Avery inched in closer to her and looked up. "I thought we would be safe here," he murmured. Kari felt just as confused; Noctem Falls was supposed to be a safe haven. She was about to walk Avery toward the guest quarters when the scent of the blood changed to her. The more she inhaled and exhaled, the more delicious it smelled. She felt her fangs extend. Avery's complexion turned chalky, his blue eyes were wide, and he trembled.
"Kari? Kari, what's wrong?"
Kari could only shake her head; she couldn't answer. The smell was overwhelming. It was rich and decadent. It smelled like everything that she had ever enjoyed in life combined into one aroma. There was the scents of chocolate, coffee, freshly cut grass, and the crisp smell of linens hanging in the sunshine. She just wanted to roll around in it. She clutched at her chest, breathing heavily.
"Kari, you're scaring me!" Avery exclaimed.
She turned to him and saw tears running down his face. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind. The scent of the blood morphed again, this time tightening things in her lower body and causing her nipples to harden. She became more aroused than she had ever been in her life. Step-by-step she made her way over to the crowd and wedged herself between bodies, pushing them aside. She had to get to the source of that smell. She heard Micah yelling, other men's voices yelling, but her focus was now on the man on the ground. He had red hair. No, not red, strawberry blond, and he was huge. Every bit as big as Law, maybe bigger. He had a square, chiseled jaw and soft, luscious lips. She watched as his breathing became more labored. Something in her snapped; the man on the floor was her mate! She knelt down and brushed the hair out of his face. She looked at Micah.
"Where is the healer?" she demanded.
Micah kept his glowing hands over the man's stomach. "The healer is in Albuquerque. He doesn't live in the city. He stays at the Council Estate."
Micah looked up as two hulking men ran up behind her. "Excuse us," they shouted, pushing her aside. Gently, they lifted the man on to a stretcher. Micah stood and carefully moved with them.
"Let's get our boy down to Broderick's lab. Thanks to Meryn, we have these walkie-talkies, so they're expecting us." Moving as one, they headed toward the back. When she started to follow, one of the men stepped in front of her.
"I'm sorry, but you need to stay here." Kari looked up and up. What was it about these men that they were all so freaking huge?
"That man," she pointed to the stretcher being carried away.
The man nodded. "Declan?"
"Is that his name?" she asked. He nodded. "Declan is my mate."
The man's mouth dropped open. "No shit?"
Kari nodded, her insides shaking.
He grinned. "Then come with me; you're family."
Kari let out a relieved breath. "Thank you..."
"Grant, Grant Douglas." He steered her through the crowd. Looking behind her, she saw that Avery was keeping up with them.
"Family?" she asked as they stepped up to a huge hole in the floor.
Grant looked around frantically. She held out one hand to him and the other to Avery. "I am a vampire; I can take us down. Which level?"
He took her hand. "Level One, and, yes, family. I serve with Declan in the Eta Unit; he is like a brother to me."
Avery clasped her other hand tightly. Through their intertwined fingers, she could feel his body shaking. As one, they stepped into the tunnel, and she quickly lowered them all the way to Level One.
When their feet touched the ground, Grant continued to hold her hand and led her down a long corridor to what looked like a large lab.
"I'm not a surgeon! I don't know what to do!" a frantic male voice bellowed as he cut away her mate's clothing before covering him with a sheet.
"We know, Broderick. Magnus is calling the healer now," a tall, dark haired man explained, pointing to where the Prince of her people paced back and forth on the other side of the room, a scowl on his face.
"Cheryl, that number should be listed at the top of your important contacts. The only reason I do not have it is because we just got cell service; I usually call him from my desk!" he yelled. He took a deep breath and rolled his eyes. "For gods' sakes, stop crying and call the healer!" He hung up the phone and walked over to the side of the bed to stand next to the dark haired man. "Adriel, are you sure you can not convince Bethy to stay? I am about to murder my secretary."
Adriel shook his head. "You will have to take that up with Gavriel."
Kari stepped forward to stand on the other side of the one the Prince called Adriel. She reached down and took Declan's hand.
Adriel blinked, then blinked again. "Hello. Who are you?"
"Kari Delaney. My brother--" she nodded her head over to where Avery bounced from foot to foot nervously-- "Avery Therian and I came in with the last set of refugees. Micah was showing us around when I smelled blood. Not exactly the way I wanted to meet my mate."