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Richard started kissing him again, and though he twisted his head to get away, it did begin to soothe him, especially when his lips traveled all over his face, slowly, almost reverently. They didn’t speak for several minutes, just lay with their bodies touching all over. The room was filled with sunlight, and he wondered what time it was and where the others might be. Richard shifted to take some of his weight off him and released his wrists.
“Are you okay?” he asked gently.
Kevin nodded. “Can I get up? I have to go to the
bathroom. ”
“Of course. ” Richard rolled away and Kevin sat up shakily on the side of the bed. He felt his ribs. Still a little sore, but not bad. Damn, in his delirium the night before he’d been sure they were broken. The pain had been bad, and he couldn’t catch his breath. Now it was like nothing had happened. Had it been real? Was any of this real?
He pushed up to his feet and staggered a little, but put a hand out to stop Richard when he would have gotten up to help him. “I’m fine. I was just dizzy for a second. ” He made it to the end of the bed before he staggered again, and this time Richard was beside him, not taking no for an answer. He put an arm around him to help him to the bathroom and then stood, leaning with his backside against the vanity, patiently waiting while Kevin peed.
“This really isn’t necessary,” Kevin said sharply, glancing over at him darkly. Richard shrugged in that maddening way of his, his arms crossed over his chest. Finishing, Kevin stumbled over to the sink to wash his hands and caught sight of himself in the mirror. There were blood stains under his chin and down in the hollow of his throat. The memory of being held down on the bed while Richard forced his blood into his mouth came back with a vengeance and he staggered again. He kept staring into the mirror again and saw a further horror. There was a fine spray of blood on his forehead, and even in his hair, probably from Todd, or even Tucker.
“The-the blood. You…”
“I gave you some of my blood, yes. Only to heal you, baby. ”
“Oh my God,” he whispered and backed up as far as he could in the small bathroom. Richard made a sound of impatience and reached for him, pulling him back into his arms.
“Calm down. It helped you. It’s not going to turn you into a werewolf, if that’s what you’re thinking. Get all that Hollywood crap out of your head. Todd never bit you, or even raked you with his claws. ”
“Y-you mean to say that if he had bitten me…”
“No. Not exactly. Well, in a way…” He reached into the shower and turned on the water. “Let’s get you cleaned up and we’ll talk about it, but over breakfast. You need something to eat and so do I. ”
When he had the water adjusted, Richard stepped into the shower and held out a hand. Kevin hesitated for only a second before he stepped over and took his hand. Richard rewarded him with a beautiful smile and pulled him inside under the warm spray. Tenderly, Richard washed away all traces of the blood, and held Kevin close to his body, stroking his back when he began to tremble.
Both the warmth of the water and Richard’s closeness finally stopped the chills that had been shaking his body, and he was able to get out of the shower and stand still while Richard dried him off.
Richard stood up beside him and took him by the shoulders. “Better?” he asked softly.
Kevin nodded and they went back to the bedroom for Kevin to get dressed. Richard looked down at himself sheepishly. “We’ll have to stop by my room for me to dress. I was naked last night at the ceremony. ”
Kevin felt his cheeks get hot, but he nodded and followed him out, hoping no one was in the hall. Richard was casual about his nudity, and now Kevin could see why. The big ones—the wolves, he made himself think—must be naked around each other all the time.
Richard’s room was just down about three rooms from his. Kevin wondered why he hadn’t realized how close he was. Hesitating at the door, he waited for Richard to wave him inside the room. It was larger than his, and sparsely furnished. It reminded Kevin of a suite in a hotel, with a small kitchen of sorts. It was no more than a microwave on a counter next to a sink and a small refrigerator under the counter.
A dark brown leather sofa stood in the middle of the room with a matching chair, and over on the side of the large room was a big king-sized bed and some dressers. Everything was Spartan and neat, as Kevin had thought it would be. There was something so organized and controlled about Richard.
He pulled on a pair of underwear, well-worn jeans and a T-shirt, slipped into some scuffed loafers and came back over to him. He dropped a quick kiss on Kevin’s lips. “Ready, babe?”
It must have been later than Kevin thought, because almost no one was around downstairs. A different woman came out to take their order, and Kevin wondered where Emily was. Her husband was part of the so-called guard. Was he being questioned? Richard ordered for both of them and then sat back, seeming to read Kevin’s thoughts.
“Emily must be with Christian this morning. I imagine he’s taking it hard. Todd was his best friend. ” Tucker shifted his gaze down at his hands and Richard covered one of them with his. “No, don’t feel bad about it. If you hadn’t protected both you and Tucker, you’d be dead. I’d have killed him myself if I could have gotten to him before you acted. ”
“I know,” he said quietly. “Still, it’s hard. I’ve killed someone before in the line of duty once a robbery at a quick stop store I rolled up on when I was still on patrol. The guy pulled a gun on me, and I had no choice, but it messes you up, no matter how justifiable it might have been. This time, it was so much more personal, you know?” He passed a hand over his face. “I’m sorry. I guess the reaction is finally starting to set in. My hands are shaking. ”
Richard put a hand over his as the woman brought their breakfast. Kevin took a big sip of his coffee, and the bitter brew strengthened him somewhat. They both ate quietly for a few minutes, and Kevin could feel it bringing him strength.
Gavin showed up beside them, coming in from the side entrance where neither of them had noticed his approach. “How’s Tucker?” Richard asked, before Kevin got a chance.
Gavin smiled. “Much better. Almost completely recovered, and spitting mad because I made him stay in bed this morning. ”
“Wait…what?” Kevin broke in, laying down his fork. “How is that possible? I admit my memory is fuzzy, but I saw that thing ripping his throat open. ”
Gavin and Richard looked at each other and Richard gripped his hand a little tighter, like he was afraid he might bolt again. “Gavin gave him his blood, Kevin. Not only mate’s blood, but alpha’s blood. It’s the strongest of all. ”
“And this healed him somehow?”
