Eloy walksin a few minutes after Remy's fully restored. “Hey, good work, man. How you feeling?”
“Oh, you know me. My blood replenishes super quick, and I’m not too tired, though that’s probably the season.”
“Still, you should get some rest. You been up since before the sun.”
I narrow my eyes at the uncharacteristically kind offer. Hm. Leave poor, innocent Remy alone with all of that tempting fae blood? Fuck that.
“Nah, friend. I got this. Kinda want to see it through.”
“You sure? I’d be dead on my feet if I were you.”
“I’m good. And not that I don’t trust you, but making him smell you while he recovers is probably against Geneva conventions or something.”
He rolls his eyes. “You don’t have to tell me twice. I’m ready to make love to my pillow at this point.”
“Oh goddess. Get out of here and go fuck your pillow.”
He throws me his middle finger and goes upstairs.
I shift, looking down again at the beautiful man on the table. I’d told Eloy that I wanted to see it through. Wanted, though, is not the right word. More likeweirdly compelled.
Gotta say, seeing Remy lying there, pocket-sized and vulnerable, fires up a protective instinct so strong that I want to crawl onto the table with him and hold him against my chest.Protect the small one at all costs.
Goddammit, moon brain. Take a rest, for fuck’s sake. What I need to do—right now—is get a grip and ignore the perfection that is Remy's mouth. I sit on a chair and lean forward, resting my head on the table by his hip.
* * *
“Lazare, you up?”
I startle awake, not even realizing that I’d fallen asleep. Doc stands next to me, leaning in to look at Remy's healed wounds. Quickly I check on my patient, and…fuck, he's like ten shots of espresso, right in the vein.
I let out a sigh so deep that my chest nearly collapses. This hormone fest has me on a zoom-crash cycle, and I’m about over it. I shrink back to a corner of the kitchen with Jameson, letting Doc do his thing while Miss Lillian puts on the coffee and starts pulling down the lightproof shades.
Fuck, is it morning already? I have no desire to be around people right now, even though Miss Lillian’s fired up the Fry Daddy and has some beignets bubbling in the hot oil. The only thing I want to do—aside from sleep—is be here in case Remy needs something.
Lillian calls everyone down for breakfast on the back porch. Eloy brings down his fishing pole, saying he’ll catch some catfish for the full moon dinner tonight. I hold my jacket over Remy’s face while everyone makes their way outside, then grab a couple of fresh, burn-your-fingertips beignets and a coffee before sitting at the table. Just being this close to him makes my heart pound in my chest, and I chance a look at him again.
Mon dieu, he’s beautiful.
His face is serene, relaxed, and the weird, nervy anxiety I’ve been walking around with ever since I saw him last night finally bleeds out of my ears. He’s going to be okay. He’ll befine. No need to fret.
I mean, sure—I’m a little stressed that my den is so small, but maybe cozy is best for recovery. Doc said something about him benefiting from a dark environment and soft surfaces since his newly healed bits will be sensitive for the next while.
All of the windows in the house have light-blocking shades, so I pull up the Pottery Barn app and start searching for ultra-soft pillows and blankets, adding them to the cart. I start to doubt my color choices, but he’s wearing blue slacks and a nice, patterned button-up that calls on the same color. I bet rich royal, white, and charcoal grays would be really…
What the?
I drop the phone like it’s on fire.
Jesus, what the fuck am I doing?
This nesting season has meallfucked up. I saidmy denas though I was looking to make itourden. Shaking my head, I walk to the hall toilet between the kitchen and living room. I splash some water on my face and nearly scratch the shit out of myself with my claws.
Hell, even my canines are pushing through.
Goddess damn this fucking moon to hell.
I will everything back into place and enter the hallway. Everybody’s still outside on the porch, enjoying the lake, mere feet away from him. He’s got plenty of protection. I just need to lie down.
