Page 78 of Brody
“You.”His thumb traced circles on my wrist, the small point of contact absurdly important.“The clinical expert who’s hard on the outside but so warm and caring on the inside.”
His observation pierced deeper than he could know, cutting through defenses I’d maintained for decades.I pressed my face against his shoulder blade, inhaling the scent that was uniquely him beneath the lingering mineral tang of the COL water.
“Only with you,” I admitted, the words muffled against his skin.“Only ever with you.”
His breathing grew more labored, each inhale a struggle.The venom’s glow moved beneath his skin in time with his heartbeat, concentrating around his spine in a way that made panic rise within me.If it reached his brain stem…
“Brody,” I said, my voice breaking on his name.“Stay with me.Please.”
He tried to respond, but only a groan escaped.His body convulsed, muscles locking in a spasm so severe I feared it would break bones.
My vision tunneled to pinpoints, periphery fading to darkness as every sense focused on his faltering heartbeat beneath my palm.My own lungs seized, breath coming in ragged gasps.Something primal clawed its way up my throat, not a scream but a sound I’d never made before, it was so raw.
My hands shook so violently I could barely maintain my grip on his shoulders.Cold sweat beaded at my temples despite the heat, trickling down my spine in icy rivulets.My body was in full-panic mode, heart racing, sweat breaking out despite the cold, every nerve screaming danger.My brain recognized the signs of pure fear, but that couldn’t explain the hollow feeling spreading through my chest.
The truth detonated in waves, each realization hitting harder than the last.I cared for him.I needed him.
I… God help me, I love him.
I may have always loved him.The admission drove the air from my lungs in a silent scream.
“You can’t die,” I said, the words torn from somewhere deep inside.“I won’t let you.Do you hear me, Brody?You are not allowed to die.”I tightened my arms around him, one hand splaying across his chest directly over his heart.“You are mine.Mine.The venom doesn’t get to have you.”
The declaration vibrated through my bones.Something inside me shattered, the last barrier I’d maintained between us, the final wall of denial.Heat gathered beneath my palm, pinpricks of sensation spreading outward like a thousand tiny needles.
“Fight,” I commanded, the word carrying power I’d never wielded before.“Come back to me.”
Where our skin touched, the venom retreated, golden light chasing poisonous green in visible waves.His back arched, a hoarse cry tearing from his throat—not pain this time, but something else.Release.Relief.
“That’s it,” I urged, instinctively understanding what was happening.The mate bond was neutralizing the venom, my energy flowing into him like an antidote tailored specifically for his biology.
For several minutes, the golden light continued to thrum between us, driving the venom back until its glow was barely visible, contained to the original wound sites.Brody’s breathing gradually steadied, the violent tremors subsiding to occasional shivers.
When he finally spoke, his voice was weak but clear.“Did you just claim me?”
A choked laugh escaped me, relief making me light-headed.“No, you idiot.That was just… first aid.”
He shifted in my arms, turning to face me despite the obvious pain it caused.His eyes, clear now of venom’s influence, searched mine with an intensity that made my breath catch.
“You’re crying,” he observed, reaching up to brush a tear from my cheek.
I hadn’t even realized.“It’s the venom fumes,” I lied.“Irritates the eyes.”
His lips curved in a weak smile.“Right.The venom.”His expression sobered.“It was bad, wasn’t it?”
“You almost died,” I admitted, my voice breaking on the last word.“The venom was targeting your central nervous system, using your pre-feral symptoms as a highway straight to your brain stem.”
His hand found mine beneath the blankets, fingers intertwining.“But you stopped it.”
“The COL water helped,” I said.“And the mate bond appears to have neutralizing properties specific to Fae-created toxins.”
“Rozi,” he said softly, squeezing my hand.“Look at me.”
I did, though it cost me.His eyes held none of the teasing light I’d come to expect, only serious intensity that made my heart stutter.
“I felt it,” he said.“When you called me yours.When you refused to let me die.”
Heat flooded my face.“That was just… instinct.My cheetah…”
