Page 109 of Heart of the High King
Chapter 43
After being up for most of the night, Aleksander was exhausted and had a horrible crick in his neck from his refusal to let go of Rafe’s hand while trying to find a comfortable position in his chair. Council hospitals kept their patients in beds large enough for mates to share, but he refused to climb in on the off chance he’d cause Rafe any pain. The nurses were keeping track of his swelling, and it had continued through the night. His face was puffy and so was the rest of him, but they were hoping it had finally leveled off. Aleksander had liked the silver that had threaded through his curls, but at least now he understood why Mortis’s fur had changed to navy.
Rafe’s eyelashes fluttered, making him smile. Although his mate had awakened several times, he hadn’t stayed that way long. “Hi,” Rafe offered when he caught sight of Aleksander staring at him.
“Hi, how are you feeling?”
“Sore.”
“You want some pain medication?”
Rafe shook his head. “No, I don’t like the way it makes me feel. Did they fix my hips?”
“Yes.”
“Is that why my face feels funny?”
“You’re very swollen.”
“I guess they won’t be able to fix the major stuff then, since I’ve reacted to the magic again.”
Aleksander squeezed his hand. “Babe, you don’t need any more healing. At least not right now. We’ll have to see how the aging goes. You might need things taken care of in the future, but you’re as good as new. Everything is fixed. Literallyeverything. You don’t even have that scar over your eyebrow that you had when we met.”
Rafe blinked heavily. “What?”
“I guess it didn’t sink in when I told you last night. You’re fully restored.”
“Okay.”
“You don’t believe me, do you?”
“No.”
With a chuckle, Aleksander raised their joined hands, so the blankets fell off Rafe’s arm. “Look, no scars.”
“I don’t understand.”
When the door swung open to reveal Dr. Suricata, Aleksander nearly raced to kiss her on the mouth. Maybe she could convince Rafe that he was better.
“Good morning,” she remarked brightly. “How’re you feeling this morning, Rafe?”
“Confused. Why would they remove the scars from my arm? And why does Aleksander think I’m fully restored?”
Walking over to pat his leg, Dr. Suricata grinned. “I never imagined yesterday that when we started, we’d get results like this. You can thank your mate for his extremely powerful dragon and the efforts of the talented Sorcery D’Vaire, but you are, indeed, as good as new. We took a CT scan of your abdomen and chest. Your missing organs are restored and functioning well. The rod is gone, and so are the ankle pins. Your blood tests show the cancer is eradicated, and they also removed the superficial scars that covered you from head to toe.”
“Okay.”
“I’m serious, Rafe. Your only issue right now is the severe swelling, but I truly believe we’ve reached the peak, and it should start to slowly dissipate as long as you stay around these Cwylld stones until the magic wears off. And allow me to congratulate you on your matebond. I know you didn’t want a blood transfusion but when it became necessary, Aleksander’s dragon would allow no one—not even Their Majesties—to keep him from his other half. That is why we permitted him to bite you.”
Rafe’s attention went from Dr. Suricata to Aleksander. In his blue eyes—which Aleksander had to admit were more gorgeous with the silver and gold rings near his pupils—was a mixture of hope and disbelief. Acting on instinct, Aleksander leaned forward, and Rafe shifted to meet him halfway.
When their lips met, it didn’t matter where they were or who else was in the room. Rafe slid his tongue in as they kissed with all the longing that had grown between them in the months since he was kidnapped. It made Aleksander’s head swim, and he had no doubt Fate had picked the perfect man for him. With his free hand, Aleksander cupped his face and stroked his swollen skin, so happy just to be with him.
The man he adored pulled away but a second later brushed his mouth gently across Aleksander’s. Their gazes locked as Rafe lay back down, and Aleksander hoped he never forgot the smile on his face.
“If I’m fixed, why can’t I go home?” Rafe demanded of Dr. Suricata when he finally looked away from Aleksander.
“You’re still being monitored for your swelling,” Dr. Suricata responded. “You haven’t even tried to walk yet. Your catheter is still in.”
