"She's a DuSang, Alpha. Her father killed my brother!" he exclaimed angrily.
Vivi pushed slightly between Etain and Micah to face the shifter. "My father killed many people, including my own mother. But I am not him." She straightened her back as the realization truly hit her. She was not her father, and she would not be bound by his guilt. She had her own mistakes to bear. She refused to be weighed down by his any longer. In a louder voice, she repeated her words. "I am not my father. I heal. I don't kill. I was raised by a shifter, Halbjorn Bergson and I would never do anything to disappoint him."
Cainan refused to accept her words. "Your father killed my brother and most of my pack all because he didn't want to admit that his supposed mate had left him for a shifter, her true mate." Low murmurs spread out around them.
Vivi stared at him. "How do you know that?"
"Because it was my brother who she left that tyrant for. He stole their pure happiness and their lives because he didn't want to be 'shamed'!" he growled low.
Stefan frowned. "So correct me if I am wrong. But you're snarling and being rude to the woman who would have been your baby niece?"
Cainan stopped mid-growl as his eyes widened. "Baby niece?"
Around them, wolves and vampires alike began to chuckle. Stefan had knocked the wind right out of the angry shifter. He put his hands on his hips. "Yes, baby niece you idiot. She would have been raised with our pack had her mother and true mate lived."
Cainan stared at her, a goofy look on his face. He turned beet red and began to rub the back of his neck when he looked back in her direction. "Sorry about that."
Micah exhaled loudly clutching at his chest. "You can't do stuff like this to me! I am a delicate individual." More chuckles were heard as the tension practically evaporated.
Cainan really looked at her. "Macario, my brother beat DuSang in the end." He gave her a teary smile. "Halbjorn was the name of my brother's best friend. If he raised you to be a healer and not a killer, then you have become my brother's legacy."
Etain and Micah stayed in front of her but stepped to one side so that she could face her uncle. He gave her a shy smile. His warm smile turned to one as horror as he leapt forward.
Vivi was confused until a sharp, biting pain blossomed in her midsection. She looked down and froze. There was a finger wrapped handle sticking out of her shirt. There were shouts and screams as Cainan crashed with someone at her side causing the handle and fingers to disappear as a jagged edge dagger emerged from her body. She looked up to see her mate staring at her in terror. "Etain, there was something on my shirt." Why was she finding it so hard to talk? She felt woozy, then she was staring up at the ceiling. Etain's lips were moving, and he looked so frantic. She reached up and traced his lips. She loved his lips. "Love you," she said before closing her eyes. Those crepes must have made her tired. She was just going to rest her eyes for a bit.
*****
"Etain, there was something on my shirt." His mate looked down at her stomach baffled seemingly unaware of the growing bloodstain. Her words unfroze his muscles, and he caught her as she fell. He cradled her in his arms. "Micah!" he screamed. "I need help!"
Micah knelt across from them. "Set her down Etain, I need to see the damage," he instructed.
Etain had to fight every instinct to set her down. Micah quickly ripped the fabric of her shirt aside and sucked in his breath. He held his glowing hands over her wound.
She reached up and touched his lips, just as she had before. "Love you," she said before she closed her eyes.
"No! Micah, do something!"
"I am, but it's not working! We need Ellie or Rheia or Dr. St. John. She's not healing Etain. I can only sustain for a few more minutes, then she's going to bleed out."
Stefan knelt beside them. "I called down to Level One. Rheia is waiting for you in the lab. She said to stay out of the infirmary," he advised.
Etain scooped her up in his arms. "With me Micah?"
"Go!" Micah yelled.
Together they ran for the tunnel and shot down to Level One. Etain didn't look back. He knew Micah would be there. The hallway flew by before he knew it he spotted Colton standing at the door holding it open for them. He ran inside.
"Here!" Rheia yelled pointing to a gurney.
He set her down and was immediately pushed out of the way. When he pulled his hand back to punch Tarragon both Adriel and Grant grabbed him on either side and dragged him to the wall.
"She needs me!" he yelled.
"She needs the doctors more!"Adriel shouted in his face.
Etain felt his world spinning out of control. "Why is this happening?" he asked. Grant and Adriel each wrapped an arm around him to hold him steady. But neither of them had an answer to his question.
Tarragon stepped back and looked around the room. "Kendrick can you come here?"