Dark Stranger Immortal (The Children of the Gods #3)(39)

As he turned around and faced Syssi, Kian squared his shoulders and plastered a smile on his face. “Would you like to change into a nightshirt before I take you to the clinic?” He peeled the comforter off her.

“Can you help me shower first? I’m sweaty and sticky.” Syssi was shaking so hard that her teeth chattered.

Kian felt like crying. But Syssi was right, he had to man up and be strong for both of them. She needed him to take care of her and not fall apart like a wimp…

What the hell was wrong with him anyway?

When did he become so weak?

“Sure, let me prepare a bath for you, I’ll be right back.”

To keep her warm, Kian pulled the comforter back up to Syssi’s chin, then hurried to the bathroom and cranked the thermostat all the way up before running hot water for her bath.





3 0

D A L H U

F inding Amanda still fast asleep when he returned, Dalhu sighed in relief. The drug was supposed to keep a mortal out for a couple of hours. But even though the whole round-trip took him less than half that, which should’ve left him with plenty of time to spare, this kind of thing wasn’t a precise science.

And more to the point—his captive wasn’t mortal.

He still couldn’t believe how lucky he was. He had done the impossible, snagging himself an immortal female, and not any immortal, but the stunning professor. Now that he had her, he would do everything in his power to keep her, and the last thing he needed was her waking up and sounding the alarm.

On the way back, he’d gotten rid of her cell phone, smashing and dumping it in a big trash bin next to a strip mall he’d passed. And he’d done the same with his own for good measure, despite it being the prepaid kind. It was vital for both of them to disappear from the grid.

If captured, he was a dead man, regardless of who found them first, her clansmen or his fellow Doomers. He had to find them some deserted place— somewhere far and secluded so his captive would have nowhere to run… and no one to hear her cries for help. After all, he couldn’t keep her drugged and chained to a bed. That would certainly not endear him to her. He needed a safe place where he would have at least a shadow of a chance to win her heart.

His best option was to find a remote cabin—a winter retreat unoccupied during the summer months. Before going there, he would need to gather supplies to last them a couple of weeks. Hopefully, by the time they ran out and needed to go for more, she’d warm to him, and he’d figure out what to do next.

Dalhu pulled out his laptop and typed in the motel’s Wi-Fi password, connecting to the Internet, then opened Google Maps and started his search.

Let’s find us a nice place to hide.





3 1

K I A N

K ian pulled out a chair and sat next to Syssi’s bed in the clinic, holding her limp hand as he listened to the rhythmic sound of her heart monitor. Covered in the warmed blankets Bridget had supplied, she had thankfully stopped shivering and had fallen asleep.

He heard Bridget’s light footsteps coming up behind him. “I have Syssi’s blood results,” she said quietly.

“And?”

“I’m still not sure what’s going on. It’s definitely not a bacterial infection, and I’m pretty sure it’s not viral. My best guess is that she is going through the transition.”

“Be honest with me, is she in danger?” Kian pinned Bridget with an uncompromising stare.

“I honestly don’t know. Her heart is doing all right, and the fever is not high enough to be dangerous, and it’s holding steady. But her blood pressure is climbing.”

Kian shook his head. “I feel so helpless, wishing there was something I could do. I have no idea how mortals deal with things like that, watching their loved ones get sick, not knowing if they’ll pull through. Their existence is so short and full of misery.”

Mortality.

Kian was no stranger to death claiming loved ones. He had watched generations of his descendants live their lives and die. But most managed to live to an old age, in no small part thanks to his discreet help. And he had been away when his brother Lilen had fallen, finding out about the tragedy only after the fact. But never before had he felt as helpless and useless as he was feeling now. With all of his clan resources—the money, the advanced technology—he was forced to watch, powerless, as the woman he loved fought for her life.

Bridget patted his shoulder. “They deal because they have to. If it would help, you might try praying. Mortals find it calming and reassuring at times like this.”





3 2

A M A N D A

A manda woke up with her arms stiff from being pulled over her head.

Still groggy, she had a moment of confusion trying to figure out why she couldn’t bring them down.

Dalhu, the name popped into her waking mind—the lunatic Doomer who wanted to make her his wife. Concentrating, she tried to remember everything he had said and done so she could figure a way out of this mess.

Taking a peek from under her lashes, she looked around the dingy motel room, finding him hunched over a laptop.

First thing first, however, she needed out of these handcuffs. Her arms hurt too much to think clearly.

“Hey you, Dalhu, how about removing these cuffs. My arms hurt.”

Startled, he jumped. “You’re awake.” Dalhu walked over and unfastened the cuffs, then sat down beside her on the bed and began massaging her stiff muscles.