Page 138 of Heart of the High King
“That facial expression isn’t helping matters, but you’re right.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll explain when I have an opportunity to demonstrate my point.” Aleksander strode to him and lifted Rafe’s chin to drop a kiss on his mouth, making him smile. “I’m going to grab a shower.”
“Okay, I’m going to go raid your closet.”
“Have fun. Say hi to my skeletons.”
With a roll of his eyes, Rafe left his mate to bathe and wandered back into their suite. Picking up the pajamas from the floor, he tugged them on and then made the bed as Mortis padded in.
“Good morning, buddy.”
“Outside?”
“Yep. Give me a minute to steal one of Sander’s shirts and grab a hoody. I got a weird-ass mark on my neck to cover up.”
“Rafe hurt?”
“Nah, I’m guessing you don’t sense anything either,” Rafe replied, ruffling Mortis’s fur while the pair strolled into Aleksander’s closet. Unlike Rafe’s, which had next to nothing inside since he’d yet to shop for anything, Aleksander’s was filled with all kinds of shirts, pants, and suits as well as several pairs of shoes. Smiling as Aleksander’s scent hit his nose—Rafe was shit at describing it but thought of it as woodsy. “I need a button-down. He’s got like a million.”
“Aleksander always look nice.”
“While my style has been described as ‘deranged holiday tree,’ ” Rafe snarked. “Okay, I like this white one with the thin blue and black stripes.”
“It make Rafe look nice.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Rafe grabbed the hanger and carried it into his closet. Hanging it up to change into after breakfast, he pulled his hoody on, careful to conceal the weird-ass spot on his neck. “Of course, he’s taller and broader than me, so it’s not going to fit right, but what can I do, right?”
“Gain weight.”
“You’re a wolf, what the hell do you know about my right weight?” Rafe asked as they left the bedroom to head outdoors. “You’ve been listening to Sander. Don’t do that.”
“Rafe funny.”
Kendrick’s stare was intense as Rafe walked through the kitchen, but he ignored his brother and took his wolf outside. Although Rafe was genuinely sorry for the decisions he’d made, he wasn’t sure he was ready to take on the task of trying to apologize to the entire D’Vaire clan. Rafe needed more time to adjust to his new life, and he had ghosts from his past that still needed to be put to rest, but someday he would find a way to make amends.
∞∞∞
Being in a hospital was nothing new for Rafe, but that didn’t mean he liked it. Sitting on an examination table while five D’Vaires sat in the room with him, they waited for Dr. Suricata and her human friend Dr. Park to show up. Rafe’s blood had already been drawn for his tests.
“Is that Aleksander’s shirt?” Brogan asked.
“Yeah,” Rafe replied.
“I only ask because it’s kind of big on you. If you ask Larissa, I bet she could help you figure out your right size.”
“Dear, he can wear what he wants,” Saura chided.
“I’m just trying to help a guy out,” Brogan argued.
“You do need to buy new clothes,” Aleksander told him. “You don’t have many.”
“I know, but they’re already tight. No sense in buying a bunch of shit when my weight’s going to go up.”
“He’s never worn Aleksander’s stuff before,” Brogan muttered.
Rafe’s eyes met Aleksander’s, and his mate just shrugged. Brogan would find out soon enough the strange spot the collar of Aleksander’s shirt was concealing. The door opened, the two doctors walked in, and Rafe let out a mental sigh of relief when he saw their smiles. Familiar with Dr. Suricata, it was obvious to him that it was a genuine one and not the type she wore when she was trying to remain upbeat when she gave him shitty news.
