“Why isn’t he healing?” The concern in Fen’s voice was sobering. Jeff struggled to turn human, but the pain overrode everything else. He was stuck in this form, at least for now.
The car moved, taking them away from the death and carnage. How they’d avoided the police Jeff had no idea, but he was pretty sure he’d left a trail of blood right to the street. He figured his twin had used her woo-woo powers to hide them from detection.
Travis was driving like an insane man. “I don’t know.”
The car turned and Jeff moaned again. He was shuddering from the pain, freezing cold. It was possible he was going into shock from blood loss.
“And I can’t take him to a veterinarian. He looks nothing like a real wolf.”
Travis idled at a red light, his fingers drumming impatiently on the steering wheel.
“Not to mention my grandfather could get to him there.” He heard Jamie’s worried sigh. “Are the wards back up?”
“Jordan’s working on it. We’re also trying to figure out a way to get word to Logan and Kir about what just happened. I don’t think they realized Grimm would make his move the second the wards snapped.” Travis muttered something vile. “He had to have been waiting right outside the building to get to us that quickly. They’d only been down for a few minutes when he showed up.”
“He may already be at Yggdrasil. My father is used to moving swiftly. This is the first time he’s had so many people to protect.”
“And his main priorities are Kir and Jordan.” Travis pulled to a stop. Since no one began climbing out of the vehicle Jeff assumed they were at another red light, but he just couldn’t bring himself to open his eyes and make sure.
Fen stroked Jeff’s head and Jeff tried to relax. Whatever was going on, his mate would help him.
“Jeff?”
Jeff barely managed to open his eyes. Something about his sister’s voice was off.
“Grimm killed Dad.”
Jeff shivered. He knew. He closed his eyes and carefully wiggled until his nose rested on Fen’s thigh. It was all he could force himself to do, but he needed the comfort. The scent of his mate surrounded him but couldn’t drive away the reality that his big, strong father was dead. The man who’d tossed him in the air, who’d baked him the worst cookies he’d ever tasted, the father who’d cried when Jeff broke his arm, was dead.
“What are we going to tell Mom?”
Jeff whined. Jeanne Grimm, despite her anger, had adored her husband. She was going to lose it when she found out he’d been murdered.
If he knew his mother, she was going to go after Oliver Grimm with a sawed-off if they didn’t figure out a way to stop her.
“We’re almost there.” The now familiar bump as they drove into their building’s parking area jarred him, made him whimper. “We’ll take Fen and Jeff up to their condo, then go and fetch Jeanne. Sweetheart? Your dad’s in Logan’s place. Jordan’s called Toni to let her know what’s going on. She might be there when we get back.”
Good. The homicide detective would help them with…with…
God, he couldn’t even think about it. His father was dead, killed by his grandfather. It was beyond fucked up.
“How will we get Jeff up the elevator without anyone noticing?”
Travis pulled into his assigned spot with a sigh. “Magic.” Jeff opened his eyes to see Travis glowing with a strange light. He wavered before Jeff’s eyes and…disappeared. Jeff was lifted from Fen’s arms and couldn’t hold back his cry of pain and loss. “You two go on ahead. Pretend nothing’s wrong. I’ll need you to punch the elevator buttons for me.”
“Holy shit, Trav. Since when can you do that?” Jamie headed for the elevator, Fen on her heels.
“Since forever, but it’s extremely tiring. I have to literally bend light all around me while making sure people don’t see any warping, distortion or blank spots. Do you have any idea how heavy light really is? On top of that, I’m doing it for someone else. I
“Oh.” They got on the elevator, Jamie wincing as the Muzak version of
“Welcome to the Jungle” began to play. “I hate this music. Who picked this puke anyway?” She sniffed, not fooling anyone. Jamie was on the verge of collapse.
Before the elevator made it to their floor Jeff lost his battle with consciousness.
Chapter Seven
“That should do it.” Fen sat and watched closely as Travis ducked his hand in the basin of bloody water. “These stitches will hold but he’s lost a lot of blood.”
“He can have mine.” Jamie held out her bared arm. “Make with the needles.”
Travis shook his head. “I don’t have the equipment to do a transfusion.” He stood and headed for the master bath. “I’m going to clean up, then see if I can arrange something. Maybe I can get hold of Logan or Kir, get their asses back.”
Fen stroked his mate’s muzzle, his gaze glued to the rise and fall of Jeff’s chest. His mate looked like a patchwork doll, the stitches neat but visible against his russet fur. “Are the wards back up?” If Odin made another attempt on Fen’s mate, he’d be torn up even more than he was sure the Old Man already was.
“Jordan’s working on it. Uncle Val is doing what he can to help, but it’s not his strong suit.” Jamie settled carefully on the bed next to her twin. She rested her hand alongside Fen’s. “He’ll live.”
Fen’s jaw clenched. He heard the uncertainty in her voice but couldn’t answer it. “Jeff’s still mortal.”
She nodded. “Yeah. I think so.”
“That’s not the way it was supposed to be.” He’d been positive his bite would bring his mate over, make Jeff just like Fen.
He’d been wrong.
“I know.” Her hand brushed against his, her fingers twining with his own.
“Fen. You couldn’t have known he’d still be mortal.”
“My jealousy kept him from sharing blood with Kir. If he had—”
“He’d still be hurting. Just immortal and hurting.” Travis set his hand on Fen’s shoulder, but Fen couldn’t bring himself to respond. “And there’s no guarantee that if he’d shared blood with your father he’d get Logan’s healing abilities.”
“He’s got your magic in him, Fen. Maybe if we can get him to shift back, he’ll heal?” The barely suppressed hope in Jamie’s voice rubbed at the raw wound left by the attack on Jeff.
“No. It doesn’t work that way.” Jeff whimpered, his head moving restlessly.
Fen untangled his fingers from hers and resumed stroking his mate’s muzzle. Jeff settled back down immediately. “If he’d gotten my ability to heal he’d be all right by now.”
“Then it’s like sharing blood with Logan. He only got one of your abilities, shapeshifting, rather than all of them.”
“Then maybe if he shared blood with one of the others he’d get something of theirs?” Travis’s hand lifted away. “We can try me, but I don’t heal the way Logan does.”
Jamie twisted so that she was staring right into Fen’s eyes. “I heal.”
He lifted his head and stared at his mate’s twin. “Will it work?”
She shrugged. “What’s the worst that could happen? He gets woo-woo powers or lights up like a Christmas tree when he’s ticked? It’s worth a shot, isn’t it?”
“The problem is your healing might not be as strong as Logan’s.” Travis reached around Fen and ran his fingers through Jamie’s curls.
Her answering smile wobbled. “Anything is better than nothing.” She bit her lip, obviously fighting back tears. “I can’t lose him too, Tyr.”
Travis sighed. His hand stroked her cheek. “Do it, love.”
