Chapter 27

Remi opened her eyes slowly, when the light hit, it was like a thousand starbursts exploded inside her retinas. She closed them again. Pascal was a very bad vampire for feeding her his new concoction. She’d have to spike his blood with rat poison. It wouldn’t kill him, but it would make him suffer for a few hours.

Carefully she rolled to her side, feeling for the edge of the bed. At some point, she was going to have to look at the clock and see if she was late. Her stomach churned, all she could think was if she threw up it might moisten her tongue enough to free it from where it was stuck in mouth. It felt like she was still moving, or was that the bed? Why was the bed moving? Please if it’s an earthquake let the ceiling fall on me because, under no circumstance, am I going to get out of this bed quickly.

An arm rested across her shoulder and her heart jumped inside her chest.

“Drink.”

It was Darien and he was placing a water bottle to her lips.

“Drink.” His deep voice rumbled next to her ear. Even his voice, which usually she could listen to forever, hurt.

The first sip hit her stomach like a stone. She paused to make sure it was going to stay down. Opening her mouth again she took another sip. Her poor, dry mouth wasn’t complaining as that awful taste rinsed away, so her stomach could just get over it and stop churning.

“Think you can manage a few painkillers? I’ll get Naddy to make her remedy as soon as she comes in.”

If it meant the throbbing behind her eyes would stop, she was willing to try anything. She nodded, at least she hoped she’d managed to move enough that he’d give her the pills.

Remi swallowed, then waited several seconds until she caught her breath. Who knew swallowing was such hard work? “You conned me last night.”

Darien’s deep chuckle came from beside her head. “I did not.”

Taking a few slow breaths, she remembered, for the most part, everything she’d done the night before. “I threw myself at you,” she swallowed slowly, “and you put me in bed, alone.”

The bed moved and she felt the heat from his body next to her. His hand rested on her hip as his breath brushed over her cheek. “I am more than willing to give you what you were after last night, now,” he brushed the hair back from her face, but she still refused to open her eyes, “but not while you’re wasted, sweetheart.”

She felt the pillow move as he put his head on it. “You stayed with me.”

“I wanted to make sure you were all right.” He sighed. “I’m pretty sure I’m partially responsible for your overindulgence last night.”

Even with her brain exploding, she couldn’t push the blame off on him. “You didn’t hold me and pour it down my throat.”

“I didn’t need to.”

Remi licked her dry lips. “It’s the bad vampire’s fault.”

Darien chuckled. “I’ll be sure to tell him.” He sighed. “Actually, he’s the one that told me to let you blow off some steam. I wanted to stop you more than once.”

Turning slowly, she burrowed her face into his chest trying to hide from the way she was feeling. “Next time, save me from myself.” She was happy that his scent didn’t make her feel nauseous, because she was pretty sure she’d just used all the energy she had to roll over. “What time is it?”

“You can sleep some more.” He pulled her further into his body and draped his arm over her waist.

“Am I late?” Not that she could have gotten up if she tried.

“You can sleep some more.”

Curling into his chest, she moaned. “You’re not going to answer me, are you?”

“No.”

If she could open her eyes, she knew she’d see him smiling. “Fine.”

“Remi?” he whispered softly.

“Mmm?”

“I’m sorry for upsetting you and causing last night.”

She focused on his breathing, finding it soothing. “It wasn’t you, Darien.” Even his heartbeat was making her feel better, or as good as she was going to feel right now.

Holding her closer, he rested his head above hers. “Then what?”

Remi listened to his heart for a few beats, trying to reach through the fog in her brain to explain it. “It was everything, Dare.” She swallowed and tried to wet her lips. “Everything from having no parents, no birthdate,” she didn’t know how to tell him, “just everything.”

His hand ran slowly down her back, wiping away the tension as he did. “You may not have parents, sweetheart, but you have family and many that care about you.”

What was she supposed to say to that? Snuggling closer, she rested her face against his throat and lay there listening to him breathe. Later when she wasn’t dying, she would have to think about all of it. To figure out who she was, where she wanted to go. She needed this threat to Serenity to go away. Her life may not have been normal by most people’s standards, but she wasn’t about to let anything change it.

“Remi?”

Darien’s voice was soft and heavy and didn’t hurt anymore to listen to. “Mmm?”

“I love you,” he whispered, so softly she was sure she was imagining it, “everything is going to work out.”

A tear rolled down her cheek. “I love you too, Dare.” Squeezing her eyes tighter, she refused to give in to the emotions that tore at her. When normal life resumed, she was going to have to figure out what to do with Darien and being his mate. What she didn’t know was if she was going to break both their hearts and change everything, or if she was going to be able to be what he wanted.