Tall, Dark & Heartless (Pyte/Sentinel #3)(111)

Somewhere in Western Massachusetts

"This better work," Caine said, holding Danni's cold limp body tightly against his as he walked through the automated double doors of the hospital's waiting room.

"Of course it will," Jax said, not sounding a hundred percent sure and for good reason.

"You'll have to relocate the pack after this," Caine pointed out as they headed for the triage desk.

"They're doing it as we speak," Jax said as they approached the triage desk manned by a young woman with a ready smile that quickly disappeared as she caught sight of Danni.

"Oh my God......," she whispered before she could catch herself.

Not that he could really blame her since Danni appeared to be dead. That blue tint that colored her skin wasn't exactly helping and if it wasn't for the fact that he knew that she was a transformed Pyte he would have lost it.....a few more times.

Danni was just in limbo as Jax said and as soon as they figured out how to fix it she would be fine, more than fine. He'd take care of her, feed her and then he'd have to leave her. Even though he'd already decided that he wasn't going to be able to part from her, he didn't have a choice. As long as the Master and Greg were alive she was in danger. He hoped that Jax would allow Danni to stay with his pack while he went after the Master and Greg, but his pack was too skittish around her for that to work, so he was going to have to find another way to keep her safe.

He opened his mouth to ask the woman to call a doctor, but she looked seconds away from fainting so he decided that perhaps his best bet was to find the doctor on his own. He walked over to the double doors that led to the emergency room only to find them locked. With a sigh, Jax grabbed the metal handle on one of the doors and pulled until an alarm went off and the door bent backwards as the lock broke with a loud snap and the tip of the door was embedded in the wall.

Screams erupted in front of them and behind them as the humans ran. At least that took care of clearing out the emergency room, he thought as he walked through the doorway and placed Danni on a recently vacated stretcher.

"Find a doctor," he said absently as he cupped Danni's cold face.

"You got it," Jax said as he took off after the fleeing humans, but he didn't have to go far.

"What the hell are you doing?" a man wearing a dull white lab coat demanded as he walked into the room.

He looked to be in his mid-thirties and pissed if the scowl on his face was any indication.

"You're going to fix my mate," he informed the man as he stepped away from Danni.

The scowl was immediately replaced by concern as he rushed over to Danni and looked her over. It didn't take long before the man released a resigned sigh and stepped away from Danni.

"I'm sorry, sir, but she's gone. There's nothing I can do to save her," he said gently.

"Actually, there is," Jax said, looking around the now mostly empty emergency room. He ignored the nurses cowering near the few patients who were unable to make their escape and focused on a machine sitting on a metal cart. "Excellent," Jax said as he walked over to the cart and pushed it towards them. "Now we're going to need to take a little walk to the blood bank," Jax said with a pleasant smile.

"Look, I understand that you're upset, but there's nothing I can do for her. I'm very sorry for you loss, but....but.....what the hell?"

"You'll be even sorrier if you don't move your ass," Caine said, allowing his eyes to burn and his fangs to slide down as Jax shot the doctor a fanged, yet pleasant, smile.

*********

"Danni, it's time to wake up."

She ignored Caine's soothing tone as she struggled to continue with the most restful sleep she'd ever known. There was no pain, no sorrow and nothing to fear here. There was only peace and she wasn't about to let it go so easily.

"Wake up, baby," Caine said a little more firmly this time as she tried to turn away from him and return to her peace only to discover that dull throbbing pain was chasing away her peace until the beautiful peace was nothing but a distant memory and it took everything not to scream.

What the hell was going on? she wondered as she curled up onto her side in an attempt to hide from the pain.

"It's okay, baby. I've got you," Caine said as she suddenly found herself scooped up and placed onto his lap. She greedily took the comfort he offered by burying her face against his neck and grabbing onto his biceps and holding on for all she was worth.

"It hurts," she mumbled pathetically against his warm skin as her mind registered something in her arms. She turned her head to look only to wince and bury her face right back where it belonged when the bright light burned her eyes.

"Shhhh, I know, baby, but we're making it better," he said soothingly as the scent of shifter, Jax by the scent of him, and human teased her nose. She inhaled a little more deeply to try and sort through the rest of the scents and immediately regretted it as more pain shot through her head.

"Just relax," an unfamiliar masculine voice that reminded her of warm honey said softly as something cold and gooey was pressed against her back, making her squirm and register the fact that she was completely na**d in a room with three men. That concern was quickly forgotten by the stranger's next words. "The cancer is still wrapped around her spine."