As soon as Landani opened her eyes, brilliant white lights flooded her field of vision. The ceiling fan in her bedroom wasn’t there. She tried to get her bearings by closing her eyes and inhaling deeply. The air was thick with the smell of antiseptics. Her eyes suddenly opened. She was confined by white sheets and bars on an elevated, little bed. What the…?As her thoughts began to race out of control, she attempted to reach up and rub her temple but was unsuccessful. Not the dream partner, but leather cuffs around her wrists held her to the bed.Her sibling. Oh my Goodness, her parents were also gone. Her eyes were filled with tears, and her heart felt like a stone in her throat. She whimpered in agony as she sobbed, and the tears clouded her vision. Her body began to gradually warm up as she yanked at the restraints in an effort to stop the growing frustration.She licked her chapped lips while closing her eyes. What she wouldn’t do for a glass of pink lemonade on ice. She felt as t
Oh My God, She Was Gorgeous and exasperating. Beautifully exasperating. Silva was correct, though, in that the patient was barely awake after surgery and heavily doped up. She was only able to muster a sad chuckle at Darien’s expense.After tightening her hold on the bed’s bar, Darien let go and marched out of the room. He motioned to talk to his uncle when he saw him interrogating some other people.“Darien, what’s going on?”Check out Larissa’s bedroom. Given that she was moving in that direction when the shooter shot her, she must have been a guest at the Hastings Bed & Breakfast. Bring me the letter if she received one from Lelandi.No warrants were required because pack laws applied.“Then, gather her belongings. After she exits the hospital, she will be staying with me. But until then, I’ll accompany you nonetheless.“You’re not going to fall for one of them again, are you?” The furious condemnation in Uncle Sheridan’s voice as they left the hospital was audible.Darien humorous
With the exception of the dresser jammed up against the door obstructing it and the mess his uncle had made, they were able to remove enough of the glass to climb through the window and discover the space tidy as if the maid had just done the cleaning.Shaking his head, Darien reasoned that the intruder had come seeking for the identical piece of evidence as he was. The lace-covered canopy bed, the space underneath it, the dressers and bedside tables, the closet, and the tiny bathroom were all investigated by him and Sheridan, but they came up empty-handed. Nothing, not a toothbrush, comb, bag, garment, or anything else.Darien then noticed a tiny rise in the mattress on the right side of the bed. He approached the bed with a swagger and pulled up the coverlet. In one particular area, the mattress rode high. He discovered the grip of a revolver by shoving his hand between the mattress and box spring. His heart beat more vigorously. He took the 9mm out, examined the safety, then took t
Before something fell to the floor, there were several curse words, and someone shouted.Lelandi opened her eyes. Holy sh*t! Lelandi laid on her side in her wolf form while shape-shifting in her delirious state, the IV pulled out and dangling over the floor, and the dreaded medical gown wedged between her front legs. If not, people would be perplexed as to why a patient would lose red fur, thus she prayed that whoever washed the linens was a lupus garous.Rushing in, Darien and Trevor first noticed the mess Ritka had created on the floor before turning to look at Lelandi, the extraordinary sleepy red wolf.Darien muttered under his breath, “Odin’s wounds, she’s a royal.”“Hell, Darien, she’ll have a whole bunch of suitors if the word gets out. She ought to be at the veterinarian, though, if she’s going to shape-shift without warning, Trevor said.Silva entered the room.Darien commanded, “In and close the door.”She quickly inside, shut the door, and grinned at Lelandi. “My, my. She’s
DARIEN hovered over Leandi while placing his other hand on her and reaching for the nurse’s call button. Despite how sharply the pain ran through every nerve ending, she wouldn’t take any more painkillers and turn into a zombie once more.When Nurse Grey entered the room, she cast a confused glance from Lelandi to Darien.Darien remarked, “She’s hurting very hard. “No.” Shaking her head, Lelandi “I can handle it,”There is no use in putting up with it. Reaching for the IV line was Nurse Grey. It might as well be cozy.“No.” Lelandi attempted to free herself from the IV as she narrowed her eyes, sent the nurse and Darien a scathing glance. I’m done, thank you.Darien and Nurse Grey exchanged brief smiles.She wanted to yank her hand out of his grasp, and she even believed she had succeeded, but he held it captive.She wasn’t sure what had changed him as he stared down at her with such compassion, a hint of uncertainty, and even a trace of want. The impulse to force her to confess about
Lupus is extorting her.The heart of Darien almost stopped. “What, who—”She studied the blanket, her fingers twisting the thin fabric.“Yours or mine?”Larissa looked up at him, her eyes revealing confusion. “Do you think it was one of my grays or one of your \sreds?”She didn’t answer, which made him suspicious. “Why would anyone blackmail her?” Darien considered Lelandi’s nightmares, her reluctance to discuss her past with him. It fit. When he opened his mouth to question Larissa, she had shut her eyes again. “Larissa?”She didn’t respond and appeared to be sleeping. He growled under his breath, swore he would not tell anyoneTo give her any more pain medication if she needed it, and took his seat again.Two painfully long hours later, Larissa opened her eyes, and immediately Darien launched in with his questioning, determined to get the truth out of her this time. “What about the man who accosted you outside of Hastings?”“Gunman?”Being evasive on purpose? Or confused again? “No,
“Sit down. Before she returns home, I need to learn more. Darien was in shock after saying it. But, there was something off about this Leidolf figure. And until he identified the gunman, Darien wouldn’t let her leave his line of sight. “Let me know if you hear anything else,” she said.Certainly will. The deputy grinned slyly at him. “If I were in your position, I wouldn’t let her go either.”Darien ignored the remark because he believed the deputy lacked sufficient context to understand. Peter was summoned by Darien as soon as Smith left. “I understand how challenging it is to find packs or anything about them given how covert we must be, but I’ve got a lead. Find a Leidolf based in Portland, Oregon, if you can. Everything about him and his pack must be known to me.Sure, sir, that’ll work.Darien went to the lounge where three of his cousins were chatting with the doctor, eager to find out what Doc needed to talk to him about. Everyone ceased speaking when his cousins noticed him.“
Lelandi tried to block out the screams as SILVA AND RITKA FOUGHT EACH OTHER NEARHER TO HER BED. Jake shook his head and leaned against the doorframe.The doctor and Darien entered the room slowly, and Darien said, “Enough! How the hell did that happen? He gave off the impression of being a bit rattled, had a little less color on his face, and paid Lelandi a little too close attention. Actually, her neckShe inhaled deeply, calming herself. Well, now that the boss man has arrived, there is calm.“She struck me!” Ritka cried out.Yes, I would have done it again if they hadn’t restrained me. We can see, Darien assured. “I’m curious as to why,” Lelandi struggled to speak, but the IV was once more attached to her arm, and she assumed that stronger medications were being injected into her system because she was unable to even focus on what was being said let alone keep her eyes open.When I attempted to stop her from ripping out the IV, the b*tch punched me.“You yanked her back so forceful