Midnight Moonrising (Moonrising #2)(52)

"I'm fine. Look, I'll be in meetings all morning, Why don't you go home and get some rest? I'm sure Phoenix has already ordered extra bodyguard detail to stand watch while I'm talking with the lawyer and insurance agent. A person can't function on ten hours' sleep a week. He knows that, and that is why I'm angry."

"I promised—"

"I don't care what you promised, Alex. Phoenix already knows you are dropping me off at my meeting and picking me up after it's over. Either go home and catch a long nap or don't go tonight. This will more than likely be the most dangerous case you have ever worked before, and I need you thinking straight, so please don't argue with me. Being careless will get you killed."

"All right, okay, I will go home and get some sleep."

"Promise me," she said.

Alex let out a long breath as he parked in a vacant spot in front of the law firm and cut the engine. He honestly didn't know what to do; he'd already promised Phoenix he wouldn't leave, and he himself didn't want to leave her there alone and unprotected. "I promise I will get some rest. Call me when you are finished and we'll go have lunch, my treat."

She smirked. "After we eat, maybe you can show me where you live and you can rest some more before you have to take me back to Phoenix."

"If you are ever in my apartment alone with me, I think sleep will be the last thing on my mind."

She leaned over and kissed him softly on the cheek and then whispered in his ear. "Who said anything about sleeping?" She grinned wickedly as she pulled away and opened the passenger door. "I'll call you later." She winked. "Sweet dreams."

"Maybe Phoenix was right, Rhodes," Alex said to himself. "If you aren't in love with her now, you're definitely damn close. You are so screwed, dude."





Phoenix





Phoenix slowly pushed through the door of the infirmary, knowing right away that there was a werewolf-bitten vampire in the room by the smell alone.

Alhana raised her head from her arm that was rested on April's bed, her hand grasping her friend's, trying to give her as much comfort as she could. Alhana's eyes were red-rimmed and swollen as she looked up at her master.

Phoenix exhaled hard when her face twisted in anguish and fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. Placing a gentle hand on her back, he sat beside her and just let her have the comfort of his presence to soothe her pain.


He wasn't good at this sort of thing, but he knew there was no need for words—nothing said aloud would help either of the girls deal with what they were going through; one wasn't even conscious, and never would be again. But even in April's unconscious state, she groaned then clenched her hands into tight fists and tears leaked from her eyes as the pain engulfed her.

It wouldn't be long now, and that was something to be happy about, he thought; her suffering would soon be over.

There was no cure for lycanthropy infection, and Alhana had forbidden anyone to help April into the afterlife early. Phoenix had thought that selfish of her, but he had never cared about anyone in his long lifetime as Alhana did April. True friendship was hard to find, and the girls had been close for over two centuries. Knowing he had no choice but to honor Alhana's wishes, Phoenix ordered that April be brought into the infirmary and kept comfortable until the time came for her to pass on.

"You should get some rest," he said, but Alhana only shook her head in refusal.

"I won't leave her until she leaves me," she said, her voice low and unsteady. "I promised her I wouldn't."

Phoenix nodded as he stood. "Very well. Lea will bring you a blood bag. I know you haven't hunted in over five days. I won't accept no as an answer. Your safety is important to me, Alhana."

She let her head fall back down, so her arm could hide her eyes and the little interest she had in her own health. "Yes, Master."

It pained him to see how she had all but given up. It was as if she would die herself when April took her last breath.

Phoenix didn't understand it at all. He shook his head as he left the room. Love. And it wasn't like the two girls were intimate with each other. It was more of a sisterly bond. He hadn't had any siblings, so he didn't know if he would have cared about someone if his father had spawned another child.

Regardless of how he felt about the horrid emotion, he didn't mind that others wasted their time with it. They could do whatever they wanted to; it wasn't any skin off his back, but Mena needed to know his view on the subject. He wanted to believe that he'd be okay if she decided she couldn't be with him, but just thinking about never seeing her again made him want to torture someone.

Was that love? No, that was insanity. The woman made him bat-shit crazy. No matter what it cost him, he knew he couldn't let her just walk out of his life for the sole reason that he didn't love her.

He liked her.

He lusted after her.

He wanted to make her his. Of course, he wasn't quite sure how he felt about him being hers, too, but he could think about that later. He was almost positive it would only take one more kiss to make up his mind about that one.

He smiled as the memory of her mouth on his flashed through his mind.

It had been too long, he thought. Much, much too long. How long had it been? A week? No, he hadn't even known her a full week. Their last kiss had been right before Katie's death… last night!