AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“My son, Dane.” He indicated the man who had followed the Leo’s mate to surgery. “He’s been my eyes and my ears.”
Dawn stood beside Seth, staring at the Leo. She couldn’t believe it. It wasn’t possible.
Seth was holding her upright. She couldn’t have kept herself balanced on her own. The Breeds that filled the room were in as much shock as she was.
Around the Leo were more Breeds. They were unfamiliar, harder, colder. They looked like the creatures the Council had created. The killers they had dreamed of.
“My security force.” He indicated the dozen armed Breeds. “And now my sons.” He stared around the room, inhaling slowly and nodding as though pleased. “And David’s right. His father will be fine. He’s too damned stubborn to be otherwise.”
CHAPTER 26
Two days later, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, Dawn stepped silently into Callan’s ICU room and stared at the man who had saved her.
Seth was at her side, as he had been for the past two days. She gripped his hand and moved to the bed, staring down at the monitors that beeped and flashed and created a subtle buzz that flayed her nerves.
“He would hate being here,” she whispered on a sob. “It’s like the labs. He hates hospitals.”
She moved her hands to the metal rail on the bed. He looked as strong and as sure as he always had. Pale. Tired. But strong.
She knew the Leo and his wife had spent countless hours in here with him. The powerful first Feline Breed, along with his other son, Dane, had given their own blood to transfuse Callan. Ely had sworn the combination of it had helped stabilize Callan as nothing else could have. Elizabeth Vanderale, the Leo’s mate and wife, stood on the other side of the room monitoring her son’s progress.
She looked younger than Merinus. Brunette hair and gray eyes. Slender. Poised. She didn’t look old enough to be an intern let alone the foremost authority on Breeds.
“You’re crying.”
Her gaze jerked down. Callan watched her through slitted lashes, his gaze flickering to his hand where a single teardrop had fallen.
“I’ve been doing that a lot.” The half sob, half laugh had Seth wrapping his arms around her from behind, surrounding her with his strength.
She couldn’t have made it without him. She had never faced anything so horrifying as watching her beloved brother die. Even the memories rushing back inside her hadn’t hurt as much. God help her, if it had been Seth, she would have never made it.
“You never cry,” he rasped, flicking a d
ark look at Seth. “It’s your fault.”
And Seth only chuckled.
“I hear I have parents.” He grimaced, his gaze slicing to the mother across the room. “David’s ecstatic.”
He was off balance. Dawn could feel it, and she knew the other woman did as well.
“Yeah. He threatened to thrash Jonas yesterday.” Dawn smiled, though tears still slipped down her cheek. “I offered to sell the tickets until he growled at me.”
“I wanna buy one,” Callan sighed. “Save it for me.”
“I promise.” She swallowed tightly, reaching out to touch his hand. “Callan…”
“Say you’re sorry and I’ll thrash you.” He glared at her, though weakly.
“I was angry,” she whispered.
His jaw tightened and she swore she saw the sheen of tears in his eyes. “I’d do it again, so save your breath.”
“And I love you for it,” she whispered. “You were right, Callan. I wasn’t strong enough.” Her voice broke and she shook her head tightly. “I didn’t understand.”
He watched her, his golden eyes somber, filled with his own pain at those memories.
“You were the important one,” he finally whispered. “Even if you hated me for it. Protecting you mattered.”
