Page 45 of Frenzy
Then he stepped forward and kissed Radic with a searing heat that made my panties flood. Jesus. I’d never get over them kissing like that, like it was a war and only one of them would submit. It was always Radic but man, he looked like he enjoyed the battle.
Courtland pulled away, and pointed to the seat beside me. “Sit, let me take care of you both.”
I didn’t think my heart could feel any fuller than it did at that moment.
Courtland walked me to the Sanctum, even though it was less than twenty feet away. He held my hand and I couldn’t lie, it felt really nice. Opening the front door with my key, I stuck my head through.
“Knock, knock!”
The sound of thundering feet was like a balm to my soul as tiny bodies ran down the hall toward me. I felt bad that I hadn’t spent as much time here as I normally did—which was basically all the time—but now everything was more settled, I might have to move back in permanently. It was something I’d have to discuss with Courtland eventually, because as much as I was psyched to be in a Pack now, these kids needed me. To most of them, Darius and I were the only family they had.
“BONNIE!” came the tiny screams, and even the baby was waving his hands around.
“Hello, guys. Have you been good?” I said, scooping up Duncan from where he threw himself at my legs. I snuggled his cheek and he clung to me, compounding my guilt.
I didn’t feel so bad about the older kids. The force of Rosa had well and truly melded the two households together, and I saw more of the teens now than I ever did when we all lived under one roof. But the younger ones had stayed with Darius and his Alphas when I wasn’t here, and I’d missed them.
Darius appeared, bowing his head at Courtland. “Alpha General.”
Courtland dipped his chin. “Omega,” he murmured respectfully. “Please, call me Courtland.”
Darius looked from where Courtland’s hand rested on my back and then back up toward us both. “Courtland it is. Are you here for the day, Bon?”
I nodded, grimacing. “Sorry for being MIA, Darius. I can’t thank you enough for stepping up.”
Darius stepped forward and hugged me tightly. “Girl, you needed the break anyway, even without the historical change in leadership.” He pulled back a little. “Are you sure you don’t need more rest? You look a little peaky.” He inhaled deeply, his pupils blowing wide. “And your scent is off.”
Courtland frowned, leaning closer until his nose was buried in my neck, sucking in my scent. I flushed, my whole body heating up at the feel of his lips over my thrumming pulse. When he pulled away, the flush remained.
“The Omega is correct. You smell… strange.”
Actually, the flush was getting worse, going from warmth to a tingle, and then a burn.
“Bonnie?” Darius barked, but he was dancing in my vision, black dots clouding the edges. I thrust Duncan at Courtland, and as soon as he had hold of the toddler, the blackness consumed my vision and my knees collapsed.
I went down into oblivion with their shouts echoing around the darkness.
26
Radic
Iran through the streets, banging into people but not caring. I hadn’t even put the phone back on the hook. Dominic’s panicked voice telling me that Bonnie had collapsed was like a banshee scream, and I’d just dropped the handset and run.
My Beast roared with the need to shift, but it would take too much time to get out of my clothes. I ran through the alley between the diner and the bakery, and jumped fences to cut through people’s backyards, the need to hurry pounding through my brain like a chant.
Hurry. Hurry. Hurry.
I burst through the door of Doc’s office, and it was crowded with people. Pryce and Dominic were there, and Dominic had his arm around Pryce’s waist, holding him steady. There was no sign of Bonnie or Courtland. For some reason, Naja and Gatlin were there too, as well as Raiden.
“Where is she? What happened?” I gasped, and Dominic stepped toward me, grabbing me up in his arms.
“It’s okay, man. She’s in there with Doc, and Courtland is with her. She lost consciousness and she still hasn’t woken up.”
I pushed past him and into the treatment room, but my feet skidded to a stop like I’d hit a brick wall. Bonnie lay on the bed, her face completely washed of color. She looked gray. She was unconscious and it was like someone putting my heart in a meat grinder and turning the handle slowly.
“Doc, what happened?”
Doc’s face was equally as panicked. “I don’t know, Radic. I’ve never seen it before. I’m doing some bloodwork, but she won’t wake up. It’s like she's suffered some kind of brain trauma but all her responses are perfectly fine. She’s burning up, and until I gave her some relief, she was scrunched over in pain.” He seemed rattled, and Doc was never rattled. Courtland’s low rumbling growl from the corner made all my skin prickle. Doc threw up his hands in exasperation. “Get out. Get out! I can’t think when you’re sitting there staring. Go wait in the waiting room and I will come out when I’ve figured something out.”
