Broken (23 page)

“Uh-oh,” I chuckled before ducking my head under the water, wiping the bubbles off my face.

“Uh-oh?” he asked, using a hand towel to help me.

“Thanks.” I blinked at him and smiled. “Yeah,
uh-oh
. I don’t have
any
tolerance for pain meds. I mean
none
. I had a kidney stone once that was so bad that my mom had to take me to the emergency room and they gave me like a minor something, and I was a crazy woman, shouting to all the cute doctors and nurses they had nice asses. Makes me crazy horny too.”

“Yeah, we know that.” Cypress cleared his throat and nodded. “That’s also the hormone, but for you, it made you angry if we said
no
.”

“So that’s the broken shit,” I surmised, looking away. “Sorry. Are we still married? Was I that bad?”

“Oh, Cara,” he whispered as my eyes filled with tears. Next thing I knew he was moving me and the water was spilling over the top of the tub as he got in behind me. “Oh, my love. Of course we’re still married. We were worried you would never forgive
us
. We aren’t mad at you in the
slightest
. There’s more though.”

“You didn’t do it on purpose,” I mumbled, turning in his arms and laying my head on his chest. “There wasn’t any way you could have known. You guys are in hiding and you wanted me to be yours. It didn’t go according to plan. That’s
life
. I’m
so
sorry I ruined it.” I started sobbing, the other side effect of pain meds for me, and just being in pain in general. “Please don’t leave me. I love you guys.”

“Never, my precious Cara,” he swore, kissing my hair. “Shhh, it’s okay. You were funny too. And
so
passionate. We pumped you for some good info on gifts and things you like, things you’re normally too shy to tell us. So we’ve got ideas for holidays for years. It’s okay. I swear. We talked about our wedding and what we can do for you and Teak and you and Aspen, it’s all sorted out.”

“That’s a
lot
we did in one night.”

“Cara, it was a week,” Cypress choked out, holding me tighter. “I’m sorry. It took a week to work out of your system.”

“You had to deal with me like that for a
week
! Oh
god
,” I rasped, trying harder to pull away. “I must have been a beast.”

“Don’t, it was our fault. The only thing known to soothe the effects had coconut in it, so we couldn’t. Aspen made a cream to help your intimate parts and ours. We did the best we could, but
you
did nothing wrong. You were wonderful. So you threw a dish or two at me when Aspen bitched that he was tired. He was a jerk, considering you were way more active than he was being. And you asked for your favorite sandwich, and Teak didn’t want to go get it, so you smacked him with a towel and knocked something over.

“Then you gave him a blow job to make up for it, and he got your sandwich because you should not have been driving and you knew that. You were
not
a monster. I know you’re coming down from the high, but
please
believe me, my love. You were fun and part of me wishes it could always be like that because all you cared about was us, no other distractions or concerns in life. But that’s not reality. It just kills me that you don’t remember, though the elder says you might one day.”

“I remember us consummating and then jumping Aspen,” I muttered, understanding how important that was to him. “Then the flowers and us talking about loving our crazy up against the wall, desperate for each other sex we want to have more often without the fights. You promised to make a sign. You told Aspen to call the elder, and I heard parts and something about him talking to Teak about buying cemetery plots. After that it’s like a haze of sex and—” I groaned burying my face against his chest.

“What do you remember?”

“The cake,” I mumbled against his skin, not sure he could hear me. “Jesus, what I had Aspen do with that cake I think breaks a few laws in some states.”

“Personally I wish we had it on tape,” Aspen chuckled deeply from behind me.

“Me too. It was
hawt
,” Teak added. “And tasty. I never thought pussy covered cake would be so good and then doing—”

“Shut it,” Cypress growled when I started shaking. “She’s embarrassed and remembering bits and pieces, on an emotional roller coaster from our hormones or whatever.”

“Right, sorry.” He cleared his throat and then I felt his hand on my back. “My point is we had fun, Cara, and we love you. If you want to talk about it, we can. If you’d rather we didn’t, then we’ll go clean up the kitchen and fill you in on what you missed from work or whatever else you need. I’m sorry you had such a bad reaction to our consummation, but I can’t regret we had one. You’re ours now forever and I’m thrilled about that.”

“Me too,” Aspen and Cypress agreed together.

“Me too,” I sighed, turning back over against Cypress and glancing at them. “I’m just tired and kinda weepy today so tread carefully, but yeah, I’m happy. So there was a bump in the road. There always will be, that’s life.” They both smiled at me as Cypress leaned down and kissed my shoulder. “But
please
go do your awesome elf thing and clean that damn kitchen, because I hurt
everywhere
and I’m not doing it anytime soon.”

“It’s the least we can do after all the awesome
fooking
we kept doing,” Teak chuckled, leaning over and giving me a soft kiss.

“Gods, it was good
fooking
,” Aspen growled when it was his turn. I reached up and touched my lips when they were gone, glad we’d settled that but then I glanced up at Cypress.

“What the fuck is
fooking
?” He threw back his head and laughed before explaining it to me. “Jesus, was I high.” I shook my head, and we enjoyed the bath a few minutes longer before it got too cold to sit in. Then he helped me shower before we went on with our day, together, all of us.

Always all of us together. No longer any of us broken but whole as a family now that the four of us had found each other.

The End

(A Dr. Kelly Murphy Novel 1)

Graduate medical school, start competitive internship, don’t get cut from the program, become a surgeon. It was a great plan. One Kelly Murphy loved and had dreamed of most of her life… And it was blown to hell in a night with an uninvited bite.

Now she’s missing three days of her life, trying to handle her freaked out best friend and parents who called the police when she went missing, all as she realizes she’s not the same person she was before. She’s different. Like has fangs different.

When he shows up on her doorstep claiming to know what happened to her, Kelly’s not sure that makes things any less confusing. But at least he can guide her, right? Either way, she has a plan and a choice she didn't make won’t stop her… Even if she might have the urge to bite her patients from now on.

1

The decision to go out after my med school finals changed my life and I’m still not sure if it was for the better or worse.

Who wouldn’t think a few drinks were in order after an accomplishment like that? And here, when I didn’t see a line to the restroom I thought how lucky I was—I would get in and out quickly and back to my friends—and it almost seemed an omen that things would be a little calmer in my life.

Silly? Yeah, but stress does that to a person.

I doubt luck had anything to do with what happened to me next. Fate maybe. I might not hate her for where I ended up, but I still wanted to kick the bitch’s ass for sticking her nose where it didn’t belong.

Turning at the noise I heard down the hall, I felt a sharp pain in my neck, and my world went black.

I woke up three days later when my phone vibrated. I reached right into my pocket and pulled it out. I always kept it in the same spot and had answered it so many times in my sleep after exams or late night study sessions that it was second nature to me.

“Hello?” I croaked as I glanced left then right. The hallway was strangely familiar though it wasn’t the one I remembered being in. And then it hit me… It was my hallway! I was sitting outside my apartment leaning against the wall without my purse.

“Kelly, where the
hell
have you been? I have your purse. You left it the other night when you ditched us. You scared all of us half to death! What did you do? Hook up with some guy on the way to the bathroom?” Nicole blared from my phone.

“Nicole, stop yelling at me! I have no idea what you’re talking about or what happened last night. I just woke up outside my apartment door, dying of thirst and feeling very weird.” The long pause on the other end of the line spoke more to me than anything she could have ever said. “Nicole, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

My shoulders went tight as suddenly everything started moving too fast—not that I understood that because she wasn’t speaking. She wasn’t the type to yell, and she
really
wasn’t the type to ever be at a loss for words.

“What do you mean last night?” Her forced cool tone had me shivering. Something was seriously wrong.

“Last night at the bar, after our finals. I don’t remember what happened. I remember seeing you guys, taking a shot—and then I woke up here.”

Her voice softened, but I didn’t miss the hint of panic. “Kelly, that was three days ago. Where have you been since then?”

“Ha ha, Nicole, three days ago? You are so funny.” I scoffed, thinking it was some prank for getting too drunk at the bar last night and passing out. I wasn’t sure what I’d done to deserve the prank but I had to commend Nicole on a stellar performance.

“Kelly, I’m not kidding, that was three days ago. None of us have heard from you. I called your parents yesterday, and they filed a police report.”

She was serious. She wouldn’t joke about involving my parents.

“
What
? How can I not remember three days?”

“I don’t know, but the bar was three days ago. Check your phone.”

I did and felt nauseous. “Holy shit, what was in that drink? I don’t remember a thing—Nicole let me call you back. I have to tell my parents to call off the search.” Now it was my turn to panic.

“Call me later, Kelly, we’ll figure this out.” And with that she hung up.

I searched my pockets for my keys, found them, and with utter dismay, opened the door to my apartment. Everything was exactly as I had last seen it. The light from the windows was blinding me, but even as I shielded myself from the light I realized I could see every detail across my apartment without my glasses.

Oh right, I’d have my contacts in from going out. But then wouldn’t they be really dry from three days in my eyes? I found myself reaching up automatically and trying to take them out… No contacts. So really, how was I seeing like I had them in?

Thinking that was incredibly strange, I closed the blinds and went to the kitchen to get something to drink. I grabbed a bottle of water and took a long,
very long
drink. Standing there, I became aware that it didn’t make me any less thirsty so I chugged the whole bottle. My throat was still dry, and I wondered how I could be so dehydrated? I grabbed a pop this time and decided to call my parents.

“Hello?” my mom answered the phone.

“Ma, it’s me, Kelly.”

“Oh my god! Are you all right? What happened to you? Are you hurt?”

“Mom, I’m fine.” I looked down to double check myself and nothing was out of order in my appearance. I didn’t feel pain anywhere. “I don’t know what happened, but I’m not hurt. I’m perfect except for being really, really thirsty.”

“What do you mean you don’t know what happened?” Then my mom yelled in the phone for my dad to pick up.

“Kelly? Kelly, is that really you?” My dad, always the cop, proceeded to grill me with a questions to prove it was me.

“Dad, yes, it’s really me. My sister’s name is Marie and she lives in New York. Your name is Matt, as well as my younger brother, and Mom’s name is Jen. I’m fine, just hazy on what happened.” I kept going, running down our family, knowing if I didn’t just answer him, he’d ask a barrage of more questions.

“Kel, what the hell happened to you?” my mom asked. I could tell she was holding back tears.

I quickly rehashed what I remembered—which took only a minute since there wasn’t much… And that alone was distressing.

“Everything in between the bar and now is a total blank. It’s not hazy details, or fuzzy—I’ve got nothing. Nicole filled me in that I’ve been missing and how long I’ve been gone. Can you guys call the police or whomever you have searching for me and tell them I’m found?”

“Are you going to the hospital? Did you check for bruises? Never mind, we’re coming over,” my dad rattled and then hung up the phone. I wanted to laugh; some things never changed, but it wasn’t a laughing time right now. I sat on my couch with my pop, wondering where I had been.