For truth, she did not share that opinion: After years of caring naught for males, she felt a mystical pull toward this one, and it was the sort of thing she would have liked to explore had they not been where they were.
But as she had learned long ago, fate was rarely concerned with what she wanted.
“So,” he pronounced, “you’re going to handle me, right? You’re going to make this whole thing go away.” He waved his arm in a vague manner. “I won’t recall this at all. Just like when your brother came through here a year ago.”
“You shall perhaps have dreams. Nothing more.”
“Is that how your kind have stayed hidden.”
“Yes.”
He nodded and glanced around. “You going to do it now?”
She wanted more time with him, but there was no reason for him to see her feed from Wrath. “Soon enough.”
He glanced back at the door and then looked her straight in the eye. “Will you do me a favor.”
“But of course. It would be a pleasure to serve you.”
One of his brows flicked and she could have sworn his body threw off more of that delicious scent of hi
s. But then he became utterly grave. “Tell Jane . . . I get it. I understand why she did what she did.”
“She is in love with my brother.”
“Yeah, I saw it. Back . . . wherever we were. Tell her it’s cool. Between her and me. After all, you can’t help who you fall for.”
Yes, Payne thought. Yes, that was so very true.
“You’ve been in love?” he asked.
As humans did not read minds, she realized she’d spoken out loud. “Ah . . . no. I . . . no. I have not.”
Although even this short time with her healer was informing. He fascinated her, from the way he moved to how he filled out his white coat and blue dressings, to the scent of him and his voice.
“Are you mated?” she asked, fearing his answer.
He laughed in a hard burst. “Hell, no.”
Her breath left her on a relieved sigh, even as it was strange to think that his status mattered as much as it did. And then there was nothing but silence.
Oh, the passing of time. How regrettable it was. And what should she say to him in these final minutes they had left? “Thank you. For caring for me.”
“My pleasure. I hope you recover well.” He stared at her as if trying to memorize her, and she wanted to tell him to stop trying. “I’m always here for you, okay? If you need me to help you . . . come and find me.” Her healer took out a small, stiff card and wrote something on it. “That’s my cell. Call me.”
He reached forward and slipped the thing into the weak hand that rested o’er her heart. As she gripped what he’d given her, she thought of all the repercussions. And implications.
And complications.
With a grunt, she tried to shift herself around.
The healer was instantly on his feet. “You need repositioning?”
“My hair.”
“Is it pulling?”
“No . . . please unbraid my hair.”