Starlight Read online

  And he took them out with the surgical precision he used at work, not causing excess pain unless they really deserved it.

  Like that man a few years back that had tried to kidnap Ada.

  Ada was too sweet sometimes, and her light made her a constant target for darkness. Theo had stood up for her several times with creepers or patients that got the wrong idea.

  Would someone do that for her at her new hospital?

  He clenched his fists, hating the mere idea of it. Ada somewhere else with another doctor. Ada smiling at another man as they went on a date somewhere, the way Theo never could.

  Theo knew he couldn’t have anything more than that. He’d known not to be that greedy.

  Yet sometimes, like now as he pictured her in another man’s arms, he definitely wanted more.

  He wanted to date her. Wanted to give her what she was moving on to look for. If she was going to date someone, why not him?

  Because he was a nightmare monster; that was why.

  But if he was going to lose her anyway, stop being able to help people and go back to the darkness, what did it hurt to try?

  Was there a way to have more with her but stay separate?

  He supposed it was worth a shot. He’d tried everything else, and staying separate hadn’t stopped her from leaving.

  He’d been nothing but professional, and it hadn’t benefitted him at all.

  But what had he thought? That her being his scrub nurse would last forever? That he’d be able to keep her at his side yet at a comfortable distance for all time?

  He saw now that it was impossible and unfair to her as well.

  Could she want him like that if he asked her? They could at least start with a date, right? Sometimes he felt her looking at him with utter lust, even if she hid it better than the other nurses, both male and female.

  But how did he feel about her?

  Thinking about her lush, curvy body, pretty hair, whether it was curly or straightened, warm brown eyes, and full lips gave his body an instant response.

  Yes, he wanted her. Of course he would. Who wouldn’t?

  Ada was everything. A pure ball of light that drew darkness to it, and as someone who consumed darkness, why not him?

  But there were so many other things that drew him. How kind she was. How sexy. How brave, standing up to him and telling him where to shove it when everyone else was afraid to.

  The mercy he constantly saw in her eyes, the compassion, even toward someone like him.

  He rubbed his jaw thoughtfully.

  Ada might be right about there being another nurse out there who could help him. Maybe there was another being with that much light. But for some reason, that didn’t satisfy him.

  If it wasn’t her, it was meaningless.

  It took him a while to process that fact, and hours later, as he stared into the darkness, it all dawned on him with a sense of surreal shock.

  He had feelings for her. Maybe for some time. Was that why he’d saved her sister, even though back then he’d been a total bastard?

  Even the first day he’d met her, he hadn’t been able to stand her tears.

  But how could someone be that affected in one moment?

  Was it just the draw of the nightmare to the light or something much more?

  If he listened, deep inside himself, to feelings he usually pretended didn’t exist, he could feel something there. Something warm and painful, more sharp and real and enduring than hope.

  Was it what humans described as love?

  And if it was love, what did he do with it?

  He went to the window and looked out, feeling the oncoming transformation into a monster as the moon glared down from high in the sky.

  As horns grew out of his head, he knew he’d figured out the truth about Ada, and the irony wasn’t lost on him at all.

  He’d told his brothers he would never make the stupid mistake of falling for a human.

  He was actually the one in love with a human all along.

  * * *

  “Morning, Ada,” Jenny, her co-worker, said cheerily as Ada passed her down the hall toward her workstation.

  Ada waved back, feeling drained after last night’s odd turn of events.

  Theo had been at her house. He’d practically thrown everything but himself at her in the hopes of making her stay at the hospital.

  Theo never begged anything of anyone, ever. He was as aloof as a statue at Notre Dame, for all Ada knew of the overconfident doctor.

  She pulled her purse a little higher on her shoulder, preparing herself for another day with the incorrigible man, when she heard excited murmuring coming from farther down the hall. For a moment, she wondered what was happening, but then the aroma of fresh-cut flowers waved over her, dizzying her senses.

  She turned the corner and didn’t believe what she saw.

  At her desk (or rather, engulfing her desk) she witnessed a dizzying assortment of flowers from top to bottom.

  Bright arrangements in white and yellow and orange, vases packed with long-stemmed roses, boxes in bright-red colors full of chocolates and who knew what else, and stuffed animals of varying shapes and sizes littered the entirety of her workplace.

  What the heck was going on?

  To the left, a couple of her co-workers were gossiping gleefully, and both of them gave her expectant glances as she tried to make sense of the whole thing.

  “Someone’s got a special someone she hasn’t told us about,” Tammy said, grinning from ear to ear.

  “Who are these from?” Ada asked, throwing her palms up as she tried to move a gigantic vase chock full of sunflowers and peonies currently covering her keyboard so she could sign in.

  “I don’t know, but clearly they’re into you. I didn’t know you were dating someone,” another co-worker chimed in. Pretty soon, the entire surgery wing would be hearing about this.

  Just great.

  In annoyance and curiosity, she snatched the nearest bouquet, a dozen roses wrapped in glittering red cellophane, and pulled the tiny card from the center of it.

  For someone special. Please be mine.

  Ada didn’t even have to see the name at the bottom to recognize the near-indecipherable handwriting.

  Of course he would even resort to this to keep her from leaving. Why wouldn’t he? Theo thought the world revolved around him, so why should she have any say in the matter?

  But even as Ada stomped toward Theo’s office, roses still in hand, she couldn’t help wondering where this was all coming from. Sure, last night had been a weird fluke. But this? It was way too much.

  She knocked on the closed door, then decided to screw propriety and let herself in.

  Theo, who’d been sitting at his desk, instantly rose to greet her, something Ada wasn’t sure she’d ever seen once in all her years working with the disagreeable doctor.

  “What exactly are you trying to pull?” she demanded, pointing the bouquet at him in accusation.

  Theo, calm and still showing no emotion, came from behind the desk and stepped forward, pushing the door shut behind her.

  “I’d rather not have the entire hospital listening to our—”

  “Answer my question!” she spat, the aroma of flowers still in her nostrils annoying her more with each second.

  Theo just folded his arms, looking down at her with his cool, icy-blue gaze for a moment, as if collecting his thoughts. She tried not to look at the way his powerful biceps bunched beneath the thin material of his silk shirt, the way his pecs pressed against the fitted buttons, and instead reminded herself of how much cleanup she had to do before she could finally get back to work.

  “I can’t lose you, Ada.” His voice was calm, sincere. Atypical of someone who wore disdain and dismissiveness like a glove.

  “What do you mean? As a nurse? Yeah, right.” Ada scoffed. She was a good nurse, for sure. But she wasn’t the only scrub nurse in the country.

  Maybe the only one who could put up with Theo’s antics? Su
re. But that wasn’t going to be her problem much longer.

  “No, I mean you.” He leaned in closer as he said it, his clean, masculine scent mixing with the flowers into a heady, powerful aroma.

  Ada’s heart wanted to leap out of her chest. But in her mind, all she could see was betrayal.

  “Funny that all of this is suddenly coming out now that I’m leaving. How convenient.” She turned her lips down in a frown, looking up at him defiantly.

  At that, Theo’s gaze intensified, and he came forward, pressing one palm into the door at her side, making a thump sound and trapping her as his huge body surrounded her everywhere. His eyes were like a clear winter sky, full, dark lashes accentuating their color.

  “No, it’s not convenient. Convenient would be letting you go on your way, Ada. But I can’t do that. I want you.”

  Ada unceremoniously threw the bouquet of still-damp flowers into his face, and he backed away a step.

  For a split second, she’d wanted to kiss him. Had wanted to fulfill the fantasy her heart had been unable to abandon for years.

  But it wasn’t enough to do all of this when she was leaving. When her plans had already been set in motion.

  When her heart had already decided to finally give up.

  She fumbled for the door handle a moment, then swung it open, exiting and striding down the hall as quickly as she could.

  Theo didn’t say anything as she left, contrary to his typical self. Instead, he just watched with folded arms, face moist, errant red petals and green leaves clinging to his clothes, surrounded by a halo of discarded roses at his feet.

  She tromped back to her desk, and when her co-workers saw her, they thankfully gave her space. A particularly large, soft-looking teddy bear occupied her chair, and she shoved it aside angrily and took her seat.

  For several minutes, she just ran her hands through her hair, trying to relieve the growing tension in her scalp and attempting to set aside her annoyance so she could focus on the job.

  Theo couldn’t possibly know how much pain he was causing, suddenly offering her everything she had wanted for so long, but now only so she would stay here as a nurse and so he could keep his job.

  Ada had known Theo was selfish from the first week she’d worked with him. But the absolute audacity of this stunt was astounding. Of course none of this was real. It was just a manipulation to get what he wanted.

  She pushed her chair forward and logged into her computer, looking at the schedule.

  It was going to be a long day.

  Chapter 5

  Three Years Earlier

  “Good night, Theo.” Ada’s voice was quiet as she poked through the door leading into Dr. Lancaster’s office.

  Theo was focused on a computer screen, finger tapping on his desk as his dark-blue eyes scanned something intently. His dark hair was slightly mussed from a long day of consultations and visits, and generally, he retired to his office like this, wanting to be undisturbed.

  It was hard not to want to linger in the doorway a few seconds longer, watching the way the light from the monitor reflected in his eyes, brightening his gaze. His jaw was slightly tightened as he read, lips pursed, accentuating their fullness.

  Moments like this made Ada wonder how even she managed to keep things professional around Dr. Lancaster.

  “Either come in or close the door,” Theo said drily, sounding a little annoyed, his gaze not rising to meet hers.

  Maybe that was why.

  Ada took a step in. It always felt oddly cold here in his office.

  “Just stopping by to say good night. Can I get you anything before I head out? Coffee maybe?” she asked. Theo finally looked up at her, and his expression relaxed slightly.

  Even the absence of a frown on his too-perfect face made Ada’s heart squeeze in her chest.

  “Thank you for the offer, but no.” He paused for a second, looking up at her, face expressionless.

  What Ada would give to read his mind right now.

  In all reality, his thoughts probably had zero to do with her and everything to do with tomorrow’s scheduled surgeries. Just because she couldn’t help crushing on him, it didn’t mean he regarded her as anything more than a nurse doing her job.

  “All right. I’m going to head out, then. Night.”

  “Good night, Ada.” He gave a casual wave, making the muscles in his forearms flex, and Ada turned for the door.

  She had the newest episode from her favorite show waiting for her back home.

  “Drive safe,” Ada heard Theo say from behind her, and she turned over her shoulder at the doorway to catch one more glimpse. He was already turned back to the monitor, little clicks coming from his desk as he typed something. “And close the door on your way out.”

  She did so, shutting the heavy wood door behind her, and made her way down the hallway leading out of the offices and into the main hospital floor.

  She was already several hours past her normal shift, so the hospital was quiet. Most of the lights were off, lending a spooky atmosphere as she passed the closed-up gift shop and pharmacy before making a left, heading toward the parking lot.

  She could hear voices at the far end, probably some people lost, heading for one of the other wings as she swiped her ID badge and the employee door opened.

  A blast of cool air washed over her as she walked out into the employee lot. On her right, the new multi-story parking structure rose above her, fluorescent lights blazing, and Ada thanked her lucky stars Theo had secured her one of the coveted private spots in the much-closer lot here a year back.

  “Now you can’t use getting a bad parking spot as an excuse to be late,” he’d said then.

  Ada sighed to herself. Incorrigible.

  On her left, she passed the spaces nearest the hospital, those reserved for board members or doctors the hospital was trying to schmooze. Filling an entire car-sized spot, Ada saw a silver-and-black motorcycle sitting squarely in the center. On the side, the word “Ducati” gleamed in the yellow lights of the parking lot, and Ada shook her head as she walked past.

  A surgeon who rode a motorcycle. The irony of it was unending.

  But Ada knew he was competent. At least, if he was half as good at riding as he was at being a doctor, he would be just fine.

  Most of the rest of the spaces were vacant at this time of night, though, and by the time she reached her old red Civic at the back end, she couldn’t help but feel a shiver of something odd as she fumbled for her keys.

  Maybe it was just an earlier fall frost coming on. The weather around here had always been unpredictable anyway.

  “Hey.”

  A man’s voice cut through the quiet night like a dagger, and Ada whirled around to face the sound, her back to her car.

  In the dim light from the closest lamppost, she saw a middle-aged man wearing a leather coat and blue jeans. His face was peppered with a five o’clock shadow, and his brown hair was short and somewhat mussed. His dark-brown eyes looked tired, but he otherwise looked fairly well kept.

  She let out a sigh of relief. Probably just another nurse or staff member coming out to their car. Maybe their battery was dead.

  But when he came closer, saying nothing, Ada’s fingers went cold. It wasn’t until she looked down, noting with horror a blade several inches long in his hand, pointed directly at her, that her entire body went icy.

  “I don’t want trouble, miss. Just give me your keys and your purse.”

  Holy shit, what was happening?

  She tried to remember what sorts of things one was supposed to do in these situations, but it was hard to focus through the haze of adrenaline as she tried to plan her next move.

  The man was already only a few feet from her. If she did something like throw her keys, would he get angry and retaliate?

  Theo wouldn’t be leaving yet, not for another hour or two. He was a creature of habit, always staying until a half hour or so until midnight, then leaving in a hurry.

  And it was onl
y 9:30.

  Knowing that a few belongings and a car were a small price to pay for her life, Ada stuffed her keys in her purse and tossed it lightly onto the ground. The mugger leaned down, keeping the knife pointed forward as he grabbed the purse and stood back up.

  Ada wished for the first time that she’d had to park in the stupid, state-of-the-art structure that was both better lit and probably had things like security cameras, unlike the old doctor’s lot here on the south side of the hospital.

  “That’s everything I have,” Ada said reassuringly, waving her hands and taking a step to the side, backing away.

  But the mugger didn’t take the bag and run. Instead, his eyebrows turned down slightly, and he advanced on her.

  Why wasn’t he just letting her go?

  Ada’s mind screamed at her to run, to go for help. But her legs wouldn’t work. And before she could react quickly, she felt her arm wrenched by a rough hand as he pulled her into his side. A split second later, a telltale point dug into the side of her light jacket.

  “Just act natural.” His voice was deep, gruff. Pure evil.

  Ada tried to pull away, but his grip was like iron, the knife digging into her side slightly with even the slightest movement.

  He turned them toward the far corner of the lot, and she saw a tan pickup parked there she’d never seen before.

  During the day, security enforced the private lot to ensure nobody without the proper badge came here. But at this time of night, the hospital was quiet, with the exception of the ER.

  She had no choice but to walk forward, prodded by the fear of death or worse. Ada’s mind raced with ideas, any way to prevent the inevitable. But if she screamed, she somehow knew this man wouldn’t hesitate to do her in.

  During her time as a nurse in various wards, she’d run into a lot of different people. Junkies, abusers, criminals. Nothing compared to the icy, soulless hate she felt from her attacker now.

  They were almost at the truck when Ada heard footsteps behind them, moving quickly but no faster than a brisk walk. Her attacker heard them, too, and he whirled her around to face the sound.

  “Be normal. Or else,” he said low. The knife dug into her side, and her entire body braced, going still.