Page 62 of Guarded By the Vodnik

“No,” I gasped out. “Just freaking out. His hand, Vodyan, you cut off his fucking hand…”

“He touched you,” he said coldly as if that explained everything. “Are you sure you’re fine?”

I nodded, clinging to him as my heart slowly calmed down. Vodyan’s tentacles wrapped around me for a moment, all of me surrounded by him, but then he untangled himself and we moved again.

“I dealt with them all,” he said shortly, cupping my ass with his palm. “I killed six lamias. Grandfather would have been proud.”

“Don’t say that,” I said instantly. “You didn’t do it to impress him.”

“No,” he snorted with a cold, quiet laugh. “I did it for you.”

A heavy weight settled in my stomach. Did he… hate me now? I pushed that thought away, deciding not to be a drama queen. He’d just fought a horde of monsters and chopped one to bits to save me. Of course, he was affected.

“And you, baby? Are you hurt?” I asked, stroking his nape once to see his reaction.

He exhaled through his nose, growing marginally less tense. A moment later, he pressed his face to my head and nuzzled in. I stroked him with more confidence, seeing it worked.

“Just a bit. That bullet on the island grazed my arm. Must have been a really good sniper. I also got a few bites. Nothing major.”

A wave of panic bit at my insides. “What?! You’ve been shot? Baby, we have to stop and have a look at it! You need to… get a bandage… or something…”

He laughed, warm and hearty, until he shook all over. I tried to peer at both his arms to see where the wound was, but he pressed on my nape in the familiar, quelling gesture.

“Water will heal me,” he said with amusement. “But it’s cute. That you worry about me.”

“Cute,” I said with outrage before I remembered the way he grew up. My chest squeezed with a burning ache. “Of course I worry about you. Are you in pain? Can I do anything?”

“You’re already doing enough,” he said, splaying his fingers wide under my ass. “And the pain is negligent. I’ve had far worse.”

“I know,” I said quietly. “Doesn’t mean you just have to suffer through it. Have you considered you’ve already gone through your lifetime quota of pain? Maybe things get to only be good from now on?”

He squeezed me with a low hum. “They will be. Once we’re safe. Now, why don’t you tell me all you know about Carver? We have about four hours to kill.”

I grunted, not appreciating the change of topic, but then, if I had information he needed, it would be stupid not to share it.

Though, I doubted I would be helpful.

“All I know is what’s in my testimony,” I said, shivering at the memory. “I don’t know, was that in your file?”

“Tell me everything,” he demanded, angling his palm on my ass to press me closer into him.

My breath hitched, and Vodyan cursed. He readjusted until I sat on his forearm.

“I shouldn’t let myself get distracted. Please, talk. Let’s pretend we’re not fucking for now.”

I sighed regretfully, but then, he still held me and we were close enough to satisfy my need for touch, making it easier to revisit painful memories.

“As you know, I volunteered in the children’s home,” I began, refraining from stroking his nape. “I usually spent a few afternoons there, staying for up to three hours at a time. I made a point of hugging the babies and smaller children while I read to the older kids or played board games with them.”

“Multitasking,” he murmured, his hand twitching.

“Well, I only had so much time,” I explained. “One afternoon, I walked around with two-year-old Laura in my arms. She’s a half-vampire and was new to the home at the time. I prioritized her, because she was scared and withdrawn.”

And she’d really clung to me. My heart squeezed, missing the baby girl who liked playing with my hair and earlobes, for some reason. She already had fangs, and her smiles were so adorable.

“A six-year-old abomination boy came in, saying he wanted to ask me something. Laura had fallen asleep, so I sat down with him.”

“Wait. Abomination?” Vodyan asked, and I couldn’t blame him.

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