Page 42 of Love the Way You Lion
“Yup,” I smile. “Help me get the robe off and stuff?”
He gives me a weird look and picks me up, making my world spin as he carries me somewhere. “What robe, baby?”
I look down at myself. “Where the bloody hell did it go? I was wearing it in the other house because it was in my pocket...” I try to remember, pushing myself hard to focus and find real thoughts.
“I’m drawing you a cool bath. That temperature worries me.” He sits me down and dribbles cool water over me. It feels fantastic. “What about the other house?”
“When I was fixing her, I had it on. I can’t seem to figure out where I went wrong or why I can’t get rid of the ‘grr’.”
His eyes widen as he looks at me. There’s panic all over his face, and I do not understand what he’s thinking. “What? What’s going on?”
“Oh, Christ, Deli. The drugs. You had the ball with the drugs in it in your sodding pocket!”
“Ooh,” I coo, everything falling into place. I smack my head, making everything spin again and fall back against the tub. “NowonderI feel like I’m in the electric light parade. Fuck me sideways.”
Before I get my fuzzy head around that, he shakes my shoulders. “Tell me what to do. This could kill the baby! Think.”
“You can, uh—I don’t think you can take them out. You’re not powerful enough. I’m too weak from healing to help you. Maybe...”
“Deli! Maybe what?!” he roars, seeming to lose it all at once.
That is not helping because I’m going to cry again if he doesn’t quit yelling. I can’t help it; I’m scared, too. “Dry me off and we can lie on the bed. Maybe if you drink, you can feel the baby and see if she’s okay.” I blink, mind feeling more fractured and emotional, making it harder than ever to concentrate. “Take a little. Only go deep enough to see her.”
Without a word, he scoops me up and grabs a towel, then has me in the bed within seconds. Sitting me down, he uses the towel and then wraps me in the blankets. Lying down next to me, he growls, “Where?!”
“Quit bloody yelling,” I mutter, feeling a little peeved. I’m trying; can’t he tell I’m trying? “I can’t make my brain work. It’s making me more nervous when you yell, and it’s making it harder to focus because I cry. You can bite anywhere.”
“You think it’s nervous over there? Try my seat, woman.” With that, he lowers his fangs and bites my wrist.
“You won’t cry, though,” I grunt, the sensation always making me react. Sparks and showers of color burst behind my eyes when his fangs sink in and I wriggle. The drugs in my system tickle all my senses and when he bites, I feel stirring, hunger and need. I push it away, determined to focus on Maeve and him. “Did you find her yet?”
He doesn’t respond, trying to sift through my drug-laced blood and muddled mind to find the wee one through our connection.
I reach inside, trying to locate one or both myself. If only I could feel something—anything. I’m so alone and he’s so mad at me and I don’t know what to do. I feel the tears again and I struggle inside, hoping to make contact. Nothing comes through and I sniffle, waiting for him to tell me.
Pulling back, he lets go of my wrist and looks at me. “You’re fine. The wee one is safe. In fact, it seems like she’s not affected at all by anything.”
“Good,” I whisper, closing my eyes as relieved tears cascade down my face. I’ve cried more in the past twenty minutes than I ever have in front of him. “She’s strong that way.”
He glances at me and bares his neck. “Maybe if you feed, it will dilute the poison in you. Maybe you can find us all again,” he chokes a little and I realize that his yelling was coming from fear.
“You think?” I try not to hope, licking my lips.
“You’re drained, you’re drugged, and you’re feral. I don’t have any other ideas. It’s the best I’ve got.”
“Then come here,” I whisper, reaching up to him. Stretching out along my length, he bends and kisses my lips. He offers his neckagain. Pushing up as much as I can, I drag him down with me as I settle. I kiss his mark, murmuring low, “I miss you. I’ve been so scared.” Sliding my fangs into his skin, I feel my head reeling as I drink.
He turns his head and strikes, biting into my mark, and I gasp. I didn’t expect it, but I drink him in as he drinks me in, wiggling close enough to feel sheltered in his arms. I need the touch and I need it to help me shore up our connection. I feel a small brush on our connection, just a wisp, and he gathers me under him, covering me with his body and drinking as deeply as he can. He lifts a little, disapparating the rest of our clothing so our skin is touching and I sigh, the sensation and his warmth helping.
If only this works.
Our bodies move together, and without even a thought, we’re one. Moving together as we drink, I feel the first brushes of our connection coming back. There’s a sound and I realize that it’s getting louder and I hear it. Straining, I wade through all the spider webs in my mind.
~Baby, please, love. Come back to me. I love you so much, my mate, and my only.~
~Please come back to me. I love you so much, my mate, and my only. I can’t survive without you, love. I won’t. I need you. Please, baby.~
I hear him and it’s like fucking angels are singing because, for the first time in almost an hour, Ihearhim.~Baby, please hear me. Oh god, please, I need you. ~
