by Morgan Fox
Suddenly, she felt the cold prickle of unconsciousness creeping up from within the depths of her mind. She was literally shutting down. Once again, her body was rendering itself useless. Even her mouth would not continue to launch the words she was desperate to express.
The heavy pull of darkness and emptiness consumed her. All that was left was the memory of two strong men gazing down on her as if they were saying their final good-byes.
* * * *
Ryder grabbed Zane by his lab coat and practically yanked him over top of Tiffany and the gurney. “Do something,” he ordered.
Zane swallowed hard and collected himself. He was damn good at keeping himself in check. Almost too good. Slowly, he wrapped his fingers overtop of Ryder’s and peeled them back, freeing himself from the monstrous grip. If he could deal with Dominic Mercer and Reyes Rodale, he sure as hell could handle Ryder O’Laughlin.
Glaring at the were-panther-wolf, he muttered through clenched teeth, “I’ll take care of Tiffany.” He filled his lungs with air, feeling like a bull as his nostrils flared. “You need to leave.”
Ryder’s lip curled up into a snarl. “I’m not going anywhere until I know she’s all right.”
Why Ryder was concerned about Tiffany stumped him. She wasn’t part of his pack. Even though she wasn’t a lycan, she still belonged with the werewolves. Sebastian had deemed it so.
Did saving Tiffany from a vampire give Ryder special privileges? Was he suddenly master and ruler over her? Did Ryder desire Tiffany?
Oh, hell no!
Zane narrowed his gaze. “Then go sit in the waiting room. Better yet, go take a shower and put on some clothes. You reek of decaying flesh and blood, and the last thing Tiffany needs is to see you looking like you just stepped out from Hell’s Gate.” His tone was clipped and to the point.
“Fine,” Ryder growled and then jabbed his index finger into Zane’s chest. “But I expect to hear an update as soon as possible.”
Zane glanced down at Ryder’s fingers, still probing at him. It wouldn’t take much effort for him to reach down and snap them off at the joint. But instead, he flagged over two nurses who took Tiffany behind a curtain. Once the nurses were out of earshot, he returned his focus back to Ryder, who was wearing on his last nerve.
A jealous sting nipped at his heart. As long as Tiffany was under his care, no one would be allowed to see her. Not until he had a chance to talk with Sebastian. Maybe he could shed some light on why Tiffany freaked out over getting a transfusion.
A wild flicker of energy charged throughout every nerve in his body as he thought about her and the need to heal her, protect her. “Mr. O’Laughlin, you can expect whatever you want, but I don’t have to tell you shit.” Zane’s voice dropped low, and it was his turn to jab his finger into Ryder’s chest. “I suggest you find a nice little seat in the waiting room to plant your ass. If and when I feel like sharing anything with you…I will.” With a low growl, he rounded and stalked behind the privacy curtain to find Tiffany.
Ryder didn’t follow.
The nurses had stripped away her clothing and were now cleaning and tending to her wounds. Zane had to remind himself that the naked woman in front of him was a patient. Not the woman he had been longing for. The last several months had been hard. Seeing Tiffany and being unable to truly speak with her outside of pack business had been the worst form of torture.
Staring at her now, bloodied and beaten, made him nearly sick to his stomach. He hated that she’d been injured, hated that he hadn’t been able to protect her. He cared about her more than he had realized. Primal, all-consuming needs roared awake inside him. His wolf was hungry for revenge, but more so it was hungry for Tiffany.
He felt the calling, knew she was special to him. He figured it was a simple crush. A gorgeous woman had caught his eye and his body was reacting, but it was so much more than that. Tiffany had touched a part of his soul that only a chosen mate could reach, except that was impossible since she wasn’t even a wolf.
Where’s Megan when I need her? She’d understand what it meant, and if not, her brilliant mind would figure it out.
Wishing his best friend and colleague had returned back to work after finding her mates, Dominic and Reyes, Zane shook the troubling thoughts and feelings from his head and studied Tiffany’s wounds. Deep gashes were all over her face, chest, arms, and hands. Even her bare legs showed signs of a brutal attack.
Strangely though, she was already showing signs of regeneration. She was healing at a supernatural speed. He glanced up to see his nurse staring at him with the same bewildered expression.
Brows furrowed, he told her, “Get me Sebastian McCarthy on the phone.” Without hesitation, she moved to get him on the line.
As he studied the once deep and bloodied wounds softening to the slightest of pink colors, he knew something was off about Tiffany. Something he was going to find out whether Sebastian wanted to tell him or not.
The line was ringing as the nurse handed him the phone. “What do you need?” Sebastian’s voice boomed through the receiver. The deep timbre that erupted from him always caught Zane off guard. Like the feeling he used to get when his father would yell at him after he’d been busted for doing something wrong.
Wasting little time, Zane said, “Tiffany’s been injured.” Saying the words stung just as much as seeing her hurt.
“What? How?” Sebastian’s concern blasted through the phone with an intensity that had the hair rising at the back of his neck. Zane had always known that Sebastian cared for Tiffany, a brotherly love that made him both appreciative and jealous. But there was so much more to it than that.
A sense of alarm sparked between them, setting his wolf senses on extreme alert. He took a deep breath. “From what Ryder O’Laughlin told me, it was a vampire.”
“That bitch,” Sebastian spat. “Lilly sent them after her to get to me.” He paused. “I should’ve known better.” He growled. “Damn it!”
Zane’s first thought had been right. He figured Tiffany’s attack had everything to do with Mason Levi and the infamous Lilly. Now that Mason had been killed, that left only one thing hunting them.
A very old, very pissed off vampire.
Ryder had been tracking Lilly. He must have figured eventually the evil bitch would send someone to Sebastian’s legal practice. Tiffany had been a sitting duck.
“So that’s why Ryder brought her in,” he muttered under his breath, but not low enough that Sebastian couldn’t hear him.
His voice was gruff as he explained, “I asked him to keep tabs on Tiffany while he was in Dallas tracking the hybrids’ movements.”
Even though Zane was glad Ryder had been there to save Tiffany, it didn’t soften the sting he felt in his chest. The need to be the one who protected her and kept her safe was all-consuming, which made no sense since she wasn’t even his mate.
Why did he continually need to remind himself of that?
“Ryder did his job.” Zane’s fist clenched at his side. “Apparently, he’s the reason she’s still alive.” His nails lengthened as he thought about Ryder rescuing her, not him.
What’s gotten into me? Why do I feel this way?
He shook his head, regaining his composure. Her unnatural healing ability rose to the forefront of his thoughts. “Sebastian, what do you know about Tiffany? Does she have any supernatural abilities I should be aware of as her doctor?”
The line went quiet. Sebastian didn’t say a word, and that was never a good sign. His silence spoke a thousand words.
“There is something,” Zane said, answering his own question, stressing each word. Sebastian didn’t have to confirm his suspicions. Her body was all the evidence he needed. “She’s healing at a rapid rate like we do. If she’s not like us, how is that possible?”
Sebastian sounded as if he were scraping his mouth over the receiver as he said, “By all means possible, you need to keep Tiffany safe.”
That was what he already wanted to do, but why the sudden
urgency? Why the aversion to his question? Besides the obvious, what was so special about her? “What the hell is going on?”
Sebastian took a deep breath. “I can’t tell you. Just know that keeping Tiffany alive and well is the only thing you need to be concerned with.”
Zane rolled his eyes, annoyed that his questions were being dismissed. “I’m already concerned,” he said matter-of-factly. “I want nothing more than to protect her from the assholes who are trying to hurt her, but I need to know what I’m dealing with.”
“No, you don’t,” Sebastian barked, a fierce power pouring out of the phone, slamming into the depths of his ear as if he’d been punched upside the head. “You just need to do as I say and keep her safe.”
Instinct told Zane to back down, but he couldn’t. Even as a wash of heat charged up his neck and into his face. He wasn’t used to taking orders from anyone but Megan. Sebastian didn’t usually want anything from him besides medical updates on Mason Levi. Megan had always provided a buffer, but now she wasn’t around and he was left to stand on his own.
Zane ground his teeth together and swallowed the lump in his throat. “I might be overstepping, but at the moment I really don’t give a rat’s ass. If I’m going to care for Tiffany, then I should know what’s going on.” He breathed, filling his lungs to capacity. Slowly he released it, waiting for Sebastian to unleash his alpha roar upon him.
“Zane,” he said quietly, and the delicate way Sebastian spoke his name had his muscles tensing, preparing for whatever might come his way. His entire body stiffened, and his mouth went cotton dry. “I realize that you are new to my ways and that you are only trying to do your job, but it’s imperative you do as I command. Trust no one. Not even your staff. I’m sending backup your way. It will be in your interest to follow my instructions to the letter.” A thick, heavy pause filled the silence, and Zane could feel the cold slap of Sebastian’s power from several hundred miles away. “Megan will not be able to save you from my wrath should you feel the need to continue your disobedience. I will not tolerate it.”
Zane’s stomach rolled. He hadn’t realized he was being so difficult. Well, maybe he had, but his curious mind wouldn’t let things rest where Tiffany was concerned. He believed he was due an explanation. Apparently, Sebastian did not agree.
“The moment Tiffany wakes, have her call me. I need to speak with her immediately. I can’t stress enough how important it is that you do as I ask.”
Ask? More like demand. Zane didn’t really have a choice in the matter. He would do whatever was necessary to protect Tiffany, even if that meant being completely blind to the situation at hand.
“Okay, fine,” he said plainly, hating that he really didn’t have any other choice but to accept Sebastian’s terms.
The hard press of Sebastian’s power eased. “I know being in the dark is hard, Zane, but it really is for the best.” He paused. “You can expect backup within a few hours.” The line went dead.
“Great,” Zane muttered even though no one was listening.
His fingers curled around the phone. Annoyance and aggravation crawled up his spine. He wanted to throw the damn phone across the room, slam his fists into the wall, and maybe even take his frustrations out on Ryder by knocking that massive chip off his shoulder. At that moment, he envisioned drilling his fist into Sebastian’s face. Something he would normally never do if not provoked by fevered emotions.
The internal conflict that surfaced was unlike him. Zane was reserved and calm, but being so close to the woman that had twisted his heart into knots, knowing she needed him was turning him into a feral beast, one that was desperate to discover her secret. He was a scientist, a doctor, and investigating was a natural instinct, a desire that persevered above everything else.
Immediately, he ordered the nurses to arrange a private room for Tiffany. “I’m not to be disturbed. I will personally see to Ms. Miles. If I need anything, I’ll let you know. Call Dr. Grant. Have him take over on any emergencies and my existing cases.” He was told what room was available, and he pushed Tiffany’s bed to the room himself. Then he basically boarded himself up and waited.
Turning to face her, he wondered why it had taken so much misfortune for him to finally have the courage to be alone with her. Fate was a funny thing. All the nights he’d spent dreaming of Tiffany never looked like this.
The sudden tapping of rain on the window had him moving closer to investigate. The sky possessed an eerie glow that hovered just above the clinic. A shimmering blast of lightning danced across the night sky. A raw tingle shot up his spine as if someone was watching him.
Tiffany…
Chapter Two
“Don’t tell me…Sebastian freaked.” Tiffany’s tone was playfully soft, a gentle purr that had him closing his eyes for a brief second.
Before he turned to face her, he took a deep breath. Just the sound of her voice had every muscle in his body twitching. His heart beat so hard it was all he could hear. She always had that effect on him. Since the moment he’d met her, he’d been unable to think of another woman. She was an addiction he never wanted to be free of.
Releasing his pent-up air slowly, he spun around. Nothing had prepared him for the vision before him. The most breathtaking emerald-green eyes he’d ever seen stared back at him. She appeared untarnished by the events that had occurred just hours earlier. Her body was completely healed, and her eyes shined bright. He never would’ve believed anything had been wrong with her had he not seen it for himself.
Forcing his body to calm, he folded his arms across his chest. “Why is that, Tiffany? Why would Sebastian freak?”
She smiled shyly. Her skin was porcelain white, except for the slight rosy touch in her cheeks, and her lips were a pretty pink. Then her sweet green eyes glanced away, and the moment she was no longer connected to him, he wanted to demand she look his way again. The passion that filled her gaze left him breathless and needy. The way his body reacted to her was pure, primal magic.
“Zane,” she whispered his name as if pleading with him not to pry. He didn’t care. Her tone only made him all the more curious.
He cleared the distance between them and sat on the side of her bed. He wasn’t sure why, but being with Tiffany was like being with an old friend. She had a calming presence about her, and it soothed him straight into his soul. His wolf purred inside his mind, telling him how much he longed to be comforted and caressed by her.
He stroked the side of her face with the backs of his knuckles, marveling over her perfect skin. “How were you able to heal so fast?” He groaned the moment he placed his hand over top of hers. The tingling power he felt when she first arrived at the clinic charged up his arm. He’d been distracted when she’d first arrived by Ryder and her injuries, but now it was just the two of them. Glancing down at their joined hands, he swallowed hard, and then met her wide-eyed stare. “Tiffany, what are you?”
She pulled her hand away as if she’d been burned. “What an odd thing to ask, Dr. McCoskey.”
Dr. McCoskey? He’d offended her. Did he truly expect her to just blurt out what was going on with her? Sebastian avoided answering him. Why wouldn’t she?
“I’m sorry, Tiffany. I didn’t mean to upset you, but can you truly blame me for asking?” As he rubbed his pulsing hands together, he hoped she’d understand his need to know more about her. More importantly, he hoped she’d trust him enough to share her secret.
She tugged on the sheet that now covered her. He’d forced the nurses away so fast that they hadn’t had time to put a clean gown on her. He stalked over to the closet beside the bed and pulled out a new gown. He laid it on her lap and turned to face the window.
The overhead light filled the view of the window with the reflection of the room behind him. Including Tiffany. Her delicious, ivory skin glowed beautifully against the contrast of the blackened sky. Her long, cascading blonde hair draped over her shoulders and down her back as she leaned forward to put on the gown. He groaned as the
sheet fell from her breasts, revealing pretty pink nipples. His mouth watered.
He knew he shouldn’t be staring. He knew it was wrong. But he couldn’t tear his eyes from her. Even when her seductive gaze locked onto his, he found it impossible to glance away.
She nibbled her bottom lip, slowly securing the gown around her, and then pulled the sheet up to her waist. Never once did she look anywhere but at him. His stomach churned, and his pulse pounded hard and fast.
“Tiffany?” He called her name with a desperation that thundered through him.
She shook her head and quickly told him, “I can’t tell you.”
He rounded, eyeing her intently. “Seriously? Why is that the only thing anyone will say to me?” He forced his hands to his hips, his lab coat bunching up under his fists. “Do you not trust me? I’m your doctor for crying out loud.”
Her eyes widened as if he’d slapped her. “No, actually, you’re a man I’m attracted to.” She sucked in a breath, her face paling with her admission. She licked her lips, glancing down at the folded hands in her lap. Softly, she muttered, “You just happen to be a doctor.”
He froze. Her words bouncing around in his head like marbles in a bag. He was blown away, excited, and pissed off for not realizing how she felt about him sooner. Why had he never noticed?
His throat was dry as he repeated, “You’re attracted to me?”
Her brow furrowed. “Really?” she asked, huffing out a breath and folding her arms over her chest. “You honestly haven’t noticed all the unnecessary trips I made to see you in regards to Mason Levi? I wasn’t coming here to see the nursing staff, you know.”
Silence descended upon them until finally Zane asked what had been lingering on his mind for months. “Do you want me, Tiffany?”
Never had he felt so brave, so full of need. Surely, she could see how wild she drove him. He shook with desire. He watched her cheeks deepen to a rosier pink. Stepping closer, he eradicated the distance that separated them.
