Free Born to Love (The Vampire Reborn Series) (Entangled Ignite) by Caridad Pineiro Page B

question. “Why did Diana tell you?”
    “She wasn’t doing well physically, and I pushed her to tell me because I was worried about her. She finally confessed what he is, and what’s happening with her.”
    “Which is?”
    “The night of the raid when she was shot, she was contaminated with Ryder’s vampire blood,” she explained, earning only a partial thaw in the chill of David’s tone.
    “You’re telling me that saved her?”
    Maggie nodded. “Her wounds should have been fatal,” she said, and continued with her explanation at David’s confused look. “The contamination seems to have kept her from dying then, but after that…the vampire cells started to take over. They were slowly killing her, until the baby came along.”
    “A vampire baby?” he asked with an arch of his blond brow.
    “I don’t think anyone knows what it will be…or if she’ll even survive long enough to carry it to term.”
    David shook his head with sharp staccato movements. “You’re not telling me she’s dying. I won’t believe that,” he said, and despite his earlier anger, his fear for his old partner and friend could not be missed.
    “She may be dying, David,” Maggie said, and reached out to touch his fingers with hers. “We don’t know if the contamination will kick in again. We don’t even know why the baby’s helped, or how long the reprieve will last.”
    “That’s nuts,” he said, most of his anger spent, but not all. “What about you, Maggie? What’s going to happen to you?”
    Maggie’s mind traveled back to what she had seen happen to Rafe tonight. To the pain and violence as the human had been stolen away by the beast she was certain had bitten her the night before. An animal that had possibly killed and eaten another human.
    “I don’t know, David. Everything’s changed in just one night.”
    “I know the feeling well, Maggie.” Anguish dripped from every word, and it was impossible to miss his meaning. But it was equally impossible for her to understand. Not yet. Although she suspected that in time she would.
    “Will you hold me? I don’t want to be alone tonight.” Or any other night . But she didn’t say that. It was too soon. And things were still too uncertain.
    After a moment of hesitation, David relented. He pushed off the arms of the wheelchair and used his legs to scoot onto the bed. He yanked off his shoes, then slipped off his suit jacket and shoulder harness.
    She watched as, with a powerful shove with his arms and less coordinated movements with his legs, he worked his way to the center of the bed where she waited. He lay down stiffly next to her, his body rigid. With a sigh, she tucked herself against his side. He finally relaxed, brought his arm around her, and hugged her close.
    “It’ll be okay, Maggie,” he said.
    She knew he was being sincere, however awkward. Funny words coming from him, really. It was exactly what she’d been telling him for so long.
    She just hoped she would be better at accepting comfort than he’d been.
    …
    David lay awake long after Maggie had drifted off into an uneasy sleep, her limbs occasionally twitching and shifting against him as he held her. He soothed her with a gentle stroke of his hand along her back.
    He was halfway asleep himself when her body jumped and she woke with a soft cry, shaking all over. Her eyes were wide with fear.
    Gathering her face in his hands, he said, “It’s okay, Mags. It was just a bad dream.”
    Only it wasn’t, and they both knew it.
    “I can’t stop thinking about…about what happened to him. What’ll happen to me.” Her eyes filled with tears.
    “We’ll find a way to stop it. And if not—”
    She grabbed his arms, almost desperate. “Help me forget, David. If only for this one night, help me forget.” Before he could even think to respond, she kissed him.
    God, it had been so long, and he wanted her so much. His body went rock hard just from her kiss, and it was impossible for her not to feel