“Is it done?” Gabrielle asked anxiously as Gary left the room. “You gave her your blood. She’s still barely breathing.”
Traian laid his head back against the wall. All at once, his body seemed like lead, drained of all energy. “I wish I could say that was all there is to it, but her body essentially dies before she is reborn as one of us. This will get messy.”
“If it’s messy, Traian, Joie would want me here to see to her needs. She’s very meticulous about certain things.” Gabrielle lifted her chin, prepared to fight for her right to stay. “In any case, I’m a doctor. I’ve seen messy.”
“It might be different when it is someone you love,” Traian said, but he didn’t argue with her. He was coming to know Joie’s family. They stood for one another, and they were determined to stand for him as well.
Mirko entered with Gary, going to Traian’s side without hesitation and extending his wrist. “I offer freely,” he said without hesitation.
“I am sorry for the trouble,” Traian said. “We will send help.”
“Everything will be fine,” Mirko assured. “Take what you need.” He frowned down at Traian, really observing him as he fed. “Your wound is deep, hunter. You need to go to ground. Even with my blood, you don’t have strength enough to heal that gash. He nearly tore out your heart.”
Gabrielle watched Traian feeding from Mirko. It should have repulsed her, but instead she was fascinated. It seemed such a noble moment to her, one being reaching out to aid another. Mirko, like Gary, seemed completely unafraid and matter-of-fact about giving blood, as if it were an everyday occasion. There was no enthrallment with these men as the Carpathian had done with Gabrielle.
Traian closed the wound on Mirko’s wrist and nodded. “I will go to ground when my lifemate is able. Again, thank you. I owe you.”
Mirko shook his head. “Mikhail is a friend. We’ll keep everyone from this side of the inn.” When he went out, he hung a blanket across the ruined door so there was no chance of anyone seeing inside the room.
Traian kept his eyes on Joie. The first ripple of pain crossed her face and sent a shudder through her body. Traian felt the pain take her, a fire burning with the force of a torch in the center of her body, blossoming outward like an explosion.
Jubal gasped as pain burst through his brain.
“Stay out,” Traian said.
“He’s watching. Waiting. You take care of Joie. I can do this,” Jubal said.
Traian couldn’t protect both of them. Jubal had to make his own choices. He merged with Joie, trying to take the brunt of the pain, determined to make her initiation into his world as easy as possible.
Joie’s body arched, convulsed, and she turned her head, violently sick. He caught her shoulders to steady her and seized her spirit a little tighter to shoulder more of the pain. Instantly the vampire struck, waiting for that perfect moment when Traian would be at his weakest, striking at Joie’s unprotected mind through his blood-bond with the hunter.
Go to your death! The master vampire commanded, pushing the compulsion as deep as possible.
Jubal’s spirit leapt in front of the compulsion, a wall of absolute resolve. The compulsion hit him hard, filling his head with the need to reach for the gun lying on the floor. He fought back, refusing to move, filling his mind with love of his sister and his implacable will that she live.
You will not harm either of them.
Thunder rocked the inn. Furious, the vampire sent another deluge of rain pouring into the room, but he slipped out of Traian’s mind, unable to take the pain consuming all of them as Joie’s body fought to rid itself of toxins and her organs reshaped.
Jubal slumped against the wall and slid down it, wiping sweat from his face. He had fought a mental battle and stood his ground, finding it far more exhausting than a physical battle. He couldn’t imagine how difficult Traian’s battle to save Joie’s life was. The hunter’s wounds should have killed him and he’d healed Joie’s body as best he could, given her blood and was fighting to hold her spirit to his while shouldering most of that brutal pain. Jubal shook his head and covered his face with his hands for a brief moment.
Gabrielle handed him a glass of water. “Drink this, and then we have to help.”