“What were you doing when you first started to feel pain?” Claybourne asked.
“I was eating Lucky Charms,” she said. Claybourne wrinkled his nose.
“Told you he would hate them,” Rebecca said, smiling weakly. Felix rolled his eyes.
“Did you eat or drink anything leftover from Field Day?” Felix asked.
She shook her head. “I’m not stupid, guys, I wouldn’t eat that stuff when we don’t know for sure it was the cause,” she retorted.
“When you were in the lab, did you spill any of the virus on bare skin?” Claybourne asked.
Rebecca shook her head.
“I took every precaution, I know my way around a lab.”
“What about the broken glass?” Felix asked.
“Snitch!”
Claybourne and Aleks looked from Rebecca to Felix and back.
She sighed. “I was overwhelmed and just a little bit upset earlier, so I may have thrown an empty beaker or two,” Rebecca admitted.
“Just empty beakers? Nothing with the virus in it?” Claybourne asked. She shook her head and yawned.
“Thanks, Rebecca, you get some rest. We’ll be back in a few hours. If you think of anything let me know,” Claybourne said and patted her hand. Rebecca stuck her tongue out at Felix who stuck his tongue out in return. She giggled and yawned again. Felix followed Claybourne out of the gym back to the teacher’s lounge. Once inside Claybourne wheeled on him.
“I just don’t get it. I don’t get it! She was fine not twenty-four hours ago.”
“There has to be a common thread we’re not seeing,” Felix agreed.
“There are too many variables.” Claybourne collapsed on the small sofa.
“Which means the cause is still out there. Any one of us could get it.” Felix sat next to his mate.
“I’m still convinced this started on Field Day.” Claybourne shook his head.
“It’s not in the air or water. We’ve all been exposed to both. So far with our extensive testing we have eliminated most of the Field Day foods. What about the diner?” Felix asked.
“Ma closed the diner down on Field Day. She was running the bake sale booth, most people ate at the school anyway,” Claybourne said.
“I can’t think right now. I feel like my head is wrapped in cotton,” Felix said, trying to blink his vision clear.
“I’ll set my phone for a few hours. Let’s try to get some sleep. Maybe we’ll think clearer when we wake up.” Claybourne pulled Felix close.
“Good idea,” Felix whispered. He closed his eyes, and immediately fell asleep.
* * * *
Three hours later, Felix stood next to the supply table making sure the IV bags of fluids were neatly stacked and taking an inventory of their antiviral medicine. All around them, Gabriel’s vampires moved quietly and efficiently around the gym, helping the very people who had been afraid of them.
Felix shook his head. His eyes kept going to Aleks Arkadion. The tall, proud Alpha sat in a chair between two cots. On one side his ma was struggling for every breath, and on the other side his mate curled around her stomach as if trying to protect their weakening unborn child.
Gone was the vibrant Alpha bear. The virus was stealing away his heart and soul, leaving a shattered man behind in its wake. The Arkadion brothers stood around both beds like royal guards, but there was nothing for them to fight.
Pa sat on his mate’s other side, holding her hand gently. Felix knew if the man could, he would take his mate’s place in a heartbeat. He was that selfless.
Shaking his head, Felix let his eyes drift to where Caleb and Bran sat on either side of Kate, each holding on to one of her hands. Across her body, they gripped each other’s hands desperately and cradled her nearly flat abdomen. Felix had only recently heard how long Kate had desired a baby. He couldn’t accept that these two good men would not only lose their mate but also the baby all three of them had longed for.
Unable to watch their pain, he looked around the gym and saw a similar scene with Liam and Kent. They cradled their mate between them, whispering to each other and to Sebastian, who dozed off and on, his face starting to flush with the beginning of a fever. Felix wiped his tears. Sebastian had finally escaped their living hell, stuck in a madman’s cage, to find his happily ever after, only to face the prospect of having to say good-bye.
Clenching his teeth, he turned his head to watch Prince Gabriel sit quietly with his small mate. He sat beside his mate with no emotions on his face, as still and as cold as a statue. It was as if the prince were a force of nature, quietly waiting to see what would happen before he would wreak havoc on those around him. Baptista and Roman stood beside their prince, unwavering in their support. Felix knew that despite the lack of visible reaction, there was a war raging deep within him. The prince had locked down his emotions, not only to be able to make decisions, but also to keep those around him safe. Felix truly feared for them all if something happened to the fox shifter. One of the things that made him such an excellent nurse was his ability to read people, and right now his instincts were telling him Gabriel was the most dangerous man in the room.
Finally, he caught himself staring at Rian and Damian. Rian had not left the man’s side since he was admitted. His quiet devotion for his best friend was Felix’s undoing. Mates were easy to understand, but Rian’s love for his friend left him open to this pain and the man took it on gladly. Felix remembered a hundred glances between the two men, their easy camaraderie, and sobs shook his frame. Wiping his eyes, he turned back to the table. He couldn’t bear to look at Rian’s pain.
Suddenly, he needed to do something for the man who had become like an older brother to him. He wondered if he could sneak over to Bobbles and Things for some chocolate for Rian. Felix froze. He felt his body wash cold as the adrenaline began to push through his body. His eyes went to where the pride members lay on their cots.
Claybourne looked up from where he was examining Meredith Wade, a puzzled expression on his face. His mate could feel the way his heart was beginning to race. Felix started walking on wobbly feet toward Rebecca. He picked up the pace and began a full run across the gym. He slid to a stop next to the cot and literally dragged Rebecca up in the bed.
“Felix, what in the hell?” Aleks demanded. Felix ignored him.
“Rebecca! Rebecca, wake up!” Felix said, lightly tapping the small human on each cheek. Behind him he could hear people approaching at a run.
“Is she okay?” Claybourne asked. Felix could not lose his train of thought as pieces of the puzzle began to come together.
“Come on, Becca, wake up!” he shook her.
“Felix!” Claybourne exclaimed. Felix ignored him.
“Bitch, did you slap me?” Rebecca demanded sleepily.
“Love taps only, I swear! Listen, I need you to answer some questions. Did you eat anything out of the ordinary in the past two days? Something maybe you hadn’t had in a while?” Felix asked.
Rebecca shook her head. “Nothing I hadn’t had before,” she said, frowning up at him.
“Rebecca, I’m going to ask you a question and you need to be really honest with me. Did you have any chocolate?” Felix asked.
Rebecca’s eyes went wide. “The caffeine is killing my baby? I knew I shouldn’t have had that chocolate!” Rebecca sobbed, turning to Aleks.
Felix caught her and pulled her back upright. “Focus! What chocolate did you have? Was it the ‘Screw You’ chocolate?” he demanded. Behind him he heard several intakes of breath. Rebecca nodded.
Felix looked up at Pa. “Did Ma have that chocolate?” he asked. Pa shook his head.
“I don’t know,” he admitted.
“She did! Ma and Damian had a chocolate-eating contest at Field Day!” Rian said excitedly.
“What about Brayburn?” Felix asked. Rian nodded.
“I know she did, she came by Bobbles and Things mad as a wet hen that she didn’t get any chocolate ice cream from the ice cream stand since David a
nd Daniel used blood in the machine. She snagged five pounds of the stuff!” Rian gasped and covered his mouth, realizing what he said.
Felix turned to Rian, confused. “Why aren’t you sick? Don’t you love chocolate?” If Rian had the chocolate and wasn’t sick, his theory was toast.
“I don’t like milk chocolate. I only eat white chocolate!” Rian wailed and collapsed on the floor as the enormity of what he had inadvertently done overwhelmed him. Felix looked up to Bran, Liam, and Gabriel.
“Did your mates have the chocolate?” he asked desperately. They all nodded, looking shell-shocked.
“It makes perfect sense, why it hit Brayburn first. She left Field Day to go to Bobbles and Things, when you take the time of day she got it and factor in her age, and the amount she ate, it fits. It also supports why Kate, Ma, and Damian were the next to get hit hardest. Ma and Damian had the chocolate-eating contest, and Kate has been living off of chocolate since finding out she was pregnant. They’re probably the town’s biggest chocolate eaters,” Felix explained quickly, trying to get it all out.
Bran and Caleb looked ill.
“We gave it to her. Three pounds of it, for the pregnancy,” Caleb said, his voice breaking.
“It’s why the pride was hit harder than any other group. My lions live off of chocolate.” Liam looked out at the gym.
“It also explains why Sebastian and Ashby got it later. They probably reached for it to deal with the stress of everything that was going on, like a lot of other townspeople who got sick once things began to get bad. It explains why people were getting sick at different times,” Felix continued.
“Rebecca?” Aleks asked.
“I was so ti–ti–tired looking at the slides, my eyes were fuzzy. I didn’t think a small bit of caffeine would hurt. I didn’t know!” She covered her face with her hands. Aleks kneeled down and wrapped both of his large arms around his mate in a muscled cocoon.
Claybourne and Felix stared at each other before standing.
“Attention everyone! Does anyone have any uneaten portion of the ‘Screw You’ chocolate that Bobbles and Things was giving away on Field Day?” Felix shouted. He deliberately avoided using Rian or Damian’s names. It wasn’t their fault, after all.
Several hands went up and Felix raced around the gym with Claybourne collecting samples. Claybourne hesitated before leaving the gym.
“Go! See if this is the cause. It may be the break we need to save everyone,” Gabriel urged.
“We got this, Doc,” Bran said. “Don’t worry about us!” one of the newer patients shouted. It was as if this small fragment of hope was enough to breathe life back into the townspeople. Felix grabbed his mate’s hand and they raced to the lab, eager to see what they would find.
Chapter 8
“Nothing! There’s not a damn thing in this chocolate but chocolate! There’s no trace of the virus.” Claybourne scooted away from the microscope, disgusted. He removed his glasses and carefully set them on the counter. He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes.
“That can’t be right, it fits! Everything fits!” Felix shouted.
“There’s no trace in the chocolate, love,” Claybourne whispered. Felix screamed wordlessly in frustration. Claybourne was up in a second, pulling him into his arms.
“It has to be there, it has to be.” Felix clung to Claybourne as if the man were his lifeline.
“I’m so sorry, my love. I wanted it to be there, too.” Claybourne stroked Felix’s hair.
“What do we tell them? I can’t go in there and tell them we still haven’t found the cause, Claybourne, I just can’t. This will surely kill them.” Felix cried until he felt like he had no more tears. He pulled back to see Claybourne silently weeping with him. Together they collapsed to the floor in the clinic holding on to one another.
“What do we do?” Felix whispered.
“We’ll call the leaders in first to tell them, and we’ll continue to fight this.” Claybourne kissed the top of Felix’s head.
“Ma doesn’t have much time left,” Felix said.
“I know,” Claybourne admitted.
“Call them. We’ll meet with them in your office. I’ll pull in chairs from the waiting room.” Felix pulled away.
“Thank god you don’t eat that much chocolate,” Claybourne said. Felix’s eyes went wide as he remembered their shopping trip at Bobbles and Things.
“I do, actually, you bought me the last box of the ‘Screw You’ chocolate, remember,” Felix said. Claybourne swallowed hard and pulled Felix into his arms.
“I would take you right now, but I don’t want to hurt the others by having them smell sex on us when their mates lay ill,” Claybourne admitted.
“There will be plenty of time later,” Felix kissed his mate gently. Claybourne stared at his mate.
“Come on, let’s call them. The sooner we do this the better,” Felix said. Claybourne nodded and stood. He reached down and helped his mate to stand.
* * * *
The men sat in stunned silence, crowded around Claybourne’s desk.
“If it’s not the chocolate, I can’t think of anything else it could be,” Bran said, closing his eyes and leaning back in his chair.
“I hate to ask, but are you sure?” Liam said as he leaned over on his knees, his face buried in his hands.
“I’m afraid so. I tested it five times, I was so sure I had missed something,” Claybourne admitted.
“Why are we trying so hard to find the cause, why aren’t we looking for a cure?” Kent asked logically. Felix shook his head.
“We have tried treating this with epinephrine. It has no effect. We know nothing about this virus. We plain lucked out that the antiviral has slowed this to a crawl, but that is all that it was. Luck. Without understanding how this virus works, anything we may give a patient as a cure could end up killing them. It may reduce the time they have left from days to hours, we can’t risk it,” Claybourne explained.
“They are dying anyway!” Kent exploded.
“If it were Sebastian, would you want to give him an experimental treatment that may or may not work if you knew there was a possibility that it could kill him? Right now he has days, maybe longer for us to find the source. If we act rashly and without more information we could end up killing a lot of people,” Felix said. Kent pounded his fists on the arms of the chair.
“What do we tell the people?” Gabriel asked.
“The truth. That we are still working on it,” Claybourne said.
“That is a half-truth,” Gabriel countered.
“You saw those people, Gabriel. With just a glimmer of hope, that entire place became stronger. I’m afraid to take that away from them now, at this point in the game, it may be the very thing that breaks them,” Claybourne said quietly.
“Okay at this point we all know what to do to treat the sick. You and Felix work on identifying the source so we can see what this virus is designed to do. If someone gets worse we’ll come get you,” Gabriel said. The men around the office nodded. Gabriel’s eyes softened when he looked at Aleks who was staring off into space.
“Aleks, why don’t you keep Rebecca company? We don’t want her getting bored,” Gabriel said with a sad smile on his face. Aleks looked over to Gabriel and nodded absently.
“Come on, Felix, we have some more foods we can test,” Claybourne said, standing. He turned to the town’s leaders. “Thank you,” he said simply.
“Good luck,” Kent said. Felix nodded and followed Claybourne back to the lab. They would need every ounce of luck they could get.
* * * *
Felix sat back and rubbed his eyes. They had been staring into the bright lights of their microscopes for the past five hours. It was time to take a break.
“Claybourne, break time,” Felix said, hopping down off of his lab stool.
“One more slide.” Claybourne stared down into his eyepiece. Felix simply reached over and unplugged the microscope. Claybourne looked up, about to argu
e, and then slumped forward.
“Okay, a quick break,” he said and groaning as he rolled his shoulders.
They made their way back to the school and to the cafeteria. When they walked in, the men stopped their conversations.
“Any luck, Doc?” Benedict asked. Claybourne shook his head. Everyone stared down into their food.
Felix couldn’t shake the feeling that they were wrong about the chocolate. It all lined up too perfectly. All the samples they had collected were mixed with different testing agents and on slides. He wished he could just get his hands on another untouched sample. Felix froze. He did have a sample. In fact he had a whole box of samples. Felix took a deep breath. He cleared his mind of his intentions and calmed his emotions. He wouldn’t get far if Claybourne caught on. He leaned over to Claybourne.
“Be right back,” he whispered. Claybourne reached up and kissed his hand. Felix kissed his mate tenderly and stood up. He walked into the gym to find his man bag. He knelt down and flipped it open. With shaking hands he pulled out the box of ‘Screw You’ chocolate that Claybourne had bought for him. He opened the box, staring down at the contents. He reached in and grabbed a couple pieces. Before he could change his mind, he popped the pieces in his mouth and chewed. His eyes filled with tears as he resisted the urge to spit it out. He swallowed hard, scared by what he may have done. He replaced the lid and walked back into the cafeteria. Silently he sat back down next to his mate, placing the box of chocolates on the table.
Claybourne was talking with Liam about getting more supplies into town when Rian noticed the tears on Felix’s face. Kent, Gabriel, Caleb, and Aleks were absent, sitting with their mates, while the others took time out of nursing to regroup and plan.
“Felix?” Rian asked. Felix looked up at his friend before glancing down at the box.
“No!” Rian yelled, swiping his hand across the table, sending it flying to the floor. Rian raced around the end of the table to sit next to Felix.
“You said it was safe. It was safe right?” Rian begged, looking at Claybourne.