Chapter Thirty-Four
I COULDN’T GET WARM.
No matter how tightly I wrapped myself in the blankets or how many jumpers I threw on, shivers lived in my bones.
I couldn’t stop thinking about him.
How he’d taught me to kill.
How he’d accidentally landed on me, kissed me, shot me down and—
God, stop.
I couldn’t do it.
He made my system turn crazy and the pain was too much.
I’d been so wrapped up in him, I hadn’t been aware how close I’d been to burning out.
Having him force me to hold a knife against his throat. Having him so close and angry and intense.
The moment I’d stumbled into my pavilion...I’d paid for every word, every look, every second of anxiety and scalding-hot connection.
All night, I’d suffered.
Dawn had arrived and I’d begged the migraine to stop.
I clung to my raindrop pendant, wishing it could take away my misery, just like my mother claimed it could.
My mouth watered for something bitter and metallic as red, red, red filled my mind. Bone-aching regret crippled me that Evelyn had stolen Lucien’s blood.
I would’ve happily swallowed the entire vial.
I would’ve gotten over my aversion of what it was because it was the only thing that could help me.
“God...please.” I pressed my palms against my eyes, trying to shut out the light as the dawn turned to brighter day.
I couldn’t exist like this much longer.
My teeth rattled as I curled up into a ball beneath the blankets.
A soft growl echoed from outside my little nest. Something firm nuzzled against me, trying to find me beneath the covers. Vertigo made my vision dance as I pulled them back and met Whisper’s glowing gaze.
His massive silhouette filled everything. His whiskers flared as if scenting my pain.
Balling my hands under my chin, doing my best not to tremble, I whispered, “If you’re here to take me to Lucien, I can’t today.”
The bed dipped as he leapt over me and settled his enormous warm weight against my spine. I whimpered as the motion jarred my head.
He immediately stilled as if he knew he’d hurt me.
Gritting my teeth against fresh nausea, I turned to face him. He watched me, head cocked, ears pricked. Leaning down, he pressed his velvet muzzle against my temple with a surprising gentleness.
Tears stung my eyes.
“Whisper.” My voice broke. “It hurts.”
The panther rumbled a deep, vibrating purr as if he understood. Lying down, he slung a heavy front leg over me.
I froze as he nuzzled my hair.
I choked on a sob as he settled close.
He offered such comfort. Such protection. Such kindness.
With a gasp of absolute gratitude, I clutched his fur. His claws unsheathed, catching on the covers as he kneaded me.
For the first time since I lost everything, I had someone hold me while I shattered.
I didn’t have to pretend I wasn’t broken.
Didn’t have to suffer alone.
I couldn’t help it.
I cried.
I gave in to huge wracking sobs that made my head splinter but somehow felt so, so good.
Whisper growled, the rumble like an earthquake in his chest.
His sandpaper tongue tugged my hair as he licked me.
I cried harder.
“ROOK!” Laura’s voice rang sharp with panic. “Get off her, you vile beast!”
No.
What?
What was she doing here?
Whisper snarled, loud and vicious. Launching to his feet, he stood over me, bristling and violent.
My vision faded in and out as I rolled over and gawked at the girl who’d been dragged into this mess like me.
Laura’s face turned ghost white, her eyes round with terror. “Get off her! S-Stop eating her!”
Eating me?
Whisper rumbled a bone-shattering growl, fangs bared, and black gums wet with saliva.
“Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck.” Her voice turned shrill as her gaze flew around my room.
“Laura—” I coughed, wincing as fresh agony stabbed my skull, making me blind for a second. “It’s okay. He’s fine—”
“He’s killing you!”
“No, he’s—” I gasped as nausea splashed up my throat. In my hazy sight, she flung herself toward the kitchen. Toward the silver thing glinting there. The dagger that Lucien had given me.
Absolute horror tore through my middle.
“Laura, don’t—!”
She snatched it up and came running.
“STOP!” My voice broke, but she didn’t listen.
Launching herself at the bed, she slashed as Whisper snapped his jaws, roaring loud enough to shake the pavilion’s foundations.
She whimpered in terror but lunged again.
The blade flashed, catching his shoulder with a brutal slice.
Whisper howled.
“NO!” My scream ripped my throat as I threw myself from the bed, clutched my pounding head, and tried to get between them. Whisper staggered back, legs getting tangled in my covers, hackles high, blood coating his midnight fur.
Laura brandished the knife again, her face drawn but determined. “Stay the hell away from her!”
Rushing her, I tried to shut down my pain. “He wasn’t hurting me!”
“His teeth were moments away from sinking into your neck!”
“He was helping!”
Her mouth hung open, her eyes bugging. “Helping? Have you lost your mind?”
“H-He’s my friend.” Snatching the dagger from her hand, I clutched it tight. “I know what it looks like but he’s gentle. I promise.”
Backing up, her eyes locked on Whisper as the bleeding panther jumped off the bed and snarled. Spittle dripped from his fangs as he prepared to pounce.
Shit.
Spinning around, I flung my arms wide, doing my best to block Laura from his view. “She didn’t mean to hurt you. She was just worried about me, that’s all.”
Whisper flattened himself, his tail flicking. Any second, he’d spring onto the girl who was slowly becoming a friend and I wouldn’t be able to stop him slaughtering her right in front of me.
So, I did the only thing I could.
Tossing away the knife, not caring it went skittering across the floor, I dropped to my knees and wrapped my arms around his stiff, growl-vibrating neck. “Please don’t hurt her.” I didn’t know if he understood English, but I begged anyway. “Please?”
My headache thundered and my heart skipped, but I flatly forbade myself from passing out. If I did, Laura would die.
Whisper’s snarl quietened a little as I pressed my face to his huge solid cheek. “You’re okay. I’ll fix this. It’s just a crazy misunderstanding.”
He sat up from his pounce, knocking me aside. Studying me, he stopped snarling. For a moment, I swore I saw betrayal in his stare before he glanced at his bleeding shoulder.
With a dramatic hiss at Laura, he broke into a run.
In a streak of black, the panther raced out of my pavilion, leaving behind a few crimson droplets on the floor.
Oh, God.
Oh, God!
Lucien.
Whisper would return to him.
Lucien would murder whoever’d hurt his beloved companion.
I wobbled as my mind threatened to blackout.
Swallowing hard, I staggered to my feet and almost fell against Laura. Grabbing her hand, I commanded, “You have to go. Now. You weren’t here, got it? You didn’t hurt the cat. You know nothing about any of it.”
She scowled, trying to hold me upright as my pain made me double over. “But—”
“No buts.” I pushed her toward the door. “Go.”
She tripped as I propelled her outside and onto the grass. “But you’re—”
“Oh, God.” I dropped to my knees as the sunshine drove a screwdriver into my eyes.
“Rook!” Falling with me, she wrapped an arm around my shoulders and tucked me against her.
And I was done.
The stress and anxiety that I could never control reached their nasty crescendo.
I sagged in her hold, my voice going thin. “If Lucien comes here and asks who hurt Whisper, it was me, alright?”
“No, I—”
“Do it. For me. He won’t hurt me. But you?” I shuddered, my tongue thick and useless. “Promise me you’ll say it was me.”
“Rook?” She hugged me tighter. “Rook?” She shook me as I slipped closer to that line of forced sleep. “What’s wrong with you?”
“It’s fine.” I struggled to stay awake. “I just have this thing where...I shut down if I’m overwhelmed.”
I lost grip on this world and fell...