The Demon Who Fed on a Shark (18 page)

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“Stay calm, Morgan.” Byron held onto Morgan’s arm, physically

restraining him, keeping him from bursting inside the emergency

room. “Alexis is going to be fine. He needs you to be strong now.”

He knew his father had gone through the same thing. They’d all

heard the story. The shock of having the existence of shape-shifters

revealed had pushed Skylar into premature labor. But this was

different.

Morgan had grown up with the knowledge that a touch from his

grandfather could kill, maybe not him, but shifters weaker than him.

He’d accepted it without fear and had no qualms about receiving

Sophia in their home in spite of it. After all, Byron was the fiercest shifter Morgan even knew of. And yet, a member of his own family

had dared to attack his mate, his pregnant mate, and now both Alexis

and their son were in lethal danger.

His bond with Alexis was what kept him from going on a rampage

and hunting Sophia down. He could still feel Alexis, more distant, as if through a veil. Their son was also there, hanging strong, and

Morgan clung to those to feelings and to the knowledge that the

doctors were doing the best they could.

Finally, the door opened and a doctor slipped outside, looking

tired and glum. “I’m sorry.”

The word came crashing down around Morgan. “What…What

happened?”

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“Mr. Whitaker’s condition has worsened. I’m afraid that we won’t

be able to save both him and the child. As Mr. Whitaker’s mate and

the father of his child, you have to choose.”

Morgan was dumbfounded. “Choose? Between my mate and my

son.”

What kind of choice was that? How could he possibly decide to

kill Alexis or their unborn child?

“Mr. Whitaker expressed his wish for the priority to be on your

son,” the doctor added, “but we can’t take any steps until consulting with you.”

“Alexis said that?” Morgan croaked out.

The doctor nodded. “Before he lost consciousness.”

Morgan leaned against his father, memories flashing before his

eyes. Alexis’s coy smile, his honest eyes, his soft lips against

Morgan’s, his warmth and affection. Their son growing inside Alexis,

kicking at Morgan’s palm, emanating love. How could he choose?

How?

Morgan took a deep breath and made a decision. “Alexis,” he

said. “It has to be him.”

Alexis would never forgive him for this, but at least he would be

alive. They could try for another child once Alexis recovered.

However, their relationship would be torn apart. Morgan himself

didn’t know how he’d ever forgive himself for this. If he could have

died in their place, he’d have done so. But the option didn’t exist, and Morgan would forever mourn for the child he’d loved so much.

If only he’d told Alexis about Sophia. If only he’d realized the

danger she represented. But they’d both been lost in their own

emotions, and Morgan had never mentioned how exactly her powers

worked. If Alexis knew about it, he couldn’t have realized the true

extent of the peril.

Just as the doctor readied himself to reenter the emergency room,

a sense of familiarity coursed over Morgan. He turned and blinked in

shock as he watched Alexis’s parents approach.

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The Whitakers looked completely calm, as if they were going to a

party, not to a hospital. Alexis’s father seemed a little disgusted.

“Please, if you’ve come to argue, now is not the time,” Skylar

said.

“We’ve come to help,” Alexis’s mother said. “Your medicine

can’t do anything for Alexis now. Both he and the boy will die if you don’t listen to us.”

Layton immediately bristled. “Who do you think you are, coming

here and giving orders?”

Morgan pulled Layton back. While he appreciated his twin’s

defensiveness, he knew that the Whitakers could be his and Alexis’s

last chance.

“If you have any ideas, I’m more than willing to hear you out. I’ll

do anything to help him.”

The cool expression on Mrs. Whitaker’s face softened. “You truly

love him. That’s very rare.” Her eyes seemed to gaze at something in

the distance, something Morgan couldn’t see. Morgan blinked, and

the moment was gone, the succubus fully focused on him again. “Go

inside. You’re the only one who can help him. He needs your

emotions.”

“My emotions?” Morgan’s head swirled. “I…I don’t know what

to do.”

In the past, Alexis had healed when Morgan had bitten him, so it

made sense. But Morgan couldn’t exactly bite Alexis now. It was too

risky. Alexis was already severely injured, and an additional shock

could kill him.

“You need to have some faith,” Mrs. Whitaker said, “faith in

yourself and Alexis.”

“He is stronger than this.” Alexis’s dad nodded. “We are stronger

than this. The hunger isn’t a disadvantage, Morgan, not if we know

how to use it.”

Morgan had never gotten along with Alexis’s parents, but now,

they genuinely seemed to want the best for Alexis. Could he trust

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them? No, he couldn’t. But he had to trust himself, Alexis, and their bond.

“Thank you,” he replied simply.

“Wait,” his dad said. “You’re not really going to go through with

this, are you?”

“You’re never going to forgive yourself if something happens.”

Layton’s tone was pleading. “Reconsider, Morgan. There has to be

another way.”

But there wasn’t, and Morgan would never forgive himself either

way, not if he didn’t try, not if he didn’t trust. His heart knew what his mind did not, and ignoring the protests coming from his family, he

stepped into the emergency room.

Immediately, the pain struck him. It wasn’t a physical pain, but

rather an emotional one. The doctors were busy struggling to keep

Alexis alive, and they were making preparations for the C-section

incision. In spite of the advance in medicine, with Alexis injured so badly, it would be hard to keep Alexis’s heart beating throughout the operation and still save the baby. This was their only chance, and

Morgan had to trust their love.

“Mr. Pierce-Cunningham,” one of the nurses said, “you can’t be

here. It’s—”

“I’m going to bite Alexis,” he cut her off. “It should heal him. His

incubus abilities will allow him to do so. Once that happens, I need

you to be prompt and go ahead with the C-section.”

“Mr. Pierce-Cunningham, I really must protest,” a doctor said.

Morgan just gave him a look, stopping the man from saying

anything else. He knelt next to Alexis’s bed. His mate looked so very pale, and his wrist still bore the brunt of the burn. It was so hard to believe that one single touch from a woman he’d considered a

relative, if not a friend, all his life could cause this.

Morgan pressed a light kiss on Alexis’s forehead. “Stay with me,

baby,” he whispered, even knowing that Alexis couldn’t hear him.

“Love me back.”

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Usually, he’d have bitten Alexis’s neck, but he couldn’t do so now

since it would make the doctors’ jobs difficult. As such, he took

Alexis’s wrist and slowly, gently, buried his sharp teeth in the smooth flesh above the burn.

It wasn’t like any other time when they’d coupled. Sexual arousal

couldn’t be a part of it, not with Alexis so close to death. But

regardless of that, their connection instantly clicked, flooded with

emotion. It smoothed the shadows in Morgan’s mind, and his soul

could sense what Alexis did.

Alexis gasped, and for a brief instant, his emotions flooded

Morgan, fear, love, confusion, and most of all, need, Alexis’s need for Morgan. Morgan opened his heart, allowing his mate to see

everything inside him.

They didn’t get the chance to speak because instantly, the doctors

were there, knocking Alexis out again with anesthetic. But Alexis’s

body responded regardless. Morgan could feel it, and he saw it in the machines monitoring Alexis’s state. His heart rate stabilized, and the sting wound vanished. Their son, who’d been scared and agitated,

quieted down, now eager to come into the world, but no longer

frightened.

One of the nurses gasped. “That’s amazing,” she said. “I’ve never

seen anything like it in my life.”

Morgan didn’t reply. He released his hold on Alexis’s arm and

licked the wound. Holding onto Alexis’s hand, he thought that Alexis

himself was amazing, and Morgan had been so very close to losing

him.

He couldn’t look at the doctors as they were performing the

operation. Instead, he just sat there, staring at Alexis’s beautiful face, hoping and praying, pooling his emotions through his connection with

Alexis, hanging on to his mate with all his might. And then the wail

of a child sounded in his ears. Morgan turned, and his eyes fell on his son. His vision blurred, and he barely managed to control his tears. A
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choice. He’d been so close to giving up on this beautiful baby boy.

God.

The doctors cleaned his son up then gently handed him to

Morgan. Morgan wondered how they were going to name him. With

all the shit going on, they hadn’t even thought of a name.

“Elian,”
a soft voice whispered his head.

Morgan looked at Alexis, but the incubus’s eyes were still closed.

He wasn’t awake, not really, and yet, Morgan could hear him, feel

him.
“It’s okay, Morgan,”
Alexis said.
“We’re okay now. We’re
together, and that’s what matters.”

After that, there were no more words, just emotions. Somehow,

Morgan thought it was fitting. Emotions had saved Alexis’s life, and

they’d saved Morgan and Elian as well. From now on, they would be

his guide to a better future, one where he could finally have his family together without fear. It was hard to think of that when he burned with the desire to avenge his mate, but for the moment, his need for his

mate surpassed his desire for retribution. Alexis needed him, and so

did Elian. Morgan would spend his life protecting them, making sure

something like this never happened. He’d made the mistake not once,

but twice. The third time wouldn’t ever exist. Morgan would rather

die first.

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Epilogue

“I will come back to you, Morgan.” Sophia’s voice rang out

stridently, making Alexis wince. “Nothing can keep us apart.”

Her voice was tinged with insanity, and Alexis felt glad he hadn’t

approached her more. She stood a good distance away from him,

bound in inescapable cuffs, under the close supervision of

Cunningham staff and Morgan’s grandparents. Behind her, beyond

the harbor, the ship that would carry her away from Alexis waited for its passengers. Even from the car where Alexis sat, he could still see the furious, crazed expression on her face, and he shuddered. Why

hadn’t anyone realized how disturbed she was before she’d attacked?

Morgan didn’t say anything to her. In his anger, he would have

liked to kill Sophia. Alexis knew it. He could sense it. In fact, he suspected Morgan would have done so had Alexis or Elian died. As it

was, her punishment had been decided by her elder.

Malcolm had also taken responsibility over the issue.

Unfortunately, it meant that he and his wife were forced to go with

Sophia and take her back to Australia, where she would be confined,

exiled forever. Alexis suspected that none of this would have

happened had Alexis been the only one attacked, but Morgan’s son

had been involved, and that was something that couldn’t be waved

off.

It was a courtesy for Malcolm and Sophia that allowed the

transport to be on a luxury ship. Still, that didn’t change the fact that Morgan’s grandparents were leaving, and Alexis didn’t know when

they would return.

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Morgan’s gaze focused on his grandparents. “Take care, all

right?” he asked them. “Come home soon.”

Malcolm nodded, and after a few seconds, they shared an

awkward embrace. Morgan even hugged Yuki, even if, as a rule, she

wasn’t the type to accept such public displays of affection. In the

background, Sophia was still screaming and struggling. Finally, it

became too much. Morgan’s grandparents said their good-byes and,

together with the guards holding Sophia, boarded the ship.

Now that she was gone, Alexis finally left the car and went to his

mate’s side. Even if she’d been bound and her restraints made it

impossible for her to escape, Alexis had not wanted to chance

approaching, especially not with Elian in his arms. He’d considered

leaving Elian back at the house, or even in the car with his parents, but whenever he was away from his son, he felt an almost irrational

anxiety. He traced it back to the knowledge that he could have easily lost Elian to Sophia’s attack, and he never wanted to risk anything

like that again.

He leaned against his mate, not speaking, just taking in Morgan’s

emotions and offering silent comfort. Fog floated blurrily over the

harbor as Alexis watched the ship disappear into the distance. It was hard to believe that with the ship, all his problems would vanish as well, and Alexis knew better than to believe that. Sophia’s betrayal