“Kaj. Talk to me. Kaj?”
Her words drifted to his ears, but they were muted, as though he was underwater. Unable to hold his head up, he let it fall to the cushion behind him, his eyes closing. Yes, something was definitely wrong.
“Kaj!”
That was the last thing he heard as the pain consumed him, dragged him to a suspended state. He was conscious, mostly. But he was drifting in and out, his breaths labored, body weak. The pain ratcheted up, burning in his chest, making it difficult to inhale, exhale.
“Acadia…” He said her name not as a cry for help, more so because he loved it. He loved her.
He’d come to accept it as fact after she’d spent the day in his bed, curled up against him. He had remained awake while she slept, content to hold her in his arms, to feel her chest rise and fall. During that time, he’d also accepted that he had forced her into this, abused the assistance she had been offering. She hadn’t signed on to accommodate his sexual needs, merely his blood needs. And he had taken advantage of her.
Hence the reason he’d wanted to talk. Perhaps she would forgive him, allow him the opportunity to start over, to show her he wasn’t a selfish male. Not usually, anyway.
Kaj was aware of her moving off him, but his eyes wouldn’t open, his arms falling to his sides. His body was useless, overwhelmed by the agony blazing through his insides.
A soft rustle sounded in his ears and he figured Acadia was getting dressed.
Then there were more sounds: a door being opened, heavy footsteps on the floor. He was jolted, a groan slipping out of his throat as he fought to hang on to consciousness. Strong arms slid beneath him and he was lifted. His body was no longer controlled by his brain, though. In fact, the pain was drifting off, as though he was separating from it entirely. His brain flickering in and out, the world slipping away.
The last thing he was aware of was his back meeting the bed, his head eased onto the pillow.
And Acadia’s sweet voice pleading with him to stay with her.
When he came to, Kaj kept his eyes closed, let his senses scan his surroundings. He was in a warm room, a soft bed beneath him, blankets covering his lower body.
Breaths.
He heard her breaths first. Soft, rhythmic, slightly elevated as though she was worried.
“Acadia?” The word came out broken and hoarse.
“Kaj.” There was relief in her tone. “Oh, God. Kaj.”
A soft hand touched his bicep, then silk slid over his chest when she rested her head there.
It took a couple of tries, but he managed to get his arm to work, his hand shifting so he could touch her, brushing her hair back.
“How long…” He swallowed, his throat bone dry. “How long have I been out?”
“Three days.”
Holy shit.
As he remained like that, Acadia’s head resting on his bare chest, he kept his eyes sealed shut, gave his body a good mental once-over, checking in with the various parts to ensure he was still in one piece. He was content to say there was no more pain. Not the agony he’d been plagued with, anyway. Discomfort and soreness had taken its place.
“What happened?”
Her head lifted; her hand fell away. He tried to open his eyes but couldn’t.
Something touched his lips and he realized it was a straw. Greedy for fluids, he drew from it. The chilled water coated his throat, relieving him quickly, taken away only when he stopped drinking.
Acadia’s head returned to his chest, his hand once again settling on her hair, the need to touch her greater than he expected. A sense of calm washed over him as he succumbed to sleep once more.
Chapter Sixteen
Although he’d managed to keep his distance, Mirakel knew he could no longer put it off feeding. It had been too long as it was, the lack of blood making his brain logy, his muscles weak.
At least he had the good sense to find neutral ground. This time he opted for the infirmary, for one of the empty patient rooms. That was where he was now, sitting in a hard plastic chair that he feared was going to buckle beneath his weight. The other choice was to pace the room, and since that would mean he had to exert energy, it was a no-go.
