Page 47 of Kidnapping Their Third

“You’re talking,” she said in a loud whisper. “You used my name. You’ve never said my name before!”

Kimble’s pleading expression turned ashamed, and he looked down at his lap, his shoulders hunching. “Bad-bad-bad me. Sorry.”

Cora looked at Pike, her expression confused and bordering on angry. “Has he been able to do this the whole time? Has he been faking being worse than he is?”

Pike shook his head. “No, he really was that bad. But whatever happened with sharing our auras must’ve not only healed him but gone a long way to helping him get better.”

“Auras,” Cora said with a grimace. “That’s why I feel like shit. I remember some of it now, but it’s all fuzzy. I haven’t felt this bad since the last time I got sick and that was years ago.”

“Cora eat, please?” Kimble begged, still looking down. He pulled her hand off his and turned it over to place the single cracker on her palm. “Please, please?”

Cora accepted the cracker and cupped Kimble’s cheek with her free hand. “I’ll eat, but you have to promise no more trading your aura for a necklace, no matter how pretty it is, okay?”

“Idiot,” Kimble mumbled, looking close to tears. “Idiot and bad. Dumb-dumb-dumb. Will be better.”

“Hey, easy there,” Cora murmured. “No more guilt. Shit’s hard enough. We’re all just trying to do our best, and we’re going to make mistakes. You wanted to give me a gift. I get that. It was sweet, and I love it, but what I want more is for you to be healthy. Yeah?”

It was obvious she was doing her best to keep the pain off her face as she spoke. That reminded Pike he was supposed to be getting her medicine. He heard Kimble say something and Cora responded as he searched the bathroom drawer. Once he found the bottle, he returned and shook out two tablets for Cora.

She managed to eat the cracker Kimble had given her and was now fending off a second one with a genuine smile.

“Let these take effect then I’ll eat more,” she promised, popping the pills in her mouth and swallowing them dry.

“Ewww,” Pike said, his face contorted in disgust, making Cora chuckle.

“Whatever,” she mumbled, letting her head rest back on the pillows. “I want matzo ball soup. I always have matzo ball soup when I’m sick.”

“No problem,” Pike answered without hesitation. He had no idea what “matzo” was, but he’d find out and make it into balls for her.

“Thanks,” she whispered, then patted the bed next to her. “Kimble can cuddle me while you cook.”

“Aren’t we demanding,” Pike teased as Kimble moved to snuggle next to her.

“I’m sick,” she answered with a smirk. “That means that I’m a princess and get whatever I want. When you’re sick, I’ll do the same for you.”

He didn’t point out that shifters almost never get sick, and he was already feeling almost fully recovered from their earlier ordeal. Instead he bowed.

“Anything my queen wishes,” he said, then swept out of the room with his nose in the air like a stiff-backed butler from an old movie. He was rewarded with a soft chuckle from Cora.

To his relief, it turned out matzo ball soup was easy to make because Cora had a jar of it in her pantry. According to the label it was even kosher, whatever that meant.

He didn’t like that his mate felt ill, but he couldn’t help but hum and dance a little as he heated up the soup on the stove. Kimble was getting better, Cora had already forgiven him, and everyone was alive.

Considering the year he’d had; this was as good as he could ever hope for!

Chapter 19

Cora

The next morning, it only took one call to Charlotte to have the entire week of work either rescheduled or handed over to Glen Santos, a friend and fellow electrician with his own small company. With that done, Cora could concentrate on getting better. With two gorgeous men seeing to her every need, she was almost tempted to pretend to be sick for longer.

She’d slept for most of the last two days and on the rare occasion she was awake, Kimble, Pike, or both were trying to get her to drink and eat. It was the evening of the third day and although she was feeling better, she probably wasn’t steady enough to take a shower. Even trips to the bathroom and back left her feeling exhausted.

Running a hand through her hair, she grimaced at how greasy it felt. Ugh!

“What’s wrong?” Pike asked. She was snuggled between the two of them on the couch watching some emergency room drama that made Kimble laugh occasionally, probably from all the fake blood.

Pike’s question drew Kimble’s attention to her. “Tired? Do you need sleep again?”

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