Chapter Two

He walked in and followed the sounds up the stairs to the master bedroom. River was sitting on the small couch waving at him while Damon had already set up a sterile field.

“Put her on the bed. Did you really think I would let you down?”

“For a minute, I thought…”

“That’s your problem, Lucca. You think too much.”

“I know.” He placed her on the bed and turned to hug Damon, the strength he felt coming from his brother calmed his heart.

“Go talk to River let me see what’s happening here. What’s her name?”

He smiled. “She wouldn’t tell me.”

“Oh, I’m going to like her.”

“Can I sit next to you?”

“I’m in your house, Lucca.” She took pity on him; he looked lost. “Sit down, brother.”

“If anyone can help her, you know Damon can.”

“I know.”

“Where is everyone else?”

“Nope,” she laughed. “I’m not telling you where your brothers are. That’s between all of you, I simply go where my mate goes.”

“What did it feel like going through?”

She lifted her eyes that were haunted. “I knew I was going to die, but I was willing to if Damon got to live. You know I thought leaving was a good idea. I understand why you did it.”

“Doesn’t seem to have helped.”

“I’m not so sure about that.” She reached out and took his hand. They sat there lost in their own world as they waited for Damon to heal his mate.

*~*~*~*

“Lucca.” Damon stepped out of the sterile field looking tired. His shoulders were slumped; his hand was tugging at his hair.

“How is she?”

“Alive for now. She’s extremely malnourished as well as dehydrated. She had injuries that looked like they happened over centuries. There were other diseases and bruises that made no sense, but I healed them, or I have what I need for her to get better.”

“What are you not telling me, Damon?”

“There’s a problem in her abdomen. If I hadn’t of opened her up and saw it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it. There is…I don’t even know what to call it. I’ve never seen anything like this is my life. The best I can come up with is that she’s been in communication with a species that’s not human, and it’s killing her. I don’t know how she’s still alive other than sheer will.”

“How long?”

“A day, a year, centuries? I don’t know because I can’t quantify it. I have samples to study.

I gave her medicine that will help her recover faster. Feed her and make her drink. She has to get her weight up. As for the other, I suggest finding the culprit and killing it. I’ll be back tomorrow. Call me if she wakes.”

“Thank you.”

“No thanks ever needed.” He pulled him back into his arms before letting go.

Lucca moved away from him and hugged River. “I love having a sister.”

Damon smiled at them before taking his mate into his arms and hugging her, they disappeared with River’s laughter lingering behind.

He turned around and looked at the small form lying on his bed. He sat down on the side and watched her. Her hair was the color of honey. It invited him to slide his fingers through it. He curled them to resist the urge to touch her.

He’d have to get her well because he couldn’t let her leave sick, and she had to go for both their sakes. He wasn’t the mating kind. It took a deep breath to calm his pulse. In his long life, he never questioned that statement until his brothers began to mate. Now he wondered at times; he couldn’t afford to wonder now. If she stayed with him, her life was in danger.

Her life is in danger already, how could staying with you make it any worse? The cold voice of logic asked him. Like any smart created, he ignored the voice and concentrated on the perfection of her skin. She was bronze, a light-brown that made her look sun-kissed. It highlighted her cheeks and showed off the beauty of her nose.

He stood abruptly and made his way to the bathroom. Never had he looked at a female’s nose and found it intriguing. She had to go, the cold water from the shower seemed to be knocking some sense back into him or at least allowing him to build up his walls again. She wouldn’t even tell him her name. Why would she want to stay?

He grabbed a pair of joggers and resigned himself to the fact that he would have to sleep beside her. After all, she was in his bed. With a grumble of discontent, he slid onto the bed. He closed his eyes even as he pulled her into the safety of his arms. If he couldn’t see it, it wasn’t happening.

The feel of a small hand touching his chest woke him up. He opened one eye to find a pair of violet eyes looking at him. He slammed his eye closed and tried to regain the peace of sleep.

That hand which was warm and soft but felt like it could be hard if the need arose was still caressing his chest. His heart beat was picking up. He opened both eyes and looked at her.

“Are you caressing my chest?”

“Absolutely not.” She rolled away from him or tried, but he wouldn’t let her move.

“You…you’re the one in bed with me. Pervert!” Her eyes flared catching him for a minute.

“Pervert? I’ll have you know I saved your life.”

“Why? So you could get in bed with me and feel me up when I was helpless.”

“Helpless? I don’t think you’ve ever been powerless since you’ve been able to talk.”

“Why you.” She hit him in the chest.

She balled her tiny fist up and hit him in the chest. He watched it all like it was slow motion. He had to give her credit; the punch stung. Yes, he was impressed, but he wouldn’t be letting her know.

“I guess that means you’re well.”

“I am.” She made for the side of the bed promptly falling as she tried to stand. He was following her across the bed and caught her before she hit the floor.

“Why are you always touching me?”

“Why are you always falling?”

She wouldn’t be answering that question. Death was waiting for her to make one wrong move. All she could do was live as much of life as possible while she still had a chance.

“Stop staring at my body.”

“I wasn’t staring; I was just looking.”

She raised a brow while her eyes grew large.

“Whatever,” he grunted and placed her back on the bed.

“Have you never seen a naked woman before?”

“Not one as skinny as you.”

The pain in her eyes hit him dead center in the heart, especially since he was lying. She was slender, but she was still a work of femininity with her small breasts and hips that curved just enough to catch his attention. If she was this beautiful now, he couldn’t imagine her beauty when she was healthy.

“I still don’t know your name.” His voice was gruff.

“What am I doing here?”

“Nope, no answers until I know your name.”

“I don’t know your name, either.”

Her voice was soft when she spoke drawing attention to her lips. He wanted to smile at her but settled for a stare until she relented.

“You’re no fun. My name is Tempest.”

His lips curled into a smile at the surly sound of her voice.

“Hello Tempest, my name is Lucca.”

“Lucca.” Her eyes brightened; she looked like she was tasting his name.

His cock throbbed, but he ignored it.

“I like your name. Tempest, it’s light and airy.”

“Yeah, that’s me light and airy the skinny chick.”

He flinched. “Maybe I didn’t exactly say what I meant.”

“What am I doing here, Lucca?”

“You were dying. I could either leave you on the street or bring you here and hope that my brother would come and heal you.”

“Hope?”

“I may not be making the best choices lately.”

“No one can heal me.” Her voice was soft again, but this time he was leaning in closer to hear her.

The ache in her voice touched him. Once again, he wanted to find what

ever was hurting her and kill it. Not just kill it, he wanted to drag it back and lay it at her feet as a gift. This was not The Created way at least not for several centuries.

“Who did this to you?”

“It’s a what not a who, or at least not a who as I would think of a who.”

He stared at her, and a soft laugh emerged.

“Yeah, I just confused myself too. This thing is as old as the planet maybe even older. It got a hold of me one day right after my change. All I remember was it sticking its claws into my body. When I woke up, I was different. Eventually, I realized I was dying after several centuries.”

“There has to be more to this story than that.” She closed her eyes blocking him out.

He got out the bed and stood looking at her. Why should she tell him what was happening? Yes, he was her mate but did she know that? Did she even care?

“Where are my clothes?”

He had put them in the trash after he decided not to burn them. They were more like rags. If he didn’t know better, he would say they were hundreds of years old. She opened her eyes and looked guilty for a minute before closing them again. His mate was keeping secrets but then so was he.

He got a tee from his dresser and brought it over to her.

“Your clothes were too bad to keep. I’m sorry. You can put this on until we are able to get you some clothes.”

She sat up, and he pulled his T-shirt over her head. She was drowning in it, but for some reason, she looked even more appealing to him dressed in his shirt.

“I need to leave, every minute I stay here I’m putting your life in danger.”

“Then that makes us a pair because I’m doing the same to you. What you really need is to eat and drink. It’s hard to run if your body won’t carry you.”

She wanted to argue that point, but he was right. Her feet were so bloody she probably couldn’t walk anymore. She brought a foot up to look at it.

Lucca caught her foot and began to massage it.

“The damage done to your feet was extreme. Damon, my brother, was able to fix it. He fixed it all except whatever is going on in your abdomen. You know the one thing you don’t want to talk about.”

She ignored him and concentrated on his fingers touching her foot. They were firm and slender with the ability to touch and caress her in all the right places. Why couldn’t she have met him in her past?

“Lucca…Please.” Please, what? Let her go or allow her to lay on the bed savoring the feel of his hand on her foot. What did she want?

“Tempest you can’t go without clothes, and I bet you’d like a shower and something to eat. Why don’t we revisit your leaving after that?”

“That sounds good, but I am leaving.”

“I know.” He picked her up and carried her to the bathroom.

“I don’t think I can stand.”

“Lucky for you, I have a bench in the shower as well as a deep tub.”

Don’t fall for his charm, she repeated to herself because Lucca could be dangerous to her health and her heart.