efficiency. I’d never seen my brother in action before, and it was truly scary to do so now. He was fast, efficient, and utterly ruthless—everything a guardian should be, and everything I thought my brother wasn’t.
And while Kade mightn’t be as fast or as furious, he was every bit as efficient. Obviously, he wasn’t just a builder.
I looked away. The bright flame of Quinn’s presence had disappeared, and for a moment, fear surged. Then the rich scent of sandalwood stung the air, and a second later, he was kneeling beside me. His beautiful face was scratched, his sweater torn, the burgundy color deepened by blood.
“Are you all right?” The lilt in his voice was as fierce as I’d ever heard it, and fear gleamed in his dark eyes. “Did they bite you?”
I showed him the shoulder. He swore softly. “We’ll have to get that tended to. The bastards are well-known carriers of several different viral infections.”
“The Directorate team are about five minutes off arriving,” Rhoan said, appearing out of the remaining mêlée. He scooped me up in his arms. “We’ve a med-team amongst them, just in case something like this happened.”
He ran me through the night, down the hill, and into the section I’d seen but not visited, then left. The med-team was already setting up when we arrived.
The doctor took one look at my shoulder and hand, and hustled me into the nearest room. I was stripped, cleaned, and patched, then had several of the biggest needles I’d ever seen shoved into my butt. They hurt more than the damn bite did.
“Just keep an eye on that shoulder,” the doctor advised as he stripped off his gloves. “You wolves haven’t a history with viral infections as a rule, but even so, if you see any inflammation or start feeling off-color, just come in and see us.”
I nodded.
He glanced at the com-screen on the desk. “There’s a note here on your file to remind you of your appointment Friday.”
I blinked. “What appointment?”
“With Dr. Harvey. At four.”
I stared at him for a moment, my heart racing. Dr. Harvey was the specialist I’d been referred to—the man who would tell me whether I could have kids or not. He wasn’t a Directorate doctor, but he’d been vetted and approved by them. “Does it say anything else?”
The doc glanced at me. “It’s something to do with test results.”
Oh God, oh God . In two days I would know, one way or another. And now that the crunch was actually near, I wasn’t sure I was ready for it.
“Thanks, Doc.”
He nodded and turned away. I carefully pulled my clothes back on, then walked out to the waiting area. Rhoan rose from the chair. “Verdict?”
“I’m fine.” I hesitated, looking around. “Where’s Quinn?”
“Waiting outside. He didn’t like the feel of that place.”
A smile twitched my lips. “Really?”
“He’s an empath, remember. He said the rooms held too many bad memories and pain.”
Quinn had some fairly tough shields to protect him, so if he’d retreated, it had to be bad. Which made me damn glad empathy wasn’t one of my problems.
Rhoan cupped a hand under my good elbow, and escorted me toward the door. “You feel ready to confront what might have happened in this place, or would you rather leave it until tomorrow?”
I’d rather not confront it at all, but that wasn’t an option and we both knew it. I took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “Let’s get this over with.”
His gaze searched mine, his expression filled with concern. “You sure?”
“No. But I’d rather not wait.”
He nodded, and we moved out into the night. Quinn was waiting one building away, and fell in step beside Rhoan. He didn’t say anything and, for once, I had no sense of his emotions.
We walked back up that hill and down the alley. We turned right, and there before us stood yet another concrete building. My steps faltered, and my mouth went dry.
I didn’t want to go in that building.
Didn’t want to
And while Kade mightn’t be as fast or as furious, he was every bit as efficient. Obviously, he wasn’t just a builder.
I looked away. The bright flame of Quinn’s presence had disappeared, and for a moment, fear surged. Then the rich scent of sandalwood stung the air, and a second later, he was kneeling beside me. His beautiful face was scratched, his sweater torn, the burgundy color deepened by blood.
“Are you all right?” The lilt in his voice was as fierce as I’d ever heard it, and fear gleamed in his dark eyes. “Did they bite you?”
I showed him the shoulder. He swore softly. “We’ll have to get that tended to. The bastards are well-known carriers of several different viral infections.”
“The Directorate team are about five minutes off arriving,” Rhoan said, appearing out of the remaining mêlée. He scooped me up in his arms. “We’ve a med-team amongst them, just in case something like this happened.”
He ran me through the night, down the hill, and into the section I’d seen but not visited, then left. The med-team was already setting up when we arrived.
The doctor took one look at my shoulder and hand, and hustled me into the nearest room. I was stripped, cleaned, and patched, then had several of the biggest needles I’d ever seen shoved into my butt. They hurt more than the damn bite did.
“Just keep an eye on that shoulder,” the doctor advised as he stripped off his gloves. “You wolves haven’t a history with viral infections as a rule, but even so, if you see any inflammation or start feeling off-color, just come in and see us.”
I nodded.
He glanced at the com-screen on the desk. “There’s a note here on your file to remind you of your appointment Friday.”
I blinked. “What appointment?”
“With Dr. Harvey. At four.”
I stared at him for a moment, my heart racing. Dr. Harvey was the specialist I’d been referred to—the man who would tell me whether I could have kids or not. He wasn’t a Directorate doctor, but he’d been vetted and approved by them. “Does it say anything else?”
The doc glanced at me. “It’s something to do with test results.”
Oh God, oh God . In two days I would know, one way or another. And now that the crunch was actually near, I wasn’t sure I was ready for it.
“Thanks, Doc.”
He nodded and turned away. I carefully pulled my clothes back on, then walked out to the waiting area. Rhoan rose from the chair. “Verdict?”
“I’m fine.” I hesitated, looking around. “Where’s Quinn?”
“Waiting outside. He didn’t like the feel of that place.”
A smile twitched my lips. “Really?”
“He’s an empath, remember. He said the rooms held too many bad memories and pain.”
Quinn had some fairly tough shields to protect him, so if he’d retreated, it had to be bad. Which made me damn glad empathy wasn’t one of my problems.
Rhoan cupped a hand under my good elbow, and escorted me toward the door. “You feel ready to confront what might have happened in this place, or would you rather leave it until tomorrow?”
I’d rather not confront it at all, but that wasn’t an option and we both knew it. I took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “Let’s get this over with.”
His gaze searched mine, his expression filled with concern. “You sure?”
“No. But I’d rather not wait.”
He nodded, and we moved out into the night. Quinn was waiting one building away, and fell in step beside Rhoan. He didn’t say anything and, for once, I had no sense of his emotions.
We walked back up that hill and down the alley. We turned right, and there before us stood yet another concrete building. My steps faltered, and my mouth went dry.
I didn’t want to go in that building.
Didn’t want to
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