Dark Promises

She staggered to the bathroom, appalled at her weakness. Maybe a chair in the shower would have been a good thing, but she did have some pride. Paul had given blood to Josef twice. He’d carried her to the truck and probably had done the same for Josef after he’d collapsed a second time beside her. Then Paul had driven through the rest of the night to find a place for them to stay during the day. He had to be exhausted.

The hot water felt good on her skin, reviving her a bit. Some of the tension eased out of her neck and shoulders enough to keep her head from shattering into a million pieces. Twice she had to stop washing her hair and just stay very still to keep from getting sick. Both times she held on to her head, pressing her palms hard on either side of her temples.

“Hey! Sky! You in there?” Josef demanded.

“No!” she shouted back. “I’m not.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. You left your brain somewhere in the cold zone.”

Leaning against the shower stall, she finished rinsing her hair, taking her time. Josef wasn’t going to be quite as nice about what happened as Paul. She’d be lucky if he didn’t shake her until her teeth rattled. She could already feel his anger, and she certainly heard it in his voice.

“Stop stalling,” he snapped. “You don’t want me coming in there after you.”

“Sheesh, Josef, you just got here. Give me a minute. I’m moving a little slow.”

“That isn’t surprising.”

She sighed. She was not going to shout back and forth through the bathroom door. She understood his anger. It came out of fear for her. She would certainly feel the same if the roles were reversed. But . . . she was Dimitri’s lifemate. Seeing him that way, feeling his pain, she doubted if too many other lifemates—man or woman—would have been completely rational in the same situation. Still, Josef deserved to be heard.

She dressed carefully, brushed her teeth and walked out of the bathroom drying her hair with a towel. Josef had his back to her, but spun around as she emerged. He looked thin and tired, his face still very pale, although she was certain he’d already fed. He held himself very tightly.

“You almost died last night.” He made it a statement. An accusation.

Skyler tossed the towel aside, walked right up to him and circled his neck with both arms, leaning close to hold him. “I know. I’m so sorry,” she said sincerely. “I almost took you with me.”

For a moment he held himself very stiff, then his arms came up and he hugged her so hard she feared she might break in half. “I don’t care about me, you goofball,” Josef said, “but I can’t lose you. Dimitri can’t lose you. Gabriel and Francesca can’t lose you. You can’t take chances like that. If you’re going to travel over a thousand miles and attempt a healing, you know you’re on a time limit. You know that. I don’t know how I got you back.”

Skyler pulled back to look up at him. “He booted me out of him.”

He blinked. The tension eased out of him a slow inch at a time. “He did?”

“Yes. And don’t sound so happy.”

“Thank God that man can boss you, because no one else seems to be able to.”

“I don’t need bossing,” she pointed out. “Josef, I really am sorry. I’ll be far more careful next time. We know what we’re facing now.”

Josef took a deep breath and nodded. “I caught glimpses in your mind, Skyler. You’re one tough chick.”

Skyler flinched. “I wouldn’t call me a tough chick in front of my parents or someone say . . . like the prince. They wouldn’t appreciate the modern jargon.”

For the first time Josef smiled. It was more of a self-satisfied smirk, but she’d take it. At least he was finding his sense of humor again.

“They need to lighten up and become a little more modern, especially Gregori. He’s still living in the caveman days.”

“We don’t have to be around him much,” Skyler pointed out. “Think of poor Paul, living with the De La Cruz family—especially the eldest brother. I’ve never met him but I’ve heard the rumors.”

Josef gave a little shudder. “I’m totally avoiding Paul’s family. It’s the only safe, intelligent thing to do. When this is over, I’m making myself scarce for a century or two.”

A knock on the door heralded Paul’s arrival. Josef waved his hand and the door opened. Outside, Skyler could see night falling fast. The weather was overcast, clouds drifting across the sky, but there was no rain.

Paul set her soup on the small table. “Come eat, Sky. I wolfed down a sandwich while I was waiting for your order.”

That was code for telling her he ate a meat sandwich and didn’t want her to smell it and feel nauseated. “Thanks, Paul. I appreciate it.” She looked at the bowl of soup and shook her head, her stomach already rebelling.

“It’s not the enemy,” Josef told her. “It’s sustenance—the very thing you need to build your strength again so you can heal Dimitri.”

She didn’t dare take a deep breath, but she nodded. Josef made sense. She had to get strong fast and that required eating. She touched her tongue to her lower lip, tracing it, finding her skin quite dry. In spite of the hot shower, she was still shivering, unable to maintain her body temperature.

“Staring at it isn’t going to get it down,” Josef said. “We want to get moving. We’ve got a lot of territory to cover, and the faster we reach Dimitri, the sooner he’s safe.”

She approached the table and the bowl of steaming soup warily. The aroma, instead of making her hungrier, made her feel more nauseated than ever. Pressing the back of her hand to her mouth she gingerly took the chair facing the bowl of soup. Who knew it would be so difficult to take a few spoonfuls of vegetable soup?

“Skyler.” Josef used his sternest voice. “You’re wasting time.”

She spun around, glaring at him. “Don’t you think I know that? You’re not helping, Josef.” Just the act of moving so fast set her head pounding. She fought down the bile in her lurching stomach.

The stirring in her mind was faint, but her heart leapt and began to stutter with anticipation. She reached out, and immediately pain exploded through her head. Paul made a sound of distress.

“You’re bleeding, Skyler.” He rushed to the bathroom to get a wet cloth.

Let Josef aid you, beloved. I cannot, and we need you strong.