Page 77 of Lion Conquers All
Without a moment’s hesitation she roared right in his face. Fangs came out. Her eyes changed for sure.Fuck.
Ryder chuckled, ignoring her outburst completely. “We will get you some food soon, love. I promise.”
Mmmm. Good. Food.She was so hungry.
A quick glance at the rearview revealed Gaven’s very pale face.Dammit.Ava stared at the snow-covered road in front of her again and tried to breathe through the hunger induced rage building in her chest.
If this was how it was going to be for the whole pregnancy, she would lose her mind. And the rest of the Tribe probably would too.
32
The next morning…
AARAV
Aarav wet a washcloth with cool water from the bathroom sink and hurried to Connie’s side. His mate was sweating, and her skin was on fire. She was acting like his bite was changing her, but it shouldn’t.
His family wasn’t a royal bloodline. Ivann and Shenn had both been forced by Rivian to bite a human woman. Nothing had happened to them, so Rivian had moved on, satisfied that he and his brothers lacked the ability to change humans.
It shouldn’t be possible. But that’s what was happening to her. He knew the signs. He’d watched it happen to several other women they’d looked after in their pod.
If he’d thought for a second his bite would’ve changed her, he never would’ve. Not without her permission.
He bathed her forehead. “Connie, forgive me. This shouldn’t be happening.”
Her teeth chattered. She closed her eyes and her face twisted with pain. “It hurts, Aarav. Everything burns.”
His chest felt like someone had hollowed it out with a spoon. Her pain was his pain and there had to be something he could do to help, but he didn’t know what. He’d betrayed her. The first time they made love. He’d mated and marked her and now she was suffering because of it.
She writhed in the sheets. A long keening cry whined from her throat.
He pulled on some pants and ran to the living room looking for his phone. Not there. He continued into the kitchen. It was there on the counter from when he’d carried it out and started the coffee machine earlier.
He grabbed it and dialed Katherine.
She was the most likely person to know where Dina and Mira were. Probably still at the cabins. Maybe. He hoped they were back in town by now, it was the next day. He and Connie had spent almost twenty-four hours in bed before she’d started feeling sick.
The line rang several times before it picked up.
“Aarav?” Katherine’s voice was slow and groggy. It was early in the morning. He’d probably woken her up.
“Are Dina and Mira with you? I need them. Please. Something’s wrong with Connie. I think she’s turning, but she shouldn’t be. I’m not of royal blood. She’s hurting and crying and burning up.”
“Hang on. We’ll be right over. They are at the MCC. Knox and I will go get them and be right there.” The line went dead before he could say anything else.
He put the phone down, unlocked the front door, and headed back to the bedroom.
Connie was curled into a ball, her arms wrapped around her middle. Her skin shined with a layer of sweat. The sheets were tangled between her legs. Her gaze flew to meet his and her eyes were glittering with the gold of a Reylean.
What had he done?
“The Magick-Benders are coming,shuarra.Katherine and Knox are on their way with them. I don’t—I can’t—please forgive me.” He climbed up onto the bed and pulled her into his lap. He pulled the blanket up and covered her shivering body. The fever switched back and forth so fast between freezing and being overheated. Her body was in shock.
He was in shock.
“Aarav, it hurts.” The words were whimpered against his chest. “It hurts.” Over and over she begged him to help her.
Tears ran down his cheeks. She was taking the change much harder than others he’d witnessed going through it. “Help is coming. I promise.” He rocked her back and forth in his lap as she cried moaned and begged him for help.
