25. Healing
HEALING
Irene
My steps were uncertain as I followed the angry vampire inside.
Alex entered a study where the rich brown desk and the glow from a blazing log fire created a soft, cosy atmosphere—a stark contrast to the harshness of what had happened.
Leather-bound books filled the shelves, and the smell of old paper thickened the air.
The pull of our bond kept stretching with tension.
“Have a seat.” After having heard his commanding voice in the yard, he was gentle now.
I didn’t sit. “You didn’t need to kill him.”
His dark eyebrows drew closer, and a hard glint flashed in his gaze. “You aren’t the head of the Dark Court. You don’t know what I need or don’t.”
The tone didn’t lack kindness, but I wanted to disappear, like a young student scolded by her governess.
“I warned Logan, and he ignored me. I couldn’t banish him from the court. He would have killed at will.” He tugged at his gloves. “And he threatened you. That was unforgivable.”
I sat down and wiped the sweat from my forehead.
Life in the Dark Court was more brutal than I’d expected.
I wasn’t fond of Logan, but Alex was right.
The streets were safer without him. Logan had attacked Cara viciously only because she’d been bleeding.
If Alex hadn’t stopped him, he would have killed Cara.
And he’d been incredibly fast. I could only imagine what Logan would have been able to do on the streets, preying on defenceless people.
Alex raked a slow glance over me, eyeing my dirty white silk gown. “You need new clothes.”
The change of subject stunned me. “What does that have to do with my learning to control my power?”
“I want to go to the city with you. If you agree, I want to visit your house now that the police don’t guard it anymore. A visit might trigger your memory and help us find Sean.”
I folded my hands in my lap. “Why are my memories of that night clouded? I try to remember the details of the attack, but they elude me.”
“The confusion is the result of your transformation. The memories will become clear with time.” He wiped the blood from his chin. The cut on his face had already healed. “I’ve recently remembered that my sire is a four-hundred-year-old vampire. Not that I know what to do with the information.”
I clenched my gold cross. “Why did the cross hurt Logan?”
“Because he meant to hurt you. Any religious symbol would protect you from evil vampires.”
“But the cross bothered you when we were at St. Mary’s Hospital, and you’ve never been evil.”
He fiddled with a pencil before speaking. “I wanted to drink your blood so much I was a threat to you. If I learnt rather quickly to control the thirst, it’s thanks to you. I forced myself not to suck you dry the first time I’d fed from you, and that forged my will to control myself.”
“Why me? Why did you manage to control your thirst with me?” The bond between us softened as if he were caressing me.
“Because I care for you. Very much.” He started to stand up. “Ask Myrtha to help you with the gowns. We’ll go to London tomorrow.”
“Alex.” Perhaps I imagined the quick shiver going through him when I used his name. I waited for him to sit down. “Yes, I find you frightening, especially after today.”
A muscle in his jaw twitched.
“Mostly because I can’t detect your feelings. You have no aura. And you’re strong and fast. I hadn’t realised how much I relied on my power to trust people until now. Without it, I’m lost. I don’t know how to behave or what to think.”
“Today is the wrong day to say it, but you can trust me. Once we know each other better again, I hope you’ll trust me.”
I stroked my injured arm. The cut stung.
He worked his jaw as he stared at my bandaged arm. “Your healing power is slow.”
“The skin itches and burns.” I grimaced as the sting intensified. “I’ll ask Darius to help me.”
“I could…” His Adam’s apple bobbed on a swallow. “I could heal it in a moment.”
“How?”
“The same way I close the puncture wounds from my fangs after I feed.”
“Which is?”
He lost his cocksure expression. “Forget it. I shouldn’t have mentioned that.”
He was hard to read, but one thing was certain—he wanted to help me and was embarrassed by that, which didn’t make sense. Why would he be?
After I’d misunderstood him a few times, it was the right moment to show him my trust.
I unfastened the bandage. “Do it.”
Something flashed across his face, but it was gone so quickly I didn’t guess what it was.
He stoked the fire, not looking at me. “I have to use my tongue.”
“Oh.” In retrospect, that made sense.
“It’s going to be extremely pleasurable for you. More pleasurable than anything you’ve ever experienced.”
I arched an eyebrow. “It sounds like you’re bragging. I’m curious.”
“I’ll touch only the wound. Nothing else.”
That was a huge comfort. “Fine.”
“Put your arm on the desk.” His voice acquired a seductive tone.
I did as told, tingling with anticipation.
“I have to release my power. Don’t be alarmed.”
The white in his eyes was replaced by glossy black, and his fangs descended. His cheeks sharpened, and his muscles grew.
Even though he’d warned me, a little jolt of fear and excitement coursed through me. He walked slowly before sitting next to me. My heart gave another kick, and our bond relaxed.
“Be ready.”
His velvety voice dripped with charm. Charm that made me lean closer to him without thinking.
He dipped his head and darted out his tongue over the cut. I wasn’t prepared for the burst of undiluted pleasure the first lash of his tongue ignited in me. The slow caress touched every part of my body, making me sigh and writhe.
Thanks to my gift, I wasn’t a stranger to physical pleasure. I’d caught the feelings of the maid and the footman hiding in a quiet corner more than once and of girls having assignations.
But nothing I’d experienced before was anywhere close to the intensity of this emotion. It shuddered through me like lightning while I had to squeeze my thighs together to soothe the pulsing ache between them. He didn’t touch me. Only his smooth tongue did.
Lash after lash, pleasure quivered through me. My back wilted, and a moan eased out of me. Our bond spread warmth through my chest as he stared at me with an intensity that felt intimate and special.
He made a noise deep in his throat, closing his eyes, and the bond vibrated softly.
I might not be able to understand his feelings through my power, but I’d never been closer to another person, and his care and desire reached me as clearly as if I were seeing his aura.
When he opened his eyes, our gazes locked, and only tenderness filled the space between us. I couldn’t deny the strong pull towards him as a new wave of pleasure built up inside me. I leant closer, inhaling his heady scent, and the intense desire in his gaze held me captive.
The moment he raised his head, it was all over. It was like falling back to Earth after having flown through the clouds. The pleasure ended.
He stared at me with unmistakable hunger.
The cut was gone. Nothing was left of it. My skin was healthy and rosy as if nothing had happened. But I would never be the same.
My face was hot, and my breathing came out in quick pants.
Alex’s expression changed from seductive to worried. “Are you all right?”
A nervous chuckle escaped me. All right didn’t even come close to describing how wonderful I felt.
“I’m very well.” My voice sounded small and shaky.
“Good.”
“And you?” I glanced at him.
A fleeting, boyish smile graced his lips. “Your blood is fantastic.” The smile vanished. “I mean, your blood isn’t the only thing about you I find fantastic. It’s just…you.” He scrubbed the back of his neck. “Just you.”
I held back a grin, lest he think I was making fun of him. “Tell me how you feel.”
He hunched his shoulders. “I’m happy to have found you again. I’m not happy about the circumstances. I’m slightly embarrassed.”
“Why?”
“The taste of your blood reminded me of that night I’d drunk from you. I’m not proud of what I did. But also, it reminded me of how kind you’ve always been to me.” He took a long pause. “I felt what you felt earlier.”
I put a hand on my chest where the bond purred. “Because of our connection.”
“Yes. I’ve never experienced anything like that when I feed.” He touched his chest, too. “It’s like I’m holding you, and it’s the strongest sensation I’ve ever felt.”
His voice had lowered to a soft tone. It wasn’t as seductive as before, but sweet and tender, full of awe.
He stretched out his hand slowly until his fingertips almost brushed my hand. I didn’t know why touching me was such a challenge for him, but whatever the reason for his difficulty, it had to be deep. I remained still, my heart racing.
His jaw clenched as he stopped a breath away from my skin. His features hardened.
Silence stretched until he cleared his throat a few times, but didn’t say anything. I wondered how the bite would be. If a lash of his tongue triggered so much desire, the bite had to be devastatingly powerful.
I touched my arm where the cut had been. “If you can heal the wounds from your bite, how come your sire left them?”
“My sire probably lost his healing power. Vampires on the verge of becoming rogues can’t heal wounds anymore. I fear it might happen to me one day.”
I stretched out my fingers, almost touching his. “I don’t believe it’ll ever happen to you.” I stood up, still glowing from the wonderful sensations. “Thank you.”
“Any time.” He rose as well. “We’ll go to the city tomorrow.”