Emma bit her lip. “There’s more to a mating than sex and an exchange of bodily fluids. It’s a bonding of some sort beyond the physical and one we can’t quantify or understand, really.”

Grace plucked at the blanket beneath her legs. “What if I take the virus to negate the bond? It’ll speed up the process, and then maybe I’d be okay? The slow unravelling is too hard to experience.”

Emma shook her head. “I really don’t know. If you ended up human again, then you might be fine, or you might end up in a coma again, since that was the state you experienced before being mated.” She looked at Faith, who just sat still, shock on her face.

Adare swallowed. “Absolutely not. We’ll mate completely this time.” To him, the answer was so simple.

So when Emma blanched, he nearly stood. “Well now, that’s a problem,” she murmured. “Since you half mated, for lack of a better term, Grace’s system has developed antibodies to yours, and basically her cells have defied you, while yours are on the attack. It’d be a war inside her, and I can’t tell you what would happen. She might survive or you might kill her.”

“That’s why I didn’t tell you,” Grace said, facing him directly. “There’s nothing you can do.”

* * * *

It didn’t take an empath to decipher the multitude of emotions bombarding Grace from every direction in the room. Faith was concerned and angry, Emma was concerned and confused, and Adare was just out and out pissed off. She might as well take advantage of the fact she was looking all helpless on a hospital bed. “I’m sorry I lied to everyone, but there wasn’t anything anyone could do, and I had a few things to take care of before ending up here.”

Faith patted her arm. “It’s okay, Gracie. We’ll figure it out.”

“We will,” Emma said, obviously trying to sound encouraging.

Adare didn’t say a word. Just stared at her with those deep black eyes, his jaw clenched so hard he had to be getting a migraine.

Grace swallowed. “I’ve given this a lot of thought, and the unraveling is happening no matter what I do. I think the best option is to take the virus and end up human again.” Then she could figure out where to go from there. If she was in a coma again, then there wasn’t anything to do. If not, she’d proceed.

Adare tilted his head. “You’re a Key, Grace. That’s how you survived the coma initially.” His voice was silky and thoughtful, rough and dangerous.

Grace’s abdomen warmed and her heart rate picked up. Big time.