Wanted: Undead or Alive

“Don’t you just love family reunions?” Phineas asked, then slumped over as everything went black.

Fire. He was on fire.

Phineas moaned and kicked off the sheets.

Sheets? Was he in bed? He squinted, but couldn’t see.

Everything was glowing red. On fire.

“Why are his eyes red?” a woman asked. Brynley.

He tried to say her name, opening his mouth, but nothing came out.

“I think he’s hungry,” Brynley said.

“Here,” a male voice said. Roman? What was he doing here? “Let’s give him a cold bottle. It might help with the fever.”

Someone lifted his shoulders.

Careful, Phineas thought. I’m on fire.

“Damn, he’s hot,” the person said.

Told you so. A cold bottle was pressed to his mouth, and blood trickled down his throat. It was cool. It helped with the fire. He drank it all down.

His stomach clenched in pain. He groaned, pushing away the hands that reached out to help him.

He rolled halfway off the bed and threw up.

“Oh no!” Brynley cried.

Hands pushed him back onto the bed. Everything went black.

He woke again. Still on fire. And so damned hungry.

“He’s awake!” Brynley exclaimed.

“Let’s see if he can eat,” Roman said.

Someone lifted his shoulders. He squinted, peering around the room. It looked like the basement at Phil’s cabin. Why hadn’t they taken him back to Romatech?

“He’s not as hot tonight,” said the guy holding his shoulders. Phil?

A bottle was placed against his lips. He drank and drank. So good.

It hit his stomach and instantly curdled. He rolled over and vomited.

“I’m not sure what to think,” Roman said. “He’s had two days of death-sleep. I thought that would heal whatever Lycan virus is in his system. But if he’s rejecting blood—”

“Then he’s becoming a werewolf,” Phil said. “We should try giving him real food.”

“I’ll bring him something,” Brynley said, then climbed up the ladder.

A werewolf? Phineas lay back, trying to wrap his fuddled mind around it. That was why he was at Phil’s cabin. In case he shifted into an animal.

A while later, Brynley was back and spooning something hot down his throat.

“It’s soup,” she said. “I thought we should start with something simple.”

He ate it. Then threw it up.

“What do we do?” Brynley cried. “He’s rejecting both vampire and human food.”

“The two parts are fighting each other,” Roman said. “I’ll put an IV in him. We have to keep him alive until the battle inside him gets sorted out.”

A battle? No wonder he was on fire. Everything went black.

He woke again. The fire was out. He felt good, as if his body was at peace. Good God, was he dead? The spurt of panic quickly faded away as he smoothed his hands over his bare chest. His body was solid. His heart was beating. His vision clear. He was alive.

Power surged through him, and he took a deep breath. Damn. He felt more than good. His vision cut through the dark room, sharper than ever. His muscles flexed with increased strength.

He sat up. Phil was on the floor, sound asleep on a sleeping bag. A bottle of blood sat on the bedside table. He picked it up and drank it down.

No reaction. Apparently, the battle was over, and the Vamp side had won. He looked around, but couldn’t spot Brynley. She must be upstairs.

He pulled the IV from his arm and stood. No dizziness. He smiled to himself. He actually felt stronger than ever. He teleported to the floor above to give Brynley a surprise.

The surprise was on him. He materialized in the bathroom with one foot in the toilet.

“What the hell?” He lifted his bare foot out and shook it off. This wasn’t where he’d intended to go.

He opened the bathroom door and froze.

Daylight.

His heart lurched, and he shut the door. What the hell? He couldn’t be awake in daylight.

“Who’s there?” Brynley demanded.

He cracked open the door and peered out.

She gasped.

He opened the door wider. The room was full of sunshine. He sank back into the shadow, afraid he would burst into flames if the sunlight touched him.

Go into the light, a voice inside him urged. It can’t hurt us. Trust the wolf.

Wolf? He stiffened. There was a wolf inside him?

The wolf knows best. The light cannot harm us.

“Phineas?” Brynley approached him, watching him carefully.

He slowly reached out a hand, then extended his index finger so the tip barely touched the light.

Nothing happened.

He opened his hand, turning it palm up in the sunlight. A gentle warmth caressed his skin.

Enjoy the light, the wolf whispered to him. It is my gift to you.

“Phineas.” Brynley took his hands and led him slowly into the sun-filled cabin.

Our mate. He smiled at her, then looked out the window. Blue sky. “I see blue.”

“You must be a werewolf now,” she whispered.

“But I drank blood and teleported.” He glanced down at his wet foot. “Not very well though. Maybe I’m a little of both.”

“That would be . . . interesting.”

He winced at a sudden thought. “What if I’m lousy at both?”

She shook her head. “You won’t be. Look at you. You’re awake during the day. Do you know any other Vamp who can manage that?”

“I don’t know what will happen to me.”

She touched his cheek. “Whatever happens, I’ll be with you.”

“I love you, Snout-Face.”

She smiled. “I may be calling you that on the next full moon.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Snout-Face.” He pulled her into his arms. “I like it.”

Epilogue

Three months later . . .

“Good evening, dear viewers! This is Maggie O’Brian O’Callahan reporting for Real Housewives of the Vampire World. Tonight we have a very special guest, the newest wife of a Vamp, Brynley McKinney!”

“Hi!” Brynley smiled at the camera. “Thank you for coming.”

“Oh, it’s quite an honor,” Maggie assured her. “I understand you’re the only female Alpha werewolf in the world?”

She shrugged. “We believe so.”