Chapter 12
Piper
My head felt like it was an overfilled water balloon just seconds away from bursting. I rolled over on the bed and moved my mouth. Ugh. Why did it taste like I'd eaten a dirty bag of pennies?
A movement to my left, followed by the mattress dipping, was my only signal that someone else was in the room. It was quiet. Too quiet. I tried to open my eyes, but they were so heavy.
"Don't move just yet," a low, sultry voice I knew too well told me, and then Wynn's hand stroked down my back. "You've lost a lot of blood."
Blood? Why did I lose blood? A sharp pain in my neck made all the memories coming rushing back.
Dinner with our creepy host. Leaving to have sex with Rayne. Having sex with Rayne. Then waking to find myself alone. Only to run into Valentine.
I whimpered as the memory of his fangs sinking into my neck resurfaced, and tears slid out of my eyes and pooled beneath my cheek, wetting the pillow. My hand moved up to touch my neck where it still hurt, but it was covered in gauze.
"Shh, now." Wynn took my hand and lowered it. "You're safe. You're going to be sore, but in a few hours, you will be right as rain."
How could that be? I was sure Valentine was going to kill me. He'd taken so much blood and he just wouldn't stop. I’d tried to push him away, but he was so strong. So heavy. And it hurt so much. I had kept crying out in my head for Rayne or any of them to come but they didn't. No one did. Not until it was too late.
A finger brushed beneath my eyes where tears still fell. A shocking ripple of pleasure warmed me and pushed back some of the pain, the horror. My eyes flipped open to meet Wynn's startlingly blue eyes. He peered down at me, not with lust, but with concern and warmth. Dressed in silk pajamas, he seemed perfectly at ease at my side. I reached for his hand, drawing it to my cheek. I wanted that feeling. I needed it. It had to be better than the madness filling my mind.
"You should rest," Wynn insisted, trying to slip his hand out of mine to stand. "Antoine's blood will kick in any minute now, and it'll work faster if you are well rested."
I held tight to his hand, even though I knew he could pull it away if he really wanted to, but he didn't. "Please. Please don't stop. It hurts...so much," I choked out, and the tears poured more freely than ever. Wynn settled back down on the mattress and pressed his hand to my cheek once more. The pleasurable feeling spread through me again. It wasn't the raging desire of lust I knew Wynn could induce, but instead just the heady warmth that came from the preamble of a kiss, a look. That very thing that made you think you could fall in love. It was a far cry better than feeling like a victim. A chew toy for that...that...monster. Dammit. I was usually better at insults, but I couldn't even muster up the strength to call Valentine a name that really described how horrible he really was.
"Better?"
My lashes fluttered to look at Wynn once more and I nodded. "Yeah. Thanks." I shifted and tried to sit up, but I felt heavier than usual. As if gravity was pulling me down until my head was on the pillow again. I sighed in frustration. "This sucks."
Wynn quirked a smile. "I can imagine. Here." He turned and picked up a glass off the nightstand. A quick look past him told me I was in Antoine's room. Well, at least I made it where I was going. Even if it wasn't the way I had planned. I let out a sad, pathetic laugh, making Wynn arch a brow. "Nothing. Just being morbid."
Bringing the water glass to me, Wynn helped me sit up to take a drink. "Please do tell. I would love nothing else more than to hear your morbid thoughts."
After I quenched my thirst, it was my turn to raise my eyebrows. "Really?" Then I realized how silly I was being. "Oh, of course you do. You're a vampire. Morbid is kind of your thing, isn't it?"
Shaking his head with a laugh, Wynn placed the glass back on the nightstand. "Being a vampire has nothing to do with it. I know quite a few vampires who can't stand the sight of blood, let alone death."
"What?" My mouth fell open in shock. "How does that work?"
Lifting a shoulder and dropping it, Wynn turned back to me with a smile. "From what I understand, they have their cook mix the blood into smoothies and other edibles. It helps them pretend they are at least a bit human, even if they are anything but."
I nodded or tried to. The movement pulled on my neck wound and made me wince. "I thought vampire blood healed faster than this. When Rayne broke my wrist, I didn't heal this slowly. Or it didn't feel that way."
"You don't seem to understand the gravity of your situation, Piper," Wynn murmured, his eyes lowering to the bedspread. "You almost died."
Licking my lips, I reached out and placed my hand on top of his, curling my fingers around it until he looked up. "I know. I could feel it. I don't know how, but there was something my chest telling me that I was going to die, and I was so scared. None of you came and I swore you would come." My lip quivered and I had to catch my breath before I started to hyperventilate.
Wynn drew me up and into his arms, wrapping me up in his embrace. "Shhh, it's okay. I've got you. You'll never ever be in that situation ever again. Not while any of us are alive."
I let him rub my back and rock me back and forth like I was a child until my sobbing eased once more. With a sigh, I pulled away from Wynn's chest and stared up into his eyes. Those bright blue eyes that mesmerize me from the beginning. Without thinking, I leaned in and pressed my mouth to his pouty lips.
But Wynn didn't kiss me back.
Frowning and embarrassed as all hell, I pulled back and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "I'm sorry. I thought you and I... I shouldn't have assumed after everything with Antoine and Rayne." I moved to get out of his lap, but Wynn held me closer, making me look up at him in confusion.
"Piper, please don't take this as a rejection. I don't care about who else you have given your heart to." Wynn cupped the side of my face and drew me close. "I would love nothing more than to kiss you and soothe away all your fears, but you are hurt. Now is not the time."
"But when will be? You've made this excuse before." I felt myself pouting like a toddler. "Don't you want me?"