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“Then we wait,” Garnet says. “Thank you, Dec. I promise you that James won’t blame you for this.”
“I guess we’ll see when he wakes up,” the vampire responds. I wonder if he’s going to stay until James comes to. It’s a dumb question; of course he is. None of us know how to deal with a newly turned vamp. Dec will have to teach him how to control his thirst, otherwise he could kill us all.
Oh, shit. We never even considered how we would get blood for him. I guess I wasn’t the only one who expected James to change his mind and stay human. With Ryland out of commission, it’ll be my responsibility to make sure James doesn’t hurt any of the wolves after his transition. At least until my alpha is healed and able to handle things.
“We’re gonna need blood for him.”
“It’s on the way.”
JAMES
Darkness envelops me, swaddling me in its comforting embrace. Wow, that was poetic. I wonder where that thought came from. I try to open my eyes, but I can’t. All I see is black, and I can’t escape it. Before I can panic, I force myself to think back. What happened just before it all went dark?
I remember putting Garnet and Ryland to bed, then coming out to the living room and collapsing in the chair. My side hurts, but it’s fine. I’ve done everything I can to make sure it doesn’t get infected. I just need to sleep for a bit. That’s it! I closed my eyes and I’m sleeping now. This is just a weird dream from whatever magic was used in that fight earlier.
It doesn’t feel like that’s true, though. I vaguely sense my brother is nearby. How would I know that? And why would Declan be here? Did something happen? Fuck, I need to wake up. I have to protect Garnet.
I try again to force my eyes to open, but they won’t. A sharp pain pierces my throat, and I feel as if my life force is being drained. Just when despair makes me want to give up, I hear Dec’s voice. “Come on, brother, drink.” My lips are forced apart and something warm with a metallic taste trickles down my throat. What is he making me drink?
Swallowing is the only option, though I can’t even feel myself moving. Everything goes quiet, and I think I’ve died. This is nothing like the Fae realm, or anything else I could have imagined death being like. That’s when the burning starts.
My body feels as if it’s been set ablaze. I’m on fire, and somehow, it’s started inside my veins. I feel myself buck and thrash as the sensation spreads from my center outward. This is so much worse than the pain I was in before Garnet healed me. What is happening to me?
The pain intensifies until I scream, unable to hold back any longer. My eyes finally open, and I see faces surrounding me as I lay on the floor. Garnet, Orym, Dec, and Luca hover over me. No, that’s not right. Dec and Luca are holding me down, while Orym holds Garnet back. Did I try to hurt her? Am I being controlled by Amber again?
“Fuck, this hurts,” I rasp.
“It’s okay, brother. Take a breath.” I obey the command instantly. Dec shoves a straw into my mouth. “Now drink.”
Again, I do as I’m asked without hesitation. Oh, this is that same metallic flavor from before. What kind of potion am I drinking? And why did it taste strange before, but delicious now? My thoughts are foggy as I try to figure out what’s going on here.
“Okay, let’s help him sit up. Keep her back until I’m sure he’s not going to attack,” Dec says.
“Why would I attack Garnet?” I ask, staring up at my brother.
GARNET
“Because, James, you’re a vampire now.” Dec’s quiet answer echoes in the silence of the room. My mind replays James thrashing and screaming in pain before his eyes finally snapped open. I understand the concern for my safety. My wolf mates are better able to protect themselves from a newly turned vamp. As a witch, I don’t have as much that I can use. My Fae side, however, should be able to fend for herself.
I won’t correct Dec, though. He’s done enough for us today to earn my respect and reverence. I’ll cooperate with whatever he asks of me. I owe him for saving my mate. As soon as James finishes drinking the blood bag, his panic lessens. I can feel him along the bond, stronger than ever.
Of course, he’s scared and confused. I expected that, since he wasn’t able to agree to this. And I’m sure he’s going to be angry, because he didn’t have time to prepare.
“I’m a what?” James asks, looking from Dec to me and back again. “I thought you weren’t going to do this until after the Wolf Moon.”
His anger is palpable, just like his confusion. He’s conflicted and unsure of how to feel. “You lied to us about being hurt today. By the time I found out, you’d nearly bled to death in that chair.” I spit the words at him as Orym keeps me from moving closer.
“So, you did this to me? We had a plan and you just go change it to suit yourself?” His accusation cuts me. He’s acting as if this is something I’ve orchestrated to manipulate and control him. Surely, he doesn’t really think those things about me.
“James, this wasn’t her fault. It was my decision. She called me to come see if there was anything else we could do to save you. This was the only way. You were so close to death already. I did what I had to, brother. If you’re going to blame someone, it should be me.” Dec’s forceful declaration is exactly the opposite of what we’d discussed, and it catches me off guard.
I shake my head. “No. That’s not true. Dec didn’t want to turn you. I pushed him into it. But not as a manipulation. It was the only way to save you.”
“Maybe you should have just let me die, then,” James snarls. Tears slide down my face. I know that he’s not done processing what’s happened, and none of this should be held against him, but his words hurt.
“James, you don’t mean that. Stop taking this out on her. If you’re mad at me, let’s work this out,” Dec insists. I understand that he’s trying to bear the brunt of my decision, but I can’t let him. Can I?
“Why would you suddenly be okay with turning me when you were so against it? This makes no sense. I was fine when I sat down. I wasn’t hurt that badly,” he insists.
