Chapter 184: Grace
I woke from the dream gasping for air. My heart was pounding, I could hear the blood rushing through my ears. What the fuck was that? I couldn’t process my thoughts. That was intense.
Rhys jumped up next to me, his own breathing hard. He straddled my waist, his eyes scanning me up and down in a frantic matter. What was his deal? Was something wrong?
My eyes flickered to his lips, and I licked mine. After all that had happened, is that really what I should be thinking about? It was just a nightmare after all. It wasn’t like it was actually deadly. I could lust after my mate... I just should probably wait till we both weren’t breathing so heavily.
“Grace? Are you alright?” Rhys demanded, pulling me back to reality; the fear in his voice was undeniable. What had him so worked up? Did he have a bad dream too?
“Rhys, I’m fine, it was just a -” I answered but stopped myself mid-sentence as my eyes trailed his body, and I noticed the claw marks. “You’re bleeding! What happened?”
Rhys followed my gaze down to his shoulder.
“I- I-” He stammered, a look of confusion crossed his face. “Are you hurt, Grace?”
My brows furrowed. Now, that he mentioned it, my body was sore. Maybe I had slept funny or been thrashing around in my sleep. The dream had felt so real, but it wasn’t, right?
But that thing, whatever it was had been circling me... And Rhys... In the dream, Rhys had been there. But that wasn’t real. It was a dream.
“I’m fine.” I told him, my heart still hammering uncontrollably in my chest, but was I okay? I wasn’t sure. Everything hurt.
His hand caressed my face gently, like he wasn’t sure if I was real or not. I needed him to be real in the same way he needed me to be real.
“You’re lying,” He hissed angrily.
“And you’re bleeding!” I argued back, reached out and touched his shoulder.
He hissed in pain this time, and I gently tried to focus my healing energy on him. He grabbed at my wrist and forced it back down to my side. I looked at him in confusion. Why the heck did he stop me?
“Heal yourself first.” He growled.
“Rhys...” I tried, but he grabbed my other wrist and held it above my head.
Goddess, is it hot in here? It was not the time to be turned on, but holy hell I was. Rhys looked so domineering, and he was holding me in such a compromising position. I wanted so badly to raise my hips and rub myself against him. My panties were already damp at just the idea of him, let alone him being shirtless on top of me. His muscles and dick were just calling my name. Focus, Grace. Not everything is about sex but when staring at my mate that was hard to remember.
“Heal yourself first.” He repeated, bringing my attention back to him.
“I have nothing to heal!”
“I can feel your pain.” He argued.
“I’m just sore. I don’t know how to heal that. I’m not that good.” His blood dripped on to me, and I tried to fight against grip.
“Then we need to make you better. We’ve got to start training your powers.” He answered, not even breaking a sweat to hold me in place, even in his injured state.
“And I will but let me take care of you now. I’m okay, Rhys. I promise. Please, if you won’t let me do it, let me go get Sawyer. That’s the same shoulder you hurt the other day.”
“That was my arm, not my shoulder.” He shot back.
“Same difference.” I growled back a little more feisty than I met it. I could feel my Lycan just on the edge of my consciousness. She didn’t say anything, but her bite was definitely there, and her power was surging through me in the same way the adrenaline was. Or maybe it was all just adrenaline, and I was making something out of nothing.
“Sawyer needs to look over you.” Rhys relented as he rolled off of me and stood up.
I rolled my eyes but took Rhys’ offered hand. I had no idea what had happened. My mind couldn’t process anything other than the fact that we both woke up injured. Did I claw him accidentally in my sleep? Is that why we were both so sore and he was bleeding? My dream must have made me lash out... It felt so real; my body must have been confused and started fighting back.
I stopped dead in my tracks, forcing Rhys to stop too.
“It’s all my fault.” I whispered.
“What’s your fault?” Rhys asked.
Despite the giant gashes in his arm, he looked hot. I wondered if this would be the final straw that would make him give up on me. No one attacked the Alpha King and got away with it. Not even his mate. Some of his previous fiancé's had done less and gotten themselves killed, and I would be next.
“I don’t like where your thoughts just went.” Rhys said before I could say anything, the frown on his face deepening.
My eyes filled with tears as I tried to gain the courage to tell him what I thought happened. He may say he loves me, but he didn’t sign up to be attacked in his sleep. That was something that could not be ignored.
“Gracie, honey, what’s wrong? Does something hurt?" He coaxed.
Yes, my heart hurts, Rhys. My heart knows I can’t stay like this.
“No,” I tell him. It comes out weaker than I wanted it to. “No. I’m not hurt.”
“Then I don’t understand.” Rhys said as he caressed my face in a way I didn’t deserve. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
I took in his face. The way his messy hair made him look even more attractive. How even the blood dripping down his chest made him look hot in a way that made me slightly uncomfortable. Goddess, I loved this man, but it wouldn’t matter. It wouldn’t matter at all when I told him what happened.
“It’s my fault you’re hurt.” I told him. “I was having a dream, and it felt so real. I must have partially shifted and clawed you in my sleep. I’m so sorry, Rhys.”