“Chico may be able to help,” said Antonio.

My brow furrowed. “Chico?”

“Obviously he cannot heal her,” allowed Antonio. “But if she gets out of control, Chico’s darts can put her unconscious.”

That was better than locking her up.

“She’s going to have a serious case of bloodlust, Butch, which means she’ll need more than just your blood,” Jared warned me. I growled, and he raised his hands. “Hey, I get it. I’m too possessive of Sam to share any part of her. But I’d suck it up if it was about her health. You’ll need to do the same. Some of the most powerful vampires in the world live at The Hollow. Feeding from them might just get Imani through this alive.”

He was right. “She can’t die.” My words were like gravel. “She can’t.”

Expression fierce, Sam said, “She won’t. We won’t let it happen.”

Imani’s hand shook within my grasp as another tremor ran through her. Releasing her hand, I stroked her hair soothingly. “Did you contact Mona and Cedric?”

“Yes. They’re looking into whether there are any vampires who might be able to help with something like this,” said Jared.

Antonio patted Imani’s leg. “I wonder if Lena can be of any assistance.”

Lena was the mate of Antonio’s Sire and had the gift of genekinesis. That meant she could manipulate a human or animal’s DNA. When Reuben used his gift of amplifying power to strengthen hers, it enabled her to work on vampires. She had helped Sam when she went through the transformation from Sventé to hybrid.

“Maybe she could halt the transition,” suggested Antonio.

Sam pursed her lips. “I’ll contact her and ask. I don’t know enough about the workings of Lena’s gift to know whether this is something she can help with. Maybe—”

The door flew open and nearly all of mine and Imani’s squads rushed inside. The girls surrounded the bed, all in varying levels of distress. But no one came too close, eying me warily. I never showed my anger. Never lost my shit. I could look cool and collected even while I was raging inside. But right then, with Imani unconscious beside me, I no doubt looked as rabid as I felt.

Pale and jerky, Paige kept her eyes on Imani as she said, “Tell me she’s okay.”

Well obviously she wasn’t fucking okay. Was the woman blind? I clamped my mouth shut to stop any of the harsh words running through my head from escaping. I didn’t want to take my anger out on her, but I really didn’t want all these people who had been assholes to Imani in here. They had no right, as far as I was concerned. They hadn’t given their support when she’d needed it, and there was no way I’d give them a free pass because she was now hurt.

“Why don’t you all go outside and we’ll talk in a minute,” proposed Sam, but they didn’t.

Instead, Paige moved to Imani’s bedside and went to take the hand I’d just released. She froze when I growled a warning.

“Leave,” I bit out, snatching Imani’s hand before she could.

Her eyes narrowed at my arctic tone. “I know I’m not your favourite person right now. I understand why. But she’s hurt and I want—”

I leaned forward slightly. “I don’t give a shit what you want. If you remember, I told you that you weren’t to see Imani again until you’d come to apologise. As you can see, this isn’t the time.”

Paige sighed. “I know I messed up, but—”

Max put a restraining hand on her arm. “Don’t do it. His protective streak has hit critical levels and he’s barely holding his anger in. He doesn’t trust you, so trying to get near Imani while she’s vulnerable…it’s not smart.”

No, it wasn’t.

Paige hissed at him. “She’s my best friend and—”

“After the way you’ve treated her recently, I would never have thought so,” I clipped. She flinched as if I’d struck her. Shit, it was time to get out of there. “Call me when you’ve spoken to Lena,” I told Sam, lifting Imani into my arms. If she was going to go through the pain of the transition, she could at least do it in her apartment where she was comfortable and had privacy.

Sam nodded. “We’ll visit at dusk and see how she’s doing.”

Imani stirred in my arms, whining something unintelligible. I spoke low into her ear, “Shh, baby, it’s me. You’re okay, I’ve got you.” With a sigh, she settled, tucking her face into the crook of my neck.

“Jared will teleport you to her apartment.” Sam gave me a pointed look. “We’ll find a way to fix this, Butch.”

I nodded, because there was no other acceptable option. Imani had to live.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

(Imani)

I cried out in utter agony. Everywhere hurt. Every bone. Every muscle. Every ligament. Every tooth.

My eyes stung so badly I couldn’t open them. My chest was so tight it hurt to breathe. And my scalp was so sensitive it prickled each time even a single strand of my hair moved. Hell, it even felt like every vein in my body was throbbing with pain.

It hurt to curl up. It hurt to lie straight. It hurt to lie on my back, my front, and my sides.

God, what was happening to me?

Why was it happening to me?

Where was I?

I had to be dying. There was no other explanation. There was no way anyone could live through this pain. A pain that almost seemed familiar…like this had happened before.

I knew instinctively that only one thing would feel good. Feeding.

Nothing else would dim the pain, and nothing else seemed important. Just blood. Right now, I needed some badly. I was shaking with the need. Shaking and sobbing and begging. But I couldn’t get up. I didn’t have the energy or muscle control for that.

A shudder rippled down my spine, making me cry out again.

“Shh, baby, I got you.”

I knew that voice. Knew that scent. A body lay flush against mine as a hand drew my head close. I could hear a pulse beating, could hear the rush of blood through veins. I bit hard, moaning as blood filled my mouth. The taste soothed my throat and eased the cramps in my stomach.

More. I needed more.

* * *

I jumped awake with a gasp as pain pounded into my head, lungs, and abdomen. It took my breath away, caused my entire body to tighten in shock. The movement made me wince through my teeth and cry out. It still hurt to move even just a little.