"Where is the healer?" she demanded.
Micah kept his glowing hands over the man's stomach. "The healer is in Albuquerque. He doesn't live in the city. He stays at the Council Estate."
Micah looked up as two hulking men ran up behind her. "Excuse us," they shouted, pushing her aside. Gently, they lifted the man on to a stretcher. Micah stood and carefully moved with them.
"Let's get our boy down to Broderick's lab. Thanks to Meryn, we have these walkie-talkies, so they're expecting us." Moving as one, they headed toward the back. When she started to follow, one of the men stepped in front of her.
"I'm sorry, but you need to stay here." Kari looked up and up. What was it about these men that they were all so freaking huge?
"That man," she pointed to the stretcher being carried away.
The man nodded. "Declan?"
"Is that his name?" she asked. He nodded. "Declan is my mate."
The man's mouth dropped open. "No shit?"
Kari nodded, her insides shaking.
He grinned. "Then come with me; you're family."
Kari let out a relieved breath. "Thank you..."
"Grant, Grant Douglas." He steered her through the crowd. Looking behind her, she saw that Avery was keeping up with them.
"Family?" she asked as they stepped up to a huge hole in the floor.
Grant looked around frantically. She held out one hand to him and the other to Avery. "I am a vampire; I can take us down. Which level?"
He took her hand. "Level One, and, yes, family. I serve with Declan in the Eta Unit; he is like a brother to me."
Avery clasped her other hand tightly. Through their intertwined fingers, she could feel his body shaking. As one, they stepped into the tunnel, and she quickly lowered them all the way to Level One.
When their feet touched the ground, Grant continued to hold her hand and led her down a long corridor to what looked like a large lab.
"I'm not a surgeon! I don't know what to do!" a frantic male voice bellowed as he cut away her mate's clothing before covering him with a sheet.
"We know, Broderick. Magnus is calling the healer now," a tall, dark haired man explained, pointing to where the Prince of her people paced back and forth on the other side of the room, a scowl on his face.
"Cheryl, that number should be listed at the top of your important contacts. The only reason I do not have it is because we just got cell service; I usually call him from my desk!" he yelled. He took a deep breath and rolled his eyes. "For gods' sakes, stop crying and call the healer!" He hung up the phone and walked over to the side of the bed to stand next to the dark haired man. "Adriel, are you sure you can not convince Bethy to stay? I am about to murder my secretary."
Adriel shook his head. "You will have to take that up with Gavriel."
Kari stepped forward to stand on the other side of the one the Prince called Adriel. She reached down and took Declan's hand.
Adriel blinked, then blinked again. "Hello. Who are you?"
"Kari Delaney. My brother--" she nodded her head over to where Avery bounced from foot to foot nervously-- "Avery Therian and I came in with the last set of refugees. Micah was showing us around when I smelled blood. Not exactly the way I wanted to meet my mate."
Adriel looked behind him to Avery and then back to her. "Mate?"
She nodded. "Yes, he is mine."
Declan groaned and opened his eyes. "Gods, what smells so good? Am I in heaven?"
Micah snorted. "No, and don't get any ideas about heading toward the light. I'm busting my balls to keep your wound open for the doc."
Startled, Kari looked at him. Micah had a fine sheen of sweat on his upper lip and dripping along his hairline. "Why on earth are you keeping it open?"
Micah started to answer and Adriel interrupted him. "Concentrate on our brother, I will answer." Micah nodded, looking relieved.
Adriel turned to her. "Micah is keeping his wound open so that we do not have to cut him open later. The doctor will need to make sure that his intestines are not twisted and nothing was punctured. As a shifter, his flesh is healing, which means wounds are closing, but we have learned the hard way that doesn't mean it will untwist itself."
Kari looked down at her mate. He was inching his face toward her belly. Smiling, she stepped closer to the bed, and he buried his nose against her body.
"Declan, quit moving," Micah chided. He looked down, his eyebrows rising. "Well, this is awkward."
Kari looked down the length of Declan's body to what had distracted Micah. To her utter shock, the sheet was tenting, a lot. "Oh my."
Avery giggled. "That's impressive."