck! Luke. And the other girls!” He’d been so worried out of his mind about Violet that he’d forgotten about them.
“No worries, man. When we arrived, Luke was putting the two girls in one of the cars parked inside the factory. Said he’d bring them here. I think I saw him leave just as we came.”
“Good.” He fished his phone out of his pocket. “I’m gonna give Melanie a call and then I’ll meet you back here.”
“So,” Christina said as she took a sip of the terrible hospital coffee, “what you’re saying is this group, whoever they are, established this lab just outside Blackstone to experiment on shifters? And the local government in Verona Mills is helping them cover up the kidnappings?”
“That’s what the loony doctor said.” Nathan wrinkled his nose at the paper cup, then tossed it into the wastebasket in the corner. The director of the hospital was kind enough to let them stay inside an empty conference room while they waited for news on Violet and Georgina.
Jason slammed his fist on the table. “Fuckers! I’m gonna burn every last one of them to ashes.”
“We will find them and stop them.” There was a steely determination in Christina’s eyes. “At least now we know there really is an organization who’s out to get us. They killed my mother and tried to blow us up during the wedding.”
“And they tried to kidnap you,” Jason reminded her. “So, this organization. Where do we start?”
“The lab,” Christina said. “We need to go back and gather evidence.” She cursed under her breath. “I just wish our office was already set up. We could have technicians and agents helping out.”
“I don’t care what it costs; we’ll get The Agency up and running in Blackstone within the week,” Jason added. “That woman and her son. Georgina. What do we know about her?”
“She’s still with the doctors,” Christina said. “She could provide us with more information about the organization. We need to protect her and keep her close. If she knows anything, then they’re going to want to find her before she talks.”
“We’ll give her whatever she needs,” Jason said.
While they continued to discuss the next steps, a knock on the door made all three turn their heads. “Come in,” Christina called.
The door opened and an older woman wearing a white coat stepped in. “Excuse me, Mr. Lennox. Mrs. Lennox. I’m Dr. Aurora Jenkins. I’m here about Dr. Robichaux’s condition.”
Nathan bolted up from his chair. “How is she? Is she okay?”
“Are you Mr. Nathan Caldwell?”
“I am,” he said. “Is she asking for me?”
Dr. Jenkins hesitated. “She … mentioned you by name, yes.”
“Doc, please.” Nathan stepped forward. “Tell us what happened.”
“Sir, are you family?” she asked.
“No, but I’m her mate.”
She sighed in relief. “Oh I see. That’s why she asked for you when we explained the situation.”
“What’s wrong with her?” Christina asked.
Dr. Jenkins glanced at Christina and Jason. “I’m afraid it’s a delicate private matter and something I should only discuss with Mr. Caldwell. We can go to her room so I can explain further.”
“As long as she’s going to be all right, we’re good,” Christina said.
Jason came up and clapped him on the back. “We’ll be here. And doctor, whatever she needs, make sure she gets it no matter the cost.”
“I will Mr. Lennox.” She gestured to Nathan. “This way please, Mr. Caldwell.”
Nathan followed the doctor out the conference room and down the hallway. His stomach was turning in nervousness, but Dr. Jenkins didn’t seem to be in a hurry so maybe Violet’s life wasn’t in danger. He was, however, puzzled at why they couldn’t discuss this in front of anyone else.
Dr. Jenkins opened the door to room 156 and gestured for Nathan to go in. He expected to see Violet, but it looked more like a meeting room. The doctor walked over to the window and raised the blinds. To his surprise, it wasn’t a window to the outside but a view into another room.
“Violet!” He slammed his palms on the glass. Violet was lying on a hospital bed. Her eyes were closed, but she was moaning and twisting about. He spied the restraints on her ankles and wrists.
“What did you do to her?” he raged at Dr. Jenkins.
“Mr. Caldwell, I’m trying to explain,” she said calmly. “Dr. Robichaux needs your help.”
He looked back at Violet, his heart aching as he watched her. “I’ll do anything. Now tell me what happened.”
“There’s no delicate way to do this so I’ll come out and just say it. Dr. Robichaux was doused with some type of chemical that triggered her heat cycle.”
“Excuse me?”
“Mature female feline shifters, as you know, have heat cycles that come about twice a year. Whatever she came in contact with sent her body into a cycle.”
“She’s in … heat?”
Dr. Jenkins took off her glasses, then massaged the bridge of her nose. “Yes. The chemical not only brought it on but intensified the symptoms. Not only is she … sensitive all over, but she is in a lot of pain.”
“What medicine are you giving her?”
“I can give her a mild sedative, but she’ll burn it off a few minutes. I’m afraid, er, giving her relief is the only way to help her.”
“Relief?”
“Sexual relief.”
Oh. He swallowed hard.
“We had to put her in an isolation room to quarantine her,” Dr. Jenkins warned. “With the pheromones she’s giving off, we had to restrain a few of the male nurses when they scented her. I’ve cleared all non-female staff from the floor.”
He clenched his jaw tight. “Thank you.” He cleared his throat. “Is her life in danger?”
“Maybe. Maybe not. Her temperature is spiking to alarming levels. We could put her in a cold bath, but that won’t lessen the pain.”
Violet moaned and turned her body to the side, straining against the shackles. Her eyes went wide as she looked straight toward them. “Nathan,” she whispered.
Nathan pressed his hands up to the glass. “Violet! Baby, I’m here! I’m going to take care of you, okay?”
“Nathan … please …” She reached out and then fell back on the bed.
He turned to Dr. Jenkins. “How long before this goes away?”
“I estimate it could be twenty-four hours at least, but most heat cycles don’t last more than two days.”
“Two days?” Fuck. He couldn’t let her suffer like this. But what Dr. Jenkins was saying he had to do … he didn’t want to be with her like this. When he saw her hurt, he already knew he was going to make it up to her. But this …
“Doc, I’m her mate but … we haven’t … we’re not at that stage in our relationship yet.”
“Oh,” Dr. Jenkins said. “I understand. You don’t have to have full intercourse with her. Just keep her satisfied in other ways until the heat cycle runs its course. Even skin to skin contact seems to help. Also, there’s a shop in town that could provide you with some aids—”
“Okay, Doc, I get it.” He balled his hands into fists. He just had to keep giving her orgasms for a few hours. He supposed he could do that. But there was another problem. “Will she be conscious enough to give me consent?”
She seemed surprised by the question. “I assure you she’s very lucid, Mr. Caldwell. She was able to tell us everything, her name, her job, what occurred before she arrived at the hospital. Dr. Robichaux knows what’s happening to
her. She asked to be restrained, in case the drugs made her lose control. And she asked for you specifically.”
Nathan felt the blood pounding in his temples. Violet asked for him? To help her? “I need to get her out of here. I can take her to my apartment.”
“She’s overly sensitive right now. I can inject her with a pain reliever. It’ll last for under an hour. But I have to warn you, when you come in contact with her, she’ll be, uh, extremely friendly.”
“That should be enough time.” He grabbed the doorknob to the sealed room. “I’ll take it from here, if you don’t mind.”
Chapter Twelve
Dr. Jenkins and two female nurses helped Nathan get Violet ready for the trip back to his place. They gave her the pain reliever and wrapped her up in a blanket, then brought her to the rear exit where he was waiting in Jason’s Range Rover. He quickly explained to Jason and Christina what was happening, and they offered to help any way they could.
He was glad for the assistance because the moment he opened the door, Violet’s scent hit him with such force his knees buckled. His cock went instantly hard, and he had to grab onto the bed to stop himself from taking her right then and there.
Nathan drove as quick as he could, keeping watch on the time. Once in a while, he would glance at the back seat to make sure Violet was okay. She was sleeping peacefully now, as they gave her a mild sedative as well. Her face was calm, and he took some comfort in knowing she wasn’t in pain.
“We’re almost there, Baby. Hang on.” He pulled into his parking space and cut the engine. Taking Violet in his arms, he brought her up to his loft apartment using the stairs instead of the elevators, since he didn’t want to run into any of his neighbors.
He unlocked the door with one free hand and walked inside, then reached behind him to put the deadbolt in place. He brought her up to his bedroom, laying her down gently on the king-sized bed.
Violet’s skin was hot, even for a shifter. He quickly unwrapped the blankets from her body. Her scent filled his nostrils again, and he gripped the sheets tight in his fists.
The Blackstone Wolf: Blackstone Mountain Book 4 Page 11
