page4 (2/2)

I stood up, brushing sorass and dirt off me

"As you can see, guys, Belinda has been fired"

Chapter Four

THE OTHER VAMPIRE GOT AWAYDAVE BLAMED hi the one to strap him in the capsule, but he'd been so distracted after Belinda attacked Zachary, which hat she'd intended, of course Zachary bled to death before Bones finished with the last vaotten to him in ti will, too One that stated he didn't want to be brought back as anything inhuman if he were killed on a job So, all of us somber, we honored his wishes and buried him

Ethan turned out to be an orphan, which explained why his parents hadn't strongly opposed the part he'd played as my son I ain for soood foster hoht the undead, finding a foster home for an orphan shouldn't be too hard

At last, V-day for Tate arrived Everyone was at the compound We were only short one person, and that's because her flight had been delayed due to mechanical difficulties Annette, the first va in to help with Tate

That had been my idea Bones had barely spoken to Annette since her attempt to scare me off with sordid details of his past, but I knew their estrangeested Annette could trade off shifts in the cell Tate would be locked in after his change It could take up to a week before Tate would be able to control his hunger without ripping open the first vein he saw, so no one with a pulse could help Tate those first several days Dave had already volunteered, but with a third person, it would free up soive Annette a chance to mend fences Wasn't I just the little peacemaker?

Noever, I was nervous In half an hour, Bones would kill Tate, only to bring hiain The time from bite to rebirth could last one hour, or several We'd scheduled this for eight pest It took a lot out of a vae someone over, or so I'd been told This was my first experience with it

True to form, Don had videos set up He even had electrodes stuck to Tate's chest and head to monitor the exact moment of death as well as brainwave activity Bones shook his head upon seeing all the high-tech setup, acidly inquiring if it was being broadcast over the Internet as well Don didn't care He intended to glean all available information he could for study In that, he was shameless

Tate was in a room reinforced with a series of titaniu table outfitted with clamps made of the same metal Bones told Don all these precautions were overkill, pun intended, but Don orried about Tate busting out and running a only a pair of shorts to allow for easier electrode access I slipped in to see him as a human one last time

Nus of blood sat in a cooler nearby for Tate's first few o one as I stood next to the inclined slab, ht

"God, Tate" My voice wavered "Are you sure about this?"

He attempted a smile, but it lacked its usual depth "Don't look so spooked, Cat You'd think you were the one about to die, not me"

I laid my hand on his cheek His skin felt as warm as hed and inclined his head closer

"It's been a strange ride, hasn't it?" he murmured "I remember when I didn't believe in vampires Now I'm about to join their ranks, led by a son of a bitch I despise Ironic, huh?"

"You don't have to do this, Tate You can change youroff"

He took another deep breath "As a vaer, faster, and harder to kill The team needs thatand so do you"

"Don't you dare do this for me, Tate" My voice treet off that table right now"

"I' this," he repeated, his tone equally vehement "You can't talk me out of it, Cat"

Bones savedup behind me "It's time, Kitten"

I went to the small observatory one level up, where the video fro the screen Juan, Cooper, and Dave came into our room I couldn't look away as on the screen, Bones walked over to Tate with the slow grace of a true predator Tate's breathing and heartbeat began to accelerate

Bones studied hi for, mate, but you will have to live with this decision the rest of your days So, one last time, do you want this?"

Tate took a long breath "You've wanted to kill me for months Here's your chance Just do it"

In the next second, Bones's fangs were sunk deep into Tate's neck The asped, stiffening Dave grippedas Bones drank the life fro pulls of his mouth That pale throat worked over and over as he sed The sounds from the EKG monitor slowed, decreased, and then made only intermittent, brief bleeps when Bones lifted his head

He licked the spare drops of blood around his e in his own neck Then Bones pressed Tate's lolling head to the wound, keeping the tip of the knife in his neck so it didn't close

Tate'sat the blood, and then sucking withnoises Bones dropped the knife as Tate, eyes closed, clamped his teeth around his neck and tore at it Bones held Tate's head, not flinching as he chonashed and sucked as the er in between blips until at last there wassilence

Bones tore Tate'sback The EEG went hayhile the EKG showed a straight flat line on itsthe cla him Then he slu to rise

The hours dragged by with painful slowness Bones sat on the floor of the cell, looking like he was resting, but I kneasn't asleep Every so often, his gaze would flick over to Tate's still fory around Tate Lord knew the EEG could It hadn't shut up the whole time Bones must have wanted to smash it more than once by noith all the bleeps and squawks it made

Bones had helped his after Tate-died? Passed out? What was the terh Bones hated bagged plasy I'd understand when I'd once asked hi people But hat he'd drained into Tate, Bones needed a refill, taste preferences notwithstanding

Juan yawned It was afterbut watch Tate lie there Still, no one seemed to want to tear their eyes from the screen