Leaning over, she kissed him on the lips. “I’m glad I’m here, too. And I’m going to make sure you live to be a dumbass for a long time to come.”
He fell asleep with a small smile on his lips.
Seven
The monster raged and paced back and forth in his brother’s room.
“Why is he so sick? Why have they admitted him? He can’t die by any hand other than mine,” he hissed.
From the bed, his companion winced. “I don’t know. But isn’t it enough that he’s suffering? That he might die all on his own?”
“Of course it’s not. That would never be enough.” He paced some more and then stopped by the bed. “I thought leaving the mutilated woman near where he’d been running and screwing with his new bitch was an excellent warning. Apparently it was too subtle. I’ll have to step up my game.”
“Please, brother, don’t harm anyone else, not on his account. No one is going to believe he’d do such a thing, anyway.”
He paused. “I’ll consider it. Perhaps I should just go straight to the source, eh? You keep your ears open and your mouth shut. You know what happens when I get angry, and if you tell anyone about me, I’ll get very angry. Let me know if you hear what’s going on.”
“I will,” the younger man said reluctantly. His eyes were dull. Tired.
That was Micah Chase’s fault, too.
Dammit to hell! The monster left, but no one paid him any attention. Not in this form. But
in the other . . .
Oh, in the other, they’d run screaming in terror. As Micah and his new, sweet mate would do.
Just before he ripped them both into tiny pieces.
* * *
Micah was burning in hell.
Every breath was like sucking in flames, and his entire body felt like he’d been beaten with hammers. How much was from the detox and how much was due to his other illness he didn’t know. Only that he was ready for whatever treatment they wanted to try.
Either that or he could just die.
Now he understood why people welcomed the end when their time came. How did humans do this for months or years? Ironically, they were stronger than he was. One day and he was over this.
“Where’s Noah?” Micah whispered. Next to him, Jacee stirred and stroked his face, his hair. It was the only pleasurable sensation among the terrible ones gripping him.
“He’ll be here soon. They just drew my first round of blood.”
He frowned. “You already went?”
“Yes, and came back. You’ve been really out of it.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t you dare apologize,” she murmured, leaning over to kiss his cheek.
She smelled so good, his wolf whimpered in appreciation. How he wished he was well enough to claim her as his own.
“I was so stupid,” he said.
“How so?”
“Should’ve claimed you when I had the chance.”