Chapter 69

Light flooded behind her eyelids and Lynda groaned. God, she needed to retire from this necromancer business before she broke every bone in her body. Even breathing hurt.

Warmth heated her skin, taking away some of the pain and she sighed in relief.

“Feeling better?” Grace asked.

Carefully, Lynda opened her eyes. Grace stood beside her, and Natasha on the other side. Three more witches surrounded her, their brows pinched and faces pale.

“We can't heal you completely, but we fixed your splintered ribs and took away most of the pain.” Natasha swallowed. “However, we couldn't restore your magic, but I'm sure with rest and recovery, it will return,” she hurriedly added.

Lynda looked past the half-vamp to her three guys pacing back and forth at the foot of her bed. Didn’t matter that she was awake and feeling somewhat more human than a broken punching bag. They would want her healed completely and in their arms, not that she could blame them because she wanted the same. “Thank you, I'm not worried about it.”

“Just take it easy.” Natasha gave her a hug that hit bruises, and she cringed. “My son and I owe you our lives. We both swear a blood oa—"

“Shh.” Lynda shook her head. “That's not necessary. Friends look out for each other.”

Natasha grinned. “Friends also drink vodka together too, but I'll wait until you've recovered and aren't on pain meds.”

“I'll hold you to that.” Lynda winked. “A girls’ night out once a month at least. And thank you.” Lynda turned to each of the other witches in the room. “Thank you all for your help. I know you didn't need to and because I'm a necromancer,” her voice caught.

“It's okay.” Grace squeezed her hand. “We all know that you risked your life to save us.”

“And brought us back to life,” a witch with black curly hair at the end of the bed added.

Lynda looked back at her friend. “But what about the witch counsel and the elders?” Especially the one who wanted to kill her for not being a real witch.

“Well, we've had an intervention. All the elders from various magic systems have voted that your actions, not your heritage prove your worth. So until you turn all evil,” Grace snapped her fingers into quotation marks, “guess you’re off the executioner's block.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Unless you go evil at any time and do anything that disrupts the barrier between the dead and the living…then we’ll have to step in and stop you…by whatever means necessary.” Grace’s mouth hardened to a thin line.

“I wouldn’t expect anything else.” Lynda stifled a yawn. “But really, thank you all again.” Not having a ton of witches for enemies was a good thing. She had far too many foes in her life recently.

Grace, Natasha, and the witches piled out of the hospital room.

“You up to one more visitor?” Andrei bent over her and kissed her lightly on the mouth. Damn, if she wasn't so sore she'd pull him down on top of her and show him how much she missed him. And Mihnea too.

A male cleared his throat from the threshold. With a grimace, Andrei pulled back. Standing at the foot of her bed was Dracula. Her breaths lodged in her chest.

“I want to apologize for my behavior toward you.”

Beside her, Andrei stiffened. Mihnea squared his shoulders and Pierre moved to her other side.

Dracula shook himself as though wrestling with his emotions. “Thank you...for saving my sons.”

“I could do no less. I love them.”

Dracula nodded. “Yes, I see that now. At first, I thought you were playing all three of them in some warped power-play. Trying to get back at me for what I did to your ancestors. I was wrong.” His throat worked like it was hard to say the words before he spoke again. “And I wanted to thank you for resurrecting me and giving me another chance at life.”

“You're welcome.” But it hadn't been for selfless reasons. She'd needed him to help her and the others fight Boris.

Dracula bowed low. When he straightened, his gaze went to each of his sons. “Lynda Garcia, I swear to treat you as the daughter I never had if you'll let me. I vow a blood oath to you and yours for eternity.”

Her heart hammered in her chest. Was he serious?

“Provided you never harm any of my sons on purpose then all bets are vanquished.”

“I accept!” Joy wrapped around her. “And you will not harm your sons either.”

Dracula's jaw clenched, but then he bowed. “As you wish, daughter.”

A bark of laughter erupted from her throat. “I accept as long as you never call me that again.” Not in a million years would she believe that Dracula would pledge a blood oath with her.

“As you wish, Lynda.” He gave each of his sons a nod. “Take care, all of you, and give me lots of grandbabies.”

Lynda’s blush heated her entire face. But Dracula turned on his heel and left the hospital room. Before she could say anything, a nurse bustled into the room. “How are you feeling, miss?”

“I’ve been better but not bad.” Lynda shrugged and Andrei fluffed her pillow. “The witches helped most of the injuries.”

The nurse nodded. “Well, the doctor has talked with them and has ordered a slight reduction to your pain pills. Do you want something to help you sleep?” She glanced at the three vampires lounging on her hospital bed. “Um...at daytime while your men are unavailable?”

Why was everyone interested in her sex life? “That’ll be fine.”

“Okay. I’m Nurse Jensen if you need anything just buzz me.”

“Thank you,” Mihnea and Lynda said in unison.

“I’ll send you your favorite dessert as my thanks,” Pierre said.

“Yes, thank you, Nurse Jensen,” Andrei added.

The nurse whisked out the door. “I’ll be back with some juice for you in a bit.”

As soon as they were alone, Pierre clasped her hand and drew it to his mouth for a kiss. “Guess that’s our cue that we won’t have time for a lovemaking fest.”

Lynda laughed. “I think you’re right. As long as I’m here, we’d have to have one of you guarding the door to keep us from being interrupted.”

“Are you offering?” Pierre waggled his eyebrows and Andrei punched his shoulder.

“Give her a break, she fought a master vampire, and who knows what else in the time I was unconscious.” His light chocolate eyes saddening.

“I promise, I’ll tell you everything later.” She squeezed Pierre’s hand. “And as much as I’d love to take you up on your offer, I’ll have to pass.” Despite the healing, she ached all over and her head throbbed with the promise of a migraine.

“Hmmm...” he cocked his head to the side, “I’ll have to hold you to that or rather hold you against me.”

“Can’t wait.” She closed her eyes as he kissed her hard and deep.

When he eased back, he whispered in her ear, “Don’t ever die on me again. I-I won’t be able to stay sane.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

He kissed her cheek then moved to the door.

Next, Andrei bent over her. “I feel like I’ve been away from you for ages.” He nuzzled her neck and she inhaled his spicy sweet scent. He smelled of cinnamon and oranges.

“Me too. Will you stay with me?” she asked, hating how desperate her voice sounded but needing not to be alone. Even if they’d be in their hibernation state in ten minutes according to the hospital clock on the wall.

“Next time,” he brushed his lips across hers, “once you’re well. Then I won’t have to worry about your orgasms wearing you out too much ’cause I intend to make you come a lot.”

In answer, she pulled his head down to hers and kissed him until the five-minute sunrise warning for all vampires trilled through the hospital. Either they’d have to ensure the metal shutters over any nearby windows or race to some other shelter from the sun. Slowly, he pulled away. “We’ll check on you at sunset.”

She nodded. Both Andrei and Pierre left the room, the door snicking closed behind them.

“Mihnea,” her breath caught. God, even now when she’d felt like she’d been steamrolled twice, she wanted him. “I know you have to go but I—” They’d slept together but never had sex before. She knew his rules. Not until she got pregnant with one of his brothers first.

“Easy.” He settled in bed beside her, wrapping his arms around her as she snuggled her back against his chest. “All the while I was ravaged by blood-lust, I could see and hear everything, but I couldn’t stop it.” He took a shuddering breath. “Life is precious, special. And I realized that I was a fool. I love you, Lynda, and I want to show you. I know I might be being selfish, but I don’t want to wait to make love to you anymore.”

“Oh?” Excitement and joy tumbled in her stomach.

He pulled her around to face him, lying beside her, and kissed her until she gasped for breath. “Yes. But will you be willing to wait for me for a few more hours? Until sunset or when you’re feeling better?”

If only they had more than a few seconds left before sunrise. “You’d better clear your schedule 'cause I plan to have you all to myself tonight.”

“My pleasure.” His eyes drifted close.

Desire and lust surged through her belly. “Both of our pleasure over and over again until you yell my name.” Lynda tucked the blankets around them. She couldn’t wait for tomorrow and watched Mihnea’s still form. She traced her fingertips along his chiseled jawline. Each brother had the same sexy jaw, kissable. Her yawns increased. Damn, how much longer until evening? Would Andrei and Pierre return as well? She’d wait forever if she needed to.