Page 40 of Exes, Hexes, and Strategy
“Won’t be a problem any longer.”
Nina released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Her shoulders sagged, only to immediately tense back up. “My family! I need to call them!”
“They’re good, Nina,” Mel quickly told her. “I called them that first night. The coven, too. DeMarco never touched them and now he never will.”
Another blown-out breath as relief surged through her, a massive worry finally put to rest. Then, Mel’s statement finally penetrated, and Nina frowned. “Thatfirstnight? How long have I been out?”
“There’s something we need to tell you,” Rafe said, his handsome face a combination of determination and sympathy.
“It’s all good though,” Mel cut in, eagerly. “Once you stop and think about it.”
Rafe shot Mel a glare for interrupting, but her friend only shrugged, muttering, “Well, it is.”
“Tell me what?” Nina asked, and because she felt the need for a little levity considering Rafe’s serious mien, added, “And keep in mind, I haven’t had my coffee yet, so use small words.”
“My father,” he began, only to stop and swallow hard before he tried again, this time asking instead, “You said you remembered being injured?”
Nina nodded, her hand flying up to her neck again. Still smooth with nothing to show for what had felt like saw blades cutting into her throat.
“You were dying, Nina.”
Her eyes widened at that statement and her breath locked in her chest as she waited for Rafe to continue, but his face looked stricken, and he needed a moment to get his emotions back under control. His mouth opened, but whatever he was about to say was preempted by Mel.
“They Turned you,” her friend announced.
That startling proclamation earned Mel another glare from Rafe, this one so hot that Nina was surprised her friend didn’t spontaneously combust.
“I was trying to ease her into it,” he snapped.
“You were taking too long,” Mel retorted, hands on her hips. “Better to rip the bandage off and be done with it.”
“Be done with what?” Nina asked because what they were saying wasn’t computing in her sluggish brain. It was forbidden to Turn a witch, so they had to be talking about something else.
Rafe took her hands in his and looked deeply into her eyes. “We had to Turn you to save you. It was the only way.”
Two sets of eyes were staring pointedly at her and she decided shereallyneeded that coffee. She said as much as she pulled a hand free from Rafe’s to scrub over her face.
When she dropped that hand, however, Rafe and Mel were still staring at her, Mel going so far as to circle her hand in front of her chest in a ‘get on with it’ motion, before blowing out a frustrated breath and blurting, “Nina! You’re a vampire now.”
Her mouth fell open. They were serious. “But, but – it’s forbidden,” she sputtered.
“They found a loophole.”
“They? Who are they?” she practically screeched, feeling an edge of hysteria rising. Mel had been right, she didn’t need easing, she needed answers, all of them, and right the hell now.
“Theywould be me,” Morgan Rhys said as the Born Hunter strode briskly into the room. Turning her attention to Rafe and Mel, she cocked a brow. “I believe the two of you have classes to attend. Tactics if I’m not mistaken.”
“We wanted to be here when she woke.”
“And so you were. I’ll take it from here.”
Rafe looked pained at the thought of leaving, but he squeezed Nina’s fingers in reassurance. “I’ll be back soon,” he told her.
“Me too,” Mel offered. “And I’ll make sure someone brings you some coffee.”
Smiling her appreciation at both of them, she watched them leave before turning her attention to Morgan Rhys. Her stomach tightened with nervous anticipation while her brain continued to try to process what she’d learned. She was a vampire now? Moving her tongue discreetly around in the inside of her mouth, she felt for fangs but didn’t find much of anything different – her canines were maybe a bit sharper than they had been before, but the length seemed the same.
As if reading her mind, Morgan smiled and offered, “They’ll extend only when you’re hungry or in a state of heightened emotion.”
