“You’re a blood rose and you can do this for him.”
“But how? He won’t be able to drink.”
Gerrod dropped to the ground to kneel in the dirt beside her, then took her wrist in hand. “May I?”
She nodded. She’d do anything for the Mastyr of Merhaine. He was bonded to a blood rose so he knew what he was talking about.
Gerrod took her wrist and extended his fangs. He scored her skin until her blood flowed, then held the wound to Zephyr’s mouth. “Stroke his throat. That will help him know what to do since the swallowing reflexes are strongest there.”
The medic continued to work on Zephyr, holding one hand to the chest wound and the other to his severely burned hip. She could see that he was healing quickly. But the fae part of her told her that without her blood he’d die.
As instructed, Alesia stroked Zephyr’s throat and coaxed him. “Drink, Zeph, please. Take what you need from me. Let me heal you.”
He was so pale, so close to death, that she could hardly bear it. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Gerrod spoke quietly from behind her. “You’re doing fine, just be patient. Once he catches your blood-rose flavor, well, you’ll see. His body will take over and he’ll do what needs to be done.”
Though most of the blood that seeped from her wrist fell into the dirt, enough pooled in Zephyr’s mouth that his entire body jerked suddenly. He brought his hands forward and grabbed her forearm, pulling her wrist tightly to his mouth. Though his eyes remained shut, he began to feed.
Alesia barely held back the sob that caught in her throat. Gerrod patted her shoulder and told her she’d done well. He then ordered three of his Guardsmen to stay with her until Zephyr was fully healed and could return to his house.
But before Gerrod left, he caught Alesia’s gaze. “He’s one of our finest, you know. And he’s saved my life more than once. You would do well to complete the bond with him.”
Alesia nodded. “You’re right. You’re absolutely right.”
With that, Gerrod wished her well and took to the skies. Alesia continued to feed Zephyr until at last the wound in his chest closed up and his eyes opened.
“Thank the Goddess, you’re alive,” he whispered, drawing back from her.
That those were the first words he said to her, not caring about his own condition, would forever fix in her mind just how much he cared about her, how much he loved her.
***
Chapter Five
An hour later and fully healed, Zephyr held Alesia’s hands in his. He stood in front of the bedroom fireplace where they’d been arguing earlier. Only this time Alesia had just told him she’d come to a decision.
Zephyr had never been in this place before. He was nerved up as hell and all because Alesia had said she’d bond with him, a blood rose bond, and that she wanted a permanent relationship with him.
At that same time, joy moved through his chest like a strong wind so that he smiled way too much, enough to feel like an idiot.
“Are you sure?” he asked. “I know I pressured you earlier tonight, but I don’t want you doing this unless it’s exactly what you want your life to be.”
Alesia’s green eyes glowed with new determination. “I’m sure, Zeph. More than sure. I’m astoun
ded by how much I want to. I also have this terrible fear that if I don’t, I’ll lose you forever and I couldn’t bear that.”
“How would you lose me forever?”
“I don’t know. It’s not rational. But after all that happened near the tunnel exit, I saw you in a light I’d never seen before and I realized that more than anything I wanted to bond with you.”
He shook his head slightly as he thought about the battle with the wraith-pair. “You saved my life when you fired at your own mother.”
“And you deflected the shot just enough to save her. She would have died otherwise, but I still don’t know how you did it.”
“Lots and lots of practice in the field.”
She released his hands and slid her arms around his waist, hugging him tight. “Don’t remind me.”