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Richard got almost to the door when he heard Gavin speak to him again, his voice full of strong emotion. “Kevin saved him tonight, Richard. If it hadn’t been for him…”
Richard nodded, unable to speak. Kevin could have run away, but he’d stayed to fight a savage creature much bigger than himself with only his bare hands and his courage. Another reason to love Kevin, as if he needed any more. He turned and rushed down the hall toward his mate. When he reached Kevin’s room, he saw that Kevin was awake. Irena was examining his ribs, her fingers skimming lightly over the left side of his body, and Kevin’s struggles to breathe were becoming more obvious. Irena looked up at Richard. “His breathing is getting worse. You need to help him. ” She pulled Kevin’s face back toward her. He was awake and he looked up at her and then past her to Richard. His eyes widened in fear, and it felt like a knife to Richard’s heart.
Irena shook his chin slightly to make him focus on her. “Kevin, listen to me. Richard is going to help you now. You must swallow what he will give you. It will help you and take away some of the pain. Do you understand?”
He nodded almost imperceptibly and his eyes flew back up to Richard, who had sat down on the other side of the bed. “Kevin, it’s me, baby. You know I’d never hurt you, right?”
Kevin stared blankly back at him, making no sign he’d heard him. Moving slowly, Richard brought his wrist to his mouth and allowed his fangs to drop. Kevin’s sharp intake of breath caused him to wince and groan with pain, and while his mouth was still open, Richard pressed his wrist to his lips.
There was a brief struggle as he tried to wrench his head away, but Richard held his head steady with his free hand, while Irena held down Kevin’s body. Irena was one of the oldest members of the pack, but she was still a wolf, and her body still powerful.
Kevin tried to resist, but the blood slipping down his throat would have choked him if he hadn’t swallowed. A look of extreme distaste came over his features, followed by an expression of surprise. He began to allow the blood into his mouth, and then to actually make small sucking motions with his lips. In moments, his eyes had rolled back in his head, but when Richard looked at Irena in alarm, she was smiling.
; “His mate’s blood is soothing and calming him, taking away his pain. He will continue to drink until you pull him away. Be careful not to lose too much yourself. ” She patted his shoulder. “I’ll go up to the alpha now to see if I can help since he’s had a chance to calm himself. He would allow no one near his mate at first. The doctor should be here soon. ”
Richard sat beside his beautiful mate just watching him as he took in the wolf’s blood. He understood now why Gavin had been almost unable to pull his arm away. His wolf was soothed by helping his mate this way, and he had to force himself to pull back when he began to get lightheaded. He wiped the blood away from Kevin’s lips with a corner of the sheet and stroked his hair. He was almost frightened by the intensity of his feelings for him. Something wasn’t right. These feelings were too intense, too powerful. He hadn’t felt anything like this since…since his bloodmate years ago.
He pushed the thought away, and bent over Kevin to press his lips against his forehead, keeping watch over him until the doctor arrived.
Dr. Cornsilk stopped in to check Kevin’s vitals and give him an injection for pain. Kevin was fast asleep now, with Richard sitting on the bed beside him.
“He’s so pale,” Richard said anxiously.
“It’s from shock,” Dr. Cornsilk replied. “He should be fine, though he should be kept quiet, and he’ll need some reassurance when he wakes up. He’s been through a bad emotional trauma.
Richard nodded. “Fine. I’ve already given him blood, and it seemed to soothe the pain. ”
“Yes, the ribs are already healing. Amazing, considering you haven’t even given him a mating bite yet. ” The doctor looked at him with an odd expression. “Usually the wolf’s blood won’t help much until after the mating rituals. The bloodmatch with the two of you must be very strong. ”
“What? No,” Richard said, shaking his head. “My bloodmate died over twenty years ago, Doctor. You know that. She was Tucker’s mother. ”
Dr. Cornsilk shrugged. “Nevertheless…”
Richard shook his head emphatically. “No, you don’t understand. He’s not my bloodmatch. I had that years ago with Tucker’s mother, and she passed away. I’m in love with Kevin, yes, but…”
The doctor shook his head firmly. “Richard, only the blood of a bloodmate can heal so quickly. You know this. Other wolf blood can certainly help keep someone alive until they can be helped, but only bloodmatch blood heals perfectly and quickly like this. No, Kevin Bryson is your bloodmatch. ”
“But that’s impossible, Doctor. My wife…”
“I know it’s unheard of, but it may be that your first love was not a bloodmatch. ”
Richard shook his head stubbornly. “No, impossible. You didn’t know her. ”
“Of course not, and I don’t mean to offend you. Love matches are often just as strong and long lasting. There are really very few differences in the actual feelings involved. The difference is biochemical. It comes in a couple of ways. First of all, with a bloodmatch, a wolf really can’t live without his mate. The attachment is almost physical, it seems, and wolves often die soon after a mate passes away. ”
“I had my son to think about,” Richard said gruffly. “I tried to survive for him. ”
“I understand, of course. Still, others have not had the stamina that you’ve shown, even when children were also involved. I’ve already mentioned the blood connection with healing. ”
“My wife died in an isolated area, and there was no chance to save her. Maybe if I would have been with her…”
“Well, it’s interesting to speculate, but we’ll never know for sure, of course. What I can tell you with some assurance is that Kevin most definitely is your bloodmatch. His ribs are almost completely healed. I’ve never heard of a wolf having two bloodmatches before, but I suppose anything is possible, especially when, if she was indeed your bloodmatch, your first mate died so quickly after you’d established the mating. ”
“And you know all this because of the healing?”
“That, and…tell me, how long have you known him?”
