Fated Healing [Kindred of Arcadia 5] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) (15 page)

walked out of the room, and seconds later Felix heard his mate’s voice over the school’s PA system.

“Could Liam, Kent, Aleks, Bran, Caleb, and Gabriel please report to the principal’s office?
Allons-y
,

gentleman.” Claybourne walked back into the conference room and started the dial out to Lachlan.

“I never would have pegged you for a
Doctor Who
fan,” Felix said, chuckling.

Claybourne looked over and winked. “Sadly enough it was one of the reasons I became a doctor. My

upper-crust parents thought that I was doing the family proud. But the tiny rebellious side that I had just

wanted to be called Doctor. I’ll show you my sonic screwdriver later.”

“Promises, promises.” Felix yawned again.

“Doctor, do you have any news?” Lachlan said when his image appeared on screen. Claybourne looked

over to Felix, grinning, and he nodded to the monitor.

Felix rolled his eyes. “Geek,” he said.

“Can you tell us why Rebecca and Sebastian are laughing like lunatics? They seemed excited,” Bran said

as he Liam, Aleks, and Gabriel walked into the office and sat down. Claybourne shrugged.

“Maybe they could hear the excitement in my voice. Thanks to my mate, we have determined that the

chocolate is indeed the source of the virus. After tearing Gilberton’s office apart we located a packing slip

for the chocolate that he tried to deliver to the pride. It specified very carefully that the chocolate was to be

kept cool. When we heated the chocolate above ninety-eight-point-six degrees, the virus activated. It’s how

Gilberton was able to get the virus over the perimeter. Technically it was inactive, or dormant. It would not

have been blocked or triggered a lock down,” Claybourne explained.

“God, Claybourne, that means Felix is sick, doesn’t it?” Bran whispered. Felix nodded and held up his

IV bag.

“I don’t understand. If he had this chocolate, why try to kill Kent and Sebastian?” Lachlan asked.

“You know, I never thought about it that way,” Claybourne admitted.

“I think I know why. That day when I went to pick up the chocolate, he said he hoped I choked on it. I

told him that I wasn’t a sweets eater. I think he wanted to hurt Liam more than he wanted to take out the

pride. Me being there in the basement must have proved to be too big of an opportunity for him to pass up,

especially when Sebastian was the one to check on me later. He didn’t want to leave it to chance that we

wouldn’t eat the chocolate. He must have really hated you, Liam,” Kent explained, very pale.

“If it had gone straight to the pride, they all would have eaten the chocolate and lain around for days.

No one would have suspected a thing. They would have just curled up together in kitty piles and died.”

Liam covered his face with his hands.

“All because you were mated to men. All of this pain and suffering because of one old man’s closed-

minded hatred.” Lachlan growled fiercely.

“So what happens now?” Aleks leaned forward.

“Now I subject the virus in its purest form to a battery of treatments and see what reactions I get.”

Claybourne turned to Lachlan.

“I need some testing kits that contain shifter tissue samples from different parts of the body, kidneys,

lung, and heart. We’ll take a page out of Gilberton’s book and freeze the samples so they can cross the

perimeter. I need them as soon as you can get them, Lachlan,” Claybourne said.

“Consider it done. I’ll call Liam when we’re ready for a delivery.” Lachlan’s screen went dark.

Claybourne turned to the men in the room. “Gentlemen, go back into the gym smiling and upbeat. Let’s

give the people some hope. Let them know we’re finally actively working on a cure. You’d be amazed at

how large a part a positive attitude can play in trying to combat an illness,” Claybourne said.

“Will you have a cure ready in time to save my ma?” Aleks asked.

“I will work as fast as I can. But knowing your ma, she’s hanging on by the tips of her fingernails to

hold her grandbaby,” Claybourne said.

Aleks gave a faint smile. “Then we won’t hold you up any longer. Because her grandbaby needs the

cure as well,” he said, standing. The other leaders stood and they left the conference room.

“Baby, I want you to rest in the gym,” Claybourne knelt beside his mate.

“No way. Whether you want to admit it or not, you need me. I’ll sit in my chair and be your moral

support.”

“The second that you start to lose consciousness I’m admitting you to the gym,” Claybourne

compromised.

“Deal. Now carry me back to the lab. Chop-chop,” Felix said, imperiously clapping his hands.

“You’re pushing it.” Claybourne laughed. Felix was glad to see a genuine smile back on his mate’s face.

Chapter 9

“I think Rebecca was right. This virus doesn’t act normal. Where in the hell did that hateful bastard get

an engineered bioweapon! This level of technology would be impossible to get. If it isn’t technology what

in the hell could do this?” Claybourne exclaimed.

“Magic,” Felix said sarcastically. Claybourne snorted and then froze.

“What did you say?

“Magic. What? You can’t be serious. Witches are like the nuns of the paranormal world. Do good. Be

good. Spread happiness. Yadda-yadda. Though I guess no one group is perfect.” Felix sat up straighter.

“What do you mean, baby?” Claybourne asked.

“There have been bad nuns in this world just as I’m sure there are bad witches. I completely forgot

about magic. It makes more sense that Gilberton would have dealings with a lone witch than international

black market weapons of mass-destruction dealers.” Claybourne scooped up Felix.

“We need to talk to Lachlan. This is beyond me,” Claybourne said, heading back to the school.

“Maybe you should get one of those papoose things so you can just carry me around,” Felix said,

laughing.

“Smartass.” Claybourne walked into the school and went directly to the principal’s office, which to

Felix’s surprise was already in use. Claybourne walked in on a discussion between Liam and his

grandfather.

“Sorry to interrupt, actually no I’m not. Lachlan I need some information. What do you know about

witches?” Claybourne settled Felix in a chair.

“I take it this is in regards to the virus?” Lachlan asked.

“Yes, between my own and Rebecca’s observations, I don’t think this virus is natural. It’s definitely

engineered. There’s no way Gilberton would have access to that level of technology to go the science route,

but what about magic?” Claybourne explained. “I’ve seen magic do more impossible things than this in my

lifetime.” Lachlan ran a hand over his closely cropped beard.

“Sir, we need to confirm if there is a magical element to this virus. That could change everything,”

Claybourne said quietly.

“Meet us at the pickup point at the town border. When we couldn’t get past the perimeter, I called the

leader of the witches, the High Priestess of the Triple Goddess Temple. She presides over their version of a

council, only they call it the High Coven. She’s here studying the barrier. If you can freeze a sample and get

it across the border, I bet she could tell us if there is magic in it,” Lachlan said.

“We’re leaving now,” Claybourne said. Lachlan nodded and his monitor went dark when he ended the

connection.

Claybourne picked up Felix and followed Liam into the hallway.

“I’ll grab some samples from the clinic, you let the others know that we’re heading to the perimeter,”

Claybourne said to Liam. Liam was about to respond when Claybourne’s phone began to ring. Handing

Felix to Liam, he answered his phone.

“Hello?”

“Doc, come quick! It’s Ma, she’s in convulsions, we don’t know what to do!” Benedict’s frantic voice

yelled. Liam and Claybourne started running.

“Wheel her into the adjoining gym, be there in under a minute.”

Felix watched from Liam’s arms as Benedict and Finn raced toward them, wheeling Ma down the

hallway. At the halfway point they turned and went into the small gym. Claybourne and Liam following.

Once inside Liam set Felix down and ran over to insert a bit in Ma’s mouth to keep her from biting her

tongue. Suddenly the heart rate monitor flatlined. Claybourne pulled open Ma’s hospital gown and charged

the defibrillator paddles.

“Clear!” he screamed and shocked Ma’s still body. There was no response. He tried twice more before

he got back a faint heartbeat. Moving quickly, he intubated her and turned on the respirator. The Arkadion

brothers were collapsed against their Pa. All eight men were slumped against the wall, weeping.

Wiping his eyes, he walked over to the group and knelt beside them.

“We’re heading to the perimeter now. We’re so close to understanding this thing. I swear to you I’m

doing everything I can.” Claybourne’s voice broke. Felix went to his mate, kneeling at his side.

“We know you’re doing everything you can, Claybourne. Do whatever you have to do to find a cure.

Whatever you have to do, son.” Pa looked Claybourne in the eye. Felix watched as Claybourne nodded and

picked him up. He turned to Gavin.

“Are you okay to watch over her? I can call Baptista in here,” Claybourne offered.

Gavin shook his head. “I can take care of my own ma,” he said vehemently. Claybourne turned to Liam.

“Let’s go.”

* * * *

Felix watched as his mate packed a single piece of chocolate in ice and packed it in a small medical

cooler.

“How much time does she have, Doc?” Liam asked.

“Hours. Once Brayburn went into respiratory failure, she only had hours left,” Claybourne said quietly.

“We can’t lose her, Doc, the town wouldn’t be the same without her,” Liam said, picking up the cooler.

“Then we better hurry.” Claybourne went to Felix.

“You should stay here.”

“Who thought of the chocolate?” Felix asked.

“You.”

“Who proved that it was the chocolate?”

“You.”

“Who thought to search Gilberton’s things which led to finding the packing slip and uncovering how

the virus was hidden in the chocolate?”

“You.”

“Who thought of magic, even if I was kidding?”

“You.”

“Who is the most handsome and amazing man in the world.”

“Me,” Claybourne immediately said, grinning. Felix grinned back.

“Absolutely right. Face it, Doc, you need me,” Felix said. Claybourne simply picked him up and

followed Liam to the car.

The drive to the perimeter seemed longer to Felix. He could tell that Claybourne and Liam were lost in

their own thoughts. Liam was right. If they lost Ma, nothing would be the same. The car rolled to a stop.

Along the perimeter Bran’s wolves coordinated with the council support team in getting boxes through the

perimeter.

Liam grabbed the cooler as Claybourne easily lifted Felix, helping him out of the car.

“I can walk, you know,” Felix grumbled. He hated feeling weak.

“We’re short on time. It would take you at least twenty minutes to reach the perimeter from here with

you in this condition. You’re as weak as a newborn,” Claybourne reminded him.

“I hate this damn virus.” Felix sighed and waved at Riley who was staring at them in shock.

“Liam, it’s good to see you, Grandson,” Lachlan smiled at Liam.

“We need to hurry, grandfather, Ma doesn’t have much longer,” Liam said, placing the cooler on the

ground.

“Then let’s begin, gentlemen, for there are few women in the world as kind as Margaret Arkadion.” A

figure in a long forest-green cloak stepped forward. Slender arms pushed back the hood to reveal a

beautiful older woman. Her face still hinted at the great beauty she had been in her youth, age only adding

character. Her white hair was arranged in a braided crown on her head.

“Liam, I have the honor of introducing the High Priestess of the Triple Goddess Temple. Celeste Dilys.

Celeste, this is my grandson Liam Lewenhart, Alpha of the Lewenhart pride. Beside him is Maddox

Claybourne and Felix Kilpatrick, they’re the ones who have been working night and day to eradicate this

virus,” Lachlan said with a half bow. Felix felt Claybourne’s upper body incline and looked over to see

Liam giving a bow as well.

“It is a pleasure to meet you. It is rare that I see such honor and compassion in the modern world, yet it

seems to be growing in Arkadia exponentially.” The priestess’s eyes crinkled and her mouth twitched.

“Rebecca,” All three men said at the same time, looking at each other.

“You fear her?” Celeste asked, raising a single brow. Felix noticed he wasn’t the only one who hesitated

to answer.

“Does anyone fear their mother?” Claybourne asked. The woman threw her head back and laughed.

“Yes. Absolutely. If she’s doing a proper job in raising her children. That she has this effect on grown,

educated, and powerful men, tells me she’s doing a wonderful job. You all love her and attribute the

positive changes in Arkadia to her efforts. I look forward to meeting her.” Celeste smiled. Felix suddenly

wanted to jump from his mate’s arms and into hers. He suddenly missed his mother.