Page 39 of King

“You a Warrior?” Joey said, staring up at Daniel, and King could swear Joey looked more relaxed.

“Something like that,” Daniel smiled with a chuckle, then nodded at the nurse, who was staring at Daniel with wide eyes.

“Your eyes...” Joey said with a pause, then a huge grin spread across his face. “are freaking awesome. We'll trade gamer tags and team up when I’m out of here.”

“Deal,” Daniel nodded, then stepped back so the nurse could continue.

King watched until Joey disappeared out the door, then shifted his gaze to Amara. She stood motionless, fists clenched at her sides as she stared after him. Without thinking, King reached out, his fingers brushing against hers before entwining them together. She didn’t pull away. Instead, she squeezed his hand, holding on.

She placed her free hand on Daniel’s arm. “Thank you.” She smiled at him and then looked at all the Warriors with tears in her eyes. “Thank all of you for being here for Joey.”

“He’s a good kid,” Daniel replied before heading toward Duncan and the others.

Slade stepped forward, his expression serious. "I need to talk to you before I head into the operating room." His sharp gaze flickered to King, then back to Amara. "You want to go somewhere private?"

Amara took a deep breath and looked around the room. These men—these Warriors—weren’t just Joey’s friends. They were his extended family.

"No," she said firmly, shaking her head. "This is Joey’s family. No need for privacy."

King felt something shift inside him at her words. If his feelings for this woman hadn’t already been clear before, they were now.

CHAPTER 19

Amara noticed the way Slade glanced at King before looking at her, and a wave of unease rolled through her. God, what was he about to tell her? The food she had eaten what seemed like hours ago felt like a lead weight in her stomach, and her knees weakened under the pressure of waiting. Her mind raced with possibilities, each one worse than the last.

“Before any orthopedic surgery, an x-ray is taken to give the surgeon a fresh view to ensure nothing has shifted. Other than confirming the break, this is the most important x-ray a patient gets because it stays up during the operation.” He hesitated slightly, his gaze unreadable. “Joey has already begun to heal.”

Amara blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "And that’s bad?” she asked, her confusion deepening. She wasn’t a foolish woman... far from it. She had graduated at the top of her class in both high school and college. However, medical matters obviously went over her head.

Slade exhaled as if choosing his words carefully. “Vampires start to heal almost instantly. If a Warrior happened to get a crush injury like Joey’s and doesn’t have surgery immediately, it mightas well be a fatal wound because a Warrior would never want to live forever with a useless leg.”

Amara’s heart stuttered. “Fatal?” Her voice rose slightly, hearing only the word fatal in her head. “Are you telling me that because Joey is healing already, this could kill him?”

“No.” Slade shook his head, then cursed under his breath. “Sorry, no, that’s not what I’m saying.” He ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. “What I’m trying to say, and failing miserably at, is that I’ve never seen anything like this before. Joey is human. This is not normal.” His frown deepened.

Amara felt King squeeze her hand slightly, trying to comfort her, and it wasn’t working. She was so close to losing her shit.

Slade’s gaze remained locked on Amara as he continued, his voice steady but laced with something close to awe. “Not only is Joey healing at an accelerated rate, which shouldn’t be happening because he’s human... his bones are realigning themselves.”

Amara felt her breath hitch. A chill ran down her spine as she stared at Slade in disbelief. “That’s impossible,” she said, shaking her head as if denying it would somehow make it untrue. “How can that be happening?”

Slade hesitated for a moment as if weighing his words carefully. “I have a few theories,” he admitted, exhaling slowly. “But I don’t want to jump to conclusions until I have more proof. I’d like your permission to test your blood once Joey is out of surgery.” His eyes held an intensity that made Amara’s stomach twist.

Amara hesitated for only a second before nodding. “Sure,” she said, though confusion still swirled in her mind. “Is this bad for Joey?”

“If anything, it’s a blessing,” Slade reassured her. “This means his surgery isn’t as major as we initially thought.” His gaze slid toward King. “But it could mean more trouble for you.”

King’s posture stiffened instantly. “What the fuck does that mean?” His voice was low and dangerous.

Slade’s jaw tightened. “Word has already spread through the hospital,” he said, clearly displeased. “I wasn’t there when the doctor first reviewed the x-ray, and now he’s calling it a medical miracle. I’m warning you, if this gets out beyond these walls, it could turn into a serious problem, especially if the media catches wind of it.”

Amara frowned, shaking her head. “Because of my blood?” She scoffed, feeling a familiar flicker of anger. “I’ve donated blood for RH Null patients in emergency situations before, and nothing like this has ever happened.”

Slade exhaled slowly. “I don’t know, Amara,” he admitted, frustration lacing his voice.

Daniel, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up. “Her blood is mutating because of her half-breed status,” he stated. “She carries genetic mutation markers.”

Slade’s head snapped toward Amara, his expression unreadable. “Were you born with white hair?”