You so strong
My throat was raspy. Every time I talked, it ached like hundreds of needles were shoved inside my neck. I didn’t think I’d been awake for days. Every time the sun rose, I fell asleep and the next time my eyes opened, it was dark. The days went on in a blur, merging into one another in a haze of sickness.
Estella came in regularly, bringing me food and medicines. It helped—a lot, more than what my mate could offer.
By the end of the fourth day, I was better. The pain subsided and my throat was finally at ease. I could speak without sharp stabs of agony. But even then, I felt my head burning.
The next morning, I walked to the kitchen myself from the room I was in. It was better than the prisoning tower. The sheets were a lot softer and the room was warm, and it wasn’t so lonely down here.
"You should've stayed in bed. I would've gotten you breakfast," Estella turned away from the stove and to me.
"How are you feeling today?"
"A lot better. You take such good care of me and I should thank you for that." I leaned against the counter, taking in deep breaths. The air was refreshing as I hadn’t left the room in days.
"Oh, that's not needed." Her cheeks turned red as she responded to me.
I eagerly took a seat at the kitchen table, my appetite returning along with my health. The aroma of food filled the air, forcing me to indulge as soon as it was going to be on the table. However, despite my best efforts, my mind kept wandering back to my mate. Lucien. He had taken over my mind.
I could feel his weight on my head, as if he was just sitting on it, refusing to leave.
"You're a strong woman. I had good faith you would bounce back in no time," Estella said, cutting me out of my thoughts. "Now, now, eat up and if you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask me. I'm right here."
I stared down at the food on the table. My stomach grumbled. It was more than enough for me. Raising my head, I smiled at her before grabbing a knife and a fork. As I savored each bite, I contemplated my next move now that I was all better and alive. It would have been easier if my mate gave me his blood five days ago.
But he chose not to. For whatever reason he had.
Just as I thought of the devil, he walked in. There was a look of surprise on his face as he reached the table where I was seated and leaned against the polished wood.
"Look who's all better now. I didn't expect you to recover so quickly. It was rather peaceful to not hear your loud voice for a couple of days," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
I narrowed my eyes at him, a flicker of annoyance appearing over my face. "No thanks to you."
"Oh, come now, Aurora. You didn't actually think I would offer my precious blood to heal you, did you?
Where's the fun in that?" He walked away from the table and went to the side. For a moment, I believed he was gone until he was right behind me with his one hand over my shoulder.
Leaning in, he quickly whispered into my ear. "Maybe your sickness was a punishment for betraying your mate."
I pushed his hand away from my shoulder. "I did not betray you."
A smile spread over his face as he straightened behind me. "Mhm." With only that, he turned away from me and walked further into the kitchen.
I placed my hands down on the table and glanced over my shoulder while my hunger disappeared. He met with Estella and she handed him a glass of blood. It was red and definitely blood. With glee, he took it from her.
My stomach churned at the sight of him raising the glass to his lips, taking a slow, deliberate sip of the blood.
It was unusual and odd to see someone drinking someone else's blood, especially just to fulfill their hunger. Did he even need it? After all, he was a hybrid and not just a vampire.
As he set the glass down, he said a few words to Estella. I couldn’t hear them as his voice was barely above a whisper. I quickly turned my head around just as he turned his gaze toward me. My heart raced.
It was going to be a long while before I could settle with the fact that I was mated to a hybrid.
Something that wasn’t meant to happen.
I saw him again when he neared the door exiting from the kitchen. Before leaving, he cast a final glance in my direction. Our eyes met once more. His lips curved into a faint smirk, and an involuntary shiver ran down my spine.
My eyes flickered to his mouth as he licked his lips. It was unsettling. As he raised his hand, his thumb gliding over the corner of his mouth, I couldn’t help but follow the movement, captivated by the traces of blood that stained his pale skin.
It was still unsettling.
My head lowered, away from him. I didn’t need to see him indulge in his food—I never needed to see that. When I began hearing his footsteps leave the kitchen, I finally let out a few breaths and leaned back against the seat.
My appetite was gone, just like that. I sat in the quiet of the kitchen, contemplating my life for a few seconds. There was a part of me that was still infuriated by the fact I was mated to this man, while another part of me continued to question and seek understanding. Without another thought, I rose from my seat and turned to see Estella.
"You didn't finish your breakfast, my dear." She took a quick glance at my plate and told me.
"I think I'm done eating." I moved away from the table and closer to where Lucien stood a few moments ago. The glass was now empty and it was just sitting over the marble counter. "Was that blood?" I asked Estella.
"Yes." She nodded.
"Where—who is it from? I mean, where does he get it from?"
"He has a source that delivers him blood bags in dozens, usually at the beginning of the month. He doesn't feed directly from people if that's what you mean to ask."
I continued to stare at the glass. "Yeah, he told me that. How many days can he go without blood?" I questioned her with curiosity in my voice.
Her eyes darted at me and then back at the stove where the water was boiling. "A few, but after that, he can enter a state of hibernation and you'd need more than a blood bag to get him out of it."
"Where are these blood bags kept?"
"Oh, right there." She turned off the flame and quickly pointed her finger at a small refrigerator tucked away in the corner of the kitchen.
Interesting.