11. Lorna

Chapter 11

Lorna

I pictured a view of the Cascade Mountains covered in a blanket of fresh snow. I imagined the smell of aged pine trees and crisp, clean air. I forced myself to hear water trickling through a half-frozen stream. All of it from memories of my childhood home. Then I projected it into Brance's mind.

Brance's breathing slowed and his eyes slid shut. His shoulders sagged with what I hoped was relief, maybe even a sense of peace. Not that I believed he deserved peace after what he'd done to Kenrid and Nathan. No, I just needed him distracted so that my demon could kick his ass!

Sure, it would have been nice to take down the asshole by myself, but I wasn't delusional. I'd just discovered that I could project stuff. Brance had probably been practicing magic since he'd been born. All that experience paid off for him a few seconds later.

"Get out of my head!" Brance bellowed and slapped my hands away from his face .

I'd hoped to keep him distracted just a little longer, but I shouldn't have worried. Several hundred pounds of fur barreled in between me and Brance.

My wolf.

I stumbled backward so I wouldn't be in the way and nearly tripped over Kenrid.

Brance screamed, and I prayed he wouldn't have time to fling a spell at Elliott. Brance's cries turned into a gurgled croak, then silence. Elliott's wolf completely covered the fae's body, but the smell of sickening sweet blood grew thick in the air and a pool began spreading beneath Brance's body. Elliott started to move away from his victim, and I forced myself to look away.

I had no doubt that Brance was dead, but I wasn't sure how I felt about it. The guy was obviously homesick, but that didn't give him the right to sacrifice others to get what he wanted. Just because he felt betrayed or abandoned or whatever, didn't mean he could ruin my life or anyone else's.

Instead of facing Brance's death, I knelt beside Kenrid and swept the hair away from his bruised and battered face. Blood still oozed from the newest cut just above his ear. I didn't know how to help him. I'd read all kinds of books where the hero tore their shirt into strips to make bandages, but I was pretty sure the dirt and sweat covering my clothes would not be good for him.

Despite Kenrid's injuries, the urge to seek out Elliott and Damon was overwhelming. My heart felt like it was being torn in three directions. How was I supposed to prioritize one mate over the others?

I was reasonably sure that Damon was okay, but Brance had hammered him with so many spells, how could he not be injured? Had he hidden his pain behind the mask of rage and badass demon? How would I know ?

Elliott had just tackled the asshole spell-flinger and could also be hurt. I didn't smell any burning fur or hear him whimpering in pain. Honestly, I couldn't see Elliott whimper over anything, though.

But my fae was broken and bleeding, and I couldn't do anything for him.

Damon crouched beside me a moment later and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I hesitated to look up and meet his gaze. It wasn't hard to see he was once again in his human form wearing blue jeans and a t-shirt, but I remembered his demon from a few moments before. He was terrifying. Glorious but terrifying.

I forced myself to look. I needed to know if he was hurt. My eyes swept over his legs and up his chest. His clothes were clean and free of blood. I couldn't see any bruises or scratches on his face, only concern in his dark eyes.

"One of the fae is coming to heal the worst of Kenrid's injuries," Damon said. "We cannot linger here, though. Nathan doesn't have much time."

I gasped. "I'm sorry. I …" I didn't want to say I'd forgotten about Nathan, but with everything else happening so quickly, I'd forgotten.

"It's okay." Damon kissed my forehead and rose to his feet. He crossed the room and kneeled next to Nathan. He grabbed both ends of the rope wrapped around Nathan's wrist and tugged. A swell of Damon's heavy magic filled the room, followed by a loud snap. The rope disintegrated, falling to the floor in a cascade of glitter. It would've been pretty if it hadn't held Nathan against his will and allowed Brance to torture him.

Damon gently lifted Nathan into his arms and headed for the door. The vampire had stopped bleeding, but I wasn't sure that was a good thing. It looked like he'd left most of his blood on the floor.

He's dying. Mir's voice wavered with her emotions. We'll never get the chance to know him if he dies.

She was right, but I couldn't think about it. I shouldn't mourn something I never had. I certainly shouldn't yearn for someone who could never be mine. Nathan couldn't be mine. I knew what would happen if he and I swapped blood.

There was no way I could have an intimate relationship with him without tasting him. My willpower was pretty strong, but I knew my limits. I wouldn't be able to stop myself from biting him during sex.

I pulled my gaze from Nathan's limp body and turned back to Kenrid. My heart would shatter into a million pieces if I lost Kenrid. His eyelids fluttered open, but all I could see were his blown pupils. He blinked several times and moaned, then tried to sit up.

"Let me heal you first, Your Highness." A man knelt beside Kenrid, resting his hand on my mate's shoulder. "Please relax and allow me to help you."

Kenrid slumped against the man. Tears welled in my eyes. I wasn't sure he even saw me.

"Will he be okay?" I asked, hating the sound of my quivering voice.

"Yes," the man replied. "It will take some time, but I'll have him back on his feet soon."

"Close his wounds now and make sure he has no internal bleeding." Elliott's command startled me.

I craned my head around to look up at him. Under normal circumstances, I would've ogled his naked body, but his magic pulsed in angry waves. I was so used to his magic comforting me and making me feel safe; seeing him like this broke my heart.

Elliott scowled at the man beside Kenrid. "As soon as you're done, he's coming with us. You have five minutes."

My eyes widened. I'd never seen him angry or harsh to anyone. Even when he wasn't joking and playful, he was professional. I could hardly blame him, though. The fae had betrayed us in a very personal way.

"I can't heal him that quickly," the fae argued .

"You better find a way," Elliott warned, then pulled me to my feet. He pierced me with a look I couldn't read. "Go with Nathan and Damon. He needs you."

I searched Elliott's face, trying to understand what he meant. Damon didn't need me. He was fine when he left with Nathan, wasn't he? Surely, Elliott wasn't implying that Nathan needed me. My thoughts and emotions were too confused to resist the call of Nathan's blood right now.

Blood …

My eyes widened. Nathan needed my blood. Would my dhampir's magic give him the strength he needed to at least get home? He had a supply of blood back at the fortress. Could I give him my blood without giving in to my own desire for his?

Elliott nodded, his eyes pleading with me to understand, because he couldn't say it out loud. I didn't want to admit it, but I understood. His friend was dying, and I could help. Nathan was probably the only one I could help.

"Bring Kenrid home," I whispered.

"I will. Promise." He leaned down, and I thought he might kiss me. He shook his head. "Hurry."

"I'll try."

My eyes fell back to Kenrid's unconscious form one more time, then I turned toward the door. Alyssa and the rest of the fae were gone, but the room wasn't empty. Dozens of people stood between me and the open door. I recognized some of them from the clan meeting. They nodded at me as I passed by.

Most of them appeared angry or frustrated, but a few gave me faint smiles. The last two standing on each side of the door scowled at me. I definitely remembered them, two of the shifters from the house I'd abandoned with Alyssa .

I swallowed hard and raised my chin before walking past. Apologizing would be useless, mostly because I wasn't sorry. I really wanted to believe that Damon found us because of what I'd done.

As soon as I stepped past the threshold, I quickened my pace. Damon was shutting the back door to Elliott's truck at the end of the driveway. I didn't want him to leave without me. I didn't want to disappoint Elliott because I hesitated. I didn't want Nathan to die if I could prevent it.

Damon paused when he saw me, and a flash of worry crossed his face. Or maybe I felt it through our bond. Or maybe I was projecting my own emotions onto him—literally. By the time I reached him, I was running. He caught me and pulled me into a tight embrace.

"Are you sure you can do this?" he asked, massaging my back with both of his large hands. I still swore he could read my mind.

"I have to," I muttered against his chest.

Damon gave me a gentle squeeze and let me go, then opened the back door once again. Nathan lay sprawled across the back seat. He was so very pale, almost gray in the darkened interior of Elliott's truck. Some of the cuts along his chest had started to heal, but the ones that hadn't were no longer bleeding. I suspected as much earlier, but it turned my stomach to see it confirmed.

Damon cleared his throat, startling me, but I was glad for the reminder. I had no desire to move Nathan, so I scooted onto the floorboard. A few moments later, Damon was in the driver's seat and the truck was moving. I stared down at Nathan's chest, counting the seconds between his breaths. Thirty-five.

We need to feed him, Mir said.

I know. I know.

The thought of cutting myself was unsettling. I didn't have a knife. Even if I'd had something sharp and pointy, I wasn't sure I could do it.

Let me, Mir offered .

I didn't hesitate to step back and allow her to take over. I was too caught up in my own head to do anything useful.

Mir bit into my wrist and pressed the bleeding cut against Nathan's mouth. Thankfully his lips were slightly parted. I couldn't imagine trying to force his mouth open. I was also grateful that my dhampir had a stronger stomach than me. All I'd done was panic, which made it impossible to think or make decisions.

Take a nap or something, Mir said. I don't need your internal dialog right now.

Sure! Let me just turn off all my emotions, I snapped back.

Whatever, just don't distract me.

I wanted to be mad at her, but she was right. It was going to take all our concentration to resist the vampire once he woke up. I did my best to silence my thoughts and let her have the reins.

A slow trickle of blood dripped into Nathan's mouth, but he didn't move. It didn't look like he even swallowed it. Mir leaned over until her lips nearly touched his ear.

"Nathan." A hint of suggestive magic edged Mir's voice. "Wake up."

Nathan's eyelids fluttered but didn't open.

"That's it, my love," Mir whispered.

Nathan's hand suddenly gripped my arm, and his mouth latched onto my bleeding wrist. His eyes popped open, deep red completely consuming his baby blues. I knew without a doubt he saw my dhampir staring back at him.

"Lorna, no!" Damon bellowed from the driver's seat. "Do not entrance him!"

The truck skidded to a stop, flinging me into the back of the passenger seat. Nathan didn't release my arm, and Mir didn't relinquish control. A sliver of panic chilled me to my core. Had I just taken away Nathan's free will? Surely he didn't want to die, right ?

He cannot die! Mir snapped. Elliott would not have sent you, and Damon would not have allowed you to get in the truck if they didn't want us to feed him.

Then why is Damon upset? I asked.

Mir didn't answer. Dread danced down my spine as Damon jumped out of the driver's seat and raced around to the back passenger door.