Page 66 of Venomous Lust
He could kill Knut, could sneak inside whatever building the Avonie was hiding in. But he also knew one other thing.
He wasn’t coming back alive.
Chapter 21
Hazel
The air was long gone from her lungs and her screams had long quieted in her throat, but still, the agony raged on. For a long time, Hazel floated in the dark embrace of the fire, but little by little, the flames retreated. The blazing pain subsided and she could think.
Finally, with a supreme effort, Hazel swam to the surface, leaving the pain below. Her eyes shot open like a drowning woman breaching the surface and she breathed deeply.
Khal was still by her side, his hand still entwined with hers. As soon as she came to, he turned to bark something at another person in the room, then looked back at her.
His Prussian blue eyes locked with hers, impossibly beautiful, full of an emotion that raged just beneath the surface.
“You were lost to the world for two entire days.” His voice was a whisper, but the underlying strength made Hazel shiver. She had held on to his voice—to his presence—through her agony like she had never allowed herself to depend on anyone before, not even Sally. “I thought I had lost you.”
There was such a wealth of despair, of fear, in Khal’s last words, Hazel was choked with emotion just hearing him. If she had never allowed anyone else to mean so much to her, she had never counted so much for anyone else, either.
“I’m sorry.” She tore her eyes from Khal’s and stared at her hands, so small and frail on her stomach. He was so strong, so brave. He deserved a mate who was smart and fierce. He deserved so much more than her. “I wasn’t strong enough.”
She wanted to tell him that she knew he deserved everything that she was not, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t lose Khal; she would never survive it.
His hand closed around hers and he squeezed, hard. There was something in the intensity of the way he looked at her that made her want to cry and laugh at the same time.
“You were braver than many a warrior I have fought side by side with.” Khal was still looking at her, his impossible eyes shining, his handsome face full of gut-wrenching emotion. “You saved both our lives without shedding a single drop of blood, have no doubt about that. I was blessed by the Midnight God to find a mate such as you, Hazel.”
He bent down, his lips closing on hers. A soft warmth spread through her body, originating from where his lips touched hers. Feelings welled inside her chest, a devotion she had never felt for anyone except her sister.
She knew what that feeling was, what that feeling meant, and never before had she embraced it the way she did today. And she knew that with the danger lurking all around, she might never have another chance to tell him.
When Khal broke the kiss, she was out of breath. His forehead rested on hers and they both breathed the same air, like they were two halves of only one soul. Her hand moved of its own accord and she cradled his cheek. His smooth, thick skin felt warm under her palm, the tiny bumps of his warrior markings soothing and good.
“I love you.” Hazel’s words were like a confession, her eyes still closed as she savored the feeling of his body so close to hers.
“You are my heart, Hazel,” Khal answered her. “There is no life without you in it, not because of the Mating Venom, but because my soul has found its home in your heart. Never doubt that.”
They stayed like that for a long time, savoring each other’s presence. That this bliss could be taken away at any moment only made it more precious.
Finally, Khal pulled away, the loss of his touch like a stabbing wound to her chest. But he was right; no matter how much they wanted to stay like this, hide from the horrors of the world outside, they couldn’t. The horrors were there, waiting, and they were only getting stronger.
A movement in the side of the room made Hazel and Khal turn together to see Relial, the healer, standing in the opening. He approached, immediately focused on his task. His deft fingers lifted the pale white fabric covering her thigh, discarding it to one side to reveal pink, glistening skin.
Hazel watched, wordless for a few seconds.
“It’s gone.” Her voice was weak and she blinked in stunned shock. “How can this be?”
“The milk of the Mother carries incredible pain.” Relial spoke softly, and there was respect in his eyes when he looked at her. “But in the end, she nurtures the flesh of her children.” He ran his fingers over the long, thick pink mark, inspecting her healing with critical eyes. When he was satisfied, he straightened.
“You will eat and rest,” Relial ordered with medical authority. “Your body needs to rebuild its strength. Mazike will bring you food and drink, and you must take it all. Leave nothing.”
As if just waiting to hear the words, another Muharee entered the room. This one was smaller, with slimmer limbs, and moved with elegant poise. It was wrapped in the same green fabric, but its clothes were subtly different. It had no breasts or hips, but the sleeves of the garment were puffed at the elbows and a short frill covered its ankles. The brown scales of the skull were longer, frilled at the points.
A female.
The Muharee held a large rectangular plate filled with what looked like pieces of roasted meats and vegetables, which smelled delicious. She put the food on a low bench carved from the rock and shot a nervous glance up at Khal before leaving in a hurry. Not long after, Relial followed suit, but not before setting out new sets of clothing for both Khal and Hazel on the bench beside the food.
“Yalko makes this gift to you, so you will be able to walk freely on the surface.” Relial placed down the perfectly folded pieces of clothing, then left without a word.
