Page 64 of Possessed By the Leonid King

“I promise to be your personal bedside physician.” Marcus scooped her up in his arms, nostrils twitching. “Hm.”

“What?”

“I hope Ru doesn’t punch me for touching his mate. You are inundated with his scent. He marked you very thoroughly.”

Layla wanted to make a retort, but Marcus whisked her onto the elevator, the paw holding his small medical bang poking the button for her deck. The elevator whirred and zipped to life, and Layla felt everything fade to a misty black.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Layla woke up lying on her side with a cool towel on her head and a tiny pink basin next to her. “Ru?”

“I’m here, My Queen.” Rupex hurried over and knelt next to her bed. “Are you feeling better?”

Layla took stock of herself. She felt hot. Horny. And like she wanted to sob into Ru’s chest, burying her nose in the softest planes of fur that met over his chiseled pecs.

“I feel hot.” That was enough information. “And thirsty.”

Rupex put a glass of water in her hand.

“What about your meeting with Talos? Is it over?”

Ru’s whiskers twitched. “That was yesterday, Layla. You slept all afternoon and all night. Marcus and I have been keeping an eye on you. It’s morning now.”

No wonder she felt like she had to pee.

Layla sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed—and fell into Ru’s arms like someone had pushed her over. “What the hell?”

“Layla, you’re not just having a reaction to the booster.”

“Help me to the bathroom. Tell me more on the way,” Layla insisted.

“Yes, of course. Let me get Marcus while you’re otherwise occupied. He made me promise I would call him the second you woke up.”

Layla nodded grimly, trying to regain her balance. The room swam, but at least she landed with her bottom on the toilet and not her head.

As she sat, the world slowly settled and her temperature seemed to settle, too. She still wanted to be near Rupex. Her anger at an offhand comment seemed ridiculous now.

Ru said I’m not having a reaction to the shot. Am I sick? What if I’m sick-sick? Don’t get well-sick? Layla’s stomach churned. I don’t want to waste time being mad about some comment he didn’t even think about. He’s my Ru. He’s the only man I’ve ever loved—and I don’t care if he’s covered in fur and has a tail.

I’m very fond of that tail...

Layla steadied herself and cleaned up before rejoining Rupex in the bedroom, where she was confronted by two worried Leonids. At least, she suspected they were worried. Both had a suppressed anxiousness in their eyes. “Tell me. Just tell me. I’ve had a lifetime of horrible news, I can take a little more.”

Marcus shrugged. “I don’t think it’s horrible. I took blood while you were sleeping, just to rule out anything serious. You have a very sharp spike in MHC.”

MHC. Layla racked her brains. She’d heard that word before. It had some medical connotation obviously. Was it in conjunction with the virus? Had she been exposed somehow, maybe when she was drugged and shipped like a piece of hardware?

Fear for herself vanished. “I don’t know how I was exposed to it. And it must be mild to be dormant for so long—but what about you two? Ru? Are you going to be okay? You said the virus wasn’t fatal to males.”

“Virus?” Rupex came and sat next to her, pulling her gently into his lap. In fact, he handled her like she was beyond breakable, like she was already coming apart. “That isn’t the virus, is it, Marcus?” His voice had a tremble that Layla instantly loved and had never heard.

“I wanted to tell you when you were together. It’s early days yet, but you know how advanced lab tests for simple things like pregnancy have become.”

“But... my period was just a week and a half—wait! Did you say pregnant? Did he say pregnant?” Layla put a hand to her heart and felt it racing.

“He said pregnant, little Queen.” Rupex nuzzled into her neck, leaving wetness on her shoulder.

“But I can’t be very far along. Maybe just a few days!”

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