Chapter 32

“Kara?”

I heard Rafael and struggled to get my heavy eyelids to open.

“Come on, honey, open your eyes.” He coaxed.

I managed it and looked into his worried blue eyes.

“Hey, there you are. How do you feel?”

I closed my eyes again. “Foggy.” I whispered, then tried to lick my dry lips with a pasty tongue.

“Get her a drink.” He said to someone.

I looked at him again. “My side is throbbing.”

He nodded. “With good reason. Here,” he lifted my head and held a straw by my mouth, “have a drink.”

I took a few sips, then leaned back down.

“I’m sorry, Kara.”

I turned my head to see Beth beside the bed. “I think you got shot when I was trying to knock the gun out of his hand.”

“It’s okay. We did what we had to.” I told her.

She nodded and leaned into Leone’s arms, still looking upset.

I remembered she got shot. “Are you okay?”

She nodded. “It was just a scratch.”

“Kara.”

I looked back at Rafael.

He searched my face. “I want to heal the incision.” His eyes connected with mine. “With my blood.”

“A transfusion?”

Rafael shook his head, “no, honey, you have to ingest it.”

“That’s yucky.” I said trying to stay focused.

He smirked. “If I do it will be like you were never hurt at all.”

My eyebrows went up. “You’re that good, huh?”

Chuckling softly, he kissed my forehead. “Yeah.

I considered how I felt about drinking blood. I honestly didn’t know, having nothing to base my decision on. “I just drink a cup of your blood and presto I’m like new again?”

“We’ll get to the logistics shortly.” His tone was serious now. “Before I do this, I want you to understand that we’ll have an emotional bond after I do. It will wear off in a few days, but I’ll still be connected to you for a short time.”

“Emotional bond?” I tried to focus on the expression in his eyes. I couldn’t tell if he was afraid or worried, maybe both.

“Yes. I’ll be able to sense how you’re feeling.”

“Will I feel what you do?” The pain in my side was increasing.

He shook his head. “That’s doubtful.”

“How is that fair?” I asked him.

“It’s not.” He told me. “I don’t want to do something you’ll be uncomfortable with.”

I nodded, then offered a slight smile. “That’s okay, I can hear what you’re thinking, so that will even it out.”

He smirked.

“I can’t believe you’re actually explaining it all to her before helping her. She’s got to be hurting right now.” Paisley said.

Turning, Rafael looked at her where she stood with Arius. “I have watched all my mated brothers make all the mistakes, Paize, I’m learning from their disasters.”

Arius frowned at him. Paisley smiled.

“Smart man.” Daxx said.

“Suck up.” Quinton said in a gruff voice.

Rafael looked back at me. I reached up and touched his cheek. “On one condition.”

He raised an eyebrow at me. “Name it.”

“We take this needle out of my arm.”

He nodded. “We can do that.”

“Allow me.” Alona came around the bed and touched my arm. She did it so quickly I barely felt it.

“Thank you.”

She nodded, then moved back from the bed.

“Okay, everyone, get out.” Autumn clapped her hands together. “I’ll go check on Tawny.” She told me with a nod, then waved her hand at the door. “Out. Let’s go.”

~

I lay there watching Rafael as he watched the others leave.

“Sorry for all the trouble.” I said softly. “First you have to drink gasoline to come find me and now…”

He stood up and shook his head. “None of it is your fault.” Standing there with his hands on his hips he looked down at me. “We’ve got patrols out looking for anyone watching the palace.” He pointed a finger at me. “As soon as you’re up to it, we need to get started on training the archers.” He nodded, “if anything, this incident has shown us we need more watchers around the palace.”

I nodded. “Guess you better give me that miracle blood then.”

Rafael grinned and pulled his shirt over his head.

After the initial shock., I felt my cheeks heat up. I hadn’t lived under a rock and I’d seen naked male chests before. Just not this close, or ones that looked that good. It was like he’d been sculpted, and each muscle was defined.

“Kara up here.”

I looked away from his body to see him pointing to his face. I nodded.

“You don’t drink it from a cup.” He said quietly as he walked to the other side of the bed. “You have to drink it fresh, from the source,” he winked, “the closer to my heart, the better.”

My eyes flicked to his chest again. Was he saying I’d have to put my mouth on that chest? I felt my cheeks go red again.

Rafael lay down beside me, propped up on his elbow. “You’re killing me.” Reaching over he brushed the hair back from my face. “Why do you have to be so friggin’ perfect?” He whispered.

I looked back to his face. “I’m not.”

He gave me a hard look. “You are for me.” He touched my hip. “Roll this way, carefully.”

I bit my lip and moved slowly. The slightest adjustment made the throbbing pain worse. I hissed out a breath and closed my eyes.

“You’re beautiful, sarcastic—a bit lippy at times…”

I looked at him again.

“Intelligent, strong, talented,” he paused and studied my face for a second, “brave—perfect for me.” Taking a deep breath, he exhaled slowly and reached behind his back to pull out a knife.

My eyes went huge.

“I’m going to nick my chest; you need to drink quickly because it will close fast.” He held my gaze until I nodded. “We’ll do it twice and then take a look at your side, okay?”

I nodded again, unable to think of a single thing to say that wouldn’t come across like, yes please let me drink your blood.

“Ready?”

I looked at the blade he held to his chest. “Yes.” I glanced away when he cut, then blood was running down his chest. Leaning closer, I licked. Closing my mouth around the cut I sucked gently.

Rafael hissed out a breath and held the back of my head.

I’d licked my finger once when I’d sliced it, but my blood didn’t taste like this. I liked this.

When it sealed, I lifted my mouth away and looked up to see that his eyes were red. Without a word, he sliced into his own flesh again.

By the time it healed closed, I was held tight up against his body, and honestly didn’t know who had moved.

Rafael took a ragged breath and tapped my hip. “Let’s,” he blew out a breath, “let’s take a look.” He sat up and pulled the robe, I hadn’t even realized I was wearing, open and pulled the large bandage off my side. “How does it feel?”

I tried to think beyond the heated thoughts I was having. “It’s not hurting anymore.”

Leaning down, he touched his mouth over it, then licked along it.

I sucked in a breath and watched him. He looked up at me, his red eyes locked on mine. Lifting his mouth away, he looked at me and then down my half-exposed body.

“I have to go before I take this too far.” He leaned down and kissed the same spot again. Getting up, he picked up his shirt. “Stay and rest for as long as you need.” He studied me for a second. “I’ll see you at dinner.”

I lay there staring at the door after he’d closed it. Never had I felt the urge to be with a man. Never. Usually their thoughts repulsed me.

I looked down to see the robe gaping open. Lifting my head, I looked at my side. It was red, but other than that, there was no way to tell I’d been shot or operated on.

Putting my head back on the pillow, I took a deep breath. Reality returned in a second. Tomorrow I was going to walk back into the place I’d spent twelve years trying to get out of. I needed to find something to do or I’d be a complete headcase and totally useless tomorrow. I stopped and looked out the window. It was almost dark. How long had I been out for? I looked around, then realized I was going to have to walk through the palace, down the stairs to get to my room with my clothes in it. My room. In a palace. I shook my head. That was surreal, even if I was living it.