73. Chapter Seventy-Three
Chapter Seventy-Three
Beau Drewitt
“You’re awake.”
That’s when I feel it again. Elowen. My awareness spikes and I can feel her all over me again. I jump out of my chair before my thoughts can catch up. My brain knows before my body can catch up, like the flare of a match struck in the dark.
The door to her room doesn’t have time to groan as I swing it open to rush inside.
Light slants across the floor, and the shape of her on the bed draws my gaze all at once.
Elowen Briar is sitting up in her bed with her legs crossed.
Her eyes are open, that unique shade of green on one side and blue on the other.
I see relief flood in her eyes as we look at each other.
It’s a mix of bittersweet relief to see her in front of me, sitting up on her own, her hands anxiously rubbing together.
She’s so fucking beautiful. The fact that she’s awake nearly makes my knees buckle.
“Elowen,” I whisper, crossing the room to sink into the chair at her bedside.
The same chair that I’ve sat in on end, caring for her while she slept.
Her name cracks in my throat. She blinks, slow but steady, as if the weight of her gaze carries centuries instead of moments.
I lay my hand on her thigh, hoping that her touch would anchor me enough to muster some sort of sentence. “You’re awake,” I say. “It worked.”
Her lips part, but no sound comes out. I can see the flicker of recognition in her eyes that she too is coming to terms with the fact that she’s still here with us.
I lean forward, my chest aching. “I thought I’d lost you.
I thought I’d damned you by waiting too long.
” Her thoughts stir faintly, but her gaze stays locked on mine.
“I am so sorry,” I tell her. “I should’ve acted sooner.
I should’ve fought harder for a yes. You asked me to try, and I did, but I thought you were gone.
I’ve waited this whole time. I never went anywhere.
I…I love you Elowen Briar so fucking much.
” Her fingers twitch and she raises her hand to rest on top of mine in her lap.
She brushes the top of my hand with her fingertips, thoughts flooding her mind of how different I feel now.
The motion is small, but to me it’s a miracle.
I reach out, brushing my other hand against her cheek.
“I’ll make sure you never suffer again, mi tesoro. ”
The sound of footsteps draws near in the doorframe. Imani enters first, her face filled with wonder. Kai follows, his mouth falling open at the sight of Elowen’s eyes wide and aware. “Oh my God,” Kai breathes. “She’s awake.”
Imani presses both hands to her mouth, tears spilling free.
She crosses to the other side of the bed and leans closer to Elowen, embracing her, her curls brushing Elowen’s arm.
“Sweet girl,” she whispers. “You made it.” I can see Elowen swallow repeatedly.
She can smell her blood. I look up to make eye contact with Imani and motion with my eyes to give her a little space without making it obvious to Elowen.
Imani steps back without making a scene and sits on the edge of the bed.
Kai crowds closer, unable to stop himself.
He rushes to Elowen too and leans down to hug Elowen awkwardly, his laugh breaking with disbelief.
“Oh my God, you’re freezing.” He turns to Imani with a grin that’s half panic, half joy.
“I think you need to warm me up.” Imani shoves his shoulder hard enough to make him stumble back from Elowen’s bedside.
Her glare is sharp, but her smile betrays her.
For the first time, Elowen’s lips curve. The faintest smile, but real. “I’m alive?”
I giddily reply, “Yes, baby. You’re here with us.” She flexes her hands again. Slowly, as though testing her new body. Her eyes widen in awe as her fingers curl fully into fists, then spread open once more. The sight hollows me. My chest aches with something too large to name.
Her voice comes then, raspy but steady. “Beau. You could save millions. We could save so many people. Why are so many still sick when you can do this?” I draw back, shaken by her words. She’s already thinking beyond herself, beyond me. That’s who she is. This is why I love her.
“I don’t know,” I admit. “This is a new revelation. I wish I had an answer for you, but I don’t. We weren’t even sure if my bite would stick or if your disease was too strong to be cured.” She’s definitely back to herself again.
She fixes her gaze on me, stronger now, fire sparking where weakness had lived. “I thought I was dead when I came to.”
“I can see why. I’m sorry no one was in the room with you when you woke up. Believe it or not, we’ve spent more time in this room than any other room in the house.” I stifle back a laugh.
“He means to say, he has spent more time in this room than any other room in the house. We had to beg him to commune with us every forty-five minutes. He became obsessed with caring for you while you were out. Imani caught him swabbing your mou–” Kai announces.
“Shut up.” Imani cuts him off with an elbow to the stomach.
“You took care of me?” Tears form in Elowen’s eyes as she reaches back out for my hand.
“Of course, I did. I would never let you lay in this bed and rot away. I cared for you in new ways that Imani taught me. Just for dignity reasons, there were things I didn’t do, but otherwise Imani let me help out in most areas.
The same things I did for you in the hospital.
” Elowen leans forward and wraps her arms around my neck.
“I don’t know if I should hug anyone, you know, around the neck, other than Beau right now…
You guys understand that, right?” Elowen speaks, trying to voice that she can already smell their blood surging beneath their skin.
They both nod. Imani, Kai, and I all stand around her room, just starstruck at the sight of her sitting up, with light in her eyes.
I can’t even muster all I want to say, but I also know how overwhelming everything is when you first wake from your transition.
All the thoughts that run through your mind.
Every memory that comes flooding back, but ten times more violent than before.
Everything is heightened, but everything is also extremely loud.
Louder than anything you could ever imagine.
But her face shifts while I’m lost in thought, her body tightens, and her throat bobs as she continues to swallow over and over again.
I stand, my hand pressing against her shoulder lightly. “Imani, Kai, you probably should leave us for a bit.”
Kai frowns. “What, why? She just woke up.”
“She just woke up, entirely changed,” I snap.
“I think Elowen is trying to say that she’s hungry.
So, she’s not safe for you yet. She’s hungry.
Just listen to me, okay?” I try keeping my tone more calm with him, for his sake and everyone else’s.
“She won’t hurt you, but I do need to coax her through this.
It’ll be much easier on everyone if it’s just Elowen and I.
Have Genie go with you guys, too. Imani?
” Imani pulls at Kai’s arm. He resists until he sees the sharpness in Elowen’s gaze, the way her throat bobs as if fighting something deeper.
“Fine, but Imani, no touching. I’m just not ready.
” he mutters, though fake fear cracks in his voice.
Imani throws a loud cackle over her shoulder.
They step back together. Kai tries to sling an arm over Imani’s shoulders, but she pushes him off, giving him a look that silences him.
The door closes behind them, leaving me and Elowen in the charged quiet.
Her eyes glow faintly in the light, fixed on me with a need she doesn’t yet understand.
Which is easily confused with desire, and there is no way in hell I can tell her no right now so, blood bags it is.
I steady myself. She is here. She’s alive, as she can be. That’s all that matters.
Now, comes the cost. It’s time for her to feed.