He straightened. Lass, I willna harm you.
She shook with a sudden tremor. Dont touch me! She kicked her legs, attempting to scramble away from him. When she rolled onto her back, she cried out in pain.
She collapsed, her eyes falling shut. Dont touch me, she whispered, then lost consciousness.
Connor approached the side entrance of Roma-tech with the woman wrapped in his tartan and cradled against his chest. Teleporting straight into the facility would have caused an alarm to go off and incited panic, so hed arrived in the side parking lot. Whoever was in the security office should have noticed him on the monitors, so hopefully they would let him in. With his arms full, he couldnt reach his ID card.
He paused outside the glass door and spotted Anguss wife, Emma MacKay, zooming down the hallway at vampire speed.
She opened the door, and her gaze shifted to the woman in his arms. You found a survivor.
Aye. Connor stepped into the hall. Im taking her to the clinic. Can ye alert Roman?
Of course. Emma touched the unconscious womans shoulder. Poor thing. She smells of blood and burnt flesh. They must have tortured her like Robby. Did you find her in the caves?
Nay. She was attacked a few miles south of there.
Emma gave him a confused look. Did you see Angus? He teleported to the campground about five minutes ago.
Must have missed him. Connor hurried down the hallway. Tell Roman Ill be in the clinic.
Behind him, Emma let out an exasperated sigh. You didnt follow Anguss orders, did you?
He kept walking. No time to explain his decisions when the woman was bleeding in his arms. Not that he usually bothered to explain himself.
Is Angus right, then? Emma called after him. Do you have a death wish?
Nay. He reached the foyer and turned left. Why would he want to die when hed go straight to hell?
He strode through some double doors and into a hallway lined with glass on one side. Through the glass, he could see the garden and basketball court, illuminated by bright outdoor lights. The children, Constantine and Sofia, were bouncing basketballs while their mother, Shanna, sat on a nearby bench, chatting with her sister.
Down the hallway, Roman emerged from his office. His eyes widened at the sight of the injured woman. She barely has a heartbeat. What happened?
She was attacked. Nasty wounds on her back.
Roman glanced out the window at his wife and children. Well get Laszlo to help. He banged on the office door next to his and called out to the short chemist.
Yes, sir? Laszlo peered out, then gasped. Oh dear. He rushed along beside them as they headed through a waiting room into the dark clinic.
The strong smell of antiseptic cleansers assaulted Connors nostrils. He laid the woman gently on her side on a sheet-covered gurney, then made sure his tartan covered up the essential areas while leaving the wounds on her back exposed.
So whats the story? Roman asked as he hit the light switch.
Connor winced at the sight of the womans injuries so clearly illuminated. I discovered her being attacked a few miles south of the campground at Mount Rushmore.
You witnessed the attack? Roman asked as he and Laszlo washed their hands in a large stainless steel sink.
I heard it. There was an angry man named Zack, a Malcontent, I believe, and he was yelling at her for no killing all the humans. She was
Is she a Malcontent, too? Roman interrupted, drying his hands.
Perhaps. She was clearly rebelling, and then the man attacked her.
Does she have fangs? Laszlo asked as he snapped on some synthetic gloves.
Connor felt a momentary cringe of embarrassment. Such a simple thing, but hed forgotten to check her teeth. Although hed certainly looked over the rest of her. Thoroughly. But only to determine her injuries. A man would have to be dead not to notice a beautifully shaped female with a lovely face and dewy soft, lustrous skin. And he wasnt dead. At least, some of the time.
He leaned over her and whispered, Doona fash. I willna harm you. He pressed a fingertip against the womans upper lip and gently prodded it up. Dainty white teeth. No fangs.