Addison’s muffled sob tears at my heartstrings.
“Uncover her mouth, Renee.”
“No, Darian! She’d slit your throat without hesitation.”
Addison shakes her head.
“Just do it, Renee.”
She shoots me a dirty look before warning her captive, “If you make one wrong move, I won’t hesitate. Understood?”
The scared woman nods in agreement, and Renee slowly drops her hand.
“I can’t. My dad will… He’ll hurt me.”
I want to reassure her that surely he wouldn’t, but his actions a moment ago lead me to believe her.
“I didn’t even know he going to kidnap you guys, I swear. I came home and he and his cronies did it. I’m…I’ve given up on Aarick. I don’t want someone who doesn’t want me. I realized after I saw you the other night, it’s over. There was never anything to be over.”
Something in her tone makes me believe her, even though I know it seems stupid. I nod at Renee.
She shakes her head at me. “You and your strays.”
“Come back with us,” I tell Addison. “We can sneak out while he’s distracted, and I’ll protect you.”
“How can you protect me?”
“Well, from what your dad said, I’ll be the omega of Aarick’s pack, correct?”
She snorts. “If you accept the bond, yes. What if you don’t? Where does that leave me?”
“It has to be better than here.”
She glances over to the door, where the sounds of the loud TV and cans being crushed float from.
“Okay. Let’s do it. Let’s get out of here,” she decides. “We have to shift first.”
In one swift movement, we’re each on all fours, and although Renee practically rolls her eyes at me, we follow Addison to a small hole we would have probably found soon had we kept looking. We bound out into the night, and I realize I’m late for work. Shit. Of all the things to think of right now, it seems silly, but I also worry about Aarick and his dad. I wonder if Sam’s wife has passed yet.
My mind still trails off to a way to heal her. They have literal magic. Shouldn’t there be a way? As we run through the night, following Addison and hoping she knows the way home, I retrace every step and the medication that Mrs. Miller took under my care. Her brain activity… That would have to be a magical fix, right?
When the apartment complex comes into view, I’ve never been happier to be home. I’ve got to hurry to the hospital and try to save my job. I wish I could save my patient as well.
EIGHT
After a quick shower,I throw on my clothes and race to my car. I’m leaving Addison and Renee in an awkward position, but I don’t have time to second-guess it. The timing of my drive from home to the hospital sets a new record, and I’m thankful I didn’t get pulled over on the way. I rush through the double doors to the elevator and repeatedly press the button for the fifth floor.
When I swipe my badge and burst into the ICU, I blow past the charge nurse, ignoring the calls of “Darian, where have you been?” and rush around the corner to Mrs. Miller’s room.
Jane. Her first name is Jane. It flashes across my vision from reading her chart.
Everyone looks up at my sudden arrival. Sam’s hand is on Jane’s head. Aarick is sitting by his sister, her head buried in his shoulder.
“The monitors are unhooked. The machines are all gone. The only thing Jane has now is regular oxygen, to keep her comfortable,” Aarick explains, clearing his throat to hide the emotion.
I make my way around the bed, wanting to comfort Sam—Old Man. He’s spent years watching over me. Time spent away from his mate, from his family, all to keep me safe for his son.
His eyes crinkle at me fondly. “Thank you for coming, Darian. It really means the world to me.”
