Page 63 of Royal Bite
She stood and navigated her way through the bustle of the infirmary. Hegna couldn’t take her eyes off her. She stopped next to Ellanora, who murmured to her, “She’s a little ornery. Beware.”
“I can hear you, Ellanora. That is no way to speak about your princess.” Hegna smirked. She adjusted the sheet that was over her naked chest. Ellanora had her remove her tunic so she could assess the wounds. Now that Stormey was nearby, Hegna’s nipples beaded up into buds.
“I’m sure she is speaking the truth,” Stormey said.
She hesitated by the entryway then went over to stand next to Hegna. Her wide eyes took in the wound which Hegna was sure was a mess. From the ache and pain in her shoulder muscles, she was sure it wasn’t pleasant to look at.
“How are you feeling?”
“Like a lycan chewed on my shoulder,” she murmured.
“I thought vampires were self-healing.” Stormey’s soft hand slid along Hegna’s and entwined their fingers together.
“I’ll be fine by tomorrow,” Hegna said. Once she got a little blood in her, she’d seek out a human donor. One who would be able to give her what she needed. Her stomach rolled at the thought of feeding from someone who wasn’t Stormey, but it was necessary. She refused to risk harming her. “I want you to go and get cleaned up.”
“But I want to—”
“I’ll be fine,” Hegna cut her off. She squeezed Stormey’s fingers. “I promise. Go shower, get something to eat, and rest.”
Stormey eyed her suspiciously as if she didn’t trust Hegna. Her gaze went back to Hegna’s shoulder, then moved over to her arm with the claw marks. Her human didn’t want to leave her side. She didn’t have to say it. It was evident on her face. Hegna sensed an unfamiliar sensation in her chest she had never experienced before.
“We’ll talk later,” Hegna said.
“Okay.” Stormey leaned down and pressed her lips to Hegna’s in a soft kiss. Her brown eyes filled slightly with tears. She blinked them back and rose. “Do what the healer says and don’t try to be a big brave vampire.”
It would seem her mate knew her well.
Stormey backed away from the bed and paused at the door. She smiled at Hegna then walked through the infirmary toward the exit.
Was this love or another type of emotion that came along with the bond?
Hegna followed Stormey’s figure until she disappeared through the door. Ellanora and her assistant returned to the room.
Her mate had ordered her to follow all directions from the healer. She certainly was. Afterward, Hegna would go seek out a donor and force herself to feed.
Stormey knew she had been sent away. There was something Hegna didn’t want her to see. She felt slightly hurt by it, but she sensed Hegna was truly trying. Their relationship was moving in the right direction.
She felt it down in her bones.
That moment when Hegna had been placed into the car, basically bleeding to death, had almost had Stormey losing her mind. She had watched Hegna from the moment she’d stepped out of the car. There was no question the woman was a badass. She and her warriors didn’t back down from the big monsters.
Hegna had fought with one large dagger and a small one. Stormey’s heart had seemed to lodge itself into her throat as she’d watched Hegna fight. The woman was fearless and lethal. The instant that huge lycan had sidled behind her and bitten her, Stormey had screamed. She’d had the urge to bolt from the car and warn Hegna, but she had common sense. That would have caused a distraction that could have proved fatal.
Stormey held her towel around herself and walked into her bedroom.
“Mistress, I have brought you something to eat,” Cici announced. The vampire was arranging her food on the table for her.
“You are so sweet.” Stormey inhaled the delicious aroma that filled the air. She stopped by the table and appreciated Cici’s thoughtfulness. She didn’t want to eat where others could see her. If she ate in the dining hall, she was sure to be bombarded with questions about the battle that had gone on downtown. She didn’t want to answer questions about the princess. Word had made it around the castle that their princess was in the infirmary. “Let me throw some clothes on.”
“I took the liberty of putting some comfortable things on the bed for you.” Cici smiled softly.
Stormey picked up her worry by the sound of her voice, her facial expression, and the way she stood.
“She’s going to be okay. The princess is very stubborn,” Stormey said. She picked up a dinner roll and took a bite out of it. The buttery bread was mouthwatering good. She moaned and dropped it back down in the basket.
“Thank you, mistress. The princess is our hope for the future.” Cici stood back from the table, fiddling with her hands. She looked pale, even for a vampire.
It was then Stormey understood how much these vampires loved their princess. Even the warriors who fought for her did so with such abandon. They were willing to lay down their lives for Hegna. Stormey wished she could say the same for mankind. Humans didn’t have such loyalty to their leaders. History proved how often humans fought each other.
