Chapter Thirty-One
Waiting for Theo to arrive felt like waiting for eternity. Not only because he was taking forever, but also because Cora refused to let her do anything.
She’d been clipped on the phone. “Theo just rang. He says something’s wrong.
He wants to pick you up from here.” When she’d arrived back at the cafe, slipping in as the last customers headed home for the day, her best friend hadn’t been much warmer.
All she would say was that Theo thought she’d reported him and that he was worried about her.
After that she told Verity to wait out front and headed into the back to avoid talking to her.
That was over an hour ago.
Sunlight streamed through the windows as she paced, one hand clutching the fabric over her roiling stomach. This was wrong. He wouldn’t call her here then leave her waiting.
She’d called his phone. Nothing. The office. Nothing. She even tried calling from Cora’s but by the time she got through Stella must have left.
Every time a car passed, her heart jumped before crashing when she saw it wasn’t him.
“Still no sign of him?” Cora asked.
Verity shook her head.
The landline telephone rang, the shrill cry having Cora dash across the room to answer.
Verity didn’t need telling that she was far from forgiven, but the simple fact that Cora was allowing her to be there, that she summoned her back to wait for Theo, gave her hope that their relationship wasn’t broken beyond repair.
“Yes, it…” Cora started. “Yes, I… oh… yes, she’s here actually.” Wide eyes met Verity’s and she held the phone out. “It’s Mr Wysall.”
Verity flew across the room, grabbing the phone from Cora.
“Elliot? What’s wrong? Where’s Theo?”
“He’s in the hospital.”
A strangled sob slipped between her fingers as Verity covered her mouth. “Is he…”
“He was attacked on Blunts Way. Silver poisoning. He needs blood. Smythe called, apparently you aren’t his donor anymore. He doesn’t have one,” he explained.
“I don’t know what’s happening, Elliot,” she sobbed. “I need to get to him.”
“Marcy!” Elliot yelled, before Verity heard a muffled conversation. “Verity, honey, Marcy’s on her way. Just stay where you are.”
Verity barely managed a goodbye before the line went dead. Silent tears dotted her chest.
Blunts Way. He was nearly there. She was stood waiting like a fool and Theo was being attacked mere minutes away.
“Verity?” Cora asked.
Everything was so bright, so vast and empty and still. Like time might stop if she didn’t move, if she didn’t tell Cora. If she didn’t voice the words, then maybe it wasn’t really happening.
Cora took a step closer, reaching over to squeeze Verity’s arm, pulling her back to the room.
“Someone attacked Theo,” she croaked, and Cora gasped. “Elliot’s partner is on her way to take me to the hospital.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
Verity shook her head, tears rolling down her cheeks. What could they possibly do?
Cora kept a hold of her until Marcy arrived, screeching down the street in a sports car before skidding to a stop in the middle of the junction. Luckily the roads were dead. Perhaps humans were already abiding the curfew.
“She’s human too,” Cora said when Marcy jumped out of the car, waving to Verity in the harsh morning light.
“Yeah,” Verity murmured, grabbing her bag. “It’s more common than you’d think.”
She was grateful when Cora didn’t ask any questions, only held the door open for her. The line of her brow and the purse of her lips told Verity that she was still far from forgiven for her secrets, but there were bigger problems at hand. “I hope he’s okay.”
“Me too,” Verity said, jogging up to the car and jumping in the passenger seat.
“Seatbelt,” Marcy demanded before racing down the street.
Elliot was on loudspeaker, giving Marcy directions, and telling Verity how to get to Theo’s room. Under different circumstances Verity might have commented on Elliot’s bossiness, questioning if he really did wear the trousers after all as Marcy followed his every instruction.
Before long they were outside the hospital, and Verity didn’t bother saying goodbye as she jumped out and ran into the building.
The double doors at the entrance worked as a light-lock, trapping Verity as she waited for the outside doors to lock shut before allowing her inside.
The seconds it took felt like a lifetime.
The moment they were wide enough for her to squeeze through she was gone, sprinting past the reception and down the stairs at the end of the hall.
Elliot’s instructions were perfect and in less than a minute she found herself stumbling to a stop in an empty corridor.
“Theodor Chapel” was written on a small white board on the door.
Taking a second to breathe, Verity rested her shaking hand on the door. No windows, no sounds coming from within. As if scared of breaking the silence she gently turned the handle, letting the door glide open and clamping her hands over her mouth when she saw him.
He lay on his back, head twisted away as he took wet, rapid breaths.
One leg of his suit trousers had been cut off above a bandage around his thigh.
Ruby red oozed from the wrapping, soaking the sheets of the bed, but that was nothing compared to his torso.
The dressings covering his chest were near black.
Blood pooled beneath him, dripping to the floor in thick rivulets.
“Theo?” Verity asked, taking a step closer, removing her jacket, ready to give him whatever he needed from her.
His hyperventilating stopped. With a sharp sniff he turned to her and Verity froze.
She was used to seeing him hungry, when the darkness of his eyes swallowed up the icy blue, but it never encroached upon the whites.
Not until now. The whisper of white in the corners was the only reason she knew he stared at her.
Cracked lips peeled back from his teeth and he growled. Low and vicious.
A hand grabbed her back, pulling her away as Theo lunged with a feral snarl. Only then did she realise he was restrained. The bed frame shook as he thrashed, fighting his bonds.
“Are you crazy?” snapped Dr Smythe as he pulled her away, shouting to a nurse by the door to bring the “feeding chair”.
“Theo?” she tried again.
“He doesn’t understand,” Dr Smythe said. “All his body can comprehend is the need to feed.”
“What happened?” Verity whimpered. “Why is he...?”
“He needs blood,” Dr Smythe stated, as if she didn’t know. “Why aren’t you his donor?”
He pulled her out of the way as the nurse wheeled in a large bucket like chair, an IV pole and a cooler.
“I am his donor,” Verity said, watching the nurse open the cooler and start unloading bag after bag of blood. She pointed. “He can’t have…”
“That’s for you,” Dr Smythe said, nudging her towards the chair.
Theo choked on a growl, blood spraying from his mouth. They must have stabbed his lungs. A high pitched sob escaped her at the thought. How much pain he must be in.
Silver poisoning, Elliot had said. Understandably, humans weren’t educated on what silver does to vampires, but she knew it was an offence to own it, so it couldn’t be good. She wanted to ask questions, but Dr Smythe didn’t seem inclined to explain so she took the seat.
Once the IV was set up, the nurse pulled a handle and the chair tilted back until she was eye to eye with Theo. She watched him, but he wasn’t looking at her. Theo was staring at the nurse with wild, murderous eyes, as he swabbed her arm, ready for the IV.
“I don’t think he likes you touching me,” she murmured.
“He’s just hungry,” the nurse informed her as he moved around the chair and took the arm nearest Theo. “He won’t be gentle,” he said, holding her hand steady while Dr Smythe grabbed Theo’s head. “Just try not to pull away.”
Everybody held still for a moment. Everybody but Theo who thrashed in the bed, snarling through gritted teeth. Verity didn’t dare breathe, waiting for the others to move.
“Come on,” the nurse groaned and Theo roared at him, mouth wide, fangs bared.
The nurse took his chance, shoving Verity’s wrist into his open mouth at the same moment Dr Smythe pushed Theo forward. He bit her, harder than he ever had before and for the first time there was not one drop of pleasure in it.
She screamed when he hit bone.
“Breathe,” the doctor told her as she fought back waves of agony.
The need to pull her hand back was all-consuming, but she fought it, using every ounce of willpower to hold still. Theo wasn’t even feeding, just holding her as he continued to growl.
“Hey,” the nurse said, dropping to one knee and taking her other hand. “Verity, look at me. You’re doing so well but I need you to breathe.”
It took conscious effort to fill her lungs. The sound of her gasping sob was swallowed by Theo’s relentless snarling, his eyes still fixed on the nurse.
“He doesn’t like…” she said, but her words were cut off when Theo started to pull, turning his head and dragging her wrist with him, forcing her out of the chair, leaning over him.
“Chapel,” Dr Smythe warned, grabbing his head in an attempt to stop him but it only enraged him more. “We need backup!” the doctor yelled. “Get him off her.”
“No,” Verity said. He needed the blood, she wasn’t about to stop.
“He’ll rip your hand off,” the doctor said, attempting to pry Theo’s mouth open.
“No,” Verity demanded. “Let go of him.”
“But…”
“I said let go of him,” she snapped. “Give him some fucking space!”
Two more vampires appeared but at Dr Smythe’s command they held back. The nurse at her side didn’t look too happy about it but took a step back too.
Theo’s eyes darted around the room, surveying the people watching him.
This wasn’t the man she knew. Hurt and vulnerable and absolutely terrified. But somehow, despite the blood that continued to drip from his wounds and his desperate need to feed, he recognised her. Verity didn’t care what the doctor said, it wasn’t only her blood that he needed; he needed her love.
“Hey,” Verity whispered, moving closer and ignoring Dr Smythe when he tried to stop her. “Theo, love?” With a feather light touch she brushed his blood soaked hair from his brow and he tore his eyes from the spectators to look at her. “I’m here, darling,” she murmured. “You’re safe now.”
When she stroked his face again, he leant into it, eyes fluttering at her touch. He looked so tired. Moving a little closer she realised that he’d grabbed a handful of her shirt, as if scared, she’d leave him. Verity cupped his face, not caring who saw, and kissed his cheek.
“I’m not going to leave you. I promise. But you need to release my wrist so you can drink.”
She stayed close, kissing him again and running her fingers through his hair, until he finally relented, opening his jaw by a fraction. The release hurt almost as much as the bite, but she refused to pull away. She’d promised.
When Theo took his first mouthful, his demeanour changed, the need to consume taking over. Dr Smythe moved but Verity shook her head, not trusting her voice as Theo’s cheeks hollowed.
“You need…”
“Just give him a minute,” she said, continuing to stroke his cheek.
She was vaguely aware of the others being dismissed until only Dr Smythe remained. Theo watched her throughout, blinking slowly, eyes rolling with contentment with every touch of her hand. The pain became secondary to the feel of his cool skin on hers.
“That’s enough, Miss Harper,” Dr Smythe said, moving around to her other side and holding a hand out for her.
With one last kiss to Theo’s cheek, Verity leaned back into the chair.
The moment her head fell back a wave of sickening dizziness swept over her.
Darkness danced at the edge of her vision as her whole body felt cold and clammy.
Something wet slapped across her forehead and she looked up to see a concerned Dr Smythe looking down at her.
“Don’t worry,” he told her, adjusting the cold compress. “He can’t drink enough to kill you in one sitting.” Well, that was reassuring. Then he said the thing that made every drop of pain and fear melt away. “He must really love you.”