“Okay,” she whispered. “It’s almost midnight. Ramon is about to take the guard with him to the reserve’s headquarters to see how many rebels they were able to detain, and to brief Wick and the council. The mercenaries are on watch around the cottage until five and then Mac and I will take over while they sleep.”
“Thank you,” was all Alek could manage through the tightness in his throat.
“Mac and I are gonna be just in the next room if you need us.”
“Okay.” He was so overwhelmed he nearly choked.
“I love you,” she ended gently.
Alek nodded, not trusting his voice. He listened to Farica’s footsteps as she left him alone. He turned his attention back to the sleeping vampire nestled tight against his body. Gods, he really needed his mate to wake up. Bell’s breathing was shallow, and while the poison had stopped spreading, his wounds weren’t healing. Alek buried his nose behind Bell’s ear. He could still smell the horrid stench of the tombs on him, but he could just detect his mate’s citrusy fragrance deep beneath the surface. Alek smoothed the hair on top of Bell’s head with one hand, while he caressed Bell’s jaw with the other. There was no stubble, but bruises marked his handsome face. Bell had gorgeous, sharp features. A stern chin with angry, high cheekbones that he wanted to bite when Bell smiled. A long, straight nose that he wanted to kiss down until he got to those sweet lips.
Alek huffed a solemn chuckle. He remembered Bell telling him that he wasn’t familiar with the affectionate act of kissing but had quickly discovered he liked it. “I’ll kiss you for hours if you wake up. Please,” Alek’s voice cracked.
No response.
Alek leaned in harder, almost growling. “Wake up, goddamnit. I didn’t get on that steel death contraption for nothing.”
Bell didn’t move.
Alek’s chest squeezed unbearably tight. “Come on, babe. I know you’re not going to resist waking and yelling at me again. Aren’t you furious that I came to save you? Yeah, well I’m furious that I had to come save you.” Alek held the back of Bell’s neck, drawing their heads closer. “Now, wake up so we can fight about it. Because we seem to be good at it.”
Alek waited a long time before his body sagged into the thin mattress. He was so tired, but there was no chance of him sleeping. Not until Bell woke. He gazed down at the open wounds that were still bruised and painful-looking. He didn’t even want to think about any internal injuries. The scary, toxic veins spread outward from the wound like creepy spider webs, still as irritated and dark as before. Bell needed his blood or eventually the injuries would kill him.
Alek wasn’t about to let that happen. He sat up, then positioned Bell so he was lying flat on his back with his head propped on the pillow. “This is just gonna have to be something else you fuss at me about, but at least you’ll be alive, baby.” Alek brought his wrist to his mouth and punctured a hole in it with one of his canines just as Wrath had. Prying Bell’s lips apart and his jaw open, Alek force-fed his mate. He pressed the slow-seeping wound to Bell’s soft lips, wishing with all his might that he’d open wider and sink those stimulating fangs into him again. Come on. Bell didn’t bite him, but Alek was confident that he’d gotten a significant amount of his life’s force down Bell’s throat.
He wiped away the drops that’d run down Bell’s chin. “You’re a messy eater, gorgeous. I think you had a drop on your chin the last time you fed from me.” Alek’s voice shook as he settled Bell in the bed and resumed their positions. His heart felt as if it’d been ripped from his chest as Bell laid there so unresponsive.
Alek must had dozed off while he’d watched ever-so-diligently over his mate for the last forty-eight hours. He came to with a startled jolt, his mind scrambling to catch up as to why he was in such a small bed, and in a strange room. He blinked in shock as he focused on Bell. It still looked as if his mate hadn’t moved, but his color was better—much better. Alek’s heartbeat sped up when he flung back the sheet and saw that the ugly, protruding veins that’d been carrying poison were half the size they were before. Oh thank you, Gods. Thank you.
Alek cradled Bell against him, pressing his face into his neck. More of his scent was present, however his pulse still beat faintly. Come on, Bell, that’s it. Keep fighting. He rubbed his scruffy cheek along Bell’s jaw, hoping to get a reaction. He wasn’t as cool as he’d been when lying on the table in that tomb, but he wasn’t as warm as when Alek had held him in his arms only a couple of nights ago. He draped his leg over Bell’s hips, trying to cover every part of him with his body heat. Alek wasn’t the slightest bit aroused being naked with his mate. He was too terrified, not to mention too exhausted to even get an erection. At this point, he didn’t care if he ever fully bonded with Bell. He just wanted to hear his voice again. Speak to him, hold him and be held back. Alek brought Bell’s head up to his throat, willing his blood to pump harder, louder, so his mate would respond. But, he still didn’t.