Chapter 11 #2
Moving faster than even Tressa’s vampiric eyes could track, the woman blurred forward and clamped her hand around Tressa’s neck, cutting off her air supply.
“Oh, my sweet summer child. I know more about you than you could ever imagine. You’re the one with the calming Gift.
The perfect beauty who never lacks for a smile.
The Eternal Optimist.” She paused. “Or so you’ve managed to convince everyone.
But I know the truth. I know what lurks in your past, haunting you. ”
Tressa struggled in the vampire’s grasp, but the rogue was clearly older. Much, much older.
“You’re wasting your energy,” she said, lifting Tressa off her feet, slender fingers digging into her windpipe and cracking something that was probably important. “You can’t stop me. You’re not a killer.”
“She might not be, but I am,” a deep male voice said from the doorway, and the rogue swung around.
Stars burst in Tressa’s vision as she was wrenched about like a helpless rag doll.
The woman tightened her grip, holding Tressa in front of her like a shield as her body rippled and flowed back into the tall female form.
“Saiden,” Tressa gurgled, but she couldn’t get anything else out because the lack of oxygen was starting to take its toll.
She imagined she only had two or three minutes left before she passed out.
Vampires might be champions at holding their breath, but their bodies still needed oxygen to power the brain.
She’d just found her mate and was already failing him.
Tressa shot a glance over at the bed, at Ethan’s sprawled form, and she took in his too pale skin with a slight tinge of blue to his lips.
Fire burned in her gut, and something extra sparked to life inside her.
She refused to go down without a fight, redoubling her efforts to kick and squirm her way free.
Her struggle seemed to matter little to the vampire who was now focused on her cousin. “Ah, yes,” the rogue said, sneering. “Saiden. The Enforcer. Murderer of his own kind.”
Ever the tall, dark, and intimidating figure, Saiden took a step into the room, his hands settling on the daggers at his belt as he kicked the door shut. “Glad you’ve heard of me. That means you know exactly how easily I’m going to kill you if you don’t release my cousin.”
“Oh, this cousin?” the woman asked innocently. “She’s all yours.”
One second, Tressa was struggling to maintain consciousness, and the next, she was flying across the room. She slammed into Saiden with enough force to send them crashing into the wall, adding a second sizable dent to the room’s decor.
Before they could untangle themselves, the rogue blurred over and held Saiden down with one foot on his chest. “Since you’re so adamant about fighting, let’s do this another time away from humans.
But just so you know, this is not a gift.
Ethan is going to die, and the more time you spend with him, the more it’s going to hurt.
” She darted out into the hall but tossed a glance back at them.
“And when that day comes, do remember that I tried to make it quick.”
Then she was gone.
Tressa groaned and rolled off Saiden. “You didn’t see that coming with your Gift?” she muttered, her throat still hoarse despite her accelerated healing working to repair the damage.
Saiden pushed up off the floor, then held out a hand for Tressa.
“You know my Gift only triggers in potentially lethal scenarios,” he replied, pulling her up.
“Besides, you’re lucky I decided to stop by the hospital before heading out to hunt.
If I hadn’t heard your little scuffle in here from the waiting room, I might be having a rather uncomfortable talk with Marquin right about now. ”
“Awww,” Tressa cooed before kissing Saiden on the cheek. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were fond of me, Sadie Cakes.”
Rolling his eyes, he swiped a hand through the long strands of dark hair that only hung down on the left side of his head, smoothing them back into place. “So,” he said, walking over to the side of the bed. “I take it this is your mate Baylin was telling me about?”
“Yeah,” Tressa said, coming up to his side. “Saiden, meet Ethan Ambrose.”
Saiden huffed. “He looks decent enough, I guess. You like him?”
Tressa smiled and brushed her hand over Ethan’s cheek. “I do. He’s a bit like you, actually. Kind of a grump sometimes. But he’s got a heart of gold. And he’s smart. Some type of plant medicine scientist. I think I could fall in love with him quite easily.”
Saiden grunted, and Tressa took that to be about as much sappy emotional stuff as he could handle. “You get anything out of him about why he was targeted?” her cousin asked.
She let her hand drop back to her side. “Not yet. He’s keeping the details of whatever he was working on pretty close to the chest. But whatever it was can’t be good if the rogue came back to finish the job.”
“I don’t like it,” Saiden grumbled as he righted a fallen chair and sank into it, stretching his long legs out in front of him.
“Mindless rogues killing people to feed I can handle, but this?” He waved a hand at Ethan.
“And showing up so soon after the vamp that killed Cora? There’s something going on, and I don’t appreciate stumbling around in the dark. ”
“And see here I thought you had perfect night vision.”
“Cute.”
“I know.”
He sighed. “I take it you’re going to continue this vampire hunter charade you told Bay about?”
Nodding, Tressa dropped down on the side of the bed.
She slid Ethan’s hand onto her lap and wound her fingers through his, needing to remain as close to him as possible after the attack.
Every inch of her skin buzzed with the ocean of adrenaline coursing through her, and his touch anchored her amidst the maelstrom of worry, fear, and anxiety thrashing in her head. “What else am I supposed to do?”
“Tell him the truth.”
Tressa’s right eyebrow quirked up. “Oh, like how you told Cora she was your mate?”
Saiden fixed his most intimidating glare on her—the one that sent both humans and vampires running—but it only amused her. “At least I didn’t hide that I was a vampire,” he shot back.
“Oh, bite me, Saiden,” Tressa teased, falling into their usual habit of goading each other.
“You want to give me shit about this? I could tell the rest of the cadre what I found in the trunk of your McLaren. I always thought it was strange most of the kids I’ve had to compel were clutching little crochet animals. ”
He froze. “You wouldn’t.”
A slow grin spread across Tressa’s face. “Oh, I very much would.”
Saiden narrowed his steely eyes on her. “Fine. He’s your mate. Do whatever you want, and I’ll stay out of it. But when this all blows up in your face, and trust me, it will, I get to say I told you so.”
“Deal.” Tressa grinned wider. “I have to ask though, why pick crochet as a hobby? Why not origami?”
Saiden pushed out of his chair and stalked toward the door. “Bye, Tressa.”
“Or maybe baking?” she called after him. “You’d look adorable in a frilly pink apron!”
He flipped her the middle finger and disappeared into the hall.
Turning to Ethan, Tressa evaluated his now steady breathing and rhythmic pulse. At least there were no new injuries she could see beyond a slight pallor to his complexion.
Moving at top speed before anyone was alerted, she unhooked the wires from his body, flicked off the monitor that started beeping frantically from the disconnections, then slipped her hands under his back to pull him up into her arms. He might be pushing two hundred pounds, but that was nothing for her vampire strength.
Nudging the door open with her foot, Tressa quickly carried Ethan toward the back exit.
Baylin wasn’t going to be thrilled when he got another phone call from her about wiping more security feeds, but her cousin would just have to deal. There was no way in hell she was leaving her mate in the hospital, exposed and vulnerable to another attack.
The long five-hour drive back to the safety of the compound still held a distinct lack of appeal, but with any luck, Ethan would remain asleep the entire way.
She glanced down at his face. His features were hard, yet so innocent at the same time.
“It’s okay, Ethan,” she whispered. “I’ll protect you.”
That rogue bitch would be toast before she laid another finger on her mate.