A small, terrified gasp has me glance down the hall to see Nariko standing there with a big tote bag hiked onto her shoulder.
“Oakley?” She calls me by my nickname for the first time, and I rest my sore hand over my heart, loving the way my name sounds as she calls out to me. “Oh my god! What happened?” Nariko goes from a still position to dashing towards me, falling onto her knees when she gets close enough.
She sets the bag down and cups my face with both of her hands, lifting my head to get a good look at me. “What happened, My Kokoro?”
“Are you going to tell me what that means, Sugar?” I wheeze.
“Maybe tomorrow.” She winks, turning her hand over to feel my forehead. “You’re burning up. I didn’t think vampires couldget sick? What is happening?” She pushes my damp hair out of my face, and her wrist is close to my nose.
I move as fast as the speed of light, snagging her wrist, and inhale her scent. My mouth waters for a taste. A bite.
One. Small. Bite.
“You smell so fucking good.” I lick the vein on her wrist, tracing it, her blood so close yet so far.
I’m tempted to take it.
I want to. I need it. I’m dying without it, without her. I can’t wait much longer.
“Oakley, what’s wrong? I need you to talk to me.”
My eyes hood from exhaustion, my body succumbing to peace since she’s near.
“Let’s get you to bed, and then we can feed you.”
I shake my head, not wanting her to help me. I can do this by myself. I can’t let her see me any weaker. And whatever she has in that bag, I know it isn’t what I need.
What I need is the blood in her veins. No one else’s. No bagged blood. No random person from town.
Only Nariko’s.
The thought of anyone else’s blood makes my stomach curdle in disapproval.
I have no other choice but to have the conversation with her I’ve been avoiding.
“Look at me.” She slips her fingers under my chin, tilting my head up so I have no choice but to look at her. “Something is wrong, isn’t there? Why are you like this?” She examines me, her eyes traveling up and down. She snags my hand, tracing every fingernail bed with the shadow of her fingers. “This looks so painful.”
“I look worse than I feel,” I try to tease, chuckling to ease the tension. A coughing fit takes over. It comes from some placedeep within me, the phlegm wet and metallic again. I cover my mouth in time, so the blood doesn’t spray in Nariko’s face.
I’m supposed to be the one taking care of her. I’m supposed to be the strong one. She isn’t supposed to be worried about me.
I’m fucking terrible at this fated mate thing.
She pulls my hand away from my mouth, and she gasps, her worry and fear soaking into me. Only this time, her emotions don’t hurt me. I find so much comfort in them. I love that she’s worried about me.
Everyone else’s emotions are heavy, and when I’m around a lot of people, the weight becomes crushing.
“How long have you been coughing up blood? Why aren’t you healing?”
The truth is about to be set free. “I’m sorry,” I say, lifting my arm with the strength I have left. I grunt when my muscles burn. I need to touch her. I need to feel her on my skin.
She’s the only one who can relieve the pain.
“For what?” Nariko leans her cheek into my palm.
“For leaving you in the dark. For not telling you everything.”
“You can tell me now. Maybe you can explain why my body hurts, or why I can’t stop thinking about you, or why fire seems to live within me now? A fire that only seems to tame itself when I’m near you?”
