Chosen by Sin (38 page)

He remembered lying in bed with Jes, thinking about baby names and
wondering what their baby would look like. If it would have silver hair. Even
now he wondered if it would be as pale as Jes or more toasty like Knox.

As he climbed the stairs and paused outside her bedroom door, he
second-guessed whether he should go to them. After all, Cy had said they were
okay. The dragon-shifter was watching over them, as was Giselle. Why should Dex
bother seeing them if he was just going to leave again?

But there was no way he was leaving without seeing his son. He pushed
open the door and gasped.

Jes lay in her queen bed, looking small and lost under the sheets. He
walked toward her. She was beyond pale now, with dark shadows under her eyes
and sunken cheekbones, evidence of the arduous trial she’d just undergone. As
he peered down at her, he couldn’t help but remember the precious few times
they’d bantered and touched and even laughed together. Was that really going to
be gone from his life forever? Was she?

Knox’s words echoed in his brain.
What you do next is up to you…I
know you’ll be a good father, Dex. I believe in you
.

Knox believed in him and Knox was the most honorable man Dex knew. He
was, Dex admitted to himself, a true friend.

Taking courage from his friend’s words, Dex turned toward the small
bassinet he’d glimpsed when he’d walked into the room. When he peered inside,
his blood froze.

The baby was awake, staring up at him with eyes that weren’t black like
his mother’s, but a golden, tawny brown. Just like Dex’s.

His son was part vampire and part were. He should look like a vampire.
But like Dex, he was an anomaly.

The kind of anomaly that could prove a legend true.

In that second, there was no doubt in Dex’s mind of what he had to do.

All he could think of was protecting his son.

***

When Lucy finally arrived at Paladine Abbey, she was breathing hard but
patting herself on the back. Who knew she could run so fast for so long? Why,
she’d bet Dex hadn’t beaten her by more than twenty minutes, she mused. She
eyed the massiveness of Jes’s castle as she started to climb up the entryway
steps.

The front door swung open and suddenly Dex was there, a wild look in
his eyes as he cradled a small cloth bundle to his chest. He was kind of
holding it like a football, but if she wasn’t mistaken—

“Dex?” she asked slowly. “Where are you going with the baby?”

His gaze jerked to hers and she caught her breath at the terror
reflected in their depths. “He’s a were, Lucy. He looks just like me.”

Oh shit. What was wrong with him? “Poor kid,” she tried to joke. “But
Jes found you attractive. I’m sure he’s not that bad off.”

“No.” He shook his head fiercely as he stared down at his son. “You
don’t understand. He’s like me. He’s part of the legend. The one Jes told
Mahone about. The child of a vampire and a were that doesn’t look like a vampire.
Which means he’s just like me. Why does he have to be just like me?”

His question sounded so tortured that Lucy almost cried out. “Dex, stop
it. Why shouldn’t he be just like you? You’re wonderful. Brave. Strong. A good
friend.”

“I’m a coward,” he shouted. “A fucking joke. A whipped dog.”

“No! That’s what others have called you, Dex, but it’s not true.”

“It is,” he said. “It is. I didn’t help him. Elliott. When he came to
me at the orphanage, I didn’t help him and because of me he got hurt. He died.”

“Oh Dex.” Lucy felt lost. She didn’t know what to say. She knew he’d
suffered abuse. It had been so obvious. But she’d had no idea that he blamed
himself for the abuse another had suffered. No wonder he’d been so protective
of her. She was the most youthful looking of the Para-Ops team. The most
innocent. He’d have seen her as his second chance to help the child he hadn’t
been able to save. “Dex, you’ve helped so many people. You. Me. The Para-Ops
team. We’re all doing good. We’re making the world a better place for your
baby. You and Jes will be wonderful parents.”

He scowled at her when she mentioned the baby, pulling the bundle
closer to his chest. “No. She can’t have the baby. She’ll use it for her
experiments. I won’t have him suffer like that. Not even for her.”

“Okay,” Lucy said, moving toward him. He wasn’t himself. He was
distraught and wouldn’t listen to reason right now. She just needed to get the
baby from him.

To her surprise, he held the baby out to her. “You take him.”

“Uh, what?” But the next thing she knew, she was cradling the baby,
gazing into the cherubic face of an adorable werebeast baby that had Dex’s eyes
and Jes’s nose and mouth. “Dex, he’s beautiful. But what do you want me to do
with him?”

“Take him. Meet me at the airport. We’ll leave together.”

“Dex, no! Are you crazy? Where’s Jes?”

“They gave her a sedative. She’s asleep upstairs.”

“Are you kidding me?” she yelled, jiggling the baby when he startled
and began to fuss. “Dex, you can’t take him. She’ll never forgive you.”

“It doesn’t matter. He’ll be safe. That’s all that matters.”

“Dex—”

“Lucy.” He spoke firmly, his gaze suddenly clear. He seemed cognizant
now, completely aware of what he was doing and why. “Trust me. I have to do
this. Are you going to side with Jes or me?”

She didn’t even hesitate. “You. You know that, Dex. But this is wrong.”

“I’ll meet you at the airport.”

“But where are you going?”

“Once you’re far enough away and can get a ride to the airport, call
me. At that point, I’ll tell Cy, Jes’s brother, what I’ve done. You’ll be too
far away for them to stop you, but they’ll know the baby is safe. I—I owe
them that much.”

“I hope you know what you’re doing, Dex.”

Dex placed his hand on the baby’s forehead, the first sign of affection
he’d shown his son since she’d arrived. “I’m doing what I have to do, Lucy. I
promise.”

***

Dex waited in the iron gazebo. About an hour after Lucy left, she
called him on his cell phone and told him she’d caught a train and was on the
way to the airport. They’d be there in a little over three hours.

After thanking her and disconnecting the call, Dex went inside to find
Cy. He was headed toward the recovery rooms when he heard a scream coming from
upstairs.

He winced. It was Jes.

There was another scream. A low agonized howl of pain. And then another.

Shouts. Unintelligible for the most part except for two distinct words.

My baby. My baby
.

He couldn’t do it. No matter what she’d done, he couldn’t let her
wonder what had happened to her baby. She wouldn’t understand that Dex had
taken him to protect him. But he’d explain and—

He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and whirled.

“You bastard,” Cy roared, coming at him with fists swinging. “What have
you done?”

“Cy, wait!” Dex yelled

But the dragon-shifter was incensed and punched Dex in the face so hard
Dex wondered if he’d shifted into marble first. He hadn’t done it the first
time they’d fought, but this time—Dex hit the ground and skidded several
feet before crashing into a wall. He blinked and regained his feet in time to
see Cy running in the direction of Jes’s screams.

Dex followed on his heels.

“I’ll kill you!” Cy yelled over his shoulder.

“I had to take the baby away. He looks like a were. She would have hurt
him. Experimented on him.”

Cy careened to a stop, whirled, and punched Dex in the face again. At
least he tried to. Dex dodged and blocked the punch with his arm. They strained
against one another, Cy’s face inches from Dex’s. “You idiot. Jes would die for
that baby. She’d die for you. Hell, she’d fucking die for me. And you really
think she’d do anything to hurt a child? Let alone hers?” Cy shoved Dex away.
“You don’t fucking deserve her.”

He whirled, leaving Dex to stand there, stunned, too paralyzed to move
as words rained down on him.

Cy’s words.

Jes would die for that baby. She’d die for you. Hell, she’d fucking
die for me
.

Jes’s words.

If it was that easy…I’d have turned a whole bunch of others into
vampires. But you’re right, considering I’d have been risking my life, I didn’t
make the offer to anyone. Anyone but Bodin, that is. But he refused and I
already told you, I don’t make people do things against their will
.

Even Mahone’s words.

I’m sorry about Jes. I don’t think she meant any harm, which is why
I didn’t say anything
.

As soon as the words faded, he was bombarded by other memories.

Lucy trying to play matchmaker between them. Ella trusting Jes to take
care of her. Bodin going to Jes when he knew the end was near.

The signs had been everywhere and he’d chosen to ignore them.

Jes loved. She was loved. Everyone who met her, no matter the
circumstances, respected her and believed in her innate goodness.

Dex had been the only one to ever doubt that.

Of course Jes wouldn’t hurt their baby.

She’d done a lot of things that could be classified as mistakes, all
with good intentions, but she’d never intentionally hurt another living thing.
All she’d done was try to heal and help others. And what had Dex done in
return?

Taken the one thing she wanted most in the entire world. A love that
would never leave her.

Her baby.

Suddenly, he was moving again. But when he heard the next high-pitched
scream, he knew it was over.

***

When Dex made it to the foyer, Cy was kneeling at the bottom of the
stairs next to Jes’s crumpled body. The look on Cy’s face was pure horror.

“No!” Dex shouted, fear pulsing through him. He ran to them, wincing
when he saw a trickle of blood on Jes’s temple.

Cy looked at Dex, his eyes shimmering with tears.

“What happened?” Dex demanded.

“I—I don’t know,” Cy said shakily. “One minute she was standing
at the top of the stairs, screaming. I shouted for her to calm down. That the
baby was all right. But she wouldn’t listen. When I reached her, she—” Cy
closed his eyes as if trying to block out some kind of horror.

“What, damn it? What did she do?”

Cy’s eyes popped back open. “She—she looked at me as if she
didn’t know who I was. She said she was going to kill me. And she—she
tried to rip my throat out. Literally. She came at me with her fangs. I’d never
even seen them before! I struggled with her, tried to restrain her, but she was
so fucking strong. She pulled me down the stairs with her and now—now she
won’t wake up.”

The sound of a baby crying interrupted them. Their heads snapped up.

Lucy stood in the doorway holding the baby. Her gaze moved from Dex to
Jes. “I couldn’t do it. I lied, Dex. I never went to the airport. I thought
you’d be gone by now and I could give the baby back to Jes. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, Lucy,” Dex said, trying to keep everyone, including
himself, calm. “She’s hurt. We need to help her. Jes is hurt.”

“I can see its aura,” Lucy said. “It’s inside her.”

“What is, Lucy?” Dex asked, even though he knew.

She raised her terrified gaze to his. “A dark spirit has possessed
her.”

It was funny how Jes could see and hear what was happening even though
she shouldn’t have been able to. After all, her eyes and ears no longer
belonged to her anymore, but to the power that had claimed possession of her
body and even now was trying to overtake her mind.

For a moment, she ceased her frantic struggles.

She’d been struggling, she realized. Fighting.

Why?

She couldn’t even remember.

She remembered pain as her baby had tried to slip from her body.

Pain as she’d held her baby and felt only the loss of his father.

Pain when she’d awoken and found her baby missing. Taken from her.

Pain when her chest had caught on fire.

Pain when she’d seen Cy and realized he’d been the one responsible.

Pain upon pain upon pain.

She was a doctor, wasn’t she? Why couldn’t she stop the pain?

But she had, she realized. She’d stopped the pain.

She was dead. She could see her body lying on the floor. Dex was there.
So was Cy. Even Lucy. And Lucy—

Whatever was left of Jes’s spirit cried out at the sight of Lucy
holding her baby. Why did she have him? Had Dex given him to her? But no, Lucy
handed her baby to Cy and told Cy to watch him. “Watch him for Jes,” Lucy
whispered.

She calmed and turned her attention back to Dex. His face was contorted
in anguish. He looked so sad, as if he couldn’t bear the thought that she was
dead. For a moment, Jes ached to comfort him, but of course she couldn’t. She
wasn’t even here anymore.

“The other
mage,” he said to Lucy. “She said a
diabol
could only possess a living person temporarily. That it’s only in dreams that a
possession can become permanent.”

“But she’s unconscious,” Lucy countered. “How do we know she’s not
dreaming right now?”

Huh, Jes thought. That made sense. She’d always known Lucy was a smart
one.

The baby started to fuss in Cy’s arms and Jes frowned. Why was he
holding her baby? She wanted to comfort her baby. Sing to him. Take care of him
with Dex’s help. Only Dex didn’t want them. He’d taken the baby away from her…

“Jes. What are you doing? You should be in bed.”

Giselle materialized. Giselle had helped deliver the baby, but she
hadn’t been here a moment ago. Where had she come from?

“I’m here to help you,” Giselle said.

That sounded right. Giselle was always helping Jes. Giselle had been
there for Jes when Dex hadn’t been. Instinctively, Jes moved toward her.

“She’s letting go! I can feel it,” Lucy screamed.