Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 140780 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 704(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140780 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 704(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
I wanted a break.
I needed to breathe.
But all I said was, “And now the vitalsync.”
“You know what?” Roger barked. “My nerves are shot. I’ve had about enough of backyard medicine for one day. I don’t think I—”
“I’ll do it.” Harry sniffed. “The sooner this is over—even if I do end up killing him—the better.” Marching to his bag, he pulled out a big red box.
“Harry, wait. What about another option? We leave and take him with us. We’ll say he needs urgent care at the hospital.” Roger shot a wary glance at the exit. “We’ll say he’ll die if we don’t and—”
“You take me out of this room and Marcus will kill you.” My veins turned to ash. The bandages around my arms were so tight, my fingers throbbed.
Rook squeaked as Harry pulled out a defibrillator, placing it on the side table that he’d dragged next to the desk. Playing with wires and paddles and buttons, he waited until things flashed before nodding with satisfaction. “I agree with this crazy bastard. I’m not willing to put my family’s life at risk. I’ll uphold my Hippocratic oath and do my best to help him, but the moment I step out of this room, I’m done.” His eyes narrowed on me. “Do you hear me? I’m not responsible for what happens next.”
“I hear you.” I nodded, my heart galloping.
Holding matching travel-sized paddles in each hand, Harry loomed over me. “Ready?”
“Wait.” Rook leapt to her feet.
“Do it,” I snarled.
I turned my head and locked eyes with the girl responsible for getting me this far.
I clung to my dreams of revenge and—
“Clear!”
The shock hit like lightning.
Like fire and freedom and fury.
The world detonated white.
And blackness fell—
Chapter Fifteen
HE LOOKED DEAD.
One second, two seconds, three...
He lay completely still on the table—head turned toward me, eyes closed, the rise and fall of his chest unnervingly not there.
Letting Whisper go, I ran to him—
But Roger stepped in front of me and held up his hands. “Wait.”
Whisper roared and pawed at the ground, snapping at air.
Four seconds, five seconds, six...
Bolting around Roger, the panther launched toward his unconscious master just like I wanted to do. Balancing on his hind legs, he planted both paws on Lucien’s bare chest as if he could give the Heimlich manoeuvre and bring him back to life.
Harry reeled backward, the defib paddles still in his hands.
The panther looked as if he was moments away from slaughtering everyone.
Which...if Lucien didn’t wake up, was a very high probability.
Seven seconds, eight seconds, nine...
I couldn’t do it anymore.
I stepped toward the desk—
Lucien jerked, his spine arching off the blood-soaked desk, his lips parting wide as if his soul slammed back into place.
The two doctors tried to go to him, but Whisper roared.
Lucien gasped again, deeper, harsher, dragging air into his lungs and clawing his way back to life. His fingers twitched. His eyes snapped open—wild and unfocused—before locking onto the beast looming over him.
He blinked once. Twice.
His hands came up and he smooshed the giant cat’s face. He tried to speak but coughed instead. “T-Trying to eat me...while I’m still warm, huh?” He coughed a second time, then smacked another kiss—just like he had in bed—right on Whisper’s nose.
My heart swelled until it no longer fit in my ribcage. I planted both hands over my mouth to hold back the sobs.
Did this mean everything would get better now?
Is he free?
“Fuck me that hurt,” Lucien groaned.
Whisper snorted as Lucien pushed him away and...sat upright. Slow and shaky, but with raw determination and abnormal strength. No one who’d gone through what he had should be able to sit up so quickly...should they?
Whisper dropped to all fours as Lucien pressed a trembling hand to his chest, the glint of white bandages thick and tight around his wrists, his fingers trailing over that awful thing trapping his heart.
Harry muttered something under his breath as Roger stepped gingerly toward the desk. “How are you sitting up? Lie back down. You just took a full shock.”
“Yet another sign that whatever the hell is going on around here, you most definitely are not normal.” Harry stared at Lucien as if he was a freak of nature. “You should be barely conscious, let alone upright. You should be disoriented, hypotensive, confused. Yet...you’re acting as if I just gave you a shot of coffee.”
Lucien’s lips twitched. “It was the biggest caffeine shot I’ve ever had, but...I feel fine.”
“You feel fine.” Harry rolled his eyes. “Uh huh. Sure, you do. That just proves my point.”
“What point?” Lucien narrowed his eyes.
“That whatever you are isn’t like the rest of us.”
“Or my threshold is just better than other people’s.” Lucien ran his fingers over the red patches on his chest from where the defib paddles had shocked him. “I actually feel rather refreshed.”
Harry returned the paddles to the case before reaching for a stethoscope. “Stop freaking me out and let me monitor your vitals.”