Hunter's Blood Special Edition (Cursed by Blood Saga) (4 page)

Sean’s head jerked up, and the two men
just looked at each other. Glancing at the photo stapled to the inside of the
file Sean just frowned. It all made sense now. The weapons, the shade. He
exhaled. It looked as if the girl in his head and the injured girl upstairs
were unquestionably one in the same. However, what worried him most was he
wasn’t the only one out hunting last night.

Chapter Four

***

L
ily opened her
eyes. Everything hurt, even her hair. She tried to move, but winced as every
one of her muscles screamed in protest. She had no idea where she was. The room
was dim and unfamiliar, but she was in no condition to complain.

“Terry?” she croaked, surprised at the
hoarse sound of her own voice.

“Well, look who’s finally awake,” a
soft, feminine voice said from the door.

Lily squinted in the dim light trying
to see who had spoken. An older woman walked quietly to the side of the bed and
snapped on a soft light. She wore a white nurse’s uniform and smiled warmly as
she stuck a thermometer into Lily’s mouth and then lifted her wrist to take her
pulse.

The thermometer beeped, and the nurse
smiled again as Lily’s temperature flashed a normal
98.6
on its LCD
display.

“Looks like your fever is finally
gone,” she said depositing the plastic probe cover into the waste bin next to
the bed.

Lily tried to sit up, grimacing in the
process.

“Slowly, sweetheart…not so fast. Here,
let me help you.” She nodded, carefully sliding her arm under Lily’s, helping
to prop her up with pillows.

“Thanks,” Lily croaked again. “Can you
tell me which hospital I’m in?”

The nurse just smiled. “Actually,
you’re not in a hospital. You’re a guest at Leighton Manor.”

“Where?”

“Leighton Manor. It’s a private estate
a little north of Ogunquit, Maine. You were mauled pretty badly in the woods
not far from here. Mr. Leighton was the one who found you and brought you
back.”

A little stunned, Lily just looked at
the woman. “How long have I been here?”

“Oh, about a week. You were pretty out
of it when they brought you in. I thought for sure they were making a mistake
in bringing you here instead of a hospital. You looked as if you needed to be
in intensive care, but I have to admit you’re healing at an exceptional pace.”

“I don’t remember. Was I conscious?”

“No, honey, you weren’t.”

“I see. Is there anyone I can speak
with about what happened to me? It’s all a big blur.”

The nursed nodded brightly, fluffing a
third pillow to stick behind Lily’s head. “Sure. Mr. Leighton comes in often
enough to check on you, so I’m sure he’ll introduce himself at some point. In
the meantime, you certainly should rest. I’m glad to see that you’re up and
awake. Are you hungry? I can bring you something, but nothing too heavy, no
cheeseburgers yet!” she teased warmly.

Lily smiled. “Maybe just something hot
to drink, my throat is very sore.”

“No problem.” The nurse nodded and
left the room.

Lily lay back on the pillows and
closed her eyes. She must have drifted off because when she opened them there
was a carafe of hot tea and a tiny dish of honey on a tray next to the bed.

Struggling to sit up again, she
noticed the thick bandages covering her chest and shoulder. It was then she
remembered the beast’s claws, and closing her eyes she unconsciously ran her
hand across the path they cut, shivering at the thought.

“It’s not a very pleasant memory is
it?” a deep male voice asked from across the room.

Lily’s eyes snapped open tracking the
voice to its owner. Shocked at who was standing across the room she just gaped,
“You!”

“Guilty,” he said with a shrug. He was
sitting in front of the hearth, a low fire burning in the grate. Closing the
book he’d been reading, he got up and walked toward the bed. Lily’s body tensed
as he moved toward her, a predator’s grace in his gait.

“Sean Leighton,” he said with a hint
of a bow. “It’s nice to finally make your acquaintance.”

“Lily. Lily Saburi.” Still a bit
stunned, a flush of self-conscious heat flooded her pale face. He was the last
thing she expected to wake up to. He was gorgeous, and she felt like what the
cat dragged in. She swallowed painfully. “Forgive me. I’m still a little bit
fuzzy. How did I come to be here?”

Sean gave her a quizzical look. “You
do
remember what happened, right?”

Lily nodded but didn’t say anything
else, waiting for him to continue.

“You were badly injured so I brought
you here. Considering the circumstances, I thought it better for you to be
treated at my private facility rather than at a regular hospital. Still, don’t
worry, there’s a STAT MedEvac helicopter on the premises. If it had become
necessary, we could have transported you to the trauma center in Portland at
any time.”

“Impressive. I’m
sure the
helicopter must come in handy during rush hour,” she answered absently still
trying to puzzle it together. Her eyes swept the room. It certainly didn’t
resemble any hospital room she’d ever seen. The place was posh.

She glanced down at the hospital gown
synched up around her thighs, and her face grew warm again, embarrassed by the
fact she wasn’t wearing anything else beneath it.

“Where are my things? I know I was
wearing a little more than this last night.”

“Actually, it’s been a week since you
were brought in. Your clothes were completely ruined, and, unfortunately, we
couldn’t find any other personal effects. I’m sorry. If you’d like, I’m sure we
can find something else for you to wear once you’re feeling better.”

Lily’s mind was a jumble. She closed
her eyes trying to collect herself as her memory came back in bits and pieces.
“Wait a minute…,” she paused, frowning in confusion.

“I remember you fought that creature
barehanded. You were hurt. I’m sure of it. So how come you’re walking around
fine and I’m the one looking like I should be having last rites?”

“You actually look much better than
you probably are. In fact, I think you look pretty good, considering. Still, if
you must know, my injuries were mainly superficial.”

Lily watched his face. His eyes were
intense despite his relaxed pose. She tried to sit up only to have her shoulder
and chest scream in protest again. Slumping back, she turned to say something,
but when she looked at him her throat went dry and she couldn’t remember a
single thing she wanted to say.

Perhaps it was the pain meds being
pumped into her I.V., but her limbs were heavy and her muscle like rubber. She
couldn’t look away, and his gaze made her want to slap on some lip gloss and
run a brush through her hair.

Lily’s eyes traveled the length of his
body, and she couldn’t help but stare. It seemed impossible he could look so
good after the fight he had. She remembered with distinct clarity his skill as
he fought—his power and his strength and how his body moved.

Leaning against the back of a chair,
his long legs were crossed nonchalantly in front of him. He wore jeans and a
fitted, long sleeved tee, and she couldn’t help but notice how the soft denim
hugged his sculpted thighs. Though his arms were crossed in front of his chest,
there was no denying the six-pack hidden underneath, as well.

She knew he was speaking to her, but
for all she heard he might as well have been speaking Greek. Lily blinked.

What’s the matter with me?
I’m laid
up like death warmed over, and all I want to do is lick his thighs! Maybe I hit
that tree harder than I thought…

Her cheeks flushed, and she glanced
away hoping he hadn’t caught her staring.

“Lily, are you all right?”

Self-conscious she cleared her throat,
grimacing slightly at the soreness. “I’m fine…you were saying?”

“Still pretty bad, huh?” he said
pouring her a cup of tea with a generous dollop of honey. “This should help
ease over the rough spots. In the meantime, rest. I’ll be back later. There’ll
be plenty of time for questions when you’re better.”

“Wait,” Lily croaked, but when he
turned all she managed was a weak smile. “Thanks.”

With a nod, he slipped quietly out of
the room and Lily sank deeper into the pillows, exhausted. A hundred questions
already whirled around in her head, not the least of which why she felt like a cat
in heat every time he looked at her.

***

Hands in his pockets, Sean walked
quickly down the main staircase, the thick Aubusson runner muffling the sound
of his hurried footsteps. His eyes narrowed as he glanced back up the stairs,
wondering about his unusual house guest.

He should be wary of her. Based on
what he already knew, it seemed to follow she was some kind of bounty-hunter.
The supernatural community had faced their fair share of those over the years,
but his gut told him there was more to it—more to her.

Over the past week, he had tried again
and again to get past her mental boundaries, but between the walls she threw
up, and the persistent haze of pain medication, it was nearly impossible. A
fact that both intrigued and unnerved him.

There was something about her that
held him captivated. As battered as she was, she still had a spark, a mystique
about her. He couldn’t explain it. Her personality seemed as big as her body
was petite, something he found ironic considering the weapons she carried.

Lily was undeniably beautiful. Her
large, honey colored eyes were set in a soft, heart shaped face, and her skin
reminded him of fresh cream, despite the large purple bruises. Her dark
chestnut hair fell in a cascade of silk across her pillow, and her face and
mouth were so expressive he found himself mesmerized just watching her sleep.

His body had reacted to hers so
powerfully it stunned him. He was the hunter, the one used to calling the
shots. She was like a fire that promised both heat and danger—enticing yet
unpredictable.

“Mr. Leighton,” a voice called from
behind.

Startled, he turned around. “I’m sorry
Mary, I didn’t hear you. What is it?”

“I’m sorry to disturb you, but Dr.
Volkmann has been asking for you.”

“Thank you,” he said walking past her
toward the private elevators that led to the clinic two floors below. “I’ll be
downstairs if anyone else wants me.”

“Yes, sir,” she called after him as he
disappeared onto the elevator.

The doors to the lift opened into
chaos. There were patients waiting to be seen and nurses and administrative
staff rushed around in triage mode trying to keep everyone calm. From the look
of things, it was obvious the distressing news had spread.

“Leighton! I’ve been trying to get you
all morning. We’ve got the preliminary results from the tests we conducted on
the samples recovered from the attack site. I’m afraid it doesn’t look good,”
Ernst Volkmann, head geneticist at the Leighton Research Facility stated
gravely.

“Not out here Doc. Let’s meet in your
office, in about thirty minutes. I want to make the rounds with the staff and
then check up on Rissa and her daughter. Have someone call Mitch. We might as
well let the Hunter’s Council know where things stand.”

Volkmann nodded and headed back
through the security doors that led to the restricted research part the clinic.
He was a stout, little man who wore his lab coat like armor, but he was the
best they had.

Sean waited, watching the doors click
closed before heading through the double doors past admitting. Once on the other
side, he went up one flight to a bank of privately held rooms. Knocking quietly
on the first door, he opened it as a soft voice called
, “come in,”
from
the other side.

The room was brightly lit, and it
looked more like a suite at a five star hotel than a hospital room. This
morning, much of it was strewn with crayons, markers and every conceivable
kid’s craft available, as the television played softly in the background.

“Uncle Sean! Look what I made!” A
squeaky voice said as he stepped into the living room.

“That’s beautiful Stephanie. You draw
that today?” he asked, taking the multicolored image of a horse from a rather
sticky little hand.

“
Mmmhhmm
. I just drew it. Will
you hang it up downstairs for me? Mama says I shouldn’t ask, but I like my
horse and I think everyone else will too…it’ll make them feel better don’t you
think?”

“You betcha,” he said, tousling her
hair. “I’ll hang it up for you but only if you promise to wash your hands and
face. You look like a sticky mess monster!”

“
Grrrrrrh
,” the little girl
answered with a giggle.