“I think you need to reconsider.”
“Shut up. I feel her—well, not her, but close enough.”
“It’s a step in the right direction. If you would listen?—”
“No.” I feel a shift in the air as she loses the grip she’s had on her emotions. “I can’t do what I need to do if you won’t stop bothering me. Please let me finish this.”
I wish I knew why she sounds so small and defeated.
“Fine, I’ll stop. But you’re wrong, and you know it.”
The air changes again, and I feel the ice return.
His hand strokes over my hair as he murmurs, “I hate to be the one to suggest this, but do you think Si—Taurus should be in on this? I think he’ll be pissed that we haven’t called him in yet.” His voice drops and he murmurs, “Possibly more so because I ran out without a word last night.”
No! Don’t call him! He’ll be angry with me. Oh, fuck.
It registers that Rafe abandoned him without a word after I smacked him down. Taurus will be petulant and bitter.
What have I done? Oh, please let her say no; I’d tell her no, but I still can’t reach Rafe, and she’s like a frozen wasteland.
“Did you lose your fucking mind last night? I can’t believe?—”
Deli stops talking, and I feel like they’ve switched to mind-speaking again. I’m left to wonder what that sentence ended with. I wonder what is with her; she’s shuttered head to toe. I wonder why she asked if he had lost his mind.
What else can I do right now besides wonder?
I feel the hunger inside driving me, and the serpent uncurls, wanting more while they argue. I cling to consciousness, wanting to heal and stop the ache that is resonating inside me. I don’t want the snake to take over. That never ends well.
Rafe speaks out loud again. “I know. He won’t be talking to me soon. It doesn’t matter much without her, anyway. I can’t lose her, and this isn’t working. Even if it does, you’re—fuck it. We have to get her better. Nothing else matters.”
“If we call him, he can help. I can only do this for a little longer, and it’s not doing what we need it to. Primary blood is special. Feeding on him may speed this along.”
The steady but slow flow of blood finds a connection inside me, and for the first time, I connect—albeit by a thread—to the serpent directly. Through a slow, torturous process, I move towards the people I hear.
I still can’t feel or see them, but it’s progress.
My mate nods and sighs. “This is my doing. I’ll find him. He’s at their house, and he’s been drinking. Christ, this will not be fun.”
Rafe goes quiet, reaching out to my erstwhile primary in his head. She doesn’t say a word, nor do I feel her coming any closer.
It’s a void in the entire back half of the room and I have no idea why.
~Mate, we’re at the mansion. We need your help. We need you. Please. ~
~You need me now, do you? It’s a delightful time to notice it, Sampson. What is it this time—a kitten up a tree, perhaps? I’m a little too pissed on the bottle to be playing some sodding game.~
A sigh runs through him, and his posture slumps. My mate must not have been very receptive. It’s likely he was downright nasty.
~This isn’t about me, and it’s not a game. Your family needs you. Even if you’re pissed at me, even if you can’t bloody stand me, we need you to help us. Even if you love only the women, you have to come.~
His teardrop lands on my skin. He’s crying and trying to hide it. I don’t know why, but that worries me. We all get angry sometimes; there’s no reason to cry. I’m the one trapped. Why is he crying, and why is she hiding in the other part of the room?His hand slides over my hair, and I know he’s covering up his tears.
~Fine, mate. You need me.~
~Thank you.~
“He’s coming.”
