Page 34 of A Token of Blood and Betrayal (Kennedy Rain #4)

A traffic-free highway stretched to infinity. I pressed the accelerator down as far as it would go.

The week of the full moon? Your odds of remaining human were damn near zero.

It had been three days since the moon was at its fullest.

Black splotches darkened my vision, but I fought to stay conscious. I had to get inside the Null. Had to disinfect my arm. Had to make sure I stayed human.

I shouldered the car door open and fell out onto broken bricks and earth.

Get up. Keep moving!

My injured arm wouldn’t support me. I crawled using only my left arm. It was agonizing. It was slow. It was the only way I managed to get to the Employee Only entrance. Reaching up, I grabbed the latch and pulled the door open. Then I collapsed over the threshold.

“Ms. Rain?”

Cool concrete pressed against my cheek, which was the only part of me that didn’t burn. Everything else felt hot and sticky.

“Oh shit!” Fingers pressed against my throat.

I opened my eyes. Saw Thad crouched in front of me.

Relief flashed across his face. “I thought you were dead. I’ll get help.”

“No,” I rasped out.

He froze mid-rise. “No?”

My thoughts were sluggish. I wasn’t sure why I’d stopped him. I needed help. I needed to…

I needed to remain human.

“Get me to the kitchen.” I tried to sit up.

Thad took my good arm, started to lift me. He must have changed his mind or determined I wasn’t in walking condition because he scooped me up and carried me.

I might have passed out again. When I blinked the black splotches from my vision, I was on my feet in front of the kitchen’s industrial-sized sink.

Had I asked Thad to bring me there? I couldn’t remember, but it didn’t matter. I reached for the faucet.

My knees buckled immediately. Had I been standing at all? The counter and Thad’s arm around my waist were keeping me upright.

“Water,” I said. I waited, staring at the bottom of the sink, wondering why it wasn’t filling.

“She told me to!” Thad yelled.

I frowned. Realized a conversation was going on where I was the subject but not a participant.

“She’s barely conscious.” That was Joash. “You ignore her and you get help.”

“Then go get help,” Thad snapped.

I draped forward, resting more of my weight on the counter. Either Thad realized what I was trying to do, or he’d heard my previous request. He flicked the faucet on.

I shoved my arm into the water flow, squeezing my eyes shut against a mind-scrambling pain. “Hotter.”

“It’s already hot,” Thad said, but he complied. “What happened?”

“Nothing.” I watched my diluted blood swirl at the bottom of the sink, then disappear into the drain. My face felt prickly, like I was dehydrated and overheated. Both probably. Steam rose into the air.

“Joash is getting Sullens,” Thad said.

“No. Don’t tell anyone. Don’t let anyone in.” I don’t know why I felt the need to hide the injury or why I even thought I could. The pain, the panic, the shallow breathing, all of it was making me lightheaded and delusional.

“You need help,” Thad said.

“I don’t need anything. Just go. Please. And keep everyone out.”

I’m pretty sure I heard him grind his teeth, but slowly he removed his arm from around my waist. Willpower kept me on my feet.

I had to clean the wound, had to make sure I burned away all the wolf’s saliva or magic or whatever the hell it was that turned a human into one of them.

Would this be enough to save me? I leaned forward more, my upper torso bent over the sink so that I could reach the soap dispenser.

Footsteps scuffed to a stop to my left. Without looking, I knew it was Garion.

“Kennedy,” he said, his voice a shocked whisper.

“It’s fine,” I said. “You don’t have to worry. Canyon didn’t approach me. I was careful. I promise.”

“What?” His tone turned sharp. “I don’t care about the fey. Let me see your arm.” He reached for my wrist—

Then drew back and cursed. “It’s scalding hot!”

“That’s why there’s steam,” I said, all logic and reason.

He snatched my hand out of the water, then aggressively turned off the faucet, grabbed a dishtowel, and wrapped it around my arm. “Hold that there.”

It hurt, so I didn’t do as he said. I just let the towel rest over my forearm. It was best if I didn’t look too closely at the injury. Better if no one took a close look.

Garion returned with a pack of frozen peas.

Hey. Frozen. I’d accomplished something today.

I giggled.

He looked at me like I was crazy.

“Power is on,” I said. “And you selected the traditional human ice pack.”

He shook his head, peeled back the towel, then stared, pea pack still held in his hand.

Pea pack. I snort-laughed. Garion didn’t seem to notice it this time. “That’s a wolf bite.” He said the words without moving, without adding any inflection.

My anxiety spiked back to max. I yanked my arm away. “It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine.” Fury radiated from him. “You’re injured. You’ve lost so much blood you can’t think. I don’t know how you’re standing.”

I was mostly leaning against the counter. Best not to mention that.

“Here, Ms. Rain. Sit.”

I looked behind me, saw Sullens and the chair he’d placed there. When had he arrived?

My gaze swept the large kitchen. Thad and Joash were still here. So was Astrid, who looked shocked, and Melissa, who looked absolutely livid.

“Why are you all here? I’m fine.” I was fine. I’d prove it.

Swiping the bloody towel off the counter, I hobbled toward the kitchen’s back door.

When I glared at my staff and friends, they moved out of my path.

Not far, probably because they thought they’d need to catch me, but I reached the hallway without help.

As long as the elevator decided to work, I’d make it to the residence. Then I could lock the door and sleep.

Sweat dripped down my brow. The wall kept me upright even though I tried to pretend I didn’t need it. One step at a time. That’s how I’d make it, though I might throw up again any second.

I couldn’t stop shaking. My bitten arm felt like someone was actively carving deep gouges into my flesh, and a vision of ruthless gold eyes flashed through my mind. The wolf had bitten my arm and hung on, digging his teeth in, yanking me around like a rag doll, and the treaty hadn’t kicked in.

The wolf hadn’t intended to kill me. He’d wanted to turn me.

My knees buckled. They hit the concrete floor hard, but I didn’t feel the pain. I pulled my legs into my chest and wrapped my good arm around them. Then I hyperventilated.