He found the bite mark on her arm at once and shook his head.
“That’s nasty—and fresh.”
“I told you, itjusthappened.Infact,I’dbe a gonner right now if the big guy—er,Ravik—hadn’t pounded theInfectedthat bit me on the head and then run off with me,” she said stiffly.“Idon’t know why he bothered since hesawme get bitten.”
She still resented being poked and prodded, even if it was medically and scientifically necessary—which she wasn’t completely convinced it was.
“He probably rescued you because that’s aKindred’snatural instinct—to save a woman in danger,”Severinreplied.Hestraightened up.“Allright—Ionly see the one bite and no scratches.”
“Which isexactlywhatItold you,”Cassiepointed out.
He frowned.
“Youalsotold me that you hadn’t been bitten at all and weren’t infected.”
“I wasn’t going to stay around ifIstarted feeling the urge to bite anyone, you know,”Cassietold him.“Iwas going to leave on my own ifIstarted getting, uh,urges.Eitherthat or find a gun and off myself.”
Severin looked horrified.
“Don’t speak of such things!You’reaMatureElite, blessed by theGoddess.Totake your own life would be nothing short of blasphemy.”
Cassie frowned at this response.Fora male ofScience, he was surprisingly religious.Thenagain, she knew theKindredtook their worship of the female deity very seriously.Theycalled theirGoddess, “TheMotherofAllLife” and believed that she came to speak to them sometimes.Cassiewas agnostic herself, but she respected other people’s beliefs enough not to make fun of them.
“I just wanted to let you knowIwasn’t going to stick around ifIstarted having the urge to gnaw your face off,” she said bluntly.“I’mnot morally bankrupt—just scared to death.”
His pale blue eyes softened a bit behind his glasses.
“I understand.Beinginfected is frightening.Thegood news is,I’maXeno-virologist andI’mtrying to perfect a cure right now.IinjectedRavikwith a dose of my latest anti-viral just this morning and from the improvements he’s showing, it seems to be working.MaybeIcan make a version to work on a human, too.”
“Do…do you really think you can?”Cassieheard the tremble in her voice again and couldn’t stop a few hot tears from leaking down her cheeks.Shewas feeling incredibly overwhelmed right now—being cheated on by her husband, kicked out of her home, bitten by anInfected, dragged to a secret bunker, and stripped naked for an inspection was a lot to handle all in the space of a few hours.
“Idothink so,”Severinsaid firmly.“I’vegot some of your blood already to work with.Inthe meantime, we need to get you into a decontamination bath.TheViruscan be airborne sometimes too—which is whyRavikalways wears a respirator when he goes out for supplies.”
“But why make him wear a mask at all?Imean, if he’s, er, already infected?”Cassieasked—then wished she could take the question back.Itwas clear thatSeverinwas touchy about his best friend’s status.
But theBloodKindredscientist seemed to take the question in stride.
“BecauseIdon’t want him to increase his viral load,” he explained patiently.“There’sno sense in taking a chance—especially whenI’mtrying to decrease the amount of virus in his system.”
“I didn’t know it was airborne too.”Cassieshivered and then realized how cold she was.Hernipples felt like ice cubes and her skin was covered in chillbumps.“Hey, canIput my arms down now?”she asked, sinceRavikwas still holding them away from her body.“It’slike a meat locker in here—I’mfreezing.”
“Of course.Ravik—put down her arms.She’scold,”Severinsaid, nodding at her.
Since theBeastKindreddidn’t obey orders at once,Cassielooked back and over her shoulder at him.
“Hey, you heard your friend.Letme cover myself again.I’mcold!”
A frown tugged at the corners of the hugeKindred’smouth.
“Mate is cold?”he asked, sounding for all the world like a confused caveman toCassie.
“Yes, very cold—freezing.Brrrr,”she said, trying to get the point across.
At last he nodded.
“ThenRavikwill warm.”
And to her surprise, he loosed his hold on her wrists and then immediately turned her around so she was facing him.Beforeshe could object, he put his arms around her and was pulling her close to him.
