"He woke up."
"I knew he'd live."
"Did you?"
His lip lifted in a snarl, as if he were going to make some kind of crack. But then he seemed to catch himself. He stared at her, his scarred face remote.
"Yeah, Beth. I really did. No shotgun's ever going to keep him from you."
And then Zsadist's eyes shifted away.
The others started to stir. A moment later, they were all on their feet, staring down at her. Butch, she noted, seemed right at home with the vampires.
"How's he feeling?" Tohr asked.
"Good enough to try to tell me what to do."
The brothers laughed in a rush. The sound was one of relief. Of pride. Of love.
"Either of you need anything?" Tohr asked.
Beth looked at their faces. Each one was expectant. As if they hoped she would give them something to do.
This really is my family, she thought.
"I think we're okay." Beth smiled. "And I'm sure he's going to want to see all of you soon."
"What about you?" Tohr asked. "How're you holding up? You want to take a break?"
She shook her head and pushed open the OR's door. "Until he can walk out of here on his own two feet, I'm not leaving that bedside."
As the door closed behind Beth, Butch heard Vishous whistle under his breath.
"That is one fine female, true?" V said.
There was a low, affirmative grumble.
"And someone you do not want to mess with," the brother continued. "Man, you should have seen her when we came into that barn. She was standing over his body, ready to take the cop and me on with her bare hands if she had to. Like Wrath was her cub, you feel me?"
"Wonder if she has a sister?" Rhage asked.
Phury laughed. "You wouldn't know what to do with yourself if you ran into a female of worth."
"This coming from you, Celibate?" But then Hollywood rubbed the stubble on his chin, as if considering the ways of the universe. "Ah, hell, Phury, you're probably right. Still, a male can dream."
"He sure can," V murmured.
Butch thought of Marissa. He kept hoping she would come down, but he hadn't seen her since she'd left the morning after the surgery. She'd looked so drawn, so distracted, but it wasn't as if she didn't have enough on her mind. Her brother's death was coming soon. Sooner still as Wrath recovered.
Butch wanted to go to her, but wasn't sure if she'd welcome his company. He just didn't know her well enough. They'd had so little time together.
Was he a curiosity? Some fresh blood she wanted to taste? Something more?
Butch looked down the hallway, as if he could call her into being.
God, he ached to see her. If only to know she was okay.
Chapter Fifty-two
A couple of days later, Wrath struggled to sit up before the brothers came in. He didn't want them to see him flat on his back. The IV running into his arm and all the machines behind him were bad enough.
But at least the catheter had been out since yesterday. And he'd managed to shave himself and take a shower. Having his hair clean was a beautiful thing.
"What are you doing?" Beth demanded as she caught him moving around.
"Sitting up-"
"Oh, no, you don't." She grabbed the bed's remote and tilted up the head.
"Ah, hell, leelan, now I'm just lying down while sitting up."
"You're fine." She bent over to tuck the sheets in, and he caught sight of the curve of her breast. His body swelled. In the right place.
But the rush made him think of the scene he'd walked in on at that barn. Of her latched down to that table. He didn't care that lessers couldn't get it up.
He caught her hand. "Leelan? "
"Yes?"
"Are you sure you're all right?" They'd talked about what had happened, but still he worried.
"I told you. My thigh's healing up-"
"Not just the physical stuff," he said, wanting to kill Billy Riddle all over again.
Her face clouded for an instant. "I told you, I'll be fine. Because I refuse to have it any other way."
"You're so brave. So resilient. You amaze me."
She smiled at him and leaned down for a quick kiss.
He held her in place, talking against her lips. "And thank you for saving my life. Not just back in that barn. But for all the rest of my days and nights."
He kissed her a little more deeply and was happy to hear her gasp of pleasure. The sound brought his erection back to life, and he brushed his fingertips over her collarbone.
"How 'bout you hop on up here with me?"
"I don't think you're quite ready for that yet."
"Wanna bet?" He took her hand and put it under the hospital sheets.
Her throaty laugh as she gripped him gently was yet another marvel. Just like her constant presence in his room, her fierce protection of him, her love, her strength.
She was everything to him. His whole world. He'd gone from being blase about his death to being desperate to live. For her. For them. For their future.
"What do you say we give it another day?" she said.
"An hour."
"Until you can sit up on your own."
"Deal."
Thank God he was a fast healer.
Her hand left his body. "Should I let the brothers in?"
"Yeah." He took a deep breath. "Wait. I want you to know what I'm going to say."
He tugged her down, so she sat on the edge of the bed.
"I'm leaving the brotherhood."
She closed her eyes as if she didn't want him to see how relieved she was. "Truly?"
"Yeah. I've asked Tohr to be in charge. But I'm not taking a vacation. I have to start ruling our kind, Beth. And I need you to do it with me."
Her lids flipped open.
He touched her face. "We're talking king and queen time. And I'm going to be honest with you. I have no idea what I'm doing. I've got some ideas, but I'm going to need your help."
"Anything," she said. "Anything for you."
Wrath could only stare at her in wonder.
God, she really knocked him out. Here she was, ready to take on the world with him even though he was flat on his ass in a hospital bed. Her faith in him was astounding.
"Have I told you that I love you, leelan?"
"About five minutes ago. But I never get tired of hearing it."
He kissed her. "Get the brothers. Tell Butch to wait in the hall. But I want you to stay while I talk to them."
She let the warriors in and then came back to his side.
The brotherhood walked up to the bed cautiously. Although he'd had a brief meeting with Tohr that morning, this was the first time he'd seen the rest of his warriors, and the first time they'd seen him. There was a lot of shallow coughing, like there were lumps being cleared out of throats. He knew what that felt like. He had a knot in his own.
"My brothers-"
At that moment, Havers came through the door. He stopped dead in his tracks.
"Ah, the good doctor," Wrath said. "Come in. We've got some unfinished business, you and I."
Havers had been in and out of the OR with regularity, but Wrath hadn't felt up to dealing with the situation until now.
"It's time," he commanded.
Havers took a deep breath and walked up to the bed. He bowed his head. "My lord."
"I understand you tried to have me killed."
To the male's credit, he didn't try to run. He didn't prevaricate. And although his sorrow and his regret were clear, he did not argue for leniency.