Chapter 50
I wake several times, but only for a few seconds at a time.
I'm aware of time passing, but every time I try to wake up fully, I'm sucked back into a deep sleep. I feel hands on me a few times and hear a voice calling my name. I open my eyes and see dark eyes close to my own. I hear a deep voice that I feel I should know, but each time, I simply succumb to the pull of sleep again. When I finally break through the pull of sleep, I realize it’s day time. I blink, realizing I must have slept all through the day before and the night as well. I take stock in my leg and realize it doesn’t hurt nearly as badly as it did before.
“You’re finally awake.” I startle at the sound of Kinsley’s voice and turn to her.
“Good morning.” My voice is hoarse and scratchy, and Kinsley hands me a cup of water. I drain it and put it back on the end table. I use my arms to push myself up.
Welcome back to the land of the living, Redara sends me. Just for a heads up, Noxlyn told his bonded that you’re awake. Better brace yourself.
I frown. For what? Rauk?
Yes.
“Are you talking to your dragon?” Kinsley asks. Then she waves a hand. “Never mind. I can tell by your face that you are. Did she tell you about Rauk?”
“What’s wrong with him?” I demand, sitting up straighter in bed. I note that Kinsley’s eyes widen. “What happened?”
“Other than the fact that he is causing absolute chaos here, and everybody is ready for the Dragon King to go home? And by everybody, I mean Kaldar, most of all.”
I frown. “What does that—”
The door to the room blows open and slams into the wall, surprising me and scaring me so much that I flinch. “What in the world, Rauk? What are you—” My words die in my throat at the look in his eyes. His eyes look crazed. “Did something happen to Auri?” I ask, fear tightening my throat.
He turns his head to Kinsley, and she jumps up from her chair.
“Don’t mind me; I’m leaving.” Without even a look at me, she rushes for the door.
“Bye, Harper.” She leaves a moment later, and I stare after her in shock.
Then my eyes return to Rauk. I take in his appearance.
His face is scruffier than I remember, and he has circles under his eyes.
My mind instantly goes to his back. “Are you in pain? Is it your back?” He continues to stare at me.
“Rauk, snap out of it. What is the problem?”
He stalks towards me. “They gave me too strong of a sedative for you.”
I blink. “Come again.”
“The sedative,” he barks at me. “It was too strong.”
“Don’t yell at me,” I snap at him. “It’s not my fault.”
I watch as his entire body seems to relax. His shoulders drop, and he takes a deep breath, even going so far as to close his eyes a moment. When he opens his eyes, the crazed look is gone. “You’re snapping at me.”
I give him a look. “Yeah? Well, you seem to have that effect on me,” I say dryly.
“That’s good.”
I wrinkle my nose in confusion. “Rauk, are you losing your mind?”
He laughs; it’s low and deep. “You seem to have that effect on me,” he parrots my words.
I throw my hands up. “Okay. I’m officially totally confused.”
He runs his hand over the back of his neck. “Yeah. I get that.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Want to clue me in?”
“I’d like to clue you in on a lot of things,” he says cryptically.
Before I can ask what in the world that’s supposed to mean, my stomach growls, like really growls.
It’s so loud, we can both hear it. That scowl shows up on his face again.
“I’ll go get you some food.” He’s gone before I can say a word. I stare at the door he left through.
“What in the entire world was that?” There’s no answer to my question, and I begin the process of trying to move.
My body is stiff, and it takes me a while to get moving.
When I go to stand up, I expect the pain to be unbearable.
But it’s surprisingly tolerable. I suddenly need to go to the bathroom so badly, I’m afraid I won’t make it.
I notice the walking stick next to the bed and scowl at it.
I go as fast as I can go, jumping on one leg.
After I finish relieving myself, I stare at the large tub.
Suddenly, the thought of hot water on my aching body nearly makes me want to cry.
I immediately start filling the tub with the hottest water.
I manage to get back into the room and find my clothes.
It’s a miracle my bag is here, but I’ll take it.
As soon as the tub is filled halfway, I strip out of my clothes.
It’s harder to get them off than I thought it would be because of the wrap on my leg, but I manage.
I debate a moment what to do about my leg.
I finally decide to just submerge my leg, wrap and all.
I’m too impatient to wait. It takes an extra few minutes to get in, but when my body is finally submerged in water, my entire body seems to sigh in relief.
I’ve just closed my eyes when I hear his voice.
“Harper!”
“I’m in the tub,” I call out to him. “I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
“Cover up, or don’t. I'm coming in.” Before I can process how familiar those words are from the last time this scene played out, I reach for a towel because I know from experience the man has the patience of a.
..whatever animal has absolutely no patience.
The door opens to the bathroom, just as I finish wrapping a towel around my body, which is no easy feat to do in the water.
“What in the world, Rauk? Can I not take a bath in peace?”
His eyes are locked on my face when he says “No. Here. You’re starving.”
I eye the plate of food that’s seriously overflowing. “Uh, not that I don’t appreciate it; but can I maybe finish my bath before I eat?”
“You need to eat,” he starts.
I take a deep breath. “Rauk, I don’t know what your deal is, but you’re driving me crazy. I am going to finish my bath, and then, and only then, I will eat. And if you don’t leave me alone and stop acting like a crazy person, I will find my knife and get some target practice in.”
He smirks, and I see a little of the old Rauk returning. “I’d like to see you try.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Leave. Rauk.”
He smirks again, but it’s softer this time with something, something I can’t quite put a finger on. “I’ll leave, but don’t take too long. You really do need to eat. Call me when you’re ready to get out, and I’ll lift you out.”
“Okay,” I tell him, even though I have no plans to ask him to help me out.
I did that one time too many already. I take my time soaking, even though he calls out to me every little bit.
Only when I feel ready, do I finally wash my hair and body and climb out of the tub.
I use my arm muscles to lift my body up and out of the tub, so I don’t put weight on my leg.
My arms are super shaky though, which surprises me.
It takes me an embarrassingly long time to get out, and dressed, but I manage to do it.
..without help. Now that I’m clean, I can’t stop thinking about that plate of food.
It motivates me to move faster, and soon, I’m ready to leave the bathroom.
I walk or kind of jump carefully over to the door and open it. “I’m starving.”
“Hey,” Rauk says from across the room. Two seconds later, he’s standing in front of me. Before I can say a word, he swings me up and into his arms. “Did you miss the walking stick? You’re not supposed to put weight on your leg.”
“I didn’t.”
He looks down at me. “Then how did you get to the bathroom?”
“I jumped.” He shakes his head. “You’re being dramatic,” I tell him.
“I am not dramatic,” he rumbles low in his chest, which sends an odd shiver through me.
He sets me down on the bed and crouches in front of me.
“Don’t put weight on that leg until it heals, or you’ll just set back the healing time.
” He leans over me, completely shocking me, and starts unwrapping my leg.
Neither of us say a word while he wraps my leg with a fresh wrapping from the drawer next to my bed.
I go still as he puts his hands on either side of my hips and lifts me up against the pillows.
I don’t even fight him because he surprises me so much.
“You haven’t eaten in a few days, so take this slow. See what your body can handle.”
“Wait. What?” He turns to look at me, and I realize our faces are only a few inches apart from each other because of how he’s sitting on the bed. I'm not really sure why he decided to sit so close, but that’s not my main point of concern right now. “A few days?” I question.
He nods. “Yeah, it’s been two days since you woke up and another day since you started responding coherently to me.”
I stare at him in shock. “I’ve been out for three days?”
He nods. “Like I said, the sedative they gave me was too strong. I think they miscalculated your weight. You’re tall and muscular, which makes it seem like you should weigh more. But you don’t. I know firsthand from the times I’ve carried you.”
My mind can’t seem to process more than the fact that I’ve been out for days. “That’s crazy. It didn’t feel like I slept for three days.”
“It did to me.”
There’s something in his words, something dark that I can’t begin to process. So, I don’t. “Okay, well that makes sense why I’m so hungry.”
“Eat.” His word is almost like a command, and I level a look at him. He doesn’t back down though, nor does he move away from me.
“Rauk, if I’m going to eat, you have to move. And while you’re at it, take down the intensity a notch or two, or you know...twenty.” When he doesn’t move, I look him in the eye. “Rauk, move.”
He finally stands and walks to the end of the bed.
Thankfully, he’s dialed the intensity back just enough that I can eat.
And eat, I do. “Man, I didn’t realize how hungry I was!
” After I eat my weight in food, I finally begin to come back to reality.
“So, what have I missed? Any more guivres? Wait. How’s your back? ” I can’t believe I forgot about it.
“A thousand times better.”
“Really?” I ask skeptically.
“Yeah. The healer has been putting stuff on it every day. It doesn’t hurt nearly as much.”
I nod. “Okay. That’s good. So back to my original question. Are there any more guivres?”
“Not anymore.”
I cock my head to the side. “You mean after the battle? Because don’t forget the one that attacked you.”
“There aren’t any more.” His words are dark, almost as dark as his eyes as they meet mine.
“Okay then. Good to know. Are your people still here?”
“No, I sent them back.”
“Rauk, you should have gone with them. I know they need you, and Auri must be so worried about you.”
“As soon as you’re healed, I’ll return.”
His words hit me hard, which is stupid. “Okay.” I notice he’s watching me carefully. “Well, I’m healed now, so you don’t need to wait around anymore. You should get back to your people and to Auri.”
“What about you?” he asks.
“What about me?” I return.
“Will you return with me?” I take in his question and give myself a moment. I know why he’s asking. We’re mates; our dragons are mates. But we’re not the kind of mates that Kaldar and Kinsley are or that Farrah and Rysden are.
Before I can answer, somebody knocks at the front door.
Rauk studies my face for a moment and then leaves to open the door.
I put the now empty plate on the stand next to me and push to my feet.
“Harper, you’re alive,” Farrah calls out and crosses the room quickly to hug me.
I hold myself stiff while she does. When she finally releases me, Kinsley does the same thing.
When they both back up, I breathe a sigh of relief.
“Harper needs to rest,” Rauk says, drawing my attention to him.
“No, Harper doesn’t,” I respond without looking at him. But when they both just stare at me, I turn back to Rauk. “Can you give us a few minutes?”
At first, I don’t think he’s going to leave. He steps forward, making sure to meet my eyes. “I’ll give you a few minutes, and then you and I are going to talk.”
“I can't wait," I tell him deadpan. He leaves a moment later, and I turn to my friends.