Page 6 of Shadow Spirit

He pulled out a syringe and then a vial of a clear liquid.

“I don’t like shots,” she said quietly. “I’m pretty sure if you inject me, I’ll puke.”

“Got it,” he said turning away before turning back with a small plastic container. “But I need to get the nausea and pain under control. I promise it’ll be just a little prick.”

Before she could object, he’d tied a small tourniquet around her arm, tapped the inside of her elbow to get a vein closer to the skin and injected her with the liquid, loosening the band around her arm as he did so. Adriana had to admit, it really had been a very mild pinch.

“Let’s get you comfortable on the table and sitting at a better angle.”

He spoke with a quiet authority that she found soothing. When he started to release her, Adriana grabbed for his arm. Greg smiled at her, holding her hand as whatever had been in that syringe began taking effect. When he leaned her back, she didn’t go down very far.

“I got her a cold cloth,” said the medic.

“Thanks,” said Greg taking it and placing it on her forehead. Adriana took a deep breath and expelled it slowly. “Better?”

She nodded. When he started to move away a second time, Adriana grabbed his hand. “Stay. Please?”

“Absolutely.” He turned to the medic. “Ask Colby if he can join us. And you’d better tell him Brie might want to be here.”

“It’s kind of weird having a woman as a beta, don’t you think?” asked the medic.

Greg chuckled. “I think you can get your ass kicked for saying things like that around here.”

“I wouldn’t go to that kind of trouble; I’d just turn him into something innocuous—toad, spider, mouse.”

The medic’s eyes grew wide as he hurried out to do as Greg had asked.

“Not nice, Adriana. I suspect Colby is going to want to restrict you from using your magic to harm or intimidate fellow members of our clan.”

“Our clan,” she said sleepily. “That has a nice ring to it. By the way, whatever was in that vial is good stuff.”

Greg chuckled. “Yes, and it works far better on you that it does a lot of people.”

In the short time it took for Colby to join them, Adriana found herself drifting in a lovely kind of soft-focus world. She’d never been one for drugs, but the feeling of languor and rightness of being here with Greg was stealing through her veins with a lovely, steady progression.

“Not what I was expecting,” said Colby. “Is she all right?”

“I’m not sure yet, but she was feeling dizzy, nauseous, and headachy. I was feeling fine, but I’m starting to feel the same way. I haven’t been here long. Have we had others with these symptoms before I came? Could we have a virus?”

Colby shrugged. “A virus of sorts. Why don’t you and I step out of the room?”

Adriana clutched Greg’s hand. “Anything you say to him, you can say to me.”

“I can do that, but my guess is, you aren’t going to like it.”

“I’m feeling marginally better. If it concerns me, I have a right to know.”

“I don’t necessarily disagree. I don’t think it’s a virus like Greg is asking about; what you are both describing are the classic symptoms of those of fated mates. When they come into close physical proximity with each other, a tentative bond snaps into place.”

“No,” Adriana said, shaking her head, sitting up, and regretting it almost immediately.

“Easy, Adriana,” said Greg, holding her hand and easing her back into the reclining position.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened her eyes slowly. “It can’t be the bonding link. Greg isn’t my mate.” She pulled down the collar of the robe, showing the angry bite from Eoghan’s claiming that had yet to heal completely. “I’ve already been claimed by an alpha. It doesn’t seem to matter that I never wanted that. The damn thing refuses to heal.”

Greg nodded to the weeping wound. “I noticed that. A claiming bite, even that of an alpha, usually heals in a week to ten days. It leaves one hell of a scar, but that one is angry and looks a lot fresher than it should.”

“And while I still feel like shit around Greg, it was even worse this morning with my run-in with Decker.”

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