Lethal Rider

unduly concerned that they’d be outted.

“Not…saying anything…else,” Dariq growled, and he was so wrong about that.

Than shoved his fist right through the male’s back and palmed a wet, smooth kidney. The organ no longer worked in the capacity it had when Dariq was human, but it still was a massive source of pain.

“You will tell me, vampire. If I have to spend the next month doing nothing but making you scream, I will.” Thanatos squeezed the organ so hard his fingers punctured the slippery surface.

Dariq’s shriek echoed off the castle walls, and the scent of his blood had Than’s fangs punching down like knives.

“Tell me.”

“F-uck…you.”

Than leaned in close, so close his breath condensed on the vampire’s ear. “That’s fuck you, Bludrexe.” He ripped out the organ, relishing Dariq’s agonized bleats. Before the male even stopped making noise, Than dragged him down to the dungeon and hurled him into the cell Than had once intended for Regan. Now to get some answers—

“Thanatos!” Artur leaped down the steps, landing in a lithe crouch at the base. “The doctor needs you. Hurry.”

Shit. He slammed the cell shut and jabbed his finger at Dariq. “I’ll be back, and I promise you’ll spill your guts. Or I’ll do it for you.”

Leaving the vampire sprawled on the floor in a pool of his own blood, Than sprinted to his bedroom, where Eidolon was filling a syringe. The doctor looked up as Than skidded to a halt at Regan’s side. She was pale, so pale. Even her lips were winter white, tinged with ice blue.

“Just in time. This antidote, when it works, works in seconds. When it doesn’t work, it prolongs the inevitable.” Eidolon thrust the syringe and a rubber tourniquet in Than’s hand. “Inject this into her cubital vein. I’ll show you where and how.”

When it works? Than’s heart pounded so hard against his ribs it hurt. Regan was motionless, her chest barely rising with her breaths. “This usually works, right?”

“Usually,” Eidolon said, but Than didn’t like the doubt in his voice. He also didn’t like that the doctor lowered his voice to say the rest. “That’s a nasty toxin she was dosed with. The good news is that its effects on the baby should be minimal, so if…the worst happens…we have a good chance of saving him if we can deliver him quickly.”

Meaning that if Regan’s agony and life was prolonged by the antidote, Than might still have to kill her to save the baby. “It won’t come to that.” Holy shit, it had better not come to that. “Tell me how to do this.” Than followed the doctor’s instructions, and as he pulled the needle free of Regan’s vein, she moaned.

“Than?”

He tossed the syringe aside and gripped her hand. “I’m here. It’s going to be okay.”

Her eyes clung to his, brighter than they had been. “I’m sorry.”

“Not this again,” he murmured. “Not now. We don’t need to talk about it—”

“Not that. About your vampires.” Color spread into her skin, and the cherry tint that made her lips so luscious infused them once again. “I’m sorry someone betrayed you.” The sincerity and pain in her voice put a lump in his throat. Dammit, he was softening toward her, wasn’t he?

Kill me. If I’m dead, you can get the baby out.

Yes, he was.

He couldn’t.

“I guess it’s no surprise that you recognized betrayal before I did.” The words were sharper than he’d intended, and pain flashed in her eyes before she closed them, effectively shutting him out and withdrawing into herself. And damn her for making him regret his harsh words. Damn him for saying them. And damn this entire fucking situation.

Eidolon stood. “Can I have a word with you outside?” The demon didn’t wait for an answer. He strode out of the bathroom and bedroom with the arrogance of someone who expected to be followed.

Once in the hallway, Than crossed his arms over his chest. “Is there a problem? Did the antidote work?”

“It did. The clearing of the discoloration under the fingernails indicates complete reversal of poisoning. But that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.” Eidolon pegged him with serious black eyes. “I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but that female in there is carrying your child, and she’s had a number of close calls. She’s fragile physically, and probably emotionally. Quit being a dick.”

Than clenched his fists at his sides to keep from knocking the demon’s teeth out. “You have no idea what she did to me.”

“And I don’t give a shit. As a doctor, my concern is her health, and the health of the baby. As a father, my concern is the health of the world. I’m not saying you have to forgive her, or make her your mate or put a crown on her and call her Stallion Queen. I’m saying you need to keep from stressing her out until the baby is born. After that, take your revenge, kill her, do whatever the fuck you Horsepeople do. But if you want a healthy baby, get your head out of your ass and don’t make things worse for her.”

“You Seminus demons have a hell of a lot of balls to talk to us the way you do,” he growled.

Eidolon smirked. “You have no idea.” The doctor nodded at the bedroom door behind him. “Regan should be fine after some rest. Do a better job keeping her safe, because from what I’ve seen and heard, you’re not so good at it. Tell Con I’m heading back to UG.”

Thanatos really did not like that doctor, and if he wasn’t the best hope for Regan and the baby when the time for the birth came, Than would kill him for what he’d just said. Asshole.

The fact that Eidolon was spot-on in his assessment only made it worse. Not so good at it. Yeah. Than’s own words came back at him as if they’d been launched from a slingshot. I’ll keep you safe. He’d promised Regan, and he’d failed. Then he’d compounded his failure by kicking her while she was down.

Down because of you, dickhead.

Than opened the bedroom door and was surprised to see Con walking toward him, medic bag slung over his shoulder. “E left?” When Than nodded, Con gestured to the bed, where Regan was curled up, the covers bunched around her feet. “She made it to the bed herself and conked out the second her head hit the pillow. Someone will call you in the morning to check on her.”

“Thanks, man.” Than grabbed Con’s arm as he prepared to leave. “Hey, do you have a vampire working at the hospital who can walk in the daylight?”

One blond eyebrow shot up. “Never even heard of one.”

“Bullshit.”

Con lowered his voice and shifted his silver gaze to the bed. “You really going to make a big deal of this right now?”

No, he wasn’t. Regan and the baby were more important than a random daywalker with UG connections. For now.

Taking Than’s silence as a no, Con clapped him on the back and strode out, leaving Than alone with Regan and his guilt. He moved to her, noting the steady rise and fall of her chest, the soft snores that fell from her parted lips.

One hand was tucked under the pillow, and the other rested over her belly as if she was trying to protect the baby even in her sleep. She was so adamant about giving the child up, but clearly, she cared. Goosebumps prickled her skin, and he drew the covers up to settle over her shoulders. With a soft sigh, she tucked them under her chin and curled into a tighter ball.

“I’m sorry I’m such a dick,” he muttered. “You just … you piss me off sometimes. I want to hate you, but I can’t.” He didn’t know what he wanted to do with her. Well, scratch that. Right this minute he wanted to climb into bed with her. To tuck her against him and protect her the way he should have been doing.

No doubt she’d hate him more than she already did if she woke up in his arms. And dammit, why was he thinking like this? He couldn’t let himself grow attached. What if she betrayed him again? His temper was too volatile, his fuse too short. And honestly, the anger he was holding onto was starting to worry him. He’d never been a load of laughs, but he’d also never been intentionally cruel … especially not to women.

So yeah, he didn’t know what the hell was wrong with him, but one thing was certain: Until he found out the extent of who was involved with wanting Regan dead and why, he wasn’t leaving her alone. As much as he wanted