A Warrior Wedding (The Protectors #7)(13)

“Good to know.” Steve took a step back with a nod of relief.

“And me?” Adam’s deep voice rang out.

Sloan and Slade looked at each other for a spit second. “I’m not sure if this is going to have anything to do with you or not yet.”

“For shit’s sake.” The man who Jill had never seen before in her life, took a step forward. “Tell her and get it over with. She has a right to know.”

Jill’s eyes opened in surprise. “He knows?” Betrayal swirled in her gut. With narrowed eyes, she looked up at Slade. “Somebody I’ve never met before in my life knows whatever in the hell you are trying to hide from me. Who in the hell are you anyway?”

Having eyes for no one other than Slade, she had to give this guy credit. He was good looking and had a weird attraction vibe going for him, especially when he smiled, which he did directly at her. “Hunter Foster,” he said and ended with another wink.

“Choo...choo.” Sid sighed, his eyebrows raised as he looked from Hunter to Slade then back to Hunter.

Hunter opened his mouth to say something, but Slade’s fist closed it. Hunter’s head snapped back fast as he wiped the blood from his mouth. “Chill out, man.” Hunter worked his neck. “I’m not out for your lady, just being friendly.”

“I’d say maybe, just maybe you tone down that friendliness when dealing with our mates unless you want the Slade Train to make another stop on your face,” Jared said with a shake of his head.

Hunter nodded, looking Slade up and down. “Noted.” He grinned, working his jaw back and forth. “But if that was my lady, I sure as hell wouldn’t be keeping anything from her.”

Jared looked at Sid. “They never learn.”

“Hunter.” Jax shook his head at him in warning.

“Keeping what from me?” Jill ignored everyone. Her eyes actually looked into every Warrior’s eyes until they stopped on Slade.

“You know nothing.” Slade growled at Hunter.

“I’m part wolf and I smell death on her.” Hunter’s easy banter disappeared, a seriousness straightened his features and filled the room with tension. “And I say it’s not far off, so I would stop—”

It took every Warrior in the room to separate the Warrior and the wolf, except Jill, who stood back watching everything move as if in slow motion. She was dying? Watching the Warriors all bunched-up and wrestling around, a surge of anger overpowered her. The shaking started as she walked toward them. Her arms outstretched as power radiated from her. Without thought to what she was doing, each Warrior she aimed her hands at went flying, until there was only Slade and Hunter left. Two tears ran down her face, one clear and one blood red.

******

A film of rage shadowed everything inside Slade. Just hearing the word death and Jill in the same sentence was enough to send him over the edge. All he wanted to do was take out the person who dared speak the sentence. Power enveloped him as he rolled around, with Warriors pulling at him and the man underneath him protecting himself. Soon the weight on his back lightened and he was forcibly yanked away and rolling across the floor. His rage disappeared at the ravaged face of Jill standing over him.

“Jill.” Slade tried to stand, but she used her power to keep him plastered on the floor. “You need to stop. You need to...”

“I need to do nothing.” Jill glared down at him. “But you need to tell me what in the hell is going on because honestly, I’m about to lose it.”

Slade felt her power weakening and it worried him. Managing to stand against her power, he took two steps, grabbed her arms and put them down to her side. With one hand, he wiped the tears off her face. “I won’t let anything happen to you.” Truth and promise radiated with every syllable.

Looking toward Duncan, Jill’s lip quivered as she looked back up at Slade. “Is Pam...?”

“No one is going to f*cking die.” Slade pulled her into his arms, not caring that everyone was in the room staring at them. Glancing at Damon, he nodded toward the chair. Damon carried the chair over for Jill, who gratefully sank into it.

“Shouldn’t Pam be here?” Jill frowned up at Slade.

Slade put his hand on Jill’s shoulder, his thumb rubbing back and forth. His eyes met Duncan’s whose pain reflected his own. No Warrior wanted to see their mate in danger and that was exactly what was happening, but it wasn’t against anything they could physically fight. That was what was killing him the most.

“It’s up to you,” Slade told Duncan, waiting for his answer, but when Duncan wordlessly shook his head, Slade nodded then looked down at Jill. “I wanted to tell you this alone.”

“Obviously this isn’t just about me so I’d rather you just tell me now,” Jill replied, her voice quivering at the end. She cleared her throat trying to hide the fear in her voice, and he loved her even more for it.

“I took Jill’s blood samples to the hospital,” Slade began, his fingers tightening on her shoulder. “Dr. Vaughn, who is a highly acclaimed hematologist...”

“Is he going to start talking doctor talk?” Sid whispered to Jared.

Slade glared at them both. “He studies blood.”

“I knew that.” Jared winked at Jill who was half-smiling up at him.

“Bullshit.” Sid snorted.