“Take it or leave it, Ms. Land.”
Stomping toward her car, Becca muttered, “Thanks a lot, you son of a bitch.”
From across the lot, Jody called, “You’re welcome.” Becca had forgotten Jody could probably hear a conversation two blocks away. She slammed into her car, the Vampire’s mocking laughter ringing in her ears.
Chapter Fifteen
Drake lay naked on the bed, her body covered in a sheen of sweat, the muscles in her arms and legs standing out in rigid relief. Suddenly, her back bowed and her face became a contorted tableau of agony. Elena knelt by her side and wiped her face with an iced cloth.
Sylvan prowled the edges of the room, barely able to watch Elena touch Drake. Rationally, she knew Elena wasn’t hurting her, but she was beyond rational thought. Even when her mother had been murdered and grief and rage had burned through her like an inferno, she’d been able to control her beast. Now she wanted to attack anyone who came near Drake. She stayed as far away from Elena as she could, but the more Drake suffered, the closer she came to succumbing to her primitive instincts. She’d have to drive the medic from the room soon, or risk harming her.
“She’s burning up,” Elena said. “Come hold her arm down. I’m going to give her a sedative to see if I can calm her.”
“What’s happening?” Sylvan demanded, her voice as rough as stone. She leaned over Drake and gripped her left arm, pinning it to the bed. Drake struggled underneath her, bucking and grinding, her slick torso and belly rubbing against Sylvan’s bare breasts and stomach. Drake whined, her eyes glazed and unseeing. Sylvan smelled pheromones and endorphins and kinins that were not quite human and not quite Were.
“She’s acting like she’s in heat. Is it sex frenzy?”
“I don’t know,” Elena said. “I’ve never seen a human survive this long. But I do know her muscles are breaking down and the toxins are affecting her central nervous system.” Elena jerked back when Drake lashed out with her free arm, nearly striking her. She gave Sylvan a regretful look. “We’re going to need to restrain her soon.”
“No,” Sylvan said.
“She’s going to hurt herself. Or one of us.”
“What about the medication to treat the hyperthermia? Can’t you give her more?”
“Sophia said she’s had the maximum dose. Any more and we might kill her.”
Sylvan growled, her facial bones shifting beneath her skin—elongating, growing heavy and blunt. Her vocal cords thickened almost to the point where she couldn’t form words. “She’s dying anyhow. Do something!”
“Alpha, there’s nothing we can do!”
“Her wolf can heal her.” Sylvan’s wild energy, bred of centuries of powerful Alphas, poured from every cell, soaking the room in aggression and wrath. Drake thrashed frantically, an inarticulate cry wrenched from her chest. Blood trickled from her nose.
Terrified, Elena grasped Sylvan’s arm and tried to break her hold on Drake’s wrist. “Let her go! Your call is making her worse. She’s too ill to shift.”
“No! She has to complete the transition. It’s the only thing that will save her.” Sylvan’s claws erupted and blood scent rose in the air.
Trembling with the effort not to attack Elena, she pointed to the door.
“Leave us.”
“What are you going to do?” Elena tried to insinuate her own body between Sylvan and Drake, even though she knew she was challenging the Alpha when Sylvan was very near to losing control.
“She’s dangerous, Alpha. She’s very strong to have lived this long. If she manages to shift and turns rabid…”
“Go,” Sylvan said in a tone that no wolf could disobey.
Elena turned her head aside and closed her eyes. “As you wish, Alpha.”
“Keep everyone away, especially Niki.”
Elena started toward the door, then abruptly returned to Sylvan.
“No, stay away from me.” Sylvan extended her arm in warning. “Elena, don’t test me.”
“I’m not afraid of you,” Elena murmured as she skimmed her mouth along the edge of Sylvan’s jaw. “I love you. Be careful.”
Sylvan buried her face in Elena’s hair, holding her tightly. “I love you.” She kissed her temple. “Go now.”
Elena caressed Sylvan’s face with trembling fingers before reluctantly leaving the room.
Sylvan slowly approached the bed and knelt on the rough plank floor. Acting on pure instinct, she slid a hand behind Drake’s neck and one arm around her waist. Gently, she gathered her into her arms and skated her mouth over Drake’s cheek, tasting her. Oak and dark wine and midnight in the forest. She shuddered with a surge of primitive possession. Her wolf clawed and gnashed with a fierce need to protect.
She wanted to destroy whatever was inside Drake that threatened to take her away. She cradled Drake’s face against her chest and let her wolf rise.
“Sylvan?” Drake clutched Sylvan’s arms. “Sylvan?”
“Yes,” Sylvan gritted her teeth, the frenzy tearing at her insides.
She broke out in a sweat, drenched in pheromones and adrenaline. Her sex swelled, the deep-seated glands expanding so rapidly her clitoris erected painfully. She wanted to climb on top of Drake and rub her sex all over her, but something far more primal than sex frenzy drove her.
She wanted to dominate her, mark her with claws and teeth. The need to claim her was a fury in Sylvan’s blood. Mine.
Drake’s face twisted in pain. She opened her eyes and found Sylvan’s. She touched Sylvan’s face with the lightest of caresses. “Help me. Sylvan…Alpha, help me.”
And suddenly, Sylvan understood in a place deep inside, deeper than thought or reason, what she must do. She was Alpha and Drake was hers, as every wolf was hers, but more. She climbed onto the bed with Drake in her arms and held her in her lap. Broadcasting all her power, she gave the order none of hers could resist. “Come to me, my wolf.”
Drake gasped, her arms and legs jerking with violent contractions.
“Oh God,” she screamed, “it hurts. It hurts.” Sylvan’s canines erupted and a trail of silver streaked down the center of her abdomen. Her clitoris pounded, her sex glands pulsed. Her wolf was upon her. “Let her come, Drake. Free her.” Blood flecked Drake’s mouth and her eyes rolled back. Sylvan held Drake tightly, feeling bones shifting beneath her hands. A glimmer of midnight pelt rippled beneath Drake’s skin, but still, she did not shift.
Crimson rivers flowed from Drake’s mouth onto her neck and chest.
Her rasping breaths stuttered and abruptly stopped. Sylvan snarled, furious at being disobeyed. She clasped the back of Drake’s neck, her claws puncturing the skin, and shook her. “You will not die! Shift.” Drake thrashed, screaming, lethal canines erupting and lacerating her lower lip. Short, sharp claws tore through her fingertips and she scored Sylvan’s back and shoulders in a mindless frenzy. Sylvan’s wolf gnashed her teeth, enraged, demanding to dominate, to claim. Sylvan flung Drake onto her back and straddled her stomach. She snarled in Drake’s face.
“Shift.”
Drake lashed out with unexpected strength and buried her canines in Sylvan’s chest, just above her breast. Sylvan’s vision hazed to red.
Her sex glands exploded, pheromones pumped from every cell, and she came with a roar. She doubled over in an ecstasy of pain and pleasure, Drake’s mouth still at her breast. In the fleeting second before her wolf burst free, her eyes met Drake’s and she saw triumph in the black-gold gleam of Drake’s eyes. Howling in a fury of orgasm, Sylvan curled protectively around the midnight black wolf who shivered against her belly.Exhausted, Sylvan panted, her limbs twitching, her hips still flexing uncontrollably. Drake? She nuzzled the wolf’s neck and whined worriedly. Drake, can you hear me?