Illusions (Night Roamers) Book Four by Kristen Middleton Page A

You’re going to the E.R.”
    “ Fuck… the pain is getting worse.” He sucked in his breath. “It burns like a mother.”
    “I’m so sorry,” I said, my own eyes filling with tears. “It took me longer than I thought. This was all my fault. I’m so sorry…”
    “No,” he answered , clenching his jaw. “Don’t blame yourself.”
    “Duncan’s place was raided,” I said. “Someone stole the blood we had in the refrigerator. Good thing I remembered that he also kept some at the marina. So, that’s why it took me so freaken long.”
    “Wonder w ho stole the blood?”
    “I don’t know,” I replied, turning the car around. “Thank goodness you had that gun, though.”
    “My eyes are so heavy. Wake me up when we get to the hospital,” he replied, closing his eyes .
    I bit my lower lip. “Okay. Okay. Close your eyes, then. Rest and I’ll wake you as soon as we get there.”
    He yawned. “What are we going to tell them?”
    We passed the body and I stared at it in the rearview mirror, almost surprised that it was still there. “Uh… we’re going to say that you were bit. By a wolf. That we were near Victor’s cabin and it ran out of the woods and just attacked you. Shit, we’d better hide that gun. I’m sure they’ll find that guy’s body before morning, and the empty shells from your gun.”
    He didn’t reply.
    I turned my head and found that Nathan was already out cold.
    “Nathan?”
    He moaned.
    I rea ched over and touched his forehead. He was burning up.
    Sighing, I headed back toward town, wondering if our lives would ever feel normal again.

Chapter Eleven
     
    Nikki
     
    
     
    “How d oes it look?” I asked Dr. Shanks, the doctor on duty.
    The doctor, a tall man with red hair and glasses, frowned. “He’s going to need a couple of stitches, obviously. Nathan, you said a wolf did this to you?”
    Nathan didn’ t answer. He was staring at the wall with a dazed look in his eyes.
    “Nathan, are you okay?” the doctor asked, looking a little concerned.
    Nathan blinked a few times and then smiled weakly. “Uh, yes. Sorry. Yeah, it was definitely a wolf.”
    “A very big one,” I added, as Dr. Shanks picked up a pair of scissors.
    “Do you know w hat happened to it?” asked the doctor, as he began cutting off the raggedy bottom of Nathan’s dress pants. A nurse had cleaned the wound, and thankfully, it wasn’t nearly as bad as I’d originally thought.
    “He took off when I beg an waving the bat at him,” I lied. “I have no idea where he is now.”
    “Is it infected?” asked Nathan in a hoarse voice.
    “It will be if we’re not careful. Obviously you’re going to need a couple of shots, in case the wolf had rabies. Then you’re going to have to come back for some follow-up doses.”
    “ Shots?” He sighed. “Okay.”
    “ Honestly, you should be just fine,” said the doctor, patting Nathan on the shoulder. “In fact, we’ll get you stitched up and out of here in no time. Does it hurt much?”
    “I’ll live.”
    Dr. Shanks scratched the side of his head. “On a scale from one-to-ten, how would you rate the pain, with one being the most tolerable?”
    “I’d say it’s a five,” replied Nathan. “For some reason, it doesn’t hurt quite as bad as it did in the car.”
    “Good. We cleaned it pretty well, so that may have helped,” replied Dr. Shanks . He sat down in a chair and began typing something into his computer. “If it bothers you, take some ibuprofen. I don’t think I’m going to prescribe anything stronger than that.”
    “Yeah , I’ll be fine,” said Nathan.
    An hou r later, we were back in the Mustang, with me driving again. It was still snowing, and even though the plows were now on the road, they were still pretty treacherous.
    “I should drive,” said Nathan. “You’re not used to this kind of weather.”
    “I’ll be fine,” I replied. “I got us back into town, so relax.”
    “Just slow it down a little. The roads are