A Cursed Embrace(47)

CHAPTER 13





I briefly recalled hearing the sound of a key fob and the trunk of a nearby car pop, as we reached Koda’s Yukon. The werebear appeared with a giant container of sea salt in his hands. He shook the container over Aric’s body like he was seasoning meat. Aric threw back his head and snarled, clenching his jaw tight enough to stretch the cords of his neck.

I smacked the container out of the werebear’s hands. The salt particles flew out in a stream of white and the cardboard container bounced twice on the asphalt before rolling beneath a nearby car. “What the hell are you doing?”

The werebear regarded me like I was the sadist. “Keeping his wounds open.”

“I can see that, asshole—”

Gemini leaned into my ear. “Now that the hook has been removed, Aric’s wolf is trying to seal his wounds. They need to stay open to draw out the gold poisoning his system. Otherwise it will take longer for the body to excrete it.”

Heat flooded into my cheeks. “Oh.”

If I hadn’t felt foolish enough, the werecheetah made sure to dig the Dagger of Shame a little deeper. She smirked. “But how could you know our ways, sweetheart? You’re not one of us.”

“Back off, Jennifer,” Koda snapped.

The werebear retrieved the container from beneath the car and doused Aric with more salt. I placed my hands over one of his, cringing as the salt sizzled and bubbled against his flesh. The edges of his skin that had started to seal closed ripped open with a loud tear. It was all I could do to stay vertical. I’d seen a great deal of suffering. But never like this. And never involving Aric.

The were didn’t stop until he emptied the entire container. He gave him the once-over and nodded. “Okay. I think we’re good.”

Thank you, Jesus.

I hurried into the backseat of Koda’s SUV, wanting to be close to Aric, and knowing he was in no condition to sit up. The wolves laid him so his head rested on my lap. I cradled one arm across his chest while the fingers of my opposite hand stroked his hair gently.

“Hold on to him as I drive,” Koda instructed.

I nodded, and pulled Aric closer. He didn’t complain, and nuzzled against me. Gemini tossed the keys of his Infiniti to another wolf and slipped into the front passenger seat. Koda drove off, his speed fast yet showing care around the bumps and curves. “We’ll get you back to the Den.”

“No.” Aric cleared his throat. “They won’t let Celia in. I want her with me. She’s a nurse. She can take care of me.” He tilted his head up. The film around his eyes swirled like moving clouds. “Is that all right with you?”

I brushed his saturated hair away from his hot brow. “You know it is.” He squeezed my hand. I couldn’t help noticing the weakness of his grip. God, his condition terrified me. I borrowed Koda’s phone and rang my sisters, telling Shayna everything I’d need to care for Aric—bandages, towels, antiseptic—

“Salt,” Koda interrupted.

He had to be kidding. “Excuse me?”

Koda’s grasp tightened on the steering wheel. “Salt water will continue to keep the wounds open, but will also help irrigate the gold’s impurities. If done right, Aric should be functioning by tomorrow.”

I chewed on my bottom lip. “Then let’s hope I do it right.”

Gemini gave me a quiet smile. “We’ll talk you through it,” he promised.

I disconnected with my sisters and caressed Aric’s arm as he shivered. “Can you tell us what happened, Aric?”

Aric coughed, his throat obviously dry from the fever. “I was on my way to meet you when I saw an ambulance and an EMT truck driving toward me in the opposite lane. The windows were down. I caught the scent of the vampires as they passed.”

Koda’s storm-dark gaze narrowed in the rearview mirror. “What the hell were vamps doing in service vehicles?”

“Hunting.” Aric cleared his throat again. Talking seemed to be getting harder. “They were dressed as EMTs. I turned around and tried to follow them but initially lost them. I finally caught their scent and tracked them into the development. That’s when I heard the girl scream.”

Gemini turned around, his almond eyes sharp. “What girl?”

“A young teen. She and her date appeared to have pulled into the development looking for privacy.” Aric sighed and swallowed several times. “There were four vampires, draining the male from the vessels of his wrists, neck, and groin. The girl sat huddled in the car, screaming.”

“Shit,” Koda growled.

I never thought I’d miss the days when only infected vampires lurked the streets of Tahoe. “They were healthy vampires, weren’t they?”