by Donya Lynne
He disconnected and tossed his phone on the bed before going to the bathroom and turning on the shower to let the water heat up.
"You know the way out," he said to Sabrina as he returned to the room and grabbed a pair of briefs from the drawer.
"Yeah. Call me later?"
"Yeah, sure I will." Yeah, like hell he would.
She walked toward him to give him a kiss good night, but he turned away and went back to the bathroom. "See you, Sabrina."
"Uh, yeah, okay."
When Steve returned to his room after his shower, she was gone. Thank God. Now he could focus on packing his overnight bag without her needy, puppy dog hovering. He checked his email, but nothing from David had arrived, yet, so he hopped over to the travel site and found a non-stop that flew out of Denver at six o'clock. He had a little less than four hours. Plenty of time. He could be in Chicago by mid-morning.
It didn't take him long to pack. He just needed an extra change of clothes, his toothbrush, soap, deodorant, socks, and underwear. Oh, and proof that Sam was his wife, of course. He could buy anything else he needed when he got there, but he wasn't planning on staying more than a few hours – just long enough to retrieve his wife from the hospital and get her back to the airport for the late flight home. As he grabbed his leather coat from the back of the easy chair by the window, his email pinged.
He rushed to his desk and printed David's email then forwarded it to his phone before grabbing his keys and his bag. With one final glance around the room, he shut off all the lights, locked up, got in his BMW, and drove to the airport. While he was driving, he called the hospital where he worked and told them he had a family emergency and wouldn't be in for a few days. Hell yeah, family emergency. He was going to get his wife back.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Traceon had never seen Micah like this. He cradled and rocked Sam with a tenderness so unlike anything he had ever associated with the male that he didn't quite know how to react.
"How is she?" he asked, jerking the steering wheel to the left, careening them down a side street toward the compound.
"I can't tell," Micah said then cleared his throat around emotional gravel.
Trace heard the heartbreak bend Micah's voice, cracking it between his words. He hoped Sam didn't die. This soon after Jackson, Micah wouldn't survive it, and Trace didn't want to lose Micah now that he was making progress with him after years of wondering how to break through that shell of his.
"She'll make it," he said.
The buildings were a blur as he sped down the final stretch of road to AKM. They had medics who could monitor her and see her through the change if she faltered or her body tried to reject Micah's venom.
He shot a quick glance at Micah, but the guy's face was turned away, his cheek pressed against Sam's as he continued rocking her, but the scent of tears told him the male was crying.
AKM appeared just ahead and Trace slowed only enough not to flip the SUV as he turned into the parking lot and raced around to the back. After screeching to a stop in his assigned space, Trace jumped out and rushed around to help Micah, even though he doubted the guy needed it. Still, Micah wasn't himself right now.
They hurried toward the back entrance, Micah practically running him over.
"Get the door," Micah said as he wiped his face and scowled.
Trace passed his key card over the reader and jerked the door open then dodged aside as Micah rushed past him.
"Move!" Traceon yelled at the gawkers who stood in the way. "Medic! We need a medic!"
Tristan bolted out of his office at the uproar, his eyes opening wide. Appalled disbelief filled his expression when he saw the human – well, not quite human, anymore – in Micah's arms.
"What the fuck is this?"
Micah ignored him, but Trace paused long enough to say, "Not now, Tris. Just alert medical: Human bitten by a dreck. Micah gave her his venom. NOW, Tristan!" He wasn't going to let Micah lose his mate. Not on his watch.
Taking off after Micah again, he ignored the members of their team as they rushed out and watched in horror as Micah kicked the doors to medical open and hurried Sam inside.
Arion grabbed Trace's arm as he turned to follow him in. "What the hell is he doing? Bringing a human in here?"
"Back off, Ari." Trace glanced between him and Severin, who joined them in the hall and pulled up beside Arion like he was his protector.
"He's gone too far this time, Trace. This is inexcusable."
"She's his goddamn mate, Ari! You got that! And she's not human, anymore. Not technically."
Arion swayed, stunned. "Fuck!"
"Yeah, so drop it." Trace started to turn away, but Ari stopped him.
"Are you saying he—"
"Yes, that's what I'm saying."
The color drained from Arion's face and Severin shook his head. "What a meathead."
"No, she was bitten by a dreck. He had no choice."
"Sure he did," Ari said. "He shouldn't have been fucking around with her to begin with, and she never would have been in danger. He should know better than to pull shit like this."
Trace felt his blood heat. "Oh, and you would know about mates, right Arion? When were you ever mated, asshole?" Arion had never taken a mate. All the females he'd had and not a one had fired his biology to take as a mate. "Until you know what you're talking about, why don't you shut the fuck up."
Severin bristled by Ari's side and looked like he was about to slug Trace.
"You can just check that, Hero." Trace warned him with a glance that begged Sev to try. Trace had already been through enough tonight and wasn't in the mood for anymore shit.
Tristan and Malek ran around the corner.
"Okay, someone tell me what happened," Tristan said.
Ari scoffed. "Wonder stud vigilante in there," he flung his arm toward medical, "gave his venom to a human."
"WHAT?!" Tristan slingshot his gaze toward Trace. "Care to elaborate?"
"As I told Ari, she's his mate. A dreck bit her." He threw Ari a malicious you're-such-a-dick glance as Io showed up to get in on the action. "What would you have done if it had been your mate, Tristan? Would you have let her die?"
Painful memories flashed over Malek's face as he stood to the side. He had never spoken of what had happened to his mate or how she had died, but Trace realized that what was going on here was hitting his comrade too close to home.
Just then Micah came out into the hall, and Trace could sense the dread and sorrow wafting from him like sewage.
"Is she…?" Trace couldn't finish the question, fearing the answer.
"She's alive. For now. They wanted me out so they could tend to her."
Ari shook his head and started in. "You asshole! You think you're above everyone else. That the rules don't apply to you. Well, look what you—"
What happened next happened so fast Trace couldn't track it. One second Ari was pointing his finger at Micah, and the next Micah's fist was around his throat and Ari was flat-backed against the wall, a foot off the floor as Micah released a shriek so agonizing and feral it even terrified Trace. Was Micah even in there or had he become something else all of a sudden?
Ari flew through the air and landed on the shiny tile, sliding several feet before Micah jumped on him, cracking his fist against the guy's face as the rest of them surged forward and tried to pull him off. Io and Sev each landed punches to Micah's torso before Trace could get hold of him and pull him back. Io and Severin came at them both, fists cocked.
"Get back!" Trace's voice dropped low and deep, echoing in his throat with deadly malice as he raised his hand, fingers splayed. He was ready to ice his own teammates to protect Micah. "I've got him. He's my charge." Warnings flashed from his eyes to the others. "I'm his guardian, now back the fuck off! NOW!"
Tristan and Malek stepped warily in the middle and pushed Io and Sev back as Trace pulled Micah away from them like a lion with its cub, keeping him safe from danger. Only when he was a safe distance did he wrap his arms aro
und Micah and shroud him in warmth, trying to soothe him through compulsion. It worked only so much, but it was enough to bring Micah back into himself and calm him down.
"I've got you Micah," Trace said. "You're okay, but Sam needs you. Stay strong for Sam, you hear me? Don't you go crazy vampire on me, you got that? I'm the one with mutant potential here, not you. Do you hear me? You got that, Micah?"
Mutant. It's what they called mixed-breeds who went rogue. Rogues were day walkers like Trace who fell prey to their powers. Their powers literally took them over and changed them into something else entirely. The official term was rogue. The unofficial slang was mutant. But no matter what they called them, mutants were the deadliest beings imaginable, even worse than the drecks.
Micah panted, growling with every breath, but he finally nodded. "Yeah, yeah. I've got it. Get the fuck off me."
Trace released him and Micah pushed his hand through his hair, shoving it off his face as he shot a glaring eyeful of this-isn't-over toward Arion.
Meanwhile, Severin helped Arion up and shielded him against the far wall, throwing one arm across Ari's chest as he glared back at Micah over his shoulder. Io hovered nearby, bristling for more shit to fly, while Malek stood in the middle to serve as a roadblock.
Tristan sighed heavily, his face down. Then he shook his head and shot a glare of his own at Micah. "Take care of your mate, Micah, but after this is over, you and I are going to have a long talk. Do not test me on this, you got me?"
Micah glowered at Tristan. "Whatever."
"Yes or no, Micah. Not whatever. This shit has to stop."
Micah turned away without answering, obstinate to the last.
"Yes or no!?" Tristan got right in Micah's face, his bluegreen eyes flashing.
"Fuck! Yes, asshole!"
Trace stepped in and pulled Micah back. "Calm down, Micah." He turned toward Tristan. "Not now, Tris. Okay? Not now."
Tristan fumed but backed off then turned toward Arion, whose lip was bleeding. He had bruises forming around both eyes. "You okay?"
Vampires were tougher than humans, their bodies able to withstand a lot more punishment. Still, it didn't make the pain any better, or the contusions.
Ari nodded, touching his lip. "Yeah. I'm cool." The unspoken prick shot from his eyes in Micah's direction. Micah flipped him off.
"Okay, go home and take care of that," Tristan said, motioning him to head out. "Sev, why don't you go with him? I don't want Ari driving with his eyes swelling up like that."
Severin pulled away and nodded then followed Ari down the hall, their booted feet thunking heavily as they took it slow. Ari's noggin had to be throbbing from Micah's fist action. Io tagged along, giving his best friend a shoulder chuck before turning down a side hall that headed back toward the data center.
Tristan ushered Malek to go with him and they headed back toward Tristan's office.
Which left Micah and Trace alone in the hall.
The doors opened and a medic popped out as if she'd been waiting for the commotion to die down. "She's going to be fine, Micah. She's already adjusting. Thought you'd want to know. Give us a few minutes to move her to a room and we'll take you to her." The medic disappeared and Trace clapped his hand on Micah's shoulder.
"You hear that, brother?" Trace winced, remembering that Micah didn't want him calling him that. "I'm sorry—"
"No, it's okay," Micah said. "I think you earned your stripes tonight. I think we're brothers after this, don't you? You saved my chops tonight."
Trace wiped the pleased grin from his face as quickly as it appeared. "Sam's a good influence on you," he said.
"You think?" Micah turned and smiled at him. The first genuine smile he had seen from the guy in, well…ever.
"Yeah. I do, brother. I really do."
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Severin pulled into Arion's driveway and parked, hitting the brake as gently as possible. Arion had spent the drive with his head resting back against the passenger seat and his eyes closed, obviously feeling like a hammered nail.
"You okay?" Sev asked, keeping his voice quiet.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll be fine." Ari held a towel to his lip, which had finally stopped bleeding about five minutes ago, but the scent of Ari's blood still filled the car. It made Sev's mouth water.
"I'll see you in." Sev got out and went around to the passenger door and stood back as Ari swung it open and slowly climbed out.
"Damn, Micah's a strong fucker." Ari groaned as he stood up and stretched his shoulder with a grimace.
"What's wrong?" Sev asked.
"He just slammed me damn hard into that wall. My shoulder hurts like hell."
"Come on, I'll get you inside and take a look at it."
He locked up the car out of habit and followed Ari to the door and waited for him to unlock it as his eyes scanned up and down the residential street as if drecks would jump out and attack them any second. Severin had spent his life fighting. It didn't matter whether the war was human or vampire, Sev had found himself in the thick of it, testing the limits of his mixed-blood powers to keep him alive. He had made a lot of enemies along the way, too, so he never knew when one would leap from the shadows. The possibility kept him on his toes 24/7.
"You coming?"
Sev turned and saw that Ari was holding the door for him. "Yeah, sure."
Ari closed the door behind him and flipped on a lamp then walked toward the kitchen, shirking his coat along the way. His T-shirt hugged his thick arms and broad back like a second skin, his tattooed arm swinging at his side as he trudged to the kitchen.
"You want something to drink?"
Sev brushed his long hair back as he sat down on a barstool. "Water's fine."
Ari grabbed him a bottle from the fridge and set it in front of him as he tossed the bloody towel in the trash.
"How does it look?" Ari said, standing on the other side of the counter and leaning toward him before cracking the lid off his own bottle of water with a wince. Apparently, that shoulder was bothering him pretty badly.
Sev's gaze fell to his lips and the tiny cut he just wanted to lick.
"Like you got beat up." Sev shrugged and tried to act nonchalant. "Actually, you look good for a male whose face just impersonated a punching bag.
"Gee, thanks."
"Oh, come on, you know I'm kidding." Sev caught Ari's eye and they both stopped moving and just looked at each other.
Finally, Ari said, "You think I look good?" His tone was serious.
Sev's mouth went dry and he nodded. "Yeah, actually I do." Ari looked better than good, as far as Sev was concerned. His thoughts tumbled in about ten different directions, all sordid, all forbidden, all sexual. Ari was just about the finest male Sev had ever laid eyes on and ever since he had joined AKM, he had wondered what kissing him would feel like. How would he feel? How would he taste? Damn, but Sev shouldn't be thinking this way about a member of his own team, but he couldn't stop himself.
The two stared at each with a hundred silent questions flowing between them then Ari stood back, cleared his throat and chugged down half the bottle. "He's an ass."
The abrupt change in direction jolted Sev back into the room and out of his fantasies. He sipped from his own bottle. "Who?"
"Micah." Ari gave him a slightly bewildered look.
Oh, that's right. Micah had just kicked the shit out of Ari. Duh. "Why don't you just leave Micah alone?"
Ari laughed tightly and leaned against the counter. "I guess I just like the punishment."
Sev chuckled. "Hell, Ari, if you like being punished, I can think of better ways to go about it."
"Oh, yeah? Like what?" Was that sexual innuendo in Ari's voice?
Sev grinned, but decided to keep his thoughts away from the fantasies plaguing him. "Shit, we could put on a pair of gloves and spar sometime, for starters. I'm hell at the hand-to-hand."
"Really?" Ari turned and leaned sideways against the counter as he eyed Sev with what felt like more than just
casual interest. "I didn't know that."
Sev looked down at the soapstone counter and nodded. "Yep. I've scrapped with the best of them."
"So, what's your story? Where are you from?"
Sev loved the way Ari smiled at him then.
"Not much to say really." He didn't want to risk freaking Ari out about his past.
"Bullshit. Everyone has a story, and the ones who don't want to discuss theirs usually have the best stories to tell, so spill."
It was hard to deny Ari anything, especially when his close-set, topaz eyes drilled him so directly. Sev could just stare at those eyes all day.
After taking another drink, Sev sighed. "My life is boring, Ari. I want to hear about yours."
"Uh-uh-uh." Ari waggled his finger and came around the counter and took the seat next to him. "I've been thinking about what you and I discussed at Four Alarm, about how you lost your boyfriend. I think there's more there. You're more interesting than you think, Sev."
"You think I'm interesting?" Sev had been about to take another drink and had stopped with the bottle halfway to his mouth as his gaze shot to Ari.
The other male averted his gaze for only a second then looked back. "Well, yeah, Sev. I do. Really interesting, actually." His face flushed and he looked down awkwardly before meeting Sev's gaze again.
Neither said a word as Sev slowly lowered his bottle of water back to the counter, his pulse quickening as he stared at Arion. "Well, that's good to know."
Ari nodded, holding his gaze as he took a deep, steadying breath. "Yeah."
"I think you're pretty interesting, too."
As he pursed his lips, Ari's face filled with a sense of wonder as he glanced at his water bottle. The color in his cheeks deepened. "Well, looks like we both think the other's interesting, doesn't it?"
Sev could hardly breathe. "Yep."
Silence engulfed them for several seconds as they both fiddled with their water bottles.
Suddenly, as if a starting gun had shot into the air, the two jumped off their barstools and dove toward each other, meeting in the middle as their mouths fused together. The cut on Ari's mouth had re-opened and the taste of his blood was better than wine.
