Page 35 of Forsaken Devotion: Part 2
He breathed out in jagged pumps.
“Can you please call Melodie?” I asked Robert as he caught his breath. The imprint of Lucian’s hand remained around his throat. Still nodding, he left.
I turned back to Lucian. Rage filmed his eyes.
“I won’t lose you again,” he bit out. He didn’t seem fully present.
“Stop being so difficult.” I wiggled my wrist, but he didn’t let me go. “I won’t go anywhere,” I gasped in exasperation.
Yet. I wouldn’t go anywhereyet.
A light knock came at the door.
“Come in,” I called. Melodie entered with a tray in hand.
“I’m here to change his bandage.”
“Thanks,” I offered and moved to the side. Melodie hurried to the opposite side, set the tray down, and got to work.
“I’m upping his pain med dosage too,” she announced.
I kept my attention fixed on the mattress as Melodie lifted the stained bandage. Lucian watched me steadily. Even though I wasn’t looking at him, his gaze was a familiar caress.
How dare he?
Dragging in a breath, I couldn’t face my anger or guilt or sadness because I would fall apart, and I needed to be here to help him.
A sharp pang sliced through my chest, traveling down to my stomach. Melodie’s bare arm, where her sleeve was bunched, touched Lucian.
Her contact with his skin wasn’t as agonizing as it would have been if we had not claimed each other. It caused a dull pain in our bond, like the start of a stomach ache, but it was easy toignore. After the crinkle of a wrapper, she carefully stretched a fresh gauze over the split skin at his side. It was where his broken rib had sliced through his flesh. She smoothed the edges and began to collect all the garbage into the bin.
“Can I talk to you outside?” she whispered.
“Don’t leave,” he grumbled, keeping such a tight hold on my hand. A soft snore left his parted lips. The meds had hit his system.
I tried to slide my hand out, but he clamped it harder. I winced and shook my head at Melodie.
“It’s okay.” She kept her voice low. “We need him to stay for at least a week to monitor the healing.” She licked her lips. “I hate to ask this of you, but Alpha won’t do as we ask, and you’re the only one he listens to . . .”
I knew what she was getting at.
I sighed and nodded.
“Thank you, Luna.” Her eyes brightened with gratitude. “I’ll bring you everything you’ll need.” She picked up the tray with the items from the procedure and left the room. Leaving me with the soft snores of my mate.
His face was so . . . attractive. His elegance and the stiff features all came together to create a beautiful, aristocratic man. The Moon gave him an unfair advantage.
Even as his body visibly relaxed into the mattress, his grip around my wrist didn’t loosen. I didn’t want to risk him waking up, so I perched on the edge of the chair.
I had gotten him into this situation; I owed it to him for getting me away from Gideon Drake.
This was the least I could do. It had nothing to do with loving him, just with guilt.
I tipped my head up,the water dripping down my almost completely healed face. The clinic shower wasn’t too bad, but what I was getting tired of were the scrubs.
The last week had been much of the same. Lucian, delirious, with his consciousness fading in and out. He was drugged up to the max to help with his pain. And also, to stop him from moving around too much and trying to kill people.
Lucian was so fucking trigger-happy. His temper was crazy, too. I hadn’t realized just how unhinged he was because he hardly showed me this side of him, but the staff and Alex didn’t seem surprised.
