Page 94 of Healer’s Betrayal

“No, you won’t,” Bryce growls at her.

“They’re my friends, Bryce,” she argues with him.

“You’re pregnant. You’re not going to the vampire site.”

My mind races through every possibility, but I keep coming up empty. We can’t kill Alicia, but we also can’t just let whatever they’ve ingested kill them. “What about the hospital?” I ask. I look at Paul. “Could they find what it is fast enough?”

“Maybe.”

But that’s too uncertain of a term. What if they can’t find it in time? I’m not willing to entrust Kayla’s life to a what if, but I don’t know that I’m willing to entrust her life to the vampires either. I realize that Bryce is still talking to Garrett, but I tune them out. I think about how Kayla’s life is tied to Alicia’s, and I turn away from the group and stride over to Alicia.

“Jackson!” Garrett’s voice thunders behind me.

“I’m just talking,” I send back.

Ransom and Lucien are at my sides a moment later. “You know what you’re doing?” Ransom asks in a low voice.

“No, not at all,” is my only reply. I stop several yards from Alicia; I don’t trust myself not to rip her head off if I get too close.

“Did you need something?” she asks sickeningly sweet.

I force my wolf down, but it’s hard. I want so desperately to give him the lead to kill her. “Let’s make a deal.”

She throws her head back and laughs. “Oh, you’re more delusional than I thought.”

I keep very still and force a blank expression on my face. “You take Kayla but let the other females stay.”

She huffs out a laugh. “And why would I do that?”

“Because I’ll go with you in their stead.”

She laughs really hard this time, but it quickly changes. “You must think I’m incredibly stupid.” I don’t respond. “I’m not bringing you with us; you’ll just go on a killing spree.”

I’m not naive about what goes on in these vampire sites. She might not have been at the one where I was kept, but I was held captive there for an extended period of time. I know what they’re like. “You can use me, use my blood. You can do anything you want to me; you just can’t kill me. And you will give me the same vampire serum you gave Kayla, so it ties me to you. That way, I can’t kill you.”

“Jackson!” Ransom hisses, but I ignore it.

She stares at me, and I can practically see the wheels turning. “You wanted rogue wolves before. Well, now you have one.”

“Two,” Ransom adds.

“Three,” Lucien says.

“One,” I say in a low growl, ignoring the two idiots on either side of me.

“Deal.” Her eyes dance with delight, and I resist the urge to show any form of relief on my face. “Kayla and the three of you.”

My relief fades. “One; I said one.”

“Sorry, Wolf, they volunteered.” She gives me a cheeky smile, and I have to close my eyes and physically force my wolf down.

“What about the other females?” I ask. “How do they get the antidotes?”

“They still have to come with me.” I growl at her. “I wasn’t lying when I said the antidote is at the vampire compound. But once we get there, I will give them the serum and then drop them off. Only then will I let the wolves know where they can get them.”

“That’s not part of the plan,” I growl at her, stepping forward.

“Take it or leave It." She stares up at me, and I close my eyes a moment. “That’s what I thought. Do we have a deal?”