Page 109 of Pain

“Emotions aren’t for theweak, they’re for the … for thenormal,” I exclaimed. “Everyone has emotions.”

“Vampires are taught not to show them, and in turn, we eventually feel them less than most.”

“So you shove them down so far you become numb?”

“Yes.”

“That’s fucking bullshit!” I exploded. “Fucking. Bullshit. Once all this garbage with Howar and Lerris is over, I’m going to make a fucking royal decree or something, that vampires need to start feeling things. They need to start expressing themselves.” Another twitch of his lips, this time a smirk, made my blood bubble in my veins. The anger at Drak was a welcomed distraction from the terror in my heart over Gemma’s fate. “What’s so funny?”

He shook his head, steeling his expression again. “Nothing.”

“No. Clearly, I’ve said something amusing. You areamused, which is an emotion. So what did I say to make the veneer you’ve so carefully constructed on your face crack a little?”

The sharp glare I gave him conveyed that I wasn’t willing to accept silence as an answer. So with a weary sigh, he replied, “It will be amusing to see you force centuries-old vampires who have perfected the art ofnotfeeling, to suddenly feel. I look forward to their reactions and the outcome of such a declaration.”

I growled again, and this time it was more bear-like than ever. “Just you wait,Mr. Roboto. I’m going to make you feel. I’m going to make you feel so fucking much. You’ll weep from the overwhelming surge of emotions.”

The door to the restaurant opened and out lumbered my big bear and my fire-mage, carrying eight enormous paper bags with them.

They put them in the trunk, then climbed into the vehicle. “Our B&B is only half a mile down there,” Zandren said, turning on the SUV. His belly rumbled as he reversed out of the stall.

“Any word from the bears?” I asked, spinning around to face Maxar.

He shook his head. “Not yet.”

The pit in my stomach grew wider.

We reached the bed-and-breakfast, which was located on an enormous patch of acreage with horses and cows in the field. The laneway from the road to the house was nearly a mile long, and a red barn welcomed us front and center.

The scent of fresh hay and manure rushed into my lungs after my first big inhale when I stepped out onto the gravel driveway. A cacophony of moos, whinnies, quacks, and clucks filled the evening breeze the moment Zandren climbed out from behind the steering wheel.

“They can smell a bear,” he said nonchalantly as he opened up the hatch and removed the takeout bags and our go-bags of clothes. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to also bring in the duffel bag of weapons as well.

Once we divvied up the luggage, we headed toward the carriage house over the stables and climbed the stairs to our suite. It was advertised as a bed-and-breakfast, but really, it was an entire apartment. It had a kitchen, two bedrooms, and a bathroom. The hosts were a nice family who raised dairy cows, grew wheat, and boarded horses.

Immediately, I headed to the bedroom with my bag and flopped face-first down on the bed. It didn’t take long for one of my mates to check on me.

Maxar’s hand landed on my back.

“Any news?” I asked, reading his emotions and knowing already that he hadn’t heard from the bears yet.

“Not yet, babe. You should eat.”

“I’m not hungry. I’m just worried about Gemma.”

“I know, but you need your strength for tomorrow.” He gently massaged my shoulders. “If the roles were reversed, would you want Gemma to eat?”

That made me roll over and glance at him. “Hypotheticals are not what I need right now.”

“Whatdoyou need then?”

I shook my head and ground my knuckles into my eye sockets. “I need to know if my best friend is okay. That’s what I need.”

“And we’re working on it. But right now, what doyouneed?”

“Bathroom has a big, free-standing soaker tub,” Zandren said, coming to stand on the threshold of the bedroom. “I’m going to run you a bath, Little One.”

“I don’t want one.”

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