I do not own any part of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. All of that greatness is the work of the amazing J R Ward.
As of 5-22-12 the wonderful GothicBelle has beta'ed this for me. Hopefully this is now easier to read.
I hope everyone enjoys.
Chapter Fourteen
Syhren opened her eyes, everything was white. Something was very wrong. This had to be the Fade. She did not belong here. She had to get back to her young.
"Do not worry yourself, you will be back with them soon, it is my will."
Syhren turned around to see the most beautiful creature she'd ever laid eyes on and fell to her knees. "Dearest Scribe Virgin."
"Rise, Syhren. This is only a visit my dear. I have plans for you."
"Of course, it is my duty to serve your Grace." Darius had been careful in her training. This must be what he had been preparing her for. She would not show any fear or nervousness. She stood straight and tall.
"Yes, I chose well when I gave you to his care." The Scribe Virgin was floating in circles around her. She was magnificent and frightening all at once. A true force of nature. The mother of her race. "I will have you stay with the Brothers. Your fate is entwined with theirs. Soon much will be revealed and you must be prepared to accept what is asked of you from me and from the King."
"I will do all that you ask and the King as well," Syhren pledge. Darius had prepared her for this and she would not fell him. She would do all she could to serve her maker and her King.
"Be well child," and she vanished.
…
"Come in," Wrath said to the knock at the door.
"Hello John," Mary said from her chair. "Wrath thought that if it was okay with you I could translate for the two of you. John says that's good for him."
"John how's Qhuinn holding up?"
"Not to good," Mary translated.
"I was afraid of that," Wrath leaned back in his chair. "I'll just get to the point. Do you think he would be willing to feed Syhren?"
"Maybe if you order him, but he won't be happy to leave Blay any time soon."
"John I'm going to have to ask him. I can't expect bonded males to do this; I would never want to upset any of the shellans. Jealousy is just as hard for them as with us males."
"Of course," John answered.
"Saxton's here, so I will ask him as well. She's going to need a lot of blood and, like Blay, it would be best to have more than one source," Wrath said half talking to himself.
"Wrath that is a good idea," Mary said. "But I think that if the need was great the shellans could stand it to save her life. No children should have to be without a mother and the young are already so very much upset."
"John, there is something else I want to tell you before you hear it from one of the other Brothers. Syhren was Darius's shellan, however, there was no bond. Basically like my relationship with Marissa, before I met Beth. Except the oldest of her young is Wahr, son of Darius. So it appears that you and Beth have a brother."
"He's stunned. Not really sure what he's suppose to say. He likes the idea and wants to meet him," Mary again translated. "Oh, John. I've meet him. He looks very much like you. His hair is really black though, like his mother's and his eyes are baby blue or sky blue might be a better color. He is so strong and helpful."
"John, Beth knows about Syhren, but she doesn't know that Wahr is your brother. She knows about the young, but only Wahr is Darius's. The other two are adopted."
"Don't worry I won't tell her," was John's reply. "If we're done I'd like to get back to the training center."
"Sure, I was just about to head that way myself. I'll be there in a few. I want to see if Tohr is done with Sax yet."
…
Chairs now lined both sides of the hall from the classroom where Blay was being operated on all the way to the Gym doors. Qhuinn was speechless at the show of support from the Brothers. All the Brothers and shellan were here. King Wrath and Tohr had joined them a few minutes ago.
The King had glanced in his direction a few times. Qhuinn wonder what was up. Thinking he probably looked near death himself. Everyone had been looking at him.
"Qhuinn," said Saxton, "Are you okay?"
"Fine, Sax." Qhuinn said for the hundredth time.
"Boys, come with me," Tohr said. "Wrath wants a private word with you."
Qhuinn and Sax followed Tohr into a classroom.
"Qhuinn, I apologize for the timing," Wrath started, "But I need to ask you something time sensitive."
"What's up boss?" Qhuinn asked the King trying to sound like himself and not the basket case he was right now.
"Syhren is going to need to feed when she awakens," Wrath stated.
"Then she's made it through surgery?" Sax asked.
"Not yet, but I refuse to believe otherwise," Wrath said with conviction. "She is strong and a fighter. But what I want to know is will you two be willing to feed her?"
"I'll feed her," Tohr said from his place by the door.
"Tohr, I would never ask this of you. Are you sure you can handle this?" Wrath asked.
"If that had been Wellsie on that table and I was dead, Darius would have done this for me. He was my closest friend. More of a father to me than my own. I will do this for his shellan." That was the most emotion Qhuinn had seen out of Tohr since his return.
"Then I honor you request," Wrath agreed. "But I think she may need more than you can safely give. I want at least two males available to her. I had actually planned on talking to V and Rhage too."
"I'll do it, sire," Saxton said. "I would be honored to be of service to such a female of worth. Also that will make two of us; therefore, Qhuinn won't have to leave Blay."
"Thank you, Saxton," Wrath said, "Again we owe you much."
They all started for the door.
"I'm not a total asshole you know," Qhuinn heard himself saying, "I can feed her too. I just, if it's possible, I really don't want to leave Blay until he's awake and I'm sure he's okay."
Wrath waved Tohr and Sax on out. "Son, if I had thought that Tohr could have done this I would never have asked you. And before you go all defensive on me, it's not because I don't think you're worthy. The only reason is if it was Beth on that table next door right now I sure as hell wouldn't be anywhere other than here. Not even a few hundred yards away in another room. Hell I doubt they'd keep me out of the O.R. without having to have the Brothers sit on me."
"Thank you."
"Hey, don't worry about it, you're one of us, both of you are. True?"
"True," Qhuinn said back and returned to his place in the hall. He now had even more respect for his king.
…
Manny was putting in the last few stitches into Blay's chest. If he healed as fast as Payne they'll be able to take them out in a day or so. This species' physiology was so very fascinating.
"Ehlena, let's get him cleaned up and covered. I want Jane or Havers to check him over before we bring him out of the anesthesia."
"That's a good idea, doctor," Ehlena responded. "You had to do an awful lot of digging around to get those bullets out of him."
They had managed to clean him up pretty well as they spoke. She was right; he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen that much ricochet damage. Those four little bullets had bounced all over Blay's chest cavity ripping little holes here and there. He had done so many stitches in the last fives hours he had lost count.
"Manny, I can finish here, why don't you go get Havers? You can help Jane for a bit, because as bad as poor Blay was that female is worse."
"Sounds fine," he said, taking off his surgery mask, smock and gloves.
When he walked out into the hall it was full of people, err… vampires. He only knew a few of the faces. Still every one of them was all looking at him.
"He's done very well," Manny started. "He had a large amount of internal damage, but I've removed all the bullets and fragments and stitched everything up."
"Can I see him?" The guy asking had short spiky dark hair, a dog chain around his neck and visible piercings that amounted to more metal than he had just pulled from Blay's chest.
"Not yet, I still have him sedated. I had to open his chest which is major and he's lost a lot of blood. I want Havers to check him out first. I'm on my way to get him now. I want someone more familiar with your species there when he's brought around. I understand he'll need to feed and I don't have any experience in that," he explained.
"Thanks Doc," the man still seemed full of worry though. "He's okay though?"
"As far as I can tell, but I'm not use to you guys, and as good as I am on humans I don't want to chance anything with Blay. That's why I'm going to trade places with Havers."
…
Qhuinn thanked the Scribe Virgin that Blay had survived surgery. But Dr. Manello was worried about him waking up and he didn't like that.
He just wanted to see Blay. He needed to see Blay. No matter how many times they said Blay was fine, doing well, or whatever; he wouldn't believe it until he saw the male for himself. He had been so scared at the sight of Blay's blood back in that hall he hadn't remembered the look on Blay's face until much later. Now he was worried. Blay had looked so disappointed in him in that moment that Qhuinn was wondering just how hard it was going to be to win Blay back.
This, today, had proven a few things to him. First, he was abso-fucking-lutely nothing without Blay. Sitting out in this hall just the thought he might lose Blay made it hard to breathe. Hard to think. Hard to talk. Hard to just plain function. If this is what it felt like just thinking Blay might die, Qhuinn had a whole new respect for Tohrment. That Brother was one strong motherfucker.
Second, he had been the biggest fucking asshole in history to Blay. He had denied this thing between them until he had almost ruined it or may be he had ruined it. Scribe Virgin, he hoped he hadn't pushed Blay's love beyond redemption. He had known there wasn't anyone for him but Blay since that first kiss down in the training center. He had wasted so much time making excuses; he hoped that he wasn't out of it.
And third, his dreams weren't even his dreams. Fuck, he'd realized these last few weeks that what he was trying to convince himself what he wanted, had been yet another way to try and earn his parents approval. He didn't know why he had tried to hold on to that. His family didn't love him, never did and made it very clear before they passed into the Fade they never would. So fuck them, he had Blay, Blay had always loved him and if he hadn't ran out of time maybe he always would.
"Dearest Scribe Virgin don't let me be out of time. I can't live without him," Qhuinn whispered his prayer not caring is any of the others heard him.
…
Havers hated being at this place. He didn't like any of the people here. Not in rank, but in their very character they were beneath him. But he owed them. They had saved his life and so many others last year when his clinic had been attacked.
He walked quickly across the gym. He wanted to see to Blaylock and then get someone to take him home. He didn't want to deal with the King or his sister or her mate or any of them really. He understood the necessity of the Brotherhood, but they were so uncivilized and so below the females of worth they had been taking for shellans and mixing with the company of humans.
He opened the door of the gym and inhaled sharply. Every last one of them was in the hall. It must be true then, the Brotherhood considered Blaylock and that disgrace Qhuinn part of their own. He kept his eyes to himself and made his way to the classroom Blay was in.
As he reached for the door knob he heard a voice, "Can I come in with you?"
He turned around; it was Qhuinn who had spoken. "It would be best if you didn't. However I will need the female he is to feed from."
The Primale Phury stepped forward. "I have brought two of the Chosen for him."
"Ladies if you please, I would like to get this over with," Havers said.
"I go with them," Phury replied. "And Qhuinn comes too."
"No he does not," Havers said forcefully. Qhuinn's eyes had always made him very uncomfortable. He did not understand why his family hadn't disowned him the moment he had transitioned and still had those eyes. He had been such a burden on his family and then to go and murder his cousin Lash. It was unbelievable that such a male of worth had been sent to the Fade by one so unworthy as Qhuinn. "You three are necessary, he is not."
"He is and I command it," Wrath said in a harsh voice rising to his feet to stand by Qhuinn.
"If that is an order, very well then," Havers may not like his King but knew better than to disobey him. He had crossed him once and nearly lost everything he had, including his life.
"Qhuinn get in there with your boy," Wrath said squeezing the younger males shoulder.