cart away the remains.
Andrew and Luis stared down at the bolt in my side."It's silver," Luis said,"or I'd remove it."
"I don't have a problem with silver," Andrew said. And before I realized what he planned, he grabbed the back of it and yanked it out.
Agony burned through my side, radiating through my entire body, and I barely kept from screaming. But no amount of will could keep me conscious. My brain fuzzed out and I crumpled to the ground.
CHAPTER FIVE
I woke to a throbbing ache in my side, with the occasional piercing pain. Where was I? I lay curled on my right side on a comfortable surface that appeared to be made of soft, supple leather. Wherever I was, it was moving. I opened my eyes and stared straight into concerned brown eyes framed by wispy reddish blond hair. Fang.
He licked my nose. YOU'RE IN THE BACK SEAT OF LUIS'S CAR, Fang said from the floorboard. WE'RE TAKING YOU TO GWEN'S ER.
Good. There were closer hospitals, but Gwen would be discreet. I shifted to a more comfortable position and pain lanced through my side. I winced. Note to self—don't do that again. Where are Josh and Andrew? If Luis had done something to them—
HE DIDN'T, BUT I DID. I CHEWED ANDREW'S BUTT FOR THAT STUPID STUNT.
Literally?
NAW, THOUGH I WANTED TO. THEY'RE SHARING THE FRONT SEAT. NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT EITHER.
I glanced up to see Josh peering around the seat at me."Her eyes are open! Val, are you okay?"
Okay? How could I be okay? He'd shot me in the side, fergawdsakes."Yeah," I managed to say.
"You sure you don't want us to take you to Shade?"
"I'm sure," I croaked."I want Gwen."
Fang poked me with his nose. AND ARE YOU GOING TO TELL ME NOW WHY YOU WON'T DO THE SENSIBLE THING AND HAVE SHADE HEAL YOU?
I gave him a reason he'd understand. Remember what happened when Shade healed Josh? Opening the healing conduits to the other world made Shade more vulnerable to the demons waiting there. Since exchanging healing energies took a lot out of him, he was less able to keep the demons at bay. He'd almost lost control then and would have killed himself to keep the demons out of our world if I hadn't stopped him.
BUT YOU WERE ABLE TO GROUND HIM THEN, Fang reminded me. YOU CAN DO IT AGAIN.
I did it then with Lola's help. Her seduction had proved more powerful than the demon's pull. But seducing him right now . . . no. Neither of us needed that kind of temptation. And while I was all gung-ho to have Shade as a boyfriend, keeping us dependent on each other couldn't be a good idea.
Besides, I wasn't sure I'd have any oomph left to control him immediately after he healed me. If I remembered right, the others he'd healed had been pretty much exhausted afterward. Plus there was another reason, but I didn't want to go into it right now.
I could feel Fang's attention sharpen on me. YOU WANT TO FEEL THIS PAIN. MASOCHIST MUCH?
I should have known he'd sniff it out anyway. I'm not a masochist. It's just that . . . Heck, I didn't know how to say this. As the Slayer, I didn't get injured often. What would happen if Shade and I made love, then I got hurt and couldn't heal as fast? I needed to know what it was like to feel pain as full humans did. I needed to know if I could handle it. I needed to know if it was worth it.
The hellhound poked me in the stomach with his nose. HOW'S THAT WORKING FOR YOU, VAL?
I'll let you know. Luis hit a pothole and agony seared my side. But I wasn't about to let a little pain stop me. I was determined to not be a wuss. After all, I had to live up to that heroic image in my groupies' eyes.
Fang snorted then raised his nose, sniffing as the car slowed and turned. WE MUST BE AT THE HOSPITAL.
Luis stopped the car and took charge."Andrew, go get a wheelchair. Joshua, you get the trauma nurse." The vamp came around to open the door by my head.
I struggled to sit up."I don't need a wheelchair."
"Don't be stubborn," Luis snapped."We don't want to attract undue attention."
"Yeah, right. Like being pierced by a
Andrew and Luis stared down at the bolt in my side."It's silver," Luis said,"or I'd remove it."
"I don't have a problem with silver," Andrew said. And before I realized what he planned, he grabbed the back of it and yanked it out.
Agony burned through my side, radiating through my entire body, and I barely kept from screaming. But no amount of will could keep me conscious. My brain fuzzed out and I crumpled to the ground.
CHAPTER FIVE
I woke to a throbbing ache in my side, with the occasional piercing pain. Where was I? I lay curled on my right side on a comfortable surface that appeared to be made of soft, supple leather. Wherever I was, it was moving. I opened my eyes and stared straight into concerned brown eyes framed by wispy reddish blond hair. Fang.
He licked my nose. YOU'RE IN THE BACK SEAT OF LUIS'S CAR, Fang said from the floorboard. WE'RE TAKING YOU TO GWEN'S ER.
Good. There were closer hospitals, but Gwen would be discreet. I shifted to a more comfortable position and pain lanced through my side. I winced. Note to self—don't do that again. Where are Josh and Andrew? If Luis had done something to them—
HE DIDN'T, BUT I DID. I CHEWED ANDREW'S BUTT FOR THAT STUPID STUNT.
Literally?
NAW, THOUGH I WANTED TO. THEY'RE SHARING THE FRONT SEAT. NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT EITHER.
I glanced up to see Josh peering around the seat at me."Her eyes are open! Val, are you okay?"
Okay? How could I be okay? He'd shot me in the side, fergawdsakes."Yeah," I managed to say.
"You sure you don't want us to take you to Shade?"
"I'm sure," I croaked."I want Gwen."
Fang poked me with his nose. AND ARE YOU GOING TO TELL ME NOW WHY YOU WON'T DO THE SENSIBLE THING AND HAVE SHADE HEAL YOU?
I gave him a reason he'd understand. Remember what happened when Shade healed Josh? Opening the healing conduits to the other world made Shade more vulnerable to the demons waiting there. Since exchanging healing energies took a lot out of him, he was less able to keep the demons at bay. He'd almost lost control then and would have killed himself to keep the demons out of our world if I hadn't stopped him.
BUT YOU WERE ABLE TO GROUND HIM THEN, Fang reminded me. YOU CAN DO IT AGAIN.
I did it then with Lola's help. Her seduction had proved more powerful than the demon's pull. But seducing him right now . . . no. Neither of us needed that kind of temptation. And while I was all gung-ho to have Shade as a boyfriend, keeping us dependent on each other couldn't be a good idea.
Besides, I wasn't sure I'd have any oomph left to control him immediately after he healed me. If I remembered right, the others he'd healed had been pretty much exhausted afterward. Plus there was another reason, but I didn't want to go into it right now.
I could feel Fang's attention sharpen on me. YOU WANT TO FEEL THIS PAIN. MASOCHIST MUCH?
I should have known he'd sniff it out anyway. I'm not a masochist. It's just that . . . Heck, I didn't know how to say this. As the Slayer, I didn't get injured often. What would happen if Shade and I made love, then I got hurt and couldn't heal as fast? I needed to know what it was like to feel pain as full humans did. I needed to know if I could handle it. I needed to know if it was worth it.
The hellhound poked me in the stomach with his nose. HOW'S THAT WORKING FOR YOU, VAL?
I'll let you know. Luis hit a pothole and agony seared my side. But I wasn't about to let a little pain stop me. I was determined to not be a wuss. After all, I had to live up to that heroic image in my groupies' eyes.
Fang snorted then raised his nose, sniffing as the car slowed and turned. WE MUST BE AT THE HOSPITAL.
Luis stopped the car and took charge."Andrew, go get a wheelchair. Joshua, you get the trauma nurse." The vamp came around to open the door by my head.
I struggled to sit up."I don't need a wheelchair."
"Don't be stubborn," Luis snapped."We don't want to attract undue attention."
"Yeah, right. Like being pierced by a
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