Hey, just like I said I updated faster. Oh my, I finally got into the three digits! I'm so happy. Enough about me though, hopefully this makes up for the long wait for the other one! Enjoy!
~Jade~
I could practically feel the Bond coiling uncertainly as I was lead through the sterile white halls. One minute it was strong and then the next minute it fell into something that made my stomach drop into anxiousness. It was weakening. I hugged my suddenly aching body and groaned. The sharp need made me recoil from the nurse as I stopped in my tracks. She glanced at me warily with furrowed brows. Her hand lifted to console me but I jerked away, refusing contact like a suspicious animal. I wanted nothing more than to shove her away and find Tori. That ,and the ever present need to find blood, which had just taken a jarring turn into blood lust, was not helping.
"You aren't going to make it," she whispered, tone rigid. I couldn't comprehend what she meant. I was too occupied with my eyesight blurring. I was aware of a growl rumbling from somewhere. I briefly considered if it was me, but that was when everything went dark. When I came back into consciousness for a few seconds I glimpsed a hallway in chaos before I was roughly restrained. I returned to the dark but woke up with déjà vu. I was strapped to a bed again, only this time I was in a hospital. I looked around at my surroundings, my gaze landing on a reflective metal tray resting on the small table next to the bed. My eyes were an icy blue, which meant only one thing. I blacked out just as Tori warned me I might should the hunger take over. I didn't even realize just how much it had done so because all I could think about was her.
I was halfway through wondering how much damage I caused when the door opened. The scent of Tori calmed me, and I was more than ready to see her step in, but at the last minute I detected a different scent. It was new but surprisingly still calming as it reminded me of Tori's, yet it wasn't. A woman walked in with familiar kind brown eyes. It didn't take me long to realize it was Tori's mother. She offered me a smile and walked over to start looking over the clipboard in her hands, her white coat billowing around her thin but strong frame. Where Tori's father gave me the impression of a kid at heart despite being the leader and possessing an imposing frame, Tori's mother gave me the impression she was all smiles and gentleness with a take charge attitude ready just under the surface. Her movements were sure and well-coordinated. She scribbled something else down and then looked up at me curiously.
"Hello. I'm Holly Vega. You must be Jade. Tori talks about you all the time but I had no idea you were a vampire," she told me truthfully. She spoke clearly but I could hear the hint of pain. Was she thinking the same thing as I was; that I couldn't be with Tori even though we were meant to? The thought triggered my instinctual defense for my mate and I growled a warning when she reached out to touch my shoulder. I almost snapped at her but the sad understanding in her expression made me rethink my decision to fight. She knew what I was going through and was offering support. I had to regain control. I took a deep breath, eyes closed, and tried to focus.
"I'm sorry. I don't know why…" I tried to explain but I didn't know what to think anymore. It was just too hard to think clearly in the first place. I opened my eyes again to see her previously tense stance relax a little more.
"You lost a lot of blood and you're suffering from acute hunger as well as your instinct to protect Tori. Don't worry, she's doing well and recovering perfectly. You got her here right on time, and for that, I'm thankful," she told me. Her sincerity reminded me of Tori again which made me close my eyes and turn my head away. All I could think about was Tori. Was this what happened when the Bond was in danger?
"Here. I think this will help," I heard her offer. I opened my eyes to see she had turned away to grab a pack of blood from the small fridge against the wall. She gave me a look that suggested I stay calm before releasing one of my hands. I moved deliberately to show her I was in control at the moment. Once she handed me the pack and I had my fill she unstrapped me and let me sit up. The blood honestly wasn't too bad, but I could see why vampires preferred it straight from the source instead. I remained as still as a statue with my legs hanging off the bed, waiting for her to begin questioning me.
"Jade, what happened?" she asked simply. I frowned and looked up at her.
"To me or to Tori?" I replied.
"With you. Tori already explained the plans put into motion against her father, which is distressing enough, but she was too tired to tell me anything more besides to make sure I promised you would be taken care of. I let her sleep and resolved to ask you what she meant. Now that I'm here I see why she was determined to make sure I promised her," she explained, her eyes scrutinizing me. I sighed and began telling her about the night I was attacked. I made sure she knew the ones who were behind the attack on us only hours ago were the same ones who had a hand in attacking me.
"Just as we feared. I'm sure Tori told you something like this happened in the past?" she asked me.
"She told me the union between a vampire and wolf had been severed by execution but nothing else. There were more though, wasn't there?" I responded. Mrs. Vega sighed and sat down next to me. I was surprised by the informal slump of her shoulders.
"In the past there was a group that didn't like how the Council ran things. They tried to create a big enough distraction that would keep everyone busy so that they could overthrow our leader. They were stopped in time though. I think this new group is trying to agitate the Council with the only thing that was ever in disagreement in the past; a wolf and vampire union. Except this time, I believe they tried to hit a little closer to home," she explained with slight trepidation.
"That must have been what Tori was going to tell me. But wait, she sounded like she knew the man behind this," I told her quickly. Her eyebrows furrowed worriedly but she nodded.
"Yes, Tanner St. Claire. He was one of the choices to be the new leader, but he wasn't chosen. I remember how upset he was during the old Council's decision so they appointed him to be one of the people whose opinion came into play should our leader be unable to. He was the head of war tactics until his clear disagreement with how things went interfered with his work and he was removed," she explained. She was withholding information, I could sense it.
"Now he's trying to get the position by force? How much of a dumbass is he?" I inquired haughtily. Really I was just pissed he would try something so cowardly and for putting Tori in danger. She chuckled and patted my arm.
"Tori warned me you would be outspoken and told me not to take offense," she pointed out. I rolled my eyes but a smile formed when I heard Tori's name. She knew me so well.
"Speaking of Tori, can I see her now? I want to spend some time with her if…well, I'm sure we're going to be separated, right?" I asked her, hating the sad note in my voice that labeled my vulnerability and made it as noticeable as a flashing florescent neon sign.
"You two being together sure is a stigma you won't be able to escape from,but I don't think it would be right to separate Bond mates. Of course, ultimately, it isn't up to me," she replied carefully.
"Will he understand?" I asked her, knowing who she meant. She gave me a reassuring smile and nodded.
"Tori didn't get her unerring playfulness, patience, and strong sense of justice from me, I can tell you that. David, her father, had a lot of influence on her and she spent a lot of time with him growing up. She knows him as well as I do and he knows her just as well. He wouldn't do anything to hurt her even if it was a threat to his own life," she stated certainly.
"But it isn't just his life that's in danger. The Council must know that even if he disagrees with hurting Tori in a way he might never be able to fix, he has to make a choice for the good of everyone. If Tanner became leader, we'd all be at his mercy," I disagreed. I was none too thrilled to turn the tide against what I wanted, but really, what I wanted wasn't what was best. I wasn't stupid. I knew this was what would really happen. She seemed to deflate and nodded.
"I know. I was hoping you wouldn't come to that conclusion just yet," she admitted, genuinely upset. I shrugged in defeat. She had been trying to shield me from the inevitable, but I was passed that. I already accepted the situation.
"I just want to be able to say goodbye," I mumbled, looking away. She sighed and stood tiredly.
"Come on then. I don't know when the decision to remove you will be made. It's better to go now while you can," she suggested. I stood and followed her from the room. We walked down the long hall and turned into a room on the right to see Tori in a plain white cotton shirt and pants. She was busy pacing back and forth.
"Why are you out of bed young lady?" Tori's mother scolded with her hands on her hips. Tori laughed and rushed over to hug her.
"Geez mother, lighten up. I'm fine," she giggled. Mrs. Vega agreed with a nod and Tori released her to throw herself into my arms. I held her tightly, drowning in her. All my senses were focused entirely on her, grounding me in a way that instantly cleared my head and calmed me.
"Maker, Jade. I was so worried," she confessed, her fingers gripping me like I would suddenly disappear.
"You worried about me? I was having a meltdown without you. I didn't know how you were or if you were ok…" I replied, burying my face in her shoulder.
"I heard you lost control from the stress and blood loss," she said softly. I pulled back to look at her, making sure she wasn't disappointed in me. She wasn't, just happy to finally be by my side.
"I can't believe I let myself get like that. I could have seriously hurt someone," I commented, frustrated with myself.
"No need to dwell on it. Even the best of us fall sometimes. I'll leave you two alone. I need to speak with Trina anyway and have her look through some of the records. Things aren't looking good," Tori's mother said, muttering the last sentence with a shake of her head. She politely excused herself and shut the door behind her. As soon as we were alone, Tori kissed me urgently. When we parted she tucked her head under my chin and held me tightly.
"I can't let them separate us. Father will choose to let you stay. He has to," she hoped. I shook my head and gently pushed her away so I could get a proper look at her. She looked beyond tired and haggard now that her smile was gone, a depressing frown on her face. She took the sad puppy dog expression to a whole new level.
"Tori, no matter what happens, just remember I love you. I know they'll take me away and leave you free so just do me a favor and stay out of trouble until those bastards are caught. You hear me?" I demanded, gripping her hands in my own. She shook her head and refused to look at me. I could see the beginning of tears in her eyes. I hated seeing her cry, even back when I supposedly didn't like her. Even when I was the one to make her cry. I had always felt guilty as soon as she began letting the tears spill. It tugged at my heart to see the normally bright and sunny wolf so down.
"I love you too, Jade. Which is why if anything happens to you I want the same treatment. I would rather be detained with my mate then have freedom," she told me stubbornly. I knew I couldn't change her mind so I only nodded. Tori took my hand softly and led me over to sit with her on the bed. She crawled behind me and sat with her legs on either side of me. Her arms wound around my middle and she rested her forehead on my right shoulder blade.
"We didn't even get to have fun at the lake," she mused, an obvious attempt at lightening the mood. I chuckled and placed my hands over hers.
"Maybe if we're allowed to see each other after this all blows over we can spend a night to ourselves out there. What do you say?" I proposed, going along with it. She giggled shyly and I felt her nod in agreement. Silence fell between us until a thought occurred to me.
"Hey, how do you guys manage to hide a supernatural hospital right next to a human one?" I questioned her in disbelief. She lifted her head to rest her chin on my shoulder so that her breath ghosted by my ear when she answered.
"It's known as an expansion of the main hospital for the terminally ill or quarantined patients. Should humans get brought here for those reasons we just transfer them to the main hospital. We have some wolves and vampires working over there too to help keep everything hidden," she explained. I nodded slowly, just listening to her soothing voice.
"So, did they figure out how Mason poisoned you?" I asked next. She tensed slightly at the mention of the silver that had run rampant in her body not too long ago.
"He seemed to have coated his claws in something that was clear enough to remain hidden but held particles of silver," she answered in an informative manner. I only guffawed and nudged her playfully with my elbow, her questioning quirked brow wondering how I could possibly find that funny.
"So he basically wore nail polish? I wish he was still alive so I could tease him mercilessly," I responded, breaking into another round of laughter. Tori looked at me with wide eyes, my joke dismissed the moment I mentioned his death. I stopped chuckling to give her a serious but determined scowl.
"What? He threatened your life so I didn't hesitate to take his," I told her fiercely but honestly.
"I didn't know…" she mumbled, resting her chin back on my shoulder.
"Yeah, well…" I said half-heartedly, not needing to finish the sentence. I hadn't felt bad for killing him and I still didn't regret it. I tugged on Tori's arms so she would let me go. She did so with some confusion. She watched as I climbed up on the bed and lied back on the pillow. She joined me, draping her body half over mine, resting on me so that her hands were free to caress my face and play with my hair. I knew I still looked like a mess but I also knew it didn't matter to Tori.
"I would do anything for you," I told her sincerely. I ran a hand over her cheek and let it curve under her jaw. She closed her eyes and nodded.
"I know you would. I would do the same. Even if that means disagreeing with my father," she responded seriously. That meant a lot coming from Tori. After hearing from her mother how much she loved and respected him, she was still willing to go against him for me. Everything she had been raised to defend would be ignored just to keep me safe. I gazed into her loving eyes before letting out a deep sigh and closed my own. I let Tori's soft touch relax me, but being what I was I couldn't sleep. Silence followed and lingered long enough that Tori fell asleep next to me.
Her hand stopped its movements to rest on my stomach. I opened my eyes and looked down at her. She looked so peaceful. I lifted a hand to trace her features, just admiring her, when the door opened. I froze with my hand on her cheek as I looked up into the same yet wiser gaze of Tori's father; our leader. The hand that held Tori close to me tightened slightly and the one on her face dropped. I quietly watched him analyze the situation stoically before a small smile appeared. Always ready to smile despite the situation, just like Tori. Or should I say Tori was just like him. His damn smile was putting me at ease regardless.
"Jade West. Nice to see you again. A big surprise now that I see you two were withholding very important information from me," he stated, hands behind his back casually.
"Sir, don't blame Tori for that. She was only doing what she felt was right. If anyone is to blame it should be me. I should have…" I tried to explain but his understanding expression halted me.
"Jade, I don't blame anyone. In fact, I'm just glad you two are ok. What I want to happen next though is not so easy to say," he responded. I looked away, eyes downcast.
"I prefer to go now while she's asleep," I told him knowingly. He raised a questioning brow before he laughed.
"No, I'm not throwing you in the slammer, kid. Tori would kill me," he joked, walking over to place a gentle hand on Tori's head. His smile was proud when he looked down at her before returning his eyes to me, the mention of his daughter alone pulling him out of sounding so serious. I waited as calmly as I could for his decision, unable to join his lighter mood.
"I want you to stay with us under our constant watch. You won't be free to wander, but at least Tori can rest assured that you're close by. Some wolves from the patrol will come and collect you. The rest of us will follow as soon as we can," he informed me, standing to his full height again. I looked at him in awe, not believing my luck. What couldn't this man do? It was then I realized, he would do anything for Tori despite any consequences, because like me, he loved her unconditionally. And if that meant supporting a vampire and wolf union, or even more dangerous, putting his own life and his people on the line, than he would do it. All for his little girl. I could understand that completely.
As a side note, I can't stop thinking about the fact that Liz is working on her music now along with doing something called The Universe with Matt. Seriously, if you haven't heard their crazy talk you have to. You'd die laughing I swear! Those two are such lovable weirdos. :) Back to Liz though, she recently helped out on a demo that sounds amazing and catchy plus it's refreshing to hear something completely new from her. The torture of it is that I don't think I can wait anymore. Vic is closer to showing off her new music she's been working on for some time but I can wait for her's because I'm not such a crazy fan for her like I am for Liz. Dang you work faster! lol, well there's my rambling for today. How long has it been since I've rambled? Seems like a pretty long time don't you think? Until next time!