Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 113936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 570(@200wpm)___ 456(@250wpm)___ 380(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 570(@200wpm)___ 456(@250wpm)___ 380(@300wpm)
The blood welled immediately, and Nadya rushed the source of energy to Lucan’s mouth. “Talk to him. He needs to hear your voice. Tell him to drink.”
“Lucan? Honey, it’s me.” The woman smoothed his hair back from his forehead. “I want you to… swallow? Okay? I need you to swallow.”
Rio looked up for confirmation that that was correct, and when Nadya nodded, she continued speaking in the same quiet but firm voice.
And that was all they could do with what they had: The blood was pooling on his lips, right under his nose. He just had to open his mouth and take it down. Whether he could or not, was up to Fate.
As Nadya let herself fall back into a sit upon the soft padding of the pine needles, she thought of her mentor.
Do what you can with what you have, whenever and wherever you are.
Memories of the prison camp came back to her, and none of the images were good. She saw males and females who were half-starved, ill, injured, all of them being forced to package the drugs that were brought into the camp for distribution down in Caldwell.
“Is he going to make it?”
Mayhem put the question out there as blood trickled off of the sides of Lucan’s closed lips.
“I hope so.” Nadya reached out and stroked the sides of Lucan’s windpipe. “Swallow, Lucan. If you want to pull through this, you have to swallow.”
Her voice was so sharp and demanding that it cut through the crooning of his mate.
And sure enough, that was what did the trick. The male responded to the command and gurgled—and then took everything that had gathered around his tongue down into his gut.
It was not going to be like it would be if the blood were of the species. But it was what they had for where they were, and his bonding for the woman was going to turbocharge the strength it gave him.
“Just keep feeding him,” she said.
Glancing over her shoulder, she wondered where Apex was with those supplies. Although what Lucan really needed was an operating theater and a surgeon who could delicately reattach the severed artery.
“Stay with us, Lucan…”
“Honey, I need you to swallow—”
From somewhere off to the left, Kane suddenly reappeared, and as he looked at her across the dying wolven’s body, he had the strangest expression on his face.
Nadya stared up at him, and worried that he thought she wasn’t doing enough. I’m sorry, she mouthed.
For what? he mouthed back.
As she considered her options, she didn’t know, she really didn’t.
No, that was a lie.
She had fallen in love with him. Sometime, over the last twenty-four hours, she had gone from teetering on the edge to free-falling into thin air.
And her gut told her it was going to mess everything up.
Assuming they made it off the mountain alive.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Down in Caldwell, a good twenty feet under the earth in the training center, Vishous was standing outside the treatment room his sister had been delivered into. He wanted to light up, but she had an oxygen feed, and although the chances of things going fireball with the door closed between them was low, he really didn’t feel like adding to the fun and games that were already rolling out tonight.
So instead, he just held on to the hand-rolled—his last that was prepared—like it was a blankie and he was fucking two years old.
Maybe three.
On the far side of that closed door, he could hear Doc Jane and Manny talking in low voices, and he took that to mean that things were going downhill.
“Hey, you want some?”
He looked over. Butch was coming out of the cafeteria, an open can of Coke in his dagger hand, a bag of chips in the other. Hard to know which one he was offering, but it went without saying he would give either away.
Once Butch was in range, he planted his firm ass on the concrete corridor’s floor and put the can to the side.
“Sour cream and onion,” V murmured as he went over and sat with his buddy.
“Yup.”
When the open bag was offered, V shook his head and decided to hell with it and lit up. As he exhaled, he realized he hadn’t really been worried about combustion. He just hadn’t felt right about enjoying anything while his sister was in rough shape.
And hey, if his roommate could dive into a Lay’s bag, he might as well bust out his Bic.
“How’s she doing?” Butch asked as he munched.
“Not so hot.” V stared at his lit tip. “She needs to go to the Sanctuary.”
“Have you called Lassiter.”
“I keep hoping he’ll just show up. But I’m working through my feelings about that.”
“Deep breathing?”
“Convincing myself I don’t need to punch something.” God, he was such an ass. “But you’re right.”
Rolling onto one butt cheek, he took out his cell phone and locked his hand-rolled between his teeth. As he texted, he tried not to sound as desperate as he was getting—and then he wondered what the fuck was wrong with him. Like his sister’s life was worth less than his precious ego when it came to that angel?