Page 18 of Claim of Blood (Blood Bound #1)

“A... what?” Elias blinked, clutching his tablet. “You can’t just move him—if there’s a chip, that doesn’t automatically justify removal! It could be inert, it could be—this is an incredibly hasty decision—”

He moved forward, posture bristling as he tried to shield Leo with his body. “You can’t move him without monitoring his vitals! There’s already a massive fluid deficit, and with the bond stabilizing—if you stress his system now—”

Lander stepped forward, set a firm hand on Elias’s shoulder, and steered him firmly aside.

The witch stumbled, indignant. “I am not finished—”

Nathaniel intercepted him mid-protest, one massive arm hooking around Elias’s waist as if he weighed nothing. The tablet wobbled precariously in his grip as he found himself pinned back-to-chest against a shifter twice his size.

Adam watched, equal parts exasperated and intrigued, as Nathaniel bent and inhaled deeply, wolf just beneath the surface. The Alpha’s expression turned unmistakably pleased.

Elias went very still, pupils dilated, heartbeat fluttering like a trapped bird.

“Easy, sweet stuff,” Nathaniel rumbled. “We’ve got the patient. You keep breathing.”

Elias blinked up at him, stunned silent. He didn’t seem inclined to struggle anymore.

Adam turned back to the bed. He and Lander carefully rolled Leo onto his stomach, mindful of the IV. Oren stepped forward and passed the scanner across Leo’s upper back.

The device beeped.

Six letters and a string of numbers glowed on the screen. Oren held it out, voice flat. “First three: manufacturer. Next three: GPS. This chip can be pinged.”

Adam’s stomach went cold. “They know everywhere he’s been. The council chamber. The underground.” His voice sharpened to a blade. “If they’re half as clever as we suspect, they already know Innsbrook is the heart of my Court.”

“And they left him anyway,” Lander murmured.

Oren nodded once. “We need to get it out.”

“You can’t just—” Elias blurted, voice climbing. “You need a sterile environment, proper monitoring—”

Adam didn’t look at him. “A witch, perhaps? What would you require?”

“I—I’m a pediatrician!” Elias sputtered, wide-eyed. “I don’t do surgeries!”

“But you completed a surgical rotation,” Lander said evenly. “Between your magic and training, you can do this.”

Elias’s uncertainty radiated off him—rapid breathing, tense shoulders, the too-quick flutter of his pulse.

Adam lifted a brow toward Nathaniel.

The Alpha shifted Elias gently until they were face-to-face. “Sweet stuff,” he murmured, voice dropping to velvet. “You’ve got this. Just tell us what you need.”

Elias’s blush rose bright and immediate. Adam almost smiled. If they had time, he might have enjoyed watching it unfold.

“Doctor,” he prompted, calm but implacable.

Elias swallowed. “I’ll need sterile tools. Scalpel, gloves, forceps, antiseptic, sutures... and a local anesthetic. Or he’ll wake up screaming.”

Adam nodded. Lander was already gone.

Nathaniel eased Elias back into his arms, hands stroking down his arms in slow reassurance. The witch’s breathing evened by degrees.

“You were saying something about Leo’s condition when we walked in?” Adam asked.

“Oh—yes.” Elias’s voice cracked, then steadied.

“Severely dehydrated. Through no fault of yours, I’m sure.

” His hands fluttered, then pressed flat to the tablet.

“He’ll need time to replenish what he’s lost. His blood’s regenerating faster than baseline human rates, which is.

.. fascinating. But I’m not sure if that’s the claim or something unique to Leo. It warrants study.”

“You’ll study it,” Adam said simply.

Elias blinked. “But I’m a pediatrician.”

“Are you incapable of working with adults?”

“No,” Elias admitted softly. “Children are just easier.”

“You’ll do fine,” Nathaniel murmured, low and certain. The way Elias relaxed, letti compact frame slowly relaxing back into the Alpha’s arms. Nathaniel’s blue eyes flashed for a moment. The wolf just beneath the surface.

Adam noted it—and then dismissed it. That was Nathaniel’s concern.

He turned to Oren, who was frowning at the numbers still glowing on the scanner’s display, comparing them against something on his tablet.

“Find anything about the chip?” Adam asked.

“Standard tracking model,” Oren said, not glancing up. “Popular in hunting dogs. The foxhounds at the stables use something similar. Different manufacturer, but same structure.”

“How did you know to look for it?” Elias asked. His voice was calmer now, steadier—though Adam could still hear the rapid cadence of his heartbeat, the residual flutter of adrenaline. The way Elias leaned back slightly into Nathaniel’s hold said enough. He wasn’t struggling anymore.

Oren looked up, brow creasing slightly, as if surprised by the question.

“The Nightly Herald covered it. That Coven in Turkey, ten, maybe eleven years ago?” His tone remained flat, clinical.

“Their leader went insane. Implanted trackers in his entire coven. Chipped a pack of tiger shifters, too—kept them leashed. Said it was ‘for security.’”

The silence that followed felt heavy.

“The humanitarian response from the global supernatural community was... extensive,” Oren added.

Adam arched a brow. “Thank you, Oren, for being diligent where the rest of us have clearly been slacking in our reading.”

Lander returned with a duffel bag and a case containing four vials of clear liquid.

“Did you clean out our medical office?” Gaspard asked.

“Yes.” Lander set everything on the bed. “Medicine was never my area of study.”

Elias approached cautiously, sorting through the supplies. “At least it’s all sterile,” he muttered, apparently forgetting about supernatural hearing. He selected what he needed, then looked around uncertainly. “Are we doing it here?”

“This is hardly a battlefield, sweet stuff,” Nathaniel rumbled. “Something this shallow, infection risk is minimal. Deep breath.”

Adam sat on the opposite side of the bed, running his fingers through Leo’s hair. His hunter remained deeply unconscious, and Adam intended to keep him that way. He placed his hand on the back of Leo’s skull, pushing power into a command: Sleep. Stay asleep.

The surge of power rippled through the room, but no one commented.

Elias pulled on sterile gloves with practiced efficiency, swabbing the area between Leo’s shoulder blades where Oren indicated with antiseptic before carefully injecting the local anesthetic around the planned incision site.

His movements were precise, professional, a stark contrast to his earlier nervous energy.

The first cut was clean and sure. “Nathaniel, I need light. The metal should reflect—” The Alpha was already adjusting the bedside lamp, tilting it to shine into the small incision that Elias held open with retractors.

“There.” Using forceps, he carefully extracted the chip with delicate movements, placing it on a nearby towel. Oren collected it immediately.

“I need some of your blood,” Elias said to Adam. “To help seal the wound.”

Adam pricked his finger on a descended fang, letting several drops fall onto the incision edges. Combined with the push of Elias’s magic, the wound sealed cleanly.

The doctor sagged back against Nathaniel’s chest. Adam doubted it was magical exhaustion; more likely, it was the aftermath of an adrenaline surge. The Alpha’s arms came up to steady him, and this time, Elias didn’t protest.

“Can you hack it?” Adam asked Oren.

“No. I know the manufacturer, but not the service provider. Without knowing who to hack…” Oren shook his head. “What do you wish done with it?”

Lander’s smile was sudden and sharp. “We could attach it to one of the chickens near the stables.”

“Wouldn’t that suggest we’re keeping him with livestock?” Gaspard scowled.

“And wouldn’t that be confusing for them?” Lander’s grin widened.

“Do it,” Adam decided. Maybe it would provoke a response.

Lander headed out, Oren following. “How do you plan to attach it to a chicken?”

“I have my ways,” Lander’s laughter echoed.

Adam decided he didn’t want to know.

Gaspard gathered the medical supplies and discarded the gloves, efficiently separating the used from the unused. Elias moved to help, offering to assist with returns, but Gaspard waved him off.

“The IV bags,” Elias gestured to the three additional bags on the nightstand. “They’ll need to be switched when the current one empties.”

Before Elias could say more, Nathaniel swept him up into his arms. The doctor’s startled squawk drew the Alpha’s wolf to the surface again, eyes flashing. “I’ll take the good doctor to my pack house to rest.”

“But I should—” Elias’s protests cut off as Nathaniel carried him away.

Adam and Gaspard watched them go. “Think we’ll be attending a mating ceremony soon?” Gaspard asked.

“If Nathaniel invites us, we’ll go.” Adam shrugged, smiling.

Gaspard nodded, gathered the remaining equipment, and left.

Adam stripped off his clothes, turned off the light, and set an alarm for the IV bag. He slid into bed next to Leo and pulled his hunter close.