Page 36

Chapter 36

Entourage

KEENAN

T hump, thump, whoosh. Thump, thump, whoosh.

I lay on the bed next to Vanessa in my wolf form, my good ear pressed to her chest. Dr. Collins-Smith told me the ‘whoosh’ sound shouldn’t be there. That it’s indicative of the damage to her heart muscles when the organ failed.

Dr. Collins-Smith has no explanation for why a perfectly healthy 27-year-old with no history of heart problems suddenly had a massive heart attack, but she assured me it happens. Not often, but it’s possible.

I know better. It’s the curse.

I look up as the door opens and Lennox strides in, a woman on his heels. She’s short, much shorter than Lennox, with black hair and blue bangs. His partner, Charlie Lopez.

When he sees me, he stops her. “Give him a minute.” She leaves and he says, “Need to talk to your human, brother.”

I drop from the bed to the floor, careful not to jostle Vanessa. She’s heavily sedated and hasn’t woken up yet, but she could. Shifting into human, I reach for my jeans. “Thanks for coming.”

He dips his head. “Of course.” His gaze moves to Vanessa. “I’m sorry it’s under these circumstances.” Once I’m decent, he opens the door and invites Charlie in.

Holding out her hand, she says, “Charlie Lopez, Fire Inspector.”

I take her hand, surprised as a bolt of awareness goes through me. “Keenan Wolven-North.” I look to my brother who shakes his head. He doesn’t want to talk about the monumental event taking place. The fact that the diminutive dark-haired woman with the serious face is his fated mate. I try to reach into her brain to find out if she knows, but I’m met with a protective wall of blue smoke.

“Not your business, brother.” His gaze is hard and I back away. He’s right, it’s not my business, and I have my own crisis to attend to. He sits in the chair next to Vanessa’s bed. “How is she?”

I clear my throat, trying to speak past the ache that threatens to choke me. “Heart failure. There’s too much damage for the possibility of recovery. Her doctor is putting her on a donor list for a new heart. She’ll be near the top since she’s young, healthy and in an acute situation, but…” I drift off, the doctor’s words ringing in my head.

“But she doesn’t have time to wait,” Lennox finishes, pulling the words from my head.

“A week at most.”

“I’m so sorry,” Charlie murmurs, her sad gaze on Vanessa before swinging to me. “We’ll find the people responsible for this and we’ll stop them.”

I nod, but don’t otherwise acknowledge her words. Finding the people who bombed the theatre won’t help Vanessa.

“We need to ask you a few questions,” she persists.

I suspected that was why she came. Lennox wants to support me, but he and Charlie are the lead investigators in a fire linked to ASHRA. They’ll likely be assigned to the bombing if the events are linked. “What do you need from me?”

She pulls out a notebook, flipping it open and yanking a pen from the binding. “Where were you when the explosion went off? What did you see? What did you hear?”

I give her as much information as I can. At times she interrupts me to dig deeper, to raise my awareness of the small details easily overlooked. The depth of her questions impresses me. She’s clearly a professional with a good understanding of the importance of minutiae. When she finishes, she tucks her pen into the notebook and closes it.

Her phone chirps and seconds later, Lennox’s goes off. “We need to find out who did this,” she says, her gaze meeting Lennox’s. “We’re at five casualties and dozens injured, several critically.”

The bad news keeps coming. “Is there a list of who was killed?” I ask.

She shakes her head, “Officially no, but rumors are getting out thanks to the paparazzi.” Her face twists with anger. “Someone from the film was killed.”

“Who?” The weak sound of Vanessa’s voice has me rushing to the bed. Her eyes flutter open and she blinks several times before focusing on me. “Keenan?”

Picking up her hand, I kiss her knuckles. “I’m here, sweetheart.”

She licks her lips, her voice cracking as she asks, “Who died?”

“You don’t need to think about that right now,” I try to infuse her with calm and warmth, but she pushes past my attempts, focusing on Charlie, who answers.

“His name is Jason Thompson. He was a stunt assistant.”

Vanessa lets out a cry, and I grip her hand tighter. “Sweetheart, you have to stay calm. Your heart can’t take any stress.” Panic threatens to consume me and I take a few deep breaths to calm myself. “These two are here to investigate. They’ll take care of it.”

Pinky strides through the door, her arms laden with three meal trays. Her eyes widen when she catches sight of Lennox and Charlie. “I didn’t bring enough for everyone.”

Charlie lifts a tray off the top. “It’s fine, we’ll share.”

Pinky looks startled, then impressed as she watches Charlie park her ass against the window sill, the tray on the ledge beside her. She sorts through the meal, tossing a pudding cup and half a sandwich at Lennox.

He catches them deftly, as though the two of them have performed the action a dozen times before.

Pinky’s gaze swings to Vanessa and she gasps, dropping the trays. They land with a thud on the cart. “You’re awake!”

“Pinky.” Vanessa reaches out, the IV line attached to her arm stretching.

Pinky launches herself onto the bed, stretching out next to Vanessa and carefully wrapping her arms around her. “I thought I lost you.”

Vanessa squeezes her. “I’m tough as a dragon.” Her gaze finds mine and she reaches for me with her free hand. I take it, sitting on her other side. “Tell me what’s wrong,” she whispers.

“You had a heart attack,” I say and then hearing her thoughts, add, “The doctor says its uncommon for someone as young as you but it’s possible.”

“The curse,” she says, her voice hoarse.

I nod.

Charlie’s eyes slide to Lennox and she raises her eyebrows. “What curse?”

Lennox, clears his throat, refusing to meet her gaze. “It’s nothing.”

Vanessa doesn’t notice the exchange. “But I’m okay now, right?” She looks around at everyone in the room. “The curse didn’t kill me.”

I hate having to be the one to say the words, but it should be me. “There’s too much damage to your heart, love.”

It takes her drug addled brain a moment to work out what I’ve said. “It’s going to stop again?”

“Yes.” The single word takes a monumental effort to say.

“Transplant?” she asks.

I nod, but tears sting my eyes and I take a breath before I answer. “The doctor has put you on the transplant list, but…”

“But…” Again, it takes her a moment to catch up. “There isn’t enough time, is there?”

I don’t answer, but my silence is enough.

A sigh leaves her lips and she lifts a shaking hand to touch my cheek. “I’m sorry, Keenan.”

“You’ve done nothing to be sorry for.” I glance away, lifting my shoulder to catch the tear snaking down my cheek.

Charlie clears her throat, standing. “We’ll give you two some privacy.” She jerks her head at the door. “C’mon, partner. We need to get to the theatre.”

“What remains of it,” Pinky says drily as they leave. When she rolls off the bed, I think she intends to leave with the others, but instead, she rifles through the trays, pulling out orange slices and piling them into a bowl. When she notices us watching her, she shrugs. “What? I’m not giving you privacy if that’s what you’re hoping for. I claimed her first, I get to stay.”

Vanessa smiles. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

I squeeze her hand, drawing her attention. “Everyone else is down the hall in a family waiting room. Rachel was taken to another hospital, but Zach says she’ll be released tonight and they’ll head here after.”

Tears wet her eyes. “Tell them thank you for me.”

“I will,” I promise.

Vanessa drifts off to sleep while Pinky and I watch over her. The dragon shifter leaves in search of coffee, but I don’t move from Vanessa’s side. I’m afraid if I take my eyes off her, she’ll disappear.

Time passes. Pinky and I drink our coffee, then she curls up in a chair and falls asleep. I watch Vanessa’s soft breaths as her chest rises and falls. I try not to disturb them as I give into the urge to pace. My wolf wants to come out; he wants the peace of an animal brain without the complex human thoughts churning in my head.

I’m so preoccupied by my thoughts that I almost miss the green swirling portal as it appears in front of me. Mags comes hurtling through, tumbling into my chest before bouncing off and nearly falling back through the portal.

“Oh!” the witch gasps, her eyes widening. “Keenan!” Then she startles me with a tight hug. “I’m so sorry.”

There are tears in her eyes as she backs up, her gaze swinging to Vanessa. “Sorry I’m late. The curse got her before we were ready. I’ve spent days since the explosion coming up with a plan.” It’s only been hours since the explosion, but I assume the Shadow Realm gave her the extra time she needed.

“You have a plan?” I ask desperately.

“Yes! When I told the library what happened, it went into overdrive trying to come up with a solution. I think it really likes her.” She strides to the bed, looks Vanessa over and reaches for her wrist, examining the tubes pinning her hand. “Does she need these to stay alive?”

“Yes, she does!” Pinky rushes toward the bed, shoving Mags out of the way. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Mags’s eyes widen in surprise. “A dragon! My lava spell must’ve worked.” She frowns. “Though it’s weird that the spell brought you here.”

“Magdalene.” I say her name sharply. “What’s the plan?”

“Right.” She snaps back to attention, walking to the side of the bed, where she examines the medical machinery, all of which are attached to Vanessa. “Which ones does she need to stay alive?”

I don’t like the question. “All of them. Why do you ask?”

She frowns. “We can’t take them with us.”

I knew I wasn’t going to like her plan. “We can’t take her anywhere. She’s too delicate.”

“I know,” Mags huffs. “That’s the point, right? The delicate human needs to stop reincarnating. Why do you think I’m here?”

I’m frustrated by her taciturn answers. “Did you find a spell that will help her?”

“I think so,” she replies. “It’s a long shot. Never been done before.” She tilts her head. “Actually, it’s probably been done before since there is a spell, but not within the collective memory of the witches. So, yeah, a long shot, but it’s all we have.”

I stare at Vanessa, who has miraculously remained asleep through Mags’s unexpected visit. Her face is pale, strained. Even her red hair is dull against the stark white of the hospital pillow. The veins in her arm stand out vivid blue next to the tubes tethering her to machines and an IV drip.

“Where do we need to take her?” I ask gruffly.

“What? No!” Pinky gasps. “She can’t be moved, Keenan. You know it. We’ll kill her if we try.”

I don’t need to see inside Pinky’s head to read the grief and despair. Her best friend is human, this day was always going to come, but the thought of the loneliness Vanessa’s death will cause threatens to break her spirit.

“Pinky.” I wait until her eyes meet mine. “I love Vanessa with all my heart, and you do too. We have to do whatever we can to save her. You need to trust me, and I trust Magdalene.”

I see a spark of dragon fire deep in her gaze. “Don’t make me regret allowing you into her life.”

Gently removing the IV drip from Vanessa’s arm, I press her sheet against the wound as it wells with blood. “Where are we taking her?”

Mags looks at me blankly. “I don’t know, you tell me.”

“I’m going to roast her,” Pinky snarls taking a step toward Mags who takes a quick step back.

“What I mean is, we need to take her someplace significant,” Mags explains. “Someplace that has great meaning to her. Preferably someplace surrounded by nature since I’ll need as much help as I can get from the natural order.”

“That leaves out most of the places Vanessa loves.” Pinky replies with agitation. “She loves her mansion, she loves theatres, she loves shopping malls.” She turns to me. “The beach is natural and you got married there.”

I think about it but shake my head. “I know of a place. It’s in Wolf-Haven.”

Mags conjures a portal. “Perfect, we’re going to Wolf-Haven! Keenan, I’ll take your hand and you’ll picture the spot in your head, guiding me straight to where we need to be.” She swings her gaze around the room, then frowns. “I thought you had a few shifter friends you could bring. We’ll need as much magical blood as we can get.”

Pinky rushes for the door. “Don’t leave without me.”

A few minutes later, I step through the portal with Vanessa held tightly in my arms. Mags holds my arm, and we go through together, an entourage of assorted shifters and humans at our backs.