“Think about it,” Pavel said. “I’ve given you gifts.”
“Gifts? Your dick doesn’t—”
He rolled his eyes. “Not that. The drinks? There were those. Then there was Samuel. I murdered him for you, you know I did. I keep meaning to give you his heart, but I left it in that old castle on the cliffs. This house was modeled after it, did you notice?”
He had not, but now that it was mentioned Zane could sort of see the similarities.
“When we were younger, we dreamed up all the places we’d one day live. I always wanted something small and intimate, soothing, but you always came up with these elaborate floor plans and homes with a million rooms.” He grinned. “It doesn’t have a million, but there are five bedrooms, a home theater, a swimming pool, hot tub, library, two offices, greenhouse, and three bonus rooms. Do you like it?”
Since he couldn’t remember anything from their past, there was always the chance that Pavel was making things up when he told these types of stories. Though, Zane couldn’t come up with a reason why he’d bother, especially when talking about something like this.
“I haven’t seen it all yet,” he reminded.
“Right,” Pavel chuckled. “I was planning on making you breakfast and then giving you the grand tour, but someone hadother ideas.” He playfully nipped at his knee and then stood with a flourish. “How about—”
“Wait.” Zane latched onto his wrist, keeping him in place as he stared at the dark splotch staining Pavel’s shirt. He’d done without the other layers, just in the thin black material that was now clearly wet. “What did you do?”
Pavel didn’t resist when he went to pull the shirt up, standing still as Zane cursed and inspected his injury. He didn’t even flinch when Zane tore away the old bandage, allowing him to do as he pleased.
“How the hell did it get this bad?” Zane had stitched him up pretty good last night, but all of the stitches had come undone, and the wound was oozing blood and gaping open as though it hadn’t healed even a little. “I looked it up, Yurns and D’vitars heal at the same quick rate as Vitals. It shouldn’t still be like this.”
Pavel shrugged. “Maybe it’s whatever else in me that’s slowing down the process.”
“How long does it typically take you to heal?” Zane asked. “How long did it take you to heal when you were stabbed by that customer?”
“You mean when I took the blade for you?” he corrected, eyes gleaming. “Another thing to add to the list. See? I told you I wasn’t just trying to win you over with sex.”
Zane stood and eased Pavel onto the desk, thinking the chair was too low for him. “Lean back.” He grabbed the first aid kit and snapped it open, riffling around for the things he’d need as he chided the other man. “You have to take better care of yourself. You can’t go running around with an injury like this. What if you get infected? Or bleed out?”
“That’s why I have my own personal doctor.” He winked at him, but Zane wasn’t amused.
“I’m not about to marry someone who I can’t be sure will still be here in a year,” he growled, forcing Pavel to rest back on his hands with a push since the guy hadn’t followed orders. He cleaned the wound and got ready to restitch him. “If I do decide to do this with you, I need guarantees you won’t—”
“I’ll never abandon you,” Pavel cut him off, voice soft and sincere. “You’ll never not be the most important thing in my life. I can promise you that right now. You’re everything to me, Zane. You always have been.” His hand shifted, settling over the corner of the drawing, making Zane’s gaze go to it. “Can’t you see that?”
He pretended to need to concentrate on patching him up, but he should have known he wouldn’t get away with it.
“Maybe you don’t want to see it,” Pavel said. “Maybe you aren’t ready. I’m sorry, gorgeous, but you’re going to have to get past this. Time is running out. I’ll have you claimed, bred, and wed before either of us step foot off this island. That’s just a fact, not a threat, not even a promise. It’s simply the truth.”
“You’ve got to stop saying shit like that,” Zane grumbled.
“Like what?”
“The whole breed kink thing you’ve got going.”
“Why?” He tipped his head. “Is it because it makes you sad?”
“Why would it make me sad?”
“Because you prefer relationships with men, and you can’t get pregnant. That doesn’t matter. We can still have children. We can have as many as you like. You’ve always wanted a large family. Our children will all dote on you.”
He grunted. “I don’t see how bringing kids into our fucked up lives makes any sort of sense.”
“It doesn’t have to,” Pavel insisted. “You’re always too rational now, Zane. Where’s the guy who used to dream up mansions with a million rooms?”
“He drowned.”
“Hey.” Pavel took him by the chin and lifted his head. “Look at me.”
