“If he dies, the shifters will blame us.”
Lucy snorted. It sounded like a mix between a screeching cat and an angry goat. “They can get in line.”
Brenna turned toward the long hall that led to the medical wing. They had housed the hybrid in an observation room on the far end of the corridor. She moved beside the guards and peered inside the room.
The shifter was young. She would guess early twenties. He had been stripped to his boxers. His lean muscular body writhed on the bed. Reinforced leather straps secured him to the gurney. Padlocks held the straps onto the metal grate beneath the bed. The belts had made purple welts on his wrists and ankles.
“Give me the keys.” She held a hand out to the guard. He was lucky she didn’t rip them off his belt. They had no right to treat an innocent kid this way.
“He’s unstable.” The guard backed away as she moved forward. “He’ll hurt one of us.”
“Leave.” She yanked the keys from his hand. “If you’re not strong enough to subdue a baby shifter, you don’t belong here.”
He threw up his hands. “If he kills you, it’s not on me.”
Brenna watched him leave. She needed to talk to Seraph about the quality of the help.
As she slipped through the door, she grabbed the metal folding chair lying askew on the side of the room and placed it beside the bed. She rubbed her hands together to warm them, then laid her palm on the shifter’s forehead. He was burning up.
“What’s your name?” She kept her tone calm as she stroked his clammy forehead.
After a few moments, he opened his eyes. Dried blood had caked in the creases of his eyelids. The coppery substance had dried on his cheeks like spoiled tears. “What’s happening to me?” He turned his face into her hand.
“I don’t know. But I’m going to find out.” She stroked his hair, her heart breaking for him.
“What’s your name?” she asked again.
“Aiden.” He closed his eyes.
“Aiden, I’m going to release the restraints.”
“No.” He jerked back. “I can’t control my beast.”
“Trust me. Let me worry about your beast.” She cast a healing spell and wrapped her magic around him like an electric blanket. His beast surged to the surface. Her magic subdued it, slamming him back onto the cot. His beast made a final attempt to break free, but her spell had given Aiden the ability to control it.
“I underestimated you,” he said.
She shrugged as she freed him from the straps. “It happens.”
He sat, rubbing the red rings on his wrists. “I checked the campsite to make sure the fires were out. I thought it was abandoned.” He paused, thinking. “I was cleaning when I noticed this gray thing in the middle of the field. I didn’t know it was a person until I got right up on it.”
“Did you hear anything?”
He shook his head. “No.” He lowered his gaze. “Do you think it hurt?”
“No idea,” she replied. She had wondered the same thing. “When did you get sick?”
“When I couldn’t get a hold of anyone at the station, I started taking pictures.” He rubbed at his wrists. “One of the bodies crumbled, and it covered me in ash. The next thing I remember is coughing up blood.”
“Where’s your camera?”
“The guy who brought me in took it.” He picked at the leather belt hanging at his side. “Am I going to die?”
She hurt for him, but she couldn’t lie. “We’re going to do everything we can to keep you alive.”
“Fair enough.” He lay down on the cot. “If I can’t have my clothes, can I at least get a blanket? It’s freezing.”’
“Sure. I’ll talk to Seraph about getting you some new clothes.” Moving to the window, she slammed her palm against the glass. It took a few minutes, but a guard appeared. In his arms was a tattered yellow and purple quilt. Apparently, they had been listening to the exchange in the control room. Not that she could blame them. She handed the blanket to the shifter then left the room.
Her mind was racing as she walked the narrow corridor to the locker room they used for decontamination. Stripping, she walked to the showers. The icy water took her breath away as she scrubbed her skin clean. Hot water was a luxury the IRT couldn’t afford. As a state agency, they counted themselves lucky to have running water, much less a water heater. Her freshly scrubbed skin shone red beneath the harsh florescent lights. Very few things could penetrate her advanced immune system, but most of the other hunters weren’t so lucky.
“What’d you learn from the shifter?”
Brenna shrieked, heart pounding. The damn man didn’t know the definition of boundaries. And, of course, there was no towel in sight. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be?” She twisted the metal shower nob to turn off the water then leaned forward to wring out her hair. His gaze settled on her body, warming her despite the chill.
He moved toward her, the thud of his boots echoing in the cramped space. She straightened, tossing her hair behind her as she rose. Taking the towel from his hand, she wrapped it around her body and forced herself to look at him. He merely shrugged and stepped back to give her space.
Irritated, she moved toward the lockers. “The shifter took pictures. His camera is here somewhere. We need to find it.”
“I already did. It’s in our office.”
“Good.” She pulled out a clean pair of jeans and a sweater and threw them on top of the wooden bench. She let the towel slide to the floor as she reached for her underwear.
He sucked in his breath, taking a step forward.
She tried to ignore him as she slipped on the black lace bra and panties, glad she had succeeded in throwing him off balance. “My shower is off limits,” she said as she slipped on her clothes.
“I needed to talk to you.”
“So wait until I’m done.” She sat on the wooden bench, leaning forward to lace her thigh high leather boots.
“You’re done now, aren’t you?” He leaned over her, his breath tickling the hair on the top of her head. “I’m not your puppy, Brenna. I won’t come only when you call.”
She raised a brow, wondering if he had meant the double entendre. “Are you sure?” she asked with a pointed glance.
“If you want that, love, all you have to do is ask.” Before she could blink, he had his hands around her waist and her back to the wall. She closed her eyes, the heat from his body sinking into her own, his distinctive scent enveloping her senses.
This time when he kissed her she reveled in the salty sweetness of his lips, their tongues meeting in a desperate dance. When he freed her arms, she twined them around his neck as he lifted her against his body.
Then both their phones began to chime. Brenna unwrapped her body from Gray, ignoring his long-suffering sigh. She jumped to her feet and straightened her clothes. Grabbing her phone, she pressed it to her ear.
“Where the hell are you? Get Gray and meet me in the front entrance. I want to show you something.” Seraph ended the call before she could respond.
Silent, Gray stood. As he adjusted his clothes, she glimpsed a flash of silver from the blade at his waist. “I heard. But don’t think we’re not going to finish this later.”
Chapter Six
Seraph was waiting beside Lucy’s desk in the main lobby. “What did you find out?” he asked as Brenna stepped inside.
“Nothing. Other than the guards are treating the shifter like an animal. He was tied and shackled,” she said as she moved toward him. “I want them relieved of duty and shifters assigned to him.”
“I’ll apologize to him myself. I didn’t know or I would have stopped it.” Seraph took the phone Lucy handed him and shouted a few choice words into the receiver. “Done.”
“Thanks,” Brenna replied.
Lucy reopened the partition in the glass. “Her
e are preliminary lab reports from the hybrid. I expedited them. You might want to take a look.”
Brenna grabbed them, searching through the jumbled script. Seraph peered at them over her shoulder.
“Whatever toxin he inhaled was purged from his system,” Lucy continued. In a former life the gargoyle had used glamour to pass as a human coroner. Now she headed up the medical team for the IRT.
“So it’s a dead end?” Brenna handed the papers to Seraph.
“Maybe for someone else.” Lucy grinned. “He’s a hybrid, so his shifter blood protected him somehow. It may have created an antibody I can use to find a human antidote.” She leaned down, disappearing from sight, then reappeared with an overflowing banker box. She slammed it on top of her desk with such force the glass rattled. “I’ve been going through these files for months and this is the first time I’ve had anything substantial to work with. I want everything you find, even if you think it inconsequential. I’m going to find a damn cure.”
“If anyone can do it, you can,” Seraph said. “Keep me posted.”
Brenna watched as he disappeared down the hall. “He’s right. As much as I hate to admit it, you’re a genius when it comes to these things. I’ll get you everything I can.”
Lucy shrugged as she began to go through the papers in the box. After a few moments she handed Brenna a file.
Brenna flipped it open. A familiar face stared back. “Damn,” she murmured. The text on the image stated the woman had been a victim of the most recent attack.
“What are we talking about?” Gray stepped into the room. Apparently he had gotten lost somewhere along the corridor.
Brenna handed him the picture. “Look familiar?”
He stared at the image a few moments, his brow furrowed. “She’s the spitting image of Mira.”
“It’s her granddaughter. I need to find Mira. I had no idea.” Brenna took the picture back and placed it in the file.
“Mira found out when she came by to get her stuff.”
Brenna closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I didn’t know.”
“Doesn’t matter.” Lucy leaned back in her chair. “She’s on her way to the boarding house. I told her not to do anything stupid.”
“I need to find her. She’s going to need a friend.” Brenna gathered up the files and handed them back to Lucy.
“You’re assuming she wants to see you,” Gray shook his head. “She’s managed to avoid you for months.”
“You don’t understand. This could send her over the edge.” Brenna moved through the room toward the hallway that would take her to the alternate exit. It would dump them closer to the boarding house. She always kept an extra vehicle there just in case.
“You need to ready yourself. If she loses control and starts killing everything in sight, you might have to kill her. She’s strong, especially since you gave her your blood. And her control has always been dicey.”
Brenna froze. “Killing her isn’t an option.” She glanced at Gray. “I gave her my blood so she could help us fight Orien and Adare. She wasn’t strong enough to fight two deviant psychopaths. It was the right thing to do.”
“Sure. Like making an unstable vampire unstoppable is ever a good idea.” Sam stepped from the adjoining hallway to join them.
Brenna pushed back a wave of anger. “I thought you were at the crime scene?”
“I was. Seraph called me back.” A smirk danced across his lips. “He needs me.”
Brenna rolled her eyes and started walking. “Make sure you feed while you’re here. Don’t come home hungry. I don’t want to walk into another orgy.”
Despite common misconceptions, incubi didn’t need to feed off sex. They just preferred it to other sources of nutrition.
“Yes, mom,” Sam eventually replied. “I’ll try not to offend your delicate sensibilities.” With a laugh, he headed the other direction.
Brenna shot Gray a look. “It’s your fault. You’re the one who convinced Seraph to make them hunters.”
He shrugged. “It’s not like I had a choice. We needed an army and we had a militia. Besides, it gave them purpose.”
“It gave them attitude.”
Once they got topside, Brenna tossed Gray her spare keys and jumped into the passenger seat of the vehicle. As he flipped over the ignition, she turned on the radio. Classical music streamed through the cab. She closed her eyes, leaned back against the headrest, and tried to relax.
If Keegan and Mira were both at the house, it would be a miracle if the place was still standing. Mira would want someone to blame, and Keegan was a very large target. If Mira went after him, he wouldn’t hesitate to fight back. Of course, Keegan was manipulative enough to shift the blame from himself to the shifter he would have in tow. It was a no-win situation all the way around.
A sigh slipped from Brenna’s lips. She was a terrible friend. She should have found Mira as soon as they returned, but she had been too consumed with self-pity. Their friendship had always been fragile. This latest lapse in judgment wasn’t going to help.
“If Mira goes after Keegan, he might feed her the shifter. She better not kill him before we find out what he knows.” Gray strummed his fingers on the steering wheel.
“Keegan won’t let her.” She considered. “Can you go any faster?”
Gray chuckled, but slammed down the gas pedal.
The house was fully lit as they pulled into the driveway, and the front door swung open before they reached the porch.
“It’s about damn time.” Keegan stood in the entry way. His black hair was tousled. A bruise blackened his cheek.
Brenna shoved him out of the way and stepped into the house. A tornado would have done about the same amount of damage. The wallpaper hung in shreds. Pieces were strewn across the floor in chunks. A man sized hole in the middle of the floor was leaking cold air into the room. The pink-and-white-striped sofa was in five pieces. One hung from the ceiling, the others had impaled the walls. Disaster was too gentle a word.
Brenna searched for Mira. She found her in the far corner secured to a wooden chair with duct tape. Her head was free, but a leather strap had been forced between her teeth. Brenna considered leaving it there.
“She came after me.” Keegan broke the silence. “I know you’re friends, so I didn’t kill her.”
“Thanks.” Brenna moved across the room to ungag the vampire. “Think before you speak,” she warned, tossing the strap on the floor.
Mira licked her lips. “Took you long enough.” She leaned her head against the chair and stared at the ceiling.
Mira was fine. Brenna turned to deal with Keegan. “Where’s your shifter?” She glanced around the room.
“Your vampire tried to kill me.” Keegan roared, smoke billowing through his nostrils.
“Grow up and put your big boy pants on. You’re a thousand-year old-dragon.” She pushed down her irritation. “Grow a pair.”
The only language Keegan understood was aggression. She wanted to apologize for Mira, but it would lower the vamp in his estimation. To work this case, she needed them to tolerate each other. They had a long way to go, but it was still possible.
“Glad to know who wears the pants,” he said with a quick look at Gray.
Gray shook his head. “I’ve always wanted a dragon head mounted on my wall.” With a flick of his hand, he released Mira from the chair.
Keegan lunged. Brenna yelled an incantation, freezing him in place.
“Stop. All of you.” She was walking to Keegan when she heard a noise beneath the stairwell. She released the binding spell, sending Keegan flailing toward Gray, then crouched beside the hole in the hollow wall. A pair of red eyes peeked out from behind the wood.
“Come out. I won’t let them hurt you.”
Something hit the wall. It sounded like hooves.
She p
lunged her arm into the hole. Her fingers brushed a strip of coarse hair on what was probably an ear. The shifter had gone animal. And now he was stuck.
She stroked his trembling body as she looked at Keegan. “What is he?”
“A jackass.” Keegan lay on the floor. There was another bruise on his forehead.
“Cut the crap.” Brenna began to tear at the loose boards.
“I’m serious. He’s a were-jackass.” He shrugged. “Who knows, he might be one of a kind.”
Mira snickered. Brenna shot her a warning glance.
“He’s a donkey?” Brenna freed the last board.
A scruffy gray animal squeezed through the hole she had made. It pressed its face against her shoulder, cowering behind her back. Keegan hadn’t lied. The shifter was a small donkey. The dragon had probably used it as a pack mule.
She turned and knelt before him. “You need to change back.”
It neighed, tossing its head back and forth.
“We’ve got an empty room. If you turn back, you can stay here. I won’t let Keegan take you,” she continued.
“I didn’t agree—”
“Shut it.” Brenna shot Keegan a look. “Or I’ll do it for you.”
Gray snickered. “Better be careful or she’ll emasculate you.”
“Like she did you?”
Brenna ignored them. She locked eyes with the donkey and tried again. “You have my word. I won’t let them hurt you. But you have to change back.”
He stared at her with large, beady red eyes. His head cocked, considering. He stepped back. Mist formed around his body from the expulsion of energy required to shift. Once it disappeared, a man stood in place of the donkey.
“Did you mean it?” He grabbed a ripped sofa cushion to cover himself, pressing it against his lap.
Brenna made a mental note of which cushion it was so she could burn it. “I don’t say things I don’t mean.” She smiled. “Let me get you some pants.”
Keegan and Gray were still snarling at each other like teenage boys, so she motioned for Mira. The vampire was unsteady on her feet. She had bitten off more than she could chew with Keegan. Mira was strong, but Keegan outweighed her by a hundred pounds and his magic was stronger. It was a miracle Mira could walk.
Fading Light: Shadow Born, Book 2 Page 6
