“Let me by,” Gemma said. “The beast may be out, but she’s still dying. Let me help her.”
Sam moved away as Gemma began trying to heal me. The wound in my chest closed and I began to feel better, but I was still in a lot of pain and feeling very weak when she collapsed at my side.
“Just give me a second,” she said. “You’re in really bad shape.”
“Gemma,” Cole said, cautiously.
“You’ve healed her enough. She’ll make it to Ana. She’ll be able to heal her completely,” Sam said, laying his hand on Gemma’s shoulder.
Gemma nodded as Cole helped her to her feet.
Sam lifted me and climbed onto the back of The Devourer. I heard him talking to Cole and Gemma, but I was too out of it to make out their words. Before I knew it The Devourer was taking off and I did what I could to hold on to my life.
*
I was hot, so incredibly hot. I felt like I was in the center of a burning flame with no way out. But then Sam was there. He was so close I could feel him breathe. He whispered words of love through my mind and held me as closely as he dared until I began to cool and come out of the pain.
When I opened my eyes, I saw that I was lying in a bed, a huge white bed with a breezy white canopy draped overhead. Sam was with me, lying far enough away so we didn’t touch. I knew then what I had felt earlier was the Mindbond. He managed to get in so close without any help from me and he held it there, soothing me and bringing me back.
I sat up, shocked that I felt great. All my limbs bent and moved without effort and the pain in my chest was gone. I held out my arms and was surprised to see only thin, silvery lines from where the beast had clawed me.
They must have fed me the flower tea. The heat I felt had been it healing me. I was alive. I had made it.
I looked over at Sam, the huge smile on my face falling away. He looked horrible. Bruises covered his face and body and deep circles ringed his eyes. When was the last time he slept? He sat over me most nights, vigilant, ready to chase away whoever came to torture me. He took down a family of rabid, deformed hellhounds to give me a chance to live and then he exhausted himself further by using our Mindbond to draw as close to me as he could while I healed.
A tear fell from my eye and I wiped it away. “Oh, Sam.”
I brushed the golden hair from his face and leaned down to kiss his cheek. His eyes flashed open and his body tightened. When he saw me there, he relaxed.
“Heven?”
I nodded and smiled. “I’m better now. The tea worked.”
He launched himself at me, pinning my body to the mattress. Don’t ever do that to me again, he said as he peppered my face and neck with kisses.
I giggled and he groaned. I didn’t think I’d ever hear that sound again.
Everything is fine now. We’re fine.
He kissed me then, a kiss of epic proportions. A kiss that would linger on my lips and in my soul for months after it was over. He kissed me like he might never again and then he kissed me like he couldn’t get enough. When he was done, he laid his forehead against mine and sighed.
“I need to shower.”
“You need to stay in this bed.”
I laughed even as desire filled me. “I’m covered in blood and dirt and I smell.”
“I don’t care.”
“I do.” And I cared that he obviously hadn’t drank any of that tea to heal his injuries. “Come on.” I slid out from under him and stood, thrilled that all my strength was back. I tugged his hand so he would follow and grabbed the white silk robe at the foot of the bed.
“Where’s Ana? You need some of that tea.”
“Uh-uh,” he said, pulling me back into his chest. “I’m fine and we’re not going out there.”
“Why not?”
“Because I have to be alone with you for a while. I…”
I put my hands up to his lips. “I know. Me too.” Then I frowned. “You’re hurt.”
“I feel so much better now.” He kissed the pads of my fingers.
I eyed the spa-like bathroom attached to the room. “Let’s shower. But later, you’ll have some tea?”
He went over to the nightstand and picked up a half-empty mug. “How about I just finish this one.”
“We’ve had that all along and you haven’t drank it?”
He looked appalled. “I was saving it in case you needed more. This is your second cup.”
It took almost two mugs of that tea to keep me from dying? The horror must have shown on my face because Sam’s face darkened too. “It’s over. Don’t think about it.”
I nodded and pushed the thought away. I held out my hand and he took it. “I’ll wash your back if you wash mine,” I said and smiled.
*
A long time later we left the bedroom, fully dressed in new clothes that we found in the huge closet just off the bathroom. I felt amazing, better than I had in a long time. My hair was down and shining and I was dressed nicely but comfortably in jeans and a lightweight lilac-colored sweater. Before entering the great room, Sam pulled me back and pressed me up against the wall to kiss me as he had a thousand times since we got here. Every time it left me breathless.
He grinned and pulled me away from the wall and I couldn’t help but think how gorgeous he was in his black polo and jeans. The bruises on his face had healed from the tea and the hardness in his eyes was gone, leaving only the warm honey color I loved.
Ana was in the great room, sitting on one of the large couches that flanked the fireplace. I was about to call out to her when I saw Riley. He was inhaling something out of a bowl while Ana watched him, fascinated. Riley sensed us before Ana did and he stopped to look up. His eyes went to Sam first, then flicked away to settle on me. “She lives,” he quipped.
“Yes. I want to thank you all for everything you did to save me.”
“We’re very glad that you are all right,” Ana said, unfolding her legs and standing. “I made soup if you would like some.”
“What is he doing here?” I said as she walked through the room and into the kitchen.
“The Devourer went back for your friends. This is the most company I have ever had!” Ana said with delight.
“Everyone is here?” I said as the French doors opened and Logan, Gemma and Cole came inside. “Is that allowed? Will you get in trouble?” I worried us being here was breaking some kind of unspoken code.
“This place is amazing!” Gemma said, a joyous smile on her face. She had never looked so much like an angel as she did right now.