Page 37 of Eleazar

Eleazar crashed into Maximus’s mind, sifting through the fog. Even standing in front of the vampire, it was hard for Eleazar to read his thoughts. What had Maximus done to him? How had he poisoned him? Was the guy lying just to make Eleazar pause?

“Too bad you won’t be around to see the effects.” Eleazar drove his fist into Maximus’s chest and ripped out his heart. He let the muscle fall from his hand as he turned to Joaquin. Then Eleazar stumbled. Joaquin caught him.

“Get Dr. Caldart,” he said as Joaquin helped him to the adjoining building. “Get me a car.”

He didn’t want to go back inside where the other vampires were still milling around. Eleazar couldn’t show them any kind of weakness. Everything spun as his heart raced. He felt as if he would vomit, and Eleazar hadn’t felt that need since he’d sampled that cheesecake decades ago.

It was a disturbing feeling, and now he sympathized with Andrew when he’d been sick.

Eleazar wasn’t sure how much time had passed before Joaquin was taking him to his Mercedes. He slipped into the backseat, his gut feeling as if it were on fire. Was it psychological? Had Maximus merely mentioning poison triggered Eleazar’s symptoms?

By the time they’d made it home, Dr. Caldart was already there waiting for him. Joaquin had to help Eleazar inside, and then he deposited him in his office chair, because Eleazar didn’t want to worry Andrew.

The exam took forever, and Eleazar was seconds away from snarling at the doctor when the man finally took a step back. “I’ll get your blood to my lab right away and try to figure out what Maximus gave you.”

Eleazar waved his hand. “Take all the bagged blood with you. Examine that as well.”

He’d only started drinking the bagged stuff because he hadn’t trusted anyone enough to feed from them. The last time he’d opened a vein, the guy had tried to gut him.

Not that the human had lived long enough to regret his decision. But since then, Eleazar hadn’t taken any chances with the life sustenance. He also hadn’t told anyone that he’d allowed himself to be vulnerable enough for the human to even get the chance at killing him.

“I’ll put a rush on this,” Dr. Caldart said. He was the only human Eleazar trusted. Dr. Caldart had been working for Eleazar for over two decades, and soon he would have to find someone else, because humans aged and died.

But until then…

“Do you need help getting to your room?” Joaquin asked.

“What in the hell is going on?” Shayde demanded as he stormed into the office.

Joaquin filled him in since Eleazar was rubbing his stomach and wincing from the pain. It was all in his head. That was what his mind kept telling him, that he’d somehow allowed Maximus to convince him that he’d really been poisoned.

“I need my mate.” Too late Eleazar realized his mistake. He’d told no one what Andrew was to him. They simply thought he was Eleazar’s human servant and that he’d crossed the line by sleeping with the guy.

Joaquin cursed as Shayde just stared at him, as if he’d never seen Eleazar before.

Then Shayde started barking orders. “I want Andrew guarded around the fucking clock! You will personally see to his safety, Joaquin. Unless he’s with Eleazar, you are not to leave his side.”

“Understood.” Joaquin gave a slight bow before he left the room.

Shayde hunkered down at Eleazar’s side. “How do you feel?”

“Like I could fight a legion of enemies.”

“I bet you do. Let me help you to your room.”

Shayde grabbed Eleazar under his arms and escorted him from his office. When they entered his bedroom, Andrew was awake. He took one look at Shayde helping him and jumped from the bed, thankfully with pajamas on.

“What’s wrong?”

“Case of indigestion,” Shayde said.

“Eleazar?” Andrew looked worried as his gaze bounced between the two. “Please tell me the truth. I won’t tolerate lies.”

A bark of laughter escaped Eleazar. Andrew was throwing his words back at him. “Tell him,” he said to Shayde.

The more Shayde talked, the paler Andrew became.

“I’m fine.” Eleazar played it off as he dropped onto the bed. When Andrew sat beside him, Eleazar caressed his mate’s face. “There is nothing to worry about, my sweet.”

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