Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 84864 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84864 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
“You didn’t answer my question,” he continued. “So I’ll ask you a different one. With you being you, could you remove the tumor more successfully than a human doctor?”
Gabriel sighed, then shook his head.
“What?” Ajax snapped, the intensity in his voice jolting me. “You’re the best healer Alek has ever had,” he said, exasperated. “You have skills no mortal doctor ever will. And I can pause time, I can give you what you need to fix this.”
A pang twisted my chest at the desperation in his tone, the pleading look in his eyes. Ajax was a powerful immortal who looked like the last creature on Earth who would beg for something, but here he was, begging a vampire doctor to save my life.
And for the first time since I’d gotten the diagnosis, I was not okay with it. I wasn’t in my accepting this-is-going-to-happen mood. I’d found someone worth living for, someone who had the ability to make me laugh in the face of death and cry from loving life so much. And now, I was going to have to lose him.
“I’m sorry, Ajax,” Gabriel said. “You know if I thought we had a chance at successfully removing the mass, I wouldn’t hesitate. The risk is too great with its placement and size. It could kill her faster. Instantly even. We’ve never been able to cure human cancer.”
I cringed at that, and so did Ajax
“There has to be something we can do,” he said.
Gabriel arched a brow at him, looking between us. “And to answer your other question, about attempting to transition her…that would be incredibly risky.”
“How risky?” Ajax asked.
“Too risky,” Gabriel said, his shoulders dropping. “Even with her quarter-vampire blood, you know the odds of survival. I worry the process might even accelerate her condition. And yes, we’ve successfully transitioned the queen and even Jocelyn, but you know as well as I do every transition is different. And we’ve never tried with someone in a condition like Grace’s.”
If we could somehow make it work, it would save her life. Gabriel’s voice cut through my own thoughts, his mind a whirlwind as he ran through odds and past situations in his head.
“Wait,” I said, heart racing. “When you say transition, you’re talking about turning me into a vampire?”
Ajax nodded, but he looked deflated. “If Gabriel says it’s too risky, then it is. We can’t risk you—”
“Okay, we’ll get to that later but…” I turned, giving my full focus to Ajax. “Is that something you’d actually want?”
Ajax tilted his head. “Of course, we’d talk about it, Grace. I would never force a choice that life-altering on you without discussing it.”
“Right, that’s not what I meant.”
“What are you asking me?” Ajax asked.
I blew out a breath, glancing at Gabriel who very poignantly walked to the other side of the room, pretending to be studying my scans again. “I mean, would you want to turn me if there were no risks? Would you actually want me to become like you?” I whispered the question.
“Why wouldn’t I?” he asked.
I parted my lips. “I don’t know,” I said, heat flushing my body. “We haven’t known each other more than a month. Asking someone to be immortal with you is kind of a huge step.” I clenched my eyes shut. “Not that you were exactly asking me to be immortal with you, like stay with me for eternity and everything,” I rambled. “Okay, this is sounding terrible. Forget I said anything—”
Ajax’s lips met mine, cutting off my words and stealing my breath. He cupped my cheeks, pulling back to look at me. Devastation and anger and passion churned in those eyes. “You’re my mate, Grace. I know all of this is new to you but that mark on your skin means I belong to you and you belong to me, forever. If I knew you were safe,” he said. “I would turn you.”
My heart sank and soared at the same time, if that was possible. “I would let you,” I said, and his eyes widened.
“You’d want this life?” His eyes flared wide with surprise.
“A life? Yes, I’d love that. Especially if it had anything to do with you.” Traitorous hope flared in my soul. “Let’s do it.”
Ajax pulled away from me. “What? Didn’t you just hear what Gabriel said?”
Gabriel cleared his throat. “I’ll just step outside—”
“Don’t you dare go anywhere,” Ajax cut him off, stopping the doctor in his tracks. “She obviously needs you to explain the risks again.”
“I do not,” I said. “I know the risks. I’m willing to take them—”
“You don’t know what you’re saying,” he said. “Gabriel, tell her again. You said it could accelerate her condition.”
“It’s very likely,” Gabriel chimed in.
“Right, and so could me just living out these last months of my life, Ajax,” I fired back. “Any minute could be my last—”