Page 112 of Heart of the High King
Chapter 44
When lunch rolled around Rafe was tired of the inactivity, though his body was hardly up to anything other than lumbering around the room on inflamed joints. His spirit and energy, however, were slowly increasing as disease and injury no longer dragged him down. Rafe doubted he had mentally or emotionally embraced the abrupt change in his circumstance, but he was trying. Dr. Suricata had confirmed that she believed the swelling was stable and no longer increasing, which relieved Rafe as it meant he would go home in the morning.
Refusing to consider the weirdness of returning to D’Vaire as Aleksander’s bonded mate, he had no real idea of what to expect. They hadn’t planned on combining their souls, and they’d spent more time apart than together. It was something he would’ve loved to speak to Aleksander about, but the High King had yawned through the lunch his dukes brought to him, then promptly fell into a deep sleep.
“We should probably wake him,” Mac said.
“What for? He was up most of the night,” Worth retorted.
“Yeah, but if he sleeps all afternoon, he’s not going to be able to get any rest tonight.”
“Give him a poke, Rafe,” Worth instructed. “Mac’s right.”
Rafe shook his head. “It’s fine.”
“He’s supposed to be keeping you company anyway,” Brogan said, walking over and nudging Aleksander’s shoulder, which had zero effect on the dragon.
“Good luck,” Dravyn remarked with arms crossed. “He’s always slept like the dead.”
“I think he loses his paragon status for falling asleep when he should be caring for his mate,” Worth commented.
“I’m fine, though,” Rafe argued.
“Are you not in a hospital?” Worth demanded.
“Well, yeah, but I’m probably well enough to go home. They are just being overly cautious.”
“If the doctor thinks this is where you belong, there’s a reason.”
“I say he could be relaxing in the comfort of our house and eating better food,” Brogan interjected.
“You’re just bitter about being separated from your mate,” Mac answered.
“No, obviously I’d prefer to be with Dra’Kaedan, but it’s also safer for Aleksander and Rafe to be at home.”
“Well, if big brother here is going to lay about like a giant slug, it’s up to us to entertain Rafe. We’ve got board games and cards. What do you prefer?” Worth asked.
“I haven’t played anything, really.”
“Have no fear. We’ll teach you,” Worth replied, picking up a deck of cards. Dravyn’s phone rang, and he stepped into the adjoining room.
“I guess he wants privacy to make kissy face with Killian,” Mac snarked.
“You cooed at Idris and Roger for a full thirty minutes earlier,” Worth pointed out.
“At least wewantto be mated,” Brogan stated. “Unlike some people in the room.”
“I’ve rethought the idea that I wish to be alone,” Worth argued.
“You didn’t want a mate?” Rafe asked.
Worth stared at him, and even though his face was so similar to Aleksander’s, Rafe couldn’t read his expression. “I’ve dreamed of being with my mate since I was in my teens, but recent events had me terrified of everything that can go wrong.”
Rafe’s attention went to his hands. “Because I left Aleksander?”
The door that separated the two-room hospital suite was pushed open. “Rafe, we’ve got someone who wants to say hello to you,” Dravyn said, giving Rafe his phone.
On the small screen was a waving Noirin. “Hey, how’re you feeling?”
