“I care, female. Phase.”

  “We’re going to have a talk about this bossy crap.” She reached for her wolf, who thankfully took over. In the blink of an eye, Lizzy was furry and standing on all fours.

  Finn looked over his shoulder. When he saw she was no longer a naked human female, he appeared to breathe easier.

  She motioned with her wolf head to the couple in front of them. “Is he killing her? I liked Alice. I don’t want her to die.”

  “He’s not killing her,” Finn assured her.

  “Then what is he, ohhh,” Lizzy said as realization dawned.

  Alice was confused. Why was Claude here? What did he mean by Cain was going to kill Finn if she didn’t do something? Those thoughts were cut off when Claude snatched her up and sank his teeth into her neck. It hurt … bad. She tried to scream, but the blood in her throat kept her from doing anything but gurgling. The asshole was supposedly working for the good guys. And he had just killed her. She was smart enough to know that medical help, even if she could call for it, would never make it in time.

  Her eyes stared in shock. She saw him back away. His mouth moved, but she couldn’t hear any of his words. Alice reached up to her neck, knowing in vain she couldn’t stop the bleeding but desperate to try. Her hand was immediately soaked. The room swam. She started to fall, but before Alice hit the ground, strong arms wrapped around her.

  “No.” Cain’s face came into view. “No, Alice,” he whispered as he bit into his wrist. When she realized what he was about to do she tried to shake her head.

  Alice didn’t want to be a vampire. She didn’t even want to be a gypsy healer. She wanted to be human and go back to her human life.

  “I won’t let you die.” Cain put his wrist against her lips. He leaned down closer to her ear, and his warm breath brushed her skin. “I will not lose you, too. You will drink, Alice, or I will rip every person in this place limb from limb and bathe in their blood. Drink.”

  Alice felt the cold seeping in, and she knew she was dying.

  “DRINK!” Cain bellowed. He pulled her against him, his face still pressed to the side of her neck by her ear. “I’m not the same man I was when you walked through those doors, Alice. But if you die, I will be worse than I was. Please, for the sake of every being I come in contact with, drink.”

  Her heart ached at the pain in his voice. She didn’t even realize she’d swallowed until he made an encouraging sound.

  “That’s it, love,” he murmured. “More. Don’t leave me.”

  Alice closed her eyes and did as he asked. She couldn’t stand the anguish rolling off him or the complete defeat that rang with his words as he threatened to kill others if she died. She couldn’t let that happen. So she drank and drank. But her vision began to darken, and she grew no stronger. Am I dying? Maybe the transformation wasn’t working. Her last thought before Alice was swallowed by the darkness was regret that she couldn’t save the vampire king.

  Cain could hear her heartbeat, though faintly. Despite the fact that she’d passed out, Alice Douglas was still alive. Everyone in Area 51 needed to thank her because she’d saved their lives. He scooped her up into his arms and then called out for guards. Two vampires and two humans showed up at the door, all four of them carrying guns.

  He turned to look at Finn, who sat in the corner with Lizzy in her wolf form behind him. “You will follow these men to her room. If you give them any problems, they will shoot you both until you’re so full of lead your body won’t have time to heal before your heart stops beating. Am I clear?”

  Finn’s glowing eyes flashed with rage, but he gave a sharp nod.

  Cain turned, strode quickly away, and carried Alice to his bedroom. He laid her on the bed and stared at her. The only part of her moving was her chest as she took shallow breaths. She needed fluid, and maybe more blood. Hell, he didn’t know what else. She was a gypsy healer. He had no idea if his blood would even work. She wasn’t dead, so that was something. He ran his hands through his hair as he paced the room. He couldn’t lose her. He didn’t know what they’d started, but whatever it was, he wasn’t ready to give up on it. She brought out something in him that he hadn’t felt since he’d been human. “Dammit.”

  He called for Willis. Seconds passed by, and he yelled the scientist’s name again. Finally, the fool appeared in the doorway. “Bring the emergency medical bag to my room. Now.”

  “Whoa.” Willis’s voice whooshed out.

  “Now! Quit gawking and run. If she dies, you’re next.”

  The scientist’s shoes squeaked on the floor as he bolted away. He was back in seconds. Cain spun and grabbed the bag.

  “Did you turn her?” Willis asked, his voice filled with incredulity. “I’ve done everything you asked, and you turned her?”

  Cain lunged at the stupid human. Willis jumped back, his hands shaking.

  “If you want to live, you will leave my presence right now.” The vampire didn’t have to repeat himself. Willis’s legs moved so fast, the boy looked like a cartoon, rushing away in a cloud of dust. Maybe Willis wasn’t as dumb as Cain thought.

  Cain went to work getting Alice’s wound cleaned and bandaged. Then he set her up on an IV. Though she didn’t know it, he did actually have some medical training. He’d worked in hospitals over the course of his life. What better place to get blood where no one asked questions when a person died?

  He shook those thoughts away, knowing she wouldn’t approve. It irked him that he cared about her approval, but there was no sense in wondering over it. He’d learned long ago that some things you just couldn’t change. Fretting over them was pointless.

  When he was finished getting everything set up, he sat down beside her and cupped her pale cheek. “Alice, don’t leave me alone. I’m so tired of being alone.”

  Epilogue

  “He has crossed a line that should not have been crossed. He has broken a rule that never should have been broken. Nothing will ever be the same again.” ~Claude

  Tenia flashed into the spelled room to look like Fane’s office at the sprite stronghold. Fane and Jacque both were present, Fane sitting at his desk. He rose to his feet while Jacque remained on the couch.

  The fae held a phone to her ear. “What do you mean, you ripped her throat open, and he gave her his blood?”

  “Just what I said, fae.” Claude’s deep voice was calm and smooth. “Cain was going to kill the wolf. That would have killed his mate because they’d both bitten one another. But Cain couldn’t be reasoned with. He was in a bloodlust. He must have gone too long without feeding. I knew that the healer’s blood would be too tempting to pass up, especially in that state. So I did what I had to do. It was the only thing I could do to save the girl. I knew Cain wouldn’t let Alice die. He was going to have to stop killing the wolf to save Alice. Quite simple, really.”

  “She’s not human,” Tenia snapped. “Cain cannot turn her.”

  “Maybe, maybe not.” Claude sounded as if he couldn’t care less. “But she’s still alive. Though not conscious. It would be best if she didn’t die.”

  “Bloody hell, of course it would.” Tenia gripped the phone tightly in her hand.

  “No, you don’t understand,” he said. “Cain has chosen her to be his mate. It doesn’t happen often but, sometimes, ancient vampires no longer only think of blood. She has begun to tame him. If she dies, everyone in this compound will die, as well.”

  Tenia’s stomach twisted. She’d heard of vampires taking mates, but not other supernaturals. And like Claude said, it was very rare. “Claude”—Tenia infused the command with her magic—“you will continue to give me updates.”

  “Yes.”

  “And you will make sure Cain doesn’t know you are working for us.”

  “Yes.”

  “Please make sure none of them die.”

  “That’s what I did.” Now, instead of sounding bored, the vampire sounded confused.

  “Yes, you did. Next time try to do it with less blood loss.” Tenia ended the call and looked at Fane and Jacque. “You heard all of that?”

  Both alphas nodded.

  “She’s alive.” Jacque sounded relieved, though her eyes were filled with worry.

  “We need to speak to Rachel.” Fane looked thoughtful. “She’s the oldest healer. Maybe she will know if Alice will continue to live. As Tenia pointed out, she isn’t human, and the vampire virus will not work the same way on her.”

  Jacque pressed herself against Fane, and her large, green eyes glowed softly with her wolf. “If what Claude says is true, then getting Alice out of there has just become a death sentence for everyone else.”

  “Thank you, Tenia.” Fane inclined his head. “Please continue to keep us up to date. We appreciate it.”

  “Of course.”

  “Please don’t share this information with Kara or Jewel yet,” Fane added. “Let me speak with my pack first.”

  Tenia nodded and then flashed.

  When the fae was gone, Fane looked at Jacquelyn. He reached through the pack bonds and called their closest warriors to meet them in the office.

  “Sally’s going to want to reach out to her,” Jacquelyn said.

  Fane rubbed her arms, and he felt a chill roll through her body. “I know. But I don’t know if that’s wise. We need to discuss it.”

  She nodded and leaned her forehead against his chest. Fane ran his hand up her spine and gripped the back of her neck. He pressed a kiss to her head. The door opened, and their pack began to pour in. “We’re going to figure this out, Luna,” he whispered softly. “Trust me.”

  “Always, wolf-man.” She looked up at him, and he saw that trust in her eyes. It was her faith in him that gave him the fortitude to turn and face his pack.

  “We’ve got a problem,” Fane told the group.

  “Yes, we do.” Lilly appeared in the room with Tenia at her side.

  “Mom?” Jacquelyn’s voice was filled with alarm, and she saw the same apprehension in Lilly’s eyes.

  “I’m thinking you two aren’t talking about the same problem.” Jen looked between the two of them.

  “This isn’t about the healer?” Fane asked.

  Lilly shook her head. “This is worse.”

  Jacque’s eyes went wide. “Then your problem must be really bad. Because our healer almost got killed by a vampire. And she was potentially saved through being turned by the vampire king himself. But we aren’t sure yet if she will live or die because, you know, no one has ever tried to turn a gypsy healer into a vampire before.”

  “What?” Jen and Sally said at the same time.

  Fane ignored them and stepped toward Lilly. He addressed her as the warlock queen, not as his mother-in-law. Leader to leader. “What is going on?”

  “Do you remember what the Nushtonia is?”

  “The book of the dead, written by the demons,” Jacquelyn answered.

  Lilly nodded.

  “I thought it was destroyed.”

  The warlock queen shook her head. “Apparently not, Jen.”

  Fane pulled Jacquelyn back when Thadrick, Jezebel, and the fae, Aphid, appeared.

  Thad looked at Lilly. “Have you told them?”

  “I hadn’t reached the punchline yet.”

  Jen cursed. “Could someone please finish a complete thought before more people flash into the damn room?”

  “My mind is becoming more lucid.” Thad stared at Fane. “Not perfect, but I’m having flashes of clarity. I saw the book, the Nushtonia, in the hands of a sprite.”

  “What sprite?” Andora asked from the doorway.

  “For the love of pixie dust,” Jen muttered. “Should we put out an APB and make sure every single supernatural is present before we attempt to finish the conversation that keeps getting interrupted?”

  “Jen.” Jacquelyn spoke her friend’s name firmly.

  Jen held up her hands. “Fine.”

  Thad looked at the sprite queen. “I didn’t recognize her. All I know is that she has it. And obviously, she should not.”

  “Okay, let me get this straight,” Jen stepped in again. “We have the dormant chick and her mate still in Cain’s clutches, the gypsy healer that’s also in Cains’s clutches might or might not be a vampire, and the damn book that opens the gates of hell has been found, and is in the hands of a rogue sprite. Does that about cover it?”

  “One more thing. This came just a few minutes ago.” Tenia held up her cell phone and touched the screen. A buttery male voice filled the room.

  “Hello, fae, it’s your favorite vampire spy. It’s been fun playing with you, but my agenda has changed. So, our playtime is over. However, since you were so kind to me, I would like to extend the same kindness in return. The healer… You know, the one whose throat I tore out? Yeah, that one. Well, she’s on the brink of shuffling off this mortal coil, so to speak. Cain is keeping her alive by feeding her his blood, but it’s only partially working. His blood will work to heal her, while her gypsy blood will fight the vampire virus every step of the way. I happen to know there’s only one thing that will actually save her. She needs blood, but not his. That’s all for now. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you. I must admit that I’ve developed a little bit of an obsession with you, lovely Tenia. Until we meet again.”

  The room was silent. Everyone stared wide-eyed and open-mouthed at Tenia.

  “Her mate.” Sally broke the silence. “The only blood that will heal Alice is her mate’s blood.”

  “Will you ever stop touching me?” Lizzy lay beside Finn on the bed. It was plenty big enough for her, but now seemed too small for both of them. She didn’t mind. Finn’s finger traced Lizzy’s face, down her neck and around the bite mark, only to move back up again and repeat the process.

  “Probably not.” He gave her a small smile.

  They’d been together in her room for two days. During that time, she’d noticed that Finn rarely smiled. When he did, it was a small, crooked expression. Hot. It was hot. She sighed and stared at him. He was beyond handsome.

  “How are you feeling?” His voice was full of concern. “Are you hungry?”

  Lizzy blushed as she thought about feeding. As it turned out, the process wasn’t as horrible as she’d feared. In fact, feeding from Finn was pretty freaking awesome. “I’m good for now.”

  “What’s wrong? I can feel your worry.”

  “Alice. She didn’t look good when Cain carried her off. I’m wondering if she’s even alive.”

  “She is,” Finn assured her.

  “How do you know?”

  “Because Cain looked at her the way I look at you. He won’t let her die. And we would know if she had. I think everyone in the facility would know.”

  Lizzy frowned. “He’s her mate?”

  “No.” Finn shook his head. “Not her true mate. But his chosen mate. He should know better. He’s a vampire, and she’s a healer. They will never work.”

  “Why? Because she’s light and he’s dark?” Lizzy shifted closer to him and smiled when he slipped his hand under her shirt and ran his finger along the skin of her stomach where the markings had appeared—the ones that matched his own. That had been a bit of a surprise, but considering everything else that had happened to her, randomly appearing tattoos were quite tame.

  “Healers always have werewolf mates,” Finn explained.

  Lizzy pressed her lips together. She was coming to realize the supernatural world had a lot of rules. “You said that, at one time, wolves only mated with wolves?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you also said that there are now fae who have true mates that are werewolves.”

  He looked at her skeptically. “There’s no exception to the rule of a healer’s true mate.”

  “How do you know?” she challenged.

  “There is nothing good in a vampire.”

  Lizzy’s brow rose. “And yet Cain saved her when he could have just bled her dry.” Lizzy ran her hand up his arm and pressed her palm against the bite mark she’d left on his neck. “Have you ever heard of yin and yang? Maybe they need each other to balance one another out. You can’t have light without darkness.”

  “For her sake, I hope that’s not the case,” Finn said after several moments of silence.

  “Are you gonna go into gypsy healer-cheerleader mode again? Because I have no problem biting you and making sure you don’t enjoy it.”

  “You’re cute when you're jealous.” He leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. “Regardless of what Alice is, she’s been kind to you. She seems to be a decent person. Cain doesn’t deserve her, even if she wasn’t a healer.”

  “And who are we to decide what someone deserves?”

  Finn groaned, and she laughed. He would learn that she liked to play devil’s advocate. It annoyed him, which only made her want to do it more.

  Lizzy sobered and cuddled closer to him. “I really do hope she’s okay. And I hope that alpha you talked about will hurry up and bring his supernatural army.”

  Finn tucked her closer. “Me, too, my Lizzy. Me, too.”

  Finn listened as Lizzy’s breathing changed, and he knew she’d fallen asleep. He let out a breath and pushed away the worry that seemed to be his constant companion since Cain had attacked him. Finn had been so worried about Lizzy that he’d let his guard down for a split second to make sure she was okay. That was all it took for Cain to get the upper hand. Finn’s mistake had almost gotten them both killed.

  He remembered Cain’s words as he’d leaned over the healer. Lizzy obviously hadn’t heard them because she’d be even more worried about Alice being alive if she knew that Cain had promised to kill everyone in the compound if the healer died.

  Fane needed to hurry. He and Lizzy were living on borrowed time. Finn had to assume the only thing that would save Alice would be her mate’s blood. And who the hell might that be? Finn had no idea. When Cain realized that Alice’s true mate would be required to heal her, crap was going to hit the fan. Finn wanted to be long gone by the time that happened. And considering his age, Cain had to know that was the only thing that would heal Alice, or at least suspect it. But the vampire king was a man in love. Finn had seen the way Cain looked at Alice. While the light of love could illuminate the darkest places, it could also blind the keenest eyes.