Free The Vampire's Submissive by Violet Gray Page A

doctor her up. Or, he could take her to the hospital.
Much as he wanted to keep her close by, he knew she might be frightened if she
woke up in his home.
    They were
passing acquaintances, seeing as how he shopped often in Bebe’s. Always at
night. He’d admired her from afar for two years but something about her kept
him from asking her out. Her fragility perhaps. A docile flower like Katy
wouldn’t be comfortable with his dark needs.
    Hospital, he
decided.
    Lifting her
easily into his arms, he held her close, trying not to notice her lush breast
pressed against his chest. Fail. Her thick wavy blonde hair--he’d bet it was
natural--flowed over his arm and down her back. Thank god he’d gotten to her in
time. If that bastard had succeeded in hurting her, Jackson would have spent a
great deal more time killing him. As it was, the sonofabitch was lucky he’d
killed him quick.
    Walking two
streets over and then three more blocks north, the hospital came into view. He
headed straight for the emergency entrance and recognized Kyle Porter, the
night guard. “Kyle, this is Katy Foster. She was attacked in the alley between
Billy’s and the hardware store.”
    “Goddamnit,”
Kyle muttered, holding the door open for Jackson. “Did you catch the guy who
did it?”
    “He got away
while I was checking on her,” Jackson said, the lie rolling off his tongue.
    “The police
will want a statement.”
    “Yeah, I’ll
hang around.” Fisting his hands at his sides, he wished he could kill the demon
all over again.
    The police
came and took his statement, along with his description of her attacker. Should
he go home, or should he wait and see if she needed a ride? Would they keep her
overnight? Was she conscious? The questions crowded his brain but none could
quiet the rage, the innate urge to kill. He needed to talk to Alexander, head
of the vampire council for Mississippi. Alexander needed to know about the
attack as well as the very real possibility that more demons had descended on
the small Southern town. Jackson ran a hand through his mussed dark brown hair.
If only they would tell him something, let him know she was okay.
    “Mr.
Wainwright?” A nurse beckoned him. She led him through a secure door, and he
followed her past several curtained rooms. When she stopped, he drew a subtle
breath. Mixed with the strong odor of antiseptic was Katy’s unique scent.
Wildflowers and a summer breeze.
     “She’s
asking for you,” the nurse said. “It’s against policy seeing as you aren’t
family, but she’s become rather vocal.”
    Katy? Vocal?
That didn’t sound right. She was so soft spoken at the bookshop. “She
recognized me in the alley? I wasn’t sure.”
    “Yes, she knew
you were the one who saved her. She wants to thank you. Since she doesn’t have
any next of kin for us to call, we can have a police officer take her home…”
    “I’ll do it.”
    The nurse
nodded, satisfied Katy would be in good hands, and walked briskly to the desk
in the center of the ER.
    He pulled back
the curtain and stepped inside the small room. Her mouth looked much better now
that the blood had been cleaned off. How he’d managed not to bite her earlier,
he had no idea. Fear and rage must have drowned out the hunger. Plus, he’d
eaten bagged blood a few hours before, so he’d been sated when he found her.
    “Katy?” he
whispered. Her eyes were closed.
    She opened
them and tried to smile. “Ouch,” she said, touching her fingers to her injured
mouth.
    “Are you all
right? Oh, god, that’s a stupid question. Of course, you’re not all right.
You’ve had a terrible scare.”
    “It would’ve
been worse, Jackson, if you hadn’t stopped him. I thought it was you…I wasn’t
certain…I only saw you for a moment and then everything went black. Did you
catch him? The man who tried to…I’m sorry, I can’t say it.”
    He moved to
stand beside her and brushed a curl from her forehead. “You don’t have to say
it, Katy. No, I