Page 59 of The Crownless King
Breathing out in relief, Raven released her magic and Amaya slowly allowed his descent onto the bed. Covering him quickly, Amaya used the washcloth she’d discarded to wipe the sweat from his face. She watched patiently as the witch examined Levi for a final time, nodding that her work had been completed. Sebastian led his mate from the room, promising to return once he had her settled. The Chawi took her leave along with him, leaving her and Lucas to watch Levi.
“Can you bring me some warm water?” Amaya requested. “And a towel.”
She wanted…no, needed to care for him. It scared her to think of the frustrating male she was falling for in so vulnerable a position. She paused and blinked, realizing where her thoughts were taking her. How did she get from barely tolerating to falling?
“Do you need anything else?” Lucas asked, setting a storage container full of water down on the bedside table.
“I’m just going to clean him off so that he can rest better.”
Silence descended between them as Amaya wiped down the king with trembling hands. Every now and then, a soft whimper would escape Levi and her heart clenched. Was he still in pain? She pulled the sheet back and swallowed as she got her first clear look at Levi naked.
She wasn’t even gonna go there.
Lucas chuckled behind her but said nothing. All the same, her cheeks flamed and embarrassment churned within her. Instead of focusing on…that area, she started at his feet. Gently, with care she was coming to realize she had for the king, Amaya cleaned his body. She was sliding the blanket back over him when Sebastian reentered the room.
“How is Raven?” she asked him.
“Sleeping, which is where I’m headed next. Has he awakened at all?”
Lucas shook his head. “He needs to feed. He hasn’t been feeding for shit.”
Both their eyes turned to her.
“Why hasn’t he?” she finally asked, unable to take the weight of their stares.
Sebastian gave her an incredulous look. “Shawty, be fucking for real. His mate is under his roof, I’m sure he can’t feed from someone else.”
Her mind immediately went back to a conversation with Levi when he’d told her as much himself. Guilt wiggled its way into her mind, fighting with her justifications. After all, it wasn’t her fault that the king couldn’t feed, despite what they said. Circumstances outside of her control had put her in Levi’s path, and she wasn’t to blame for the tumultuous start to their relationship. He’d been able to feed from the hostess in the club weeks ago. Why hadn’t he fed since then?
“You need to try and get him to feed from you,” Lucas interjected, his tone a lot nicer than Sebastian’s.
She nodded and scanned Levi’s face, her heart softening more towards him. Though she was sure he would hate being described as such, there was a beautiful innocence to him as he lay recovering. The power and authority he commanded while awake was dulled, though still apparent. Thick lashes lay against his cheeks, his lips parted slightly as he slept, his countenance serene. In spite of their start, she was in a position to help and her heart wouldn’t allow her to deny him.
She took a deep breath. “Do I need to cut myself, or…”
The logistics of feeding the king while he was unconscious eluded her. Sebastian gave her an exasperated look and her temper flared.
“How the fuck am I supposed to know how vampires feed?”
“What I told you ‘bout that tone, shawty?” Sebastian snapped.
Lucas stepped between them. “Go to your mate, Bas, I got this.”
“What am I supposed to do?” Amaya asked helplessly.
For the entirety of her life, her mother had warned her to stay away from vampires. Her first encounter had been when the Bayi had picked her up with her family. She hadn’t the first clue how they fed.
“Call him using the bond he forged. His instinct should do the rest.”
Nodding, Amaya crawled into the bed with Levi, sliding beneath the covers. Biting her lip, she wrapped her arms around him, bringing his body into hers. Lucas moved to the end of the bed.
“You’re going to watch?”
Lucas sighed. “Girl.”
“Alright, alright,” she mumbled, settling Levi’s head into her neck.
Amaya caressed the back of his head and searched her mind for their mental connection. It was much easier to get to now than it had been when his body was fighting the poison.
