The next time he opened his eyes he once again saw his mate standing over him; this time he could see her entire face. She looked sad, tears trailed down her cheeks. He wanted to lift his hand but couldn't move it. All around him, he was surrounded by the smell of sickness and death. He couldn't fight the darkness and it swept him away again.
*****
Rheia paced back and forth in the large conference room Aiden set up to discuss Colton's condition. After the first two days Beth and Meryn returned to the Alpha estate to watch over Penny. Adelaide called Colton's parents and Rheia met them on the first day. Both his mother and father hadn't moved since they arrived. Robert looked so much like Colton that Rheia had a hard time looking at him. She could see where Colton got his wavy blonde hair, green eyes and easy smile. But it was from his mother, Alice Albright, that he'd gotten his devilish sense of humor. She stopped her back and forth and turned to Adam.
"Why isn't he healing?" Rheia demanded. She'd been up for nearly seventy-two hours, ever since Aiden had carried her mate out of the woods and her own private hell began.
Adam shook his head. "I don't know. As a shifter he should have healed this by now. But the wound, if anything, looks like it has gangrene."
Rheia took a deep breath. "It's rotting. Aiden said the feral bit Colton on the shoulder when they were fighting. The skin and muscle have begun to rot."
"Is he turning feral?" Aiden asked.
"My boy isn't a feral," Alice said, her voice crisp and even.
Aiden's tired eyes were sad. "I have to ask Aunt Alice, he would do no less for me."
Robert laid a comforting hand on Aiden's shoulder. "We know son."
"Can you cut it out? Then allow the opening to heal like normal?" Darian asked.
Adam shook his head. "That was one of the first things we tried. We can never cut enough out. I'm afraid that whatever this is, it has spread to his blood. He's rotting slightly faster than his shifter healing abilities can cope with."
"Will he begin to rot on the inside, like one of those monsters?" Alice whispered.
"I'll put a bullet in his head first," Aiden growled.
The only reason Rheia wasn't furious was because she was grateful. Unlike a true feral, Colton was still a paranormal, he would feel the loss of every inch of skin that dissolved. A bullet would be more merciful. As it was, they were keeping him in a medically induced coma so that he wouldn't feel any pain.
"If he were able to heal faster, could he beat this thing?" Gavriel asked.
Adam and Rheia both nodded. "He damn near has it beat now, it just seems to be one step ahead," Rheia explained.
"I'd like to donate tissue or blood, whatever is needed to help him." Gavriel offered. Alice gasped and Aiden stared.
Rheia looked around. "Okay people, newbie human in the room. What does that mean?"
Gavriel looked up, his eyes smiling. "Vampires heal faster than shifters. As an older vampire I have ingested so many different types of blood that I am a universal donor. Being as old as I am, my blood will carry quite a bit of power with it. It's not offered lightly. As his mate, if you agree to this, both of you will be tied to me forever."
Rheia couldn't wrap her mind around all of the power implications. "Will he live?" she asked.
Gavriel nodded. "I am almost certain of it. Had I known the situation was so dire, I would have offered sooner. As it was, I had guard duty at the Alpha estate for the past two days and am only now getting caught up."
Rheia turned to Adam. "Do it. I don't care about all of the other stuff, if Colton will live, do it."
Adam stood, smiling for the first time in days. "Gavriel, if you would come with me, I just need a wee bit of your blood, maybe a bit of tissue. Shouldn't hurt a bit."
Gavriel sighed and glared at Adam. "It may hurt you." He clapped Aiden on the back as he walked by and left with Adam.
Aiden practically collapsed across the conference room table in relief. Rheia could see how deep his bond with Colton was, they were more like brothers than friends. Aiden sat back up and looked out at the room with bloodshot eyes, reaching into his pocket. "I'll just be in the waiting room, I need to update Meryn. Please come and get me the second his condition changes." Aiden started dialing and staggered from the room.
"He probably blames himself, poor boy. He's been protecting Colton since they were babies," Alice clucked. Rheia sat down next to her feeling like her eightieth cup of coffee was about to run out.
Alice leaned over and pulled Rheia into her arms. "Thank you. Thank you for doing whatever it takes to save my son. He's very lucky to have you."
Rheia hugged Alice back; she was probably the only other woman on the face of the planet who loved Colton as much as she did. "We're lucky to have him."
Alice pulled back and wiped at her eyes. "That's right, you have a daughter. I'm going to beat that son of mine senseless when he wakes up for not calling us the second he found you. I still can't believe I'm a grandmother."
Robert sat down next to his mate. "We haven't had a chance to meet her, but we've heard some amazing stories from the leader of the Gamma Unit. He calls her the 'Ninja'."
Rheia smiled wearily. "I never did get the whole story about what happened. Colton promised to tell me later." She swallowed hard.
Alice patted her thigh. "And he will. My boy has this uncanny ability that makes you want to pummel him and kiss his boo-boos at the same time. He's driving us mad with worry now, but I'll bet you anything he'll wake up grinning." She sniffed and dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief.