Page 2 of Vervain

“Okay, you can let go now.”

I do.

“Grab me the antiseptic cream.”

I also do that.

Imogen smiles as I hand her the jar. “You should talk to your brother.”

I definitely don’t want to fucking do that.

My lip curls, and the look on my face makes her laugh. “I’ve got this. Let me do my job. You’re distracting me with your bloody self. Besides, Jade misses you.”

The thought of the blue-eyed girl has me leaning in to peck Imogen on the forehead, then make my way over to my brother. He doesn’t react when I smack my hand on his shoulder and squeeze. “Come on. I bet your niece missed you too. It’s been a while. Over a year. She’s grown so much since your mission.”

“And bring Taryne in here!” Imogen calls out as we leave the room. The lights in the corridor flicker every few seconds, illuminating the sterile, white-tiled floor and walls.

As my brother walks mechanically beside me, I guide us three doors down and into another room. Taryne stands at the end of a hospital bed, clipboard in hand, her dark eyes settled on the woman sitting on the bed.

The woman has light blond hair, and she appears undamaged at first glance. No wounds nor scent of blood linger when I push my senses out further. She must have been one of those lucky ones who hid well.

I rap on the open door with my knuckles, and Taryne turns to me. “My wife needs you in operating room two. I’m assuming she wants to move the kid into intensive care with the woman Ellis saved.”

Taryne places the clipboard on the hook at the end of the bed and gives her patient a painfully obvious fake smile. “Get some rest. Dinner will be served soon. If you need anything, push the button beside the bed and a nurse will swing by.”

The woman stares at us and her eyes widen when she sees Jaxton, but when I look to my brother, he has the same disinterested, detached expression. There’s no fucking way I am going to let him see Jade like this. He will give her fucking nightmares.

I step aside as Taryne walks out of the room and she hisses, “What the fuck happened at Darkovish Feeding Ground? I have two hysterical patients and a woman in the ICU. She’s stable but recovering from a skull fracture. I fucking doubt she will remember much—she died on us twice.”

“Ellis brought her from the feeding ground. He won’t say much about it, but he never really was a talker.”

“Ellis? The slayer who disguised himself as a Bleeder to monitor your brother?”

“Yep. Him.”

“Why?”

I shake my head, nudging my chin in the direction of the room Imogen is operating in. Taryne rolls her eyes dramatically. Her gloves snap as she peels each one off, then tosses them into the bin near the door.

“Jax?” the patient calls out as we leave, but my brother storms away, his fists clenched and jaw locked. Fucking petulant child.

I grab the doorknob and say, “Get some rest, human.”

“Human?”

I close the door. Fuck. I slipped up. Jaxton and his mood swings are messing with my head. That vegodian really dug her claws in deep for him to be acting like this.

My jaw tightens further, tense muscles prickling with irritation. They were together for how long? A year at best. That’s fucking nothing.

I shot her. Saw the moonflower on her shoulder and instantly knew she was a vegodian. And she was a vegodian with her so-called brother. Smart move on her fucking part, that’s for sure.

Heading in the direction my brother stormed off, I stop abruptly at the sound of a ruckus next door. Jax stops as well, drawn in by all the shouting.

“Please! Calm down, Feeder!” the doctor pleads.

“Calm down?” a voice booms from inside. “Calm down? No, I can’t fucking calm down! I want to see my girlfriend! Take me to my girlfriend! I know she’s fucking at Padbury! Take me to her NOW!”

“You need to rest,” the doctor…tries.