We both peer over his shoulder and see a huge, black Wolf padding into the room. Lincoln.
“Aw,” I say as I see my Alpha and hold my hand out for him to come to me. I am still mad with him and I wonder if that’s why he has Shifted, so that I can’t yell at him. “It’s all the stress,” I say, defending him anyway. I give him a loving stroke and then he leaps on the bed and turns in a circle before plopping down on my feet.
“Where is Remiel?” Constantine suddenly barks. “Why is he not attending to you?”
“I asked him to take Liv and Fraser home,” I say.
“Oh,” CK mumbles. “Good. I sincerely hope that is the last we ever see of her and her ilk.”
“Yeah,” I mumble, looking away, kind of hoping that it isn’t.
“Here,” Remiel announces once again, appearing and bringing me food. “Drink up.” He waits while I struggle to sit up and then he makes a noise of frustration and slashes the throat of the hapless human.
“Jesus!” I shout at him as he pushes the man down towards my mouth. “Stop it, you beast!” He is attempting to force feed me in much the same way that CK did once upon a time. I can hear him snickering away to himself and then I hear Vito clear his throat and I know he is remembering the same. I almost forgot that he was the one that held me down!
I struggle against Remiel’s hand on my forehead, but it is pointless. I am pinned down by the human and with my sucking chest wound, I’m not going anywhere.
“Open your mouth, woman,” he grunts at me.
“Lizzie,” Devon huffs out. “Do as the man says.” He places his hand on my chin and makes me open my mouth. The blood that was gushing onto me now goes into my mouth and I swallow–both my pride and the blood. I need it to heal but a bit of decorum wouldn’t go amiss. I can hear Devon’s heart beat faster and he starts to growl low in his throat. I push him away before he can finish off my human.
“Sorry, baby, I need it more than you do,” I gurgle with a mouth full of blood.
Remiel whisks him away deader than dead and I feel the twinge of guilt that always lurks, rear its ugly head.
“Don’t feel guilty,” CK says to me gently. “You and our child needed him.”
I nod, blinking back the tears. I did need him, or more importantly, my baby needed him. That is the only reason I won’t kick Remiel’s arse for doing that to me, err, him.
“Do I look any better?” I ask hopefully and he nods slowly.
“You are healing now,” he says as Devon starts to clean up the mess that is me.
“Okay, good.” I breathe out in relief and it doesn’t hurt as much. CK has his hand on my swollen belly and he is lovingly stroking me. He starts in surprise when she kicks him and the look of awe on his face is one, I will cherish forever. I grin at him in delight.
“I’ve never…” he says, the emotion cracking his voice. “Oh, Aefre.” He strokes me again and I know he wants to say more, so much more, but he doesn’t. Not when there are people milling about all over the room. I am about to ask them to leave but then Vito suddenly says into the silence, “Can you leave us, please?”
“Hey, that was my line,” I say with a smile at CK. He gives me a terse one back.
“What do you want with my wife?” he asks suspiciously over his shoulder.
“Just something that we need to talk about,” Vito says evasively.
“No,” CK says. “I need some time alone with my wife now. Enough is enough.”
I peer curiously at CK. He has used his forceful tone, but his demeanor is still calm and cool. I don’t get it.
So, being me, of course, I push it.
“Yes, Vito, we can talk. Everyone out,” I say, giving CK a close look. He gives me a furious one back but doesn’t say anything. “Hey,” I say, grabbing his hand as he stands. “We will have time after. I’d rather there were no interruptions, so let everyone say their piece first, okay?”
He nods briskly and bends to give me a kiss. “I love you, Aefre,” he whispers. “I am trying, but don’t make it more difficult. I need you after your talk. No exceptions.”
“Okay,” I whisper back. “I love you too.”
I watch him go and wonder what in the heck he meant about “trying.” Has he given up his dream of us being just “us”? Is he going to allow me to continue with the way I like my life? I have thousands of questions racing through my head and I want answers. I wish that I hadn’t said I’d speak with Vito now. I chew my lip as everyone files out, Remiel taking the corpse with him.
Chapter 15