Page 21 of Don't Bite the Botanist
“Awww,” Tressa cooed before kissing Saiden on the cheek. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were fond of me, Sadie Cakes.”
Rolling his eyes, he swiped a hand through the long strands of dark hair that only hung down on the left side of his head, smoothing themback into place. “So,” he said, walking over to the side of the bed. “I take it this is your mate Baylin was telling me about?”
“Yeah,” Tressa said, coming up to his side. “Saiden, meet Ethan Ambrose.”
Saiden huffed. “He looks decent enough, I guess. You like him?”
Tressa smiled and brushed her hand over Ethan’s cheek. “I do. He’s a bit like you, actually. Kind of a grump sometimes. But he’s got a heart of gold. And he’s smart. Some type of plant medicine scientist. I think I could fall in love with him quite easily.”
Saiden grunted, and Tressa took that to be about as much sappy emotional stuff as he could handle. “You get anything out of him about why he was targeted?” her cousin asked.
She let her hand drop back to her side. “Not yet. He’s keeping the details of whatever he was working on pretty close to the chest. But whatever it was can’t be good if the rogue came back to finish the job.”
“I don’t like it,” Saiden grumbled as he righted a fallen chair and sank into it, stretching his long legs out in front of him. “Mindless rogues killing people to feed I can handle, but this?” He waved a hand at Ethan. “And showing up so soon after the vamp that killed Cora? There’s something going on, and I don’t appreciate stumbling around in the dark.”
“And see here I thought you had perfect night vision.”
“Cute.”
“I know.”
He sighed. “I take it you’re going to continue this vampire hunter charade you told Bay about?”
Nodding, Tressa dropped down on the side of the bed. She slid Ethan’s hand onto her lap and wound her fingers through his, needing to remain as close to him as possible after the attack. Every inch of her skin buzzed with the ocean of adrenaline coursing through her, and histouch anchored her amidst the maelstrom of worry, fear, and anxiety thrashing in her head. “What else am I supposed to do?”
“Tell him the truth.”
Tressa’s right eyebrow quirked up. “Oh, like how you told Cora she was your mate?”
Saiden fixed his most intimidating glare on her—the one that sent both humans and vampires running—but it only amused her. “At least I didn’t hide that I was a vampire,” he shot back.
“Oh, bite me, Saiden,” Tressa teased, falling into their usual habit of goading each other. “You want to give me shit about this? I could tell the rest of the cadre what I found in the trunk of your McLaren. I always thought it was strange most of the kids I’ve had to compel were clutching little crochet animals.”
He froze. “You wouldn’t.”
A slow grin spread across Tressa’s face. “Oh, I very much would.”
Saiden narrowed his steely eyes on her. “Fine. He’s your mate. Do whatever you want, and I’ll stay out of it. But when this all blows up in your face, and trust me, it will, I get to say I told you so.”
“Deal.” Tressa grinned wider. “I have to ask though, why pick crochet as a hobby? Why not origami?”
Saiden pushed out of his chair and stalked toward the door. “Bye, Tressa.”
“Or maybe baking?” she called after him. “You’d look adorable in a frilly pink apron!”
He flipped her the middle finger and disappeared into the hall.
Turning to Ethan, Tressa evaluated his now steady breathing and rhythmic pulse. At least there were no new injuries she could see beyond a slight pallor to his complexion.
Moving at top speed before anyone was alerted, she unhooked the wires from his body, flicked off the monitor that started beepingfrantically from the disconnections, then slipped her hands under his back to pull him up into her arms. He might be pushing two hundred pounds, but that was nothing for her vampire strength.
Nudging the door open with her foot, Tressa quickly carried Ethan toward the back exit.
Baylin wasn’t going to be thrilled when he got another phone call from her about wiping more security feeds, but her cousin would just have to deal. There was no way in hell she was leaving her mate in the hospital, exposed and vulnerable to another attack.
The long five-hour drive back to the safety of the compound still held a distinct lack of appeal, but with any luck, Ethan would remain asleep the entire way.
She glanced down at his face. His features were hard, yet so innocent at the same time.
