Must see her face one last time. He flailed against the shadows behind his eyes, against the fog in his mind, but it useless. He screamed inside until his throat burned and bled. But the darkness refused to bow and took over him completely.
Chapter 15
The blurry lights made it difficult to see.
"Fix the lights already." She didn't mean to be a complainer, but really. Hadn't she been through enough?
Someone chuckled from beside her. She turned and blinked first one eye than the other. She frowned when the blurry figure didn't become the man she was hoping for.
"I'm afraid I can't do anything about the lights. It's your vision that's blurry, not them. I'm Darien Kategan, by the way, we haven’t formally met. How do you feel?" His voice was a lovely tenor. He had a calm, patient way of speaking as though he had all the time in the world to listen to her speak.
"Sorry, I'm not a morning person. I feel like…someone used my body for a punching bag. Like maybe a bunch of UFC fighters. Am I really here? Is this real? Because, no offense, but if this is heaven then they sent me the wrong man to dream about. I think they mixed up brothers.”
A ghost of a smile flared on his lips. “You’re very much alive, and I’d feel like shit too after what you’ve been through.”
Alison took that all in then asked the question that was burning at her mind.
“Where's Rome?" she asked in a quiet voice.
The big man who looked like a linebacker for the Gods looked away and shifted side to side. Alison stilled, the air freezing in her lungs.
"What's wrong?"
"He's down the hall, but he's been hurt. Wait, whoa, where do you think you're going?" Alison had already thrown back the covers and moved to a sitting position.
"I'm going to see my mate."
The man looked pensively at her, then smiled softly. "Then let me help you," he said at last.
The walk down the hallway didn't last long. Darien picked her up and carried her, which was perfect because her stomach, chest, thighs, and neck throbbed like a SOB.
The sight of Rome left a sharp pang in her heart. He was lying on the big bed with the covers disheveled around him. His face was pale and had lost its healthy glow. His eyes didn't even open when she sat on the bed.
"What happened to him?" She tried not to let tears choke her voice, but it was hard. They fell in fast rivulets down her face as she crawled closer. His scent was so familiar, so beautiful. It calmed her even as worry tugged at her with cruel arms.
"Conlin stabbed him with a silver blade to the thigh. It hit his femoral. Luckily, he'll heal from it. It'll just take awhile." Alison gasped and cupped his pale cheek in her hand. If he'd been human, he would have been dead in minutes. Leaning over him gently, she pressed tearful kisses over his lips, cheeks, everywhere. She didn't realize they were alone until she heard the soft snick of the door closing.
"Oh, Roman. I'm so sorry."
"Don't be, beautiful."
She gasped and pulled back to see his eyes open, albeit hooded. His lips pulled back into a gentle grin. She wanted to slap him for coming after her and hold him close all at the same time. His eyes roamed all over her face as if memorizing every detail.
He cupped her cheek and she leaned into it. "Don't move, you need to rest." He shook his head at her words.
"You need to rest. I just have a cut. You have many cuts."
"Mine aren't deep." He looked pointedly at the large white bandage wrapped around her neck and she winced. "Okay, maybe just that one is. But honestly, Darien said I’m healing fine. I can feel it working."
"Ah, come here," he said gruffly and pulled her into his arms. "How is the rest of you?"
"Just feels like a sting right now." She relaxed into his hold and let his arms calm her. "What happened to Conlin?"
He exhaled heavily. "This is the first I've really been up. I haven't even thought to ask anyone, to be honest. Last I remember, I ripped his throat out and was saving the righteous kill for you."
Alison looked at him, her mouth gaping. "You ripped his throat out. Like with your bare hands?"
He flushed a little. Even in the darkened room she could see it. "No, not exactly. I, uh, used my teeth." He mumbled the last few words so she wasn’t sure if she heard him correctly.
His teeth? He tore his throat out with his teeth? Her eyes widened and her jaw wouldn’t close as she pondered—and imagined—the scene. Then she did something that shocked the hell out of him.
She kissed him. She kissed him with an overwhelming passion that had his possessive instincts roaring to life and his cock awakening with surprising force. He kissed her back with hungry lips, his tongue sweeping in to find hers. They were ravenous, greedy for each other.
Her hands found the cover around his chest and pushed it down.
"Stop." When had his voice grown so husky?
Alison lifted her mouth from his and noted that color was coming back to his cheeks. If she had any doubt before, it was gone. She needed this; he needed this.
Alison swept down the comforter, tossed her thigh across his hips, and climbed aboard. She felt like a doll trying to perch on the Jolly Green Giant. She was panting by time she situated herself.
"You're too big," she was saying.
"I've never heard you complain before."
She gave him a peeved glare and sat back until she felt the rock hard press against her core. Then her eyes rolled back into her head and she bit her lip to keep from moaning.
He was naked underneath that cover. She said a little prayer for the little things in life. Then she said a great big prayer for being alive.
"You really are beautiful."
Startled, Alison looked down at her sexy alpha. Beautiful didn't even begin to describe him. He was the picture of lykaen perfection. And he was all hers.
"I need to tell you something." She saw his eyes widen with apprehension.
No way could she face him when she asked so she looked away. She wasn't that strong. She had to clear her throat twice before any sound came out. "I was just wondering if you wanted to mate...with me. I know you haven't known me that long, but I feel like that would be a good thing."
Oh God, idiot! I'm so stupid. I can't even sound smooth while asking a man like Rome to mate with me. It's not like I'm asking him to go to the flipping movies. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
Suddenly a hand was at the back of her head and she was brought down to Rome's kiss. Though kiss doesn't really cover what he did. He owned her mouth with his. He was an unrelenting warrior taking his long fought for reward. Lips pressed smoothly against each other while his tongue conquered her mouth. A smoldering heat built up inside her like a fire being stoked. Each hungry pass of his tongue had her pressing herself closer. She couldn't get enough. But she was dying to know the answer, to hear him say it.
She tore her mouth away, gasping. "Tell me. Answer me, please. I can't take it." She closed her eyes hard. It was unbearable not knowing; her heart was doing a crazy dance in her chest and her mind was shouting at her that she was stupid.
Hands cupped her cheeks. "Baby, you were mine the moment I set eyes on you. I'd be honored to be your mate, Alison Bennson. Will you be mine?"
Heart quickening, she couldn't stop the huge smile that crossed her face or the humiliating squeal she made before pressing at least a dozen kisses over his face. She settled down over his lips and kissed her new mate.
He growled, his hands moving down her body to cup her bottom. "I need to be inside you, lumara." The old lykaen word for mate triggered something deep inside her. Alison leaned forward, bracing herself on Rome's chest.
"Tear them off."
He looked startled for a moment, then his eyes went hooded and dark. He reached down, cupped her panty-clad ass, and squeezed the cheeks in his big hands before finding the sides. He curled his fingers into the soft material and pulled. They snapped, and then cool air found her wet pussy.