Chapter 25

A large hand clamped over my eyes but I’d already seen. My arm was swollen with multiple ugly ragged cuts running from just below my elbow to above my wrist. Why were the cuts still open? How? Why were there so many? Why had they not closed them? The doctor did something that made me yell and swear at him “Sorry High Luna. High Alpha we have all the silver, I can touch her wound with my skin.”

“Thank you,” Damian spoke, his hand still firmly over my eyes… it didn’t matter, I’d seen it, I’ll be scarred for life and they won’t be pretty scars “With your permission, I can stitch the wounds now.”

“Sedate her.”

“What! No!” I struggled and tried to remove Damian’s hand only to feel other hands on my shoulders pinning me down “Damian! No!” I croaked as loud as my dry scratchy throat would allow

“I love you,” was what I heard before I felt the pinch of a needle and I fell into the depths of a drug induced sleep.

When my eyes opened again it was dark. I shifted but realised a large arm was rested heavily over my stomach. Damian’s low deep breathing filled the room. My mind foggy for a while until I remembered why I’d been asleep. I ripped Damian’s arm off me not caring if it woke him and dropped my legs from the bed “Uh? Oh, you’re awake,” Damian’s voice deep and gruff full of sleep.

“No thanks to you.” My throat was even scratchier than before. I wanted to shout at him but I could barely get my voice above a whisper.

I pushed myself off the bed and my legs gave way underneath me. I tried to crawl to get back to my feet but I rested on my right hand and a pain shot up my arm. I let out an involuntary cry as my arm crumpled leaving me on the floor. Damian got out of bed and was trying to help me up. I didn’t want his help; he made me be sedated, he did something against my will. I struggled against his grip as he lifted me back to bed “Get off me!” I shouted to him loud and clear through the link. Once I was sat on the bed I pushed his arms off me with as much strength as I could “What did I do?” he asked bewildered

“You had me sedated! You didn’t ask and then you pinned me down!”

“You’re annoyed about that?” I turned my head to look at him

“Yes,” I tried to put the same venom in my voice as my mind link but it was just a puny whisper

“My Darling, I didn’t want you to me any more pain than you had to be in. He needed to sew you up and he needed to do it as neatly as he could. Your body’s been through enough pain my darling.” He reached over and stroked my cheek, I chewed on my lip. He should have said that in the first place. “I’m sorry I did it against your will, but I was thinking of you the whole time, I promise”.

I looked away from him and felt his hand slip into my left. “I didn’t mean to upset you, my queen.” He kissed my temple and I leant into him allowing his arms to wrap around me “I’m sorry,” I muttered “I should be apologising, if I hadn’t left you alone the Fae could never have hurt you.”

I looked around and saw a glass of water on the bedside table, I reached for it and drank it in one go so I could speak what I needed to tell him. “They said you don’t deserve a mate… you betrayed him so I’m not safe.” My throat still a little scratchy, but at least I managed the words.

“Fuck.” Damian’s warmth retracted from me as he stood and paced the room “Fucking winged bastards!” I sat while he ranted and raved to the room, every profanity leaving his lips.

Damian began tearing the room apart, anything he could get his hands on was ripped I jumped as the now empty glass flew across the room “Nicos, Damian’s lost his shit.”

“Coming Eva.”

“Damian… calm down.” He snarled as he ripped the door from its hinges, splintering the wood between his hands. I didn’t dare move from the bed. I had barely any strength as it was, if I got in the way I’d regret it. I knew he wouldn’t hurt me on purpose. Damian left the room and I heard other rooms getting a similar treatment of destruction.

“Brother. Calm yourself,” I heard Nicos somewhere in the house. Damian snarled back. I decided to leave Nicos to it and slowly, gingerly made my way to the bathroom. Why did I feel so weak? It was my arm that was hurt, not my legs! But my legs felt like jelly and barely able to bear my weight. But I made it and used the facilities. I sat on the platform where the bath sat, out of breath and shaking. What was wrong with me?

“Eva?” Nicos’ voice came from the bedroom

“Bathroom,” my voice seemed to be getting stronger but it was still weak. Nicos walked in with his hand over his eyes “I’m decent,” I muttered

“Oh.” He took his hand away “You OK?”

“Weak.”

“Yeah.” Nicos let out a breath and sat next to me “We couldn’t get all the silver out for five sunrises, there may be a tiny bit left in your bloodstream. You’ll be fine in a few days, allow your wolf to heal you.” I nodded looking down to my knees

“How long have I been asleep?”

“Six sunrises.” I nodded still looking down

“How’s Damian?”

“I had to knock him out, not seen him that angry in a long, long time. What pissed him off?”

“The Fae… they said that Damian doesn’t deserve a mate…”

“And they’ve threatened; nearly succeeded in killing his mate,” Nicos finished. I nodded.

We sat in silence unsure what to say. Unsure what to do.

Nicos broke the never-ending silence. “I’ll make you something to eat. You need something for your body to work with or you won’t heal.” He stood and pulled me to my feet which didn’t last long as my knees buckled. “Goddess, you weren’t joking with the weak thing,” Nicos joked but gripped around my waist, supporting most of my weight as we went through to the bed. “I’ll be back in a bit,” he said as soon as I was settled

“Thank you,” I quietly called after him.

Nicos came back and placed a tray on my lap. I thanked him and started eating, I was glad it was soup, the thought of chewing right now made me sleepy. Nicos sat on the end of the bed “I’ll be OK. You can go if you want, it’s like the middle of the night.”

“It’s cool, I slept last night, if the Fae are after you I don’t really want you left unprotected. I’ll get out your hair as soon as Damian’s conscious.”

“Thank you.” He shrugged and smiled a toothy grin

“We’re family remember.” I nodded and we settled in for another bout of silence while I sipped the soup, I had no idea what was in it and didn’t much care.

“Nicos,” I broke the silence, I had wanted to ask the question for weeks “Why do you and Damian fight so much?”

“Noticed that huh?” He rubbed the back of his neck, I nodded as I ate. “Well…” he took a shuddering breath, I had a suspicion he didn’t really want to say, but then he spoke, “I blame him for killing my wife.” I sucked in a breath

“Y-your wife?” I stuttered. All of Nicos’ jovial air was gone. He looked more serious than I’d ever seen him “Yes, Damian agreed to immortality… he had nothing to tie him to one time period. He may have been older by age… but never by maturity. I had someone tying me… I had a wife, a child on the way. I had everything that made me happy. Damian decided that should be taken from me.”

“Your wife was pregnant?” it was a statement but I phrased it as a question, I was shocked.

“Yes. I know the Fae tricked us… but Damian was all for it and they took his answer as all our answers.” I sat there, my spoon now in the bowl as I took in what Nicos admitted… Nicos was going to be a dad? I wonder which one of the siblings out of control wolves killed them...

“Nicos… I think your anger should be directed at the Fae… they did it.”

“But Eva… he agreed. We could have turned around,” a desperation cut through the sadness.

“You think the Fae would have let you turn around?” I asked. He sighed and rubbed his hand over his face “No.”

I shrugged, “Nicos… the Fae took your choice away. The moment they captured you, your fate was set.” Nicos looked away and silence enveloped us as I finished the soup. I felt better for eating and was grateful Nicos had taken the initiative.

“You get some sleep, I’ll tidy up this mess.” Nicos hopped off the bed and I looked around the room at the broken glass, and wood around. “Thanks Nicos.” I settled myself more in bed, resting against the soft down pillow “No prob little one.” I allowed the sounds of broken glass being swept up to send me to the peace of sleep.

An intense itch on my arm woke me. I shook the arm knowing I couldn’t itch through the bandages but wanting some relief. Oh, one little scratch won’t hurt. I scratched gently through the bandage getting the satisfaction of scratching the itch. I sighed in contentment. Rolling over to look out the balcony window. I realised I was alone in the room but Damian was probably awake now, I could see the first rays of gold lighting the sky to a deep orange.

A movement made me look to the door, Nicos stood framed in the door “You’re awake.” He smiled

“Yeah.” Oh yay voice sounded much better that time.

“I’ve just finished clearing Damian’s mess, I dragged his sorry arse to one of the spare beds too, thought he’d appreciate that.”

“You didn’t have to… we’d have tidied up.” Nicos reached up and grasped he door frame leaning on his arms, a cheeky grin lighting up his features that looked much like Damian’s “Shut up and thank me.” I chuckled

“Thanks Nicos.” He nodded, satisfied.

“How you feeling?” he asked rocking back and forth on his arms on the door frame

“A little better, I think the soup helped, so… thanks.” I shifted in the bed a little.

“Breakfast?”

“It’s OK, I can wait till Damian’s awake” I propped my head up

“Nonsense, breakfast in bed coming right up!” He turned and I could hear his footsteps on the wooden stairs.