Page 85 of Fallen Court

After a minute, he cleared his throat. “Do you yell at all of your patients?”

“Only the ones who deserve it.” I wiped the tears from my cheeks. “It won’t take long to heal, will it?”

“No.” Lach beckoned me with his finger. “Still, you could kiss it and make it better.”

I gave in to his smile, gave in to that instinct that bound us, gave in to the love I couldn’t deny. But it would take more than a kiss to make it better.

We needed a miracle.

Chapter Twenty

Lach

Duty called me from bed in the form of a text message. Cate stirred next to me, the sheets slipping to her waist. I glanced from the phone to her, afraid its light would wake her, but she just sighed and snuggled down into the covers, blissfully unaware of the bad news Roark had just delivered. I studied her—the parted lips, the slight flutter of her lashes, the rise and fall of her perfect breasts—and wished I’d turned the fucking phone off. We had so little time left that leaving her in my bed to deal with business felt like a waste, but this simply couldn’t wait.

I moved through the room as quietly as possible, grabbing random clothing from the open armoire. But as I reached for my holster, the bedsheets rustled. I glanced over my shoulder as Cate pushed onto her elbow.

“Why are you putting clothes on?” She rubbed her bleary eyes.

“Keep sleeping, princess.” I slipped the holster on before pulling out the 9-millimeter to check the magazine.

She sat up straighter. “What’s going on?”

There was nothing she could do but worry if I told her, so I pasted a grin on my face as I slid the gun back into the holster and reached for a jacket. “Nothing to worry about.”

A frown dragged any lingering sleepy peace from her face. “I’ve never been great at math, but I’m pretty sure that you plus guns plus the middle of the night equals trouble.”

I don’t know why I bothered. Unlike most of the women who’d shared my bed over the centuries, Cate wasn’t going to roll over and go back to sleep. It was one of the reasons I loved her. It was also what made it difficult to keep her from getting involved with the bloodier side of my life. “Just a little issue in the French Quarter. Roark needs a hand.”

“I’m going with you.” She threw the sheets off entirely, swinging her legs out of the bed. “Let me get dressed.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I said before she made it to the wardrobe. I didn’t want her anywhere near a murder scene.

“Why?” She crossed her arms, brows lifting as if she was waiting for my excuse.

I stared at the ceiling for a moment, like help might come from above. “Because they found another body.” I stole across the room and hooked an arm around her waist. “And because I prefer that you remain naked whenever possible.”

She rolled her eyes at me. “I know you’re basically immortal, so maybe you don’t know what nurses do for a living, but I’ve seen dead bodies before.”

“Then you aren’t missing anything.” I gave her a swift kiss.

But she didn’t soften. “Is it related to the witch who was killed?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. Roark’s message hadn’t said much. Another body. Meet me in five.

“But you’re going out in the middle of the night, so it’s serious.” Cate might not have been born to this life, but she had an uncanny sense for how things worked in our world. She tugged free of my hold, tilting her chin, a defiant glimmer in her eyes. “And I’m going with you.”

I had to force myself to nod. She smiled like she’d won, but she had no idea what battle was raging in my head.

Maybe it was the newness of the mating bond fucking with my common sense, just some primitive reflex to shield her. But trying to protect her from this was pointless. Cate didn’t need my protection. Not from this. But knowing that rationally and accepting it emotionally were two different things.

“I don’t suppose I can convince you to take your gun.” I leaned against the wall, watching as she dressed.

“They’re already dead.” She snorted as she dragged a sweater over her head, emerging with a bemused smile. “Yours aren’t enough?”

I frowned. She’d refused to carry a weapon since she returned, and I wasn’t certain how to make her understand it was a necessary evil. “You forget that someone killed them.”

“Good thing I’ll be with a big, bad fae prince, then.” She disappeared into the bathroom before I could remind her that things might have turned out differently if she’d had one the night Oberon kidnapped her.