Bloody Kisses (26 page)

W
hen Edythe was younger
, she’d dreamed about breathing underwater, but her fantasies never came close to what it was actually like. Her work in Woods Hole meant she saw a lot of the ocean, but most of it was remotely transmitted. She saw shipwrecks and coral reefs, but she’d never been close enough to touch them.

Linc held tightly to her hand, still wearing his scales, while she was fully dressed. He swam away from the marshes, against the current. He knew where people would be searching for her, so he decided the best place was far away from there.

The current is traveling to the east,
he told her as he guided her through the water.
We’ll surface five or so miles to the west.

It all sounded fine to her. Perhaps her colleagues at work would miss her, and she admitted to feeling a tiny twinge of disappointment about leaving her job and her research, but it was countered by the knowledge that she’d be closer to her subjects than she’d ever been before. Maybe she could still work, only visiting land every few months to publish a paper or use the lab.

Linc heard her musings and squeezed her hand.
Whatever you want to do, I will make sure you can do it.

She squeezed his hand in return. She was so happy; she could hardly believe it.

The landscape below the water was just as varied as Maine above water. There were sharp valleys and peaks. The floor was gravely, and lobsters scurried away from them, kicking up dust and sediment. A sea anemone attached to a boulder rising up off the floor, and Edythe tugged Linc’s hand so he would swim over with her.

Soon moonlight filtered through the water, and the bottom became sandier. She knew they were getting closer and closer to land. She wanted to stay beneath the water longer, but the sooner they got on land, the sooner they could return.

The water was so shallow now that she could lift her hand and her fingertips would emerge.

Stay here,
Linc told her.
I want to make sure no one is around when you come out.

She nodded.
Be careful!
she commanded as she released his hand and watched him swim toward shore.

He turned around, kicking powerfully, and gripped her arms before kissing her hard. She raked her fingers through his hair, holding his head to hers. Their tongues dueled, and then slowly, reluctantly, he pulled away.
I’ll see you in a moment. If I don’t return in thirty seconds, don’t surface.
He held her face in his hands.
Understand?

Edythe lifted an eyebrow.
I have a Ph.D. I understand simple directions.

He smiled at her tone and kissed her again, swimming away.
I don’t know what a Ph.D is,
he called before he disappeared, making her smile.

When he was out of sight, a strange sensation began in Edythe’s stomach. At first, it felt like a cramp in her side, similar to what happened to her anytime she exercised, but as time passed it began to grow, wrapping around her back until it encompassed her entire abdomen. It felt like the worst menstrual cramps she’d ever had in her life. With it came a building anxiety. She swam back and forth, the underwater equivalent of pacing. The ache inside her worsened, traveling up her spine and along her neck until her body felt like one clenching muscle. She stretched and swam, but if anything, it only got worse.

It was hard for her to think, to remember what she was doing and where she was. She remembered suddenly, she was supposed to be keeping track of time, waiting for Linc to come back for her. How long was she supposed to wait?

Her body abruptly cramped, an excruciating contraction making her scream in pain. She perceived something inside her mind, and a tiny voice answered her cry.

Linc!

The voice tried to reach her, but it shut off.

Something had happened to keep him from her. She was supposed to stay beneath the water, but she couldn’t. If he was so far from her he couldn’t answer, then he needed her help. She struggled to push through the haze of pain, and remembered being able to hear his father in her mind.

She called out to him.
Hello! Linc’s dad?

Perhaps there was some secret underwater whale call she wasn’t privy to, because there was only silence. Still, she tried one more time.
Linc’s dad, listen up. Something has happened, and I think he was hurt.
We’re—
she pictured the landscape they’d traveled—
I’m going after him. If you can help us, would you please?

There was no reply. Steeling herself against the anguish in her heart and body, she kicked to the surface. As soon as her head broke through the waves, a bright light blinded her. She could hear people yelling, and she attempted to dive back beneath the water but something was thrown over her.

A net.

She kicked and struggled angrily, but she only became more entangled. The water rushed past her as she was dragged toward the shore. The whole time, the light shone in her eyes.

The beach floor was rocky, scraping against her skin and ripping her clothes. She could feel her skin slicing open. The net twisted, and she found herself face down. One last tug of the net, and her cheek raked across the sharp stones. It hurt, but it was nothing compared to the pain still pulsing through her body. In a moment, she was on dry land, panting and coughing. The light shut off, and she blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision. At first, she only saw darkness, but as her sight adjusted, some shadows appeared lighter than others. One of those shadows kneeled next to her, reaching out a hand to push her hair away from her face.

“Edythe,” the voice greeted.

The net was wrapped so tightly around her she couldn’t turn her head, but she didn’t need to see the person to know who it was. “Hello, Dad.”

Abruptly, someone lifted her. The net holding her so tightly was ripped off her body. She trembled and would have fallen, except arms caught her and held her upright. Her vision cleared, and she saw her father—older, heavier, balder, but still recognizable.

Edythe stared at him.

“Nothing to say to me?” He canted his head to the side, his eyes narrowing.

“You killed Mom.”

For a second she thought she saw regret flash across his face. “No,” he answered. “Those were my associates, but it was a possibility when I took my job, so it would be fair to blame me.”

“Where’s Linc?”

Her father’s face hardened, and he didn’t answer. His silence only increased her fear, though she didn’t ask again. All he did was watch her. It was strange to watch the moment when she stopped being his daughter and turned into a specimen. “Load her up,” he told the people holding her. “We’re taking her with us.”

Edythe didn’t struggle as they yanked her toward a nondescript van. The door slid open, and she sucked in a breath. There, in the back, was a cage; the same kind of cage that held Linc all those years ago. A harsh shove against her back thrust her forward. She landed hard on her hands and knees before the door slammed shut, and she was left alone.

The van started and pulled away quickly. Her body slammed from one side of the cage to the other until she maneuvered herself around so she could brace against twists and turns. As they drove, the pain in her body began to lessen. It could only mean one thing: wherever they were taking her, they’d taken Linc, as well.

She tested the bond, calling out for him.
Linc?
There was no answer. Still, she tried again,
Linc?
For a second, there was a glimmer of a response, but it disappeared.

She crossed her arms, pressing her back against the bars. She settled in and started planning.

L
inc found
himself somewhere he never wanted to be again—in a cage. The pain and shock he felt as the humans dragged him from the shore had been hard to hide from Edie, but he’d done it. He didn’t want her to follow him.

He knew he’d left her in pain. It would only get worse the farther away he was moved, but she could survive it. He called out to his father at the last second, before the humans stuck him with the device that shot electricity through his veins, drying up every ounce of moisture in him and leaving him weak. He hoped he had heard him. He lost consciousness a moment later, so he couldn’t be sure. If he had, he would find and protect Edythe.

The lights in the cage snapped on, and a buzz filled the room. It was the same disabling buzz present his first go-around in a cage. It blinded and paralyzed him so he was left to rely on his hearing. The footsteps tracking across the floor stopped in front of him.

“How are you feeling?”

Linc knew the voice. He didn’t bother to answer. In all honesty, he wasn’t sure he could.

“You look different than the last time I saw you. These scales are darker, harder. It’s an interesting development. A result of the mate-bond, perhaps?”

The footsteps walked around the cage, stopping behind him this time. “I’m surprised you haven’t taken note of your pain level.”

Between the lights and the buzz overwhelming Linc, he hadn’t given a thought to his pain, but now that Edythe’s father mentioned it, his body ached, but not with the all-encompassing pain he should have felt when separated from his mate.

Which meant only one thing.

Linc sprung from the ground, reaching through the cage at the blurry figure who jumped out of reach. Her father laughed. “Ah. I see you understand now.”

“She’s your daughter!” he cried.
Edythe!

“She’s probably still too far away to hear you. Shut the lights off,” he suddenly directed, and he nearly collapsed in relief when the switch was thrown. He could see Edythe’s father standing at the far end of the room. Near the doorway stood another man wearing a lab coat. This was not some suburban basement. This was a lab facility, complete with machines and a glass window where Linc could see uniformed men observing him with interest.

“I never introduced myself at our last visit.” He stepped forward. “I’m Rex Carson. And you are Linc. Now”—he walked toward a table and spent a moment examining the items on a tray—“is it just Linc? Or do you have a last name?”

He didn’t answer, only watched as Rex selected a gleaming metal scalpel from the tray. He turned to Linc and smiled. “Let’s get to know each other again.”

T
he drive took much less
time than Edythe expected. It was so short, in fact, that she believed they were only a few miles from the beach. When the van doors slid open, she could still hear the sound of the ocean. She looked around quickly, trying to get a sense of where they were before the light shone directly in her eyes again.

“You guys are assholes,” she said as someone pulled her roughly from the van. “But I’m sure you hear that all the time. I mean, you must, right? I’m not the first girl you’ve thrown in a cage. I couldn’t be. It’s not like there’s a market for vans with cages. Can’t just rent one. You gotta have a
need
for this kind of setup. You’re really investing in something.”

“Shut up,” she heard someone growl, and she smiled.

“I feel like I should come up with something better than asshole.” Her body was lifted and slammed onto a gurney. She struggled, but hands held her down until she was strapped in tightly. All the time, though, the fucking light was in her eyes. It took her a moment as she was wheeled forward to realize something… she didn’t hurt so badly anymore.

Linc?

Edie?
There was a surge of worry and fear.
Damnit, Edie.

I’m going to get us out of here, Linc
. She felt a wave of love and tenderness come over her.

I love you.
A moment later, she felt searing pain, right below her collarbone, as if someone was slicing into her skin then holding a match to the wound.

She screamed, and Linc’s bellow echoed through her mind. The light suddenly turned off. “What’s happening to her? Did you touch her?”

“I don’t know, man. She just started screaming.”

She opened her eyes, staring down at her body, but where she expected to see a gaping, bloody wound there was nothing. The pain came again, and she cried out. It wasn’t being done to her, it was happening to Linc.

Linc!
she sobbed. She struggled against the straps holding her down, rocking her body back and forth.

“Hold onto the gurney. She’s going to knock it over!”

Linc! she screamed, but he didn’t answer. There was only hurt where his voice should be.

“Knock her out.”

Something stabbed into her side, and her body jolted. Edythe’s teeth slammed together, her mouth filling up with blood. Just before she lost consciousness, she heard Linc. He sounded tired and battered.
Edie?

* * *

W
hen Edythe’s
eyes opened again, her father was waiting for her. She lifted her head, looking around. She was still tied down to the gurney, but Linc was nowhere to be seen. She let her head fall back to the mattress. Her body ached, her muscles cramped like she’d run a race. She almost laughed, she never ran a race in her life, but if she did, she’d probably feel like this.

She glanced over at her father. “Hi, again.”

His eyes widened in surprise, and he cleared his throat. “You’ve changed, Edythe.”

“I’m a doctor, now. Marine biology.”

He nodded.

“You knew?”

“I followed your career with interest.”

“Yeah? Then how about letting me out of here? You know, because I’m your daughter.” She couldn’t keep the disdain from her tone.

“You haven’t changed that much. You’re still as rude as ever.”

“And you’re still a sociopath, so here we are.”

Her father came closer, his eyes blazing. “Do you think I get pleasure from these investigations, Edythe?”

He could deny it all he wanted, but she’d seen their basement. She saw what he had done to Linc. There was no investigation, there was no method to his cruelty. He was a little boy with a microscope, frying ants under the sunlight because he could.

“Where’s Linc?” she asked.

“He’ll be here soon.”

“Dun, dun, dun! Sounds ominous,” she snarked.

“Edythe. Enough!” He punched his hand into the gurney, jolting her body.

“What is wrong with you?” she asked, really wondering. “How did you become this way? Did Grandma not hold you? Where you left alone in a crib and never attached to other humans?”

“You’re not human,” he said. His face came close to hers, his eyes traveling over her skin. “Not anymore.” He lifted a hand, ghosting his fingers across her forehead and down her nose. A sudden slice along both her collarbones had her sucking in a breath.

He’d taken advantage of her distraction to reach behind him and grab a surgical tool. He cut her, right through her clothes. She saw a slow bloom of red appear on her skin.

EDYTHE!
Linc’s voice was like a cymbal, crashing into her brain.

“Nothing?” her father asked and cocked his head to the side, regarding her curiously. She saw the quick flash of silver and felt another slice, this time down the inside of her arm. Her father’s eyes traced the line of the wound. “Still no?”

Her chest and arm burned, pulsing with her heartbeat. Linc’s voice pounded through her brain, screaming out for her, but her attention was solely on the scalpel. A flick of his wrist, and it cut across her stomach.

“Ah.” Something caught her father’s attention, and he dropped the instrument on the floor. “There he is now.”

She heard a metallic rattling and looked over. Two men dressed in army fatigues wheeled a metal cage through the doors.

Linc.
Her voice came out sounding much weaker than she meant it.

He was crazed, pacing back and forth. At times he grabbed the bars and shook them. Following behind the cage were two more men in fatigues, both of them holding wands that she recognized as cattle prods.

Edie
. “Let me out.” He shook the bars again, and one of the men touched him with the end of the wand. Linc jerked, but he didn’t let go of the bars, and he didn’t look away from her. “Let me out, now!”

Her father’s only answer was to nod to the man, who shocked him again.

“Stop,” she begged.

Edie, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.

She tried to speak to him with her mind, not wanting anyone else to hear what she said, but it took so much effort. “I should have listened.” She turned her head to look at Linc. His scales glowed in the bright room, reflecting the light in green and silver flashes. He bared his teeth at the men and then at her father, who approached him slowly.

“Incapacitate him,” he directed, and both men shocked him. He fell to his knees, teeth clenched in a tight grimace. Her father loomed over him, scalpel held tightly in his hands. His hand darted out, and he swiped it across Linc’s hand. He stayed down, a growl the only sound he made. Her father darted forward again, but he suddenly stood. He was a blur of motion, grabbing her father’s hand and pulling him forward, turning him around and holding the scalpel to his throat.

“Let me out.”

“No!” her father yelled. “I need him in order to research her! Shock him!”

“You’ll shock my father if you do,” she cried out. She put all her reserves of energy into the words. “He’s not a young man. You could stop his heart.”

She saw the soldiers hesitate and lower their wands.

“I only want my mate. Let me out, and I will not attack you.”

A small bead of blood trickled from a nick on her father’s throat, and the men dropped their wands, one of them reaching forward and entering a series of numbers on the keypad keeping the cage closed. Linc moved fast. He held her father in front of him, adjusting his grip so he was no longer wrapped around the bars. He stepped out, keeping her father close as he walked toward her. Two swift cuts with the scalpel had her free.

She tried to sit, but her arms wouldn’t obey her. She gritted her teeth and pushed harder, locking her elbows and ignoring the burn along her arm. In order for Linc to get them out, he needed to hold on to her father. She couldn’t distract him. She swung her feet over the sides of the gurney and stood, holding on tight against a sudden wave of dizziness.

“I got this,” she told Linc when he made a move toward her.

“What are you doing?!” a voice boomed through speakers. She saw Linc’s head whip in the direction of the observation window where a man in a uniform pounded against the glass. “He is expendable! The female is not! Stop them!”

The soldiers ran at him. Her brain recognized her mate in danger, and it shut off the part of her that hurt. She felt nothing except anger. With a strength she didn’t know she had, she leapt at the soldiers—knocking one to the ground—and grabbed the cattle prod. She found the switch, and jabbed it at the other man, who went down with a cry.

She heard a crash and saw her father fly across the room into trays and equipment before landing in a heap. In the next moment, Linc grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the doors. The hallway was empty, but a siren blared and lights flashed, disorientating her for an instant.

This way,
he directed. Her feet slapped against the tile. She heard booted feet behind them, but Linc was faster. He scooped her up, slung her over his shoulder, and barreled through a set of doors and into the cold night.

The facility where they were held was brightly lit, and a spotlight swung around the perimeter as if searching for them. He stood still, probably to get his bearings. She heard a commotion and nudged him.

There,
she pointed toward the ocean.

He took off, leaping over a gully and crossing a deserted road. Dogs barked wildly, and she heard a series of motors start up, engines revving as they were shoved into gear. Edythe bobbled across his back, her vision bouncing up and down as he sprinted forward. There was a gust of wind, and the sharp salty smell of the ocean filled her nose.

Almost there,
came Linc’s voice. He pushed through dune grass and tripped, both of them tumbling down the dune to splay on the beach. Two hands reached for Edythe, but they weren’t Linc’s, and she slapped at them.

Female, stop!
a deep voice demanded. She looked up, confused. The voice sounded similar to Linc’s, but it wasn’t him.

A male, taller than Linc, with scales an opalescent white, stared down at her.
Will you let me help you?

Don’t touch her!
Linc’s answer came quickly before he gathered her in his arms. Looking around, she realized they weren’t alone on the beach. A number of Aegean males stood ready to do battle.

She felt Linc’s relief through their bond. He held her tightly against his chest, and she reached for his arm, needing to anchor herself to him. She jerked in surprise when she saw her hand covered in scales. As she watched, the scales disappeared into her skin, leaving her familiar tanned flesh in its place. A rush of exhaustion followed their disappearance, and her head dropped to his shoulder.

She’s going to pass out,
came the deep voice from earlier.

I never…
she started to argue before the blackness overwhelmed her.