Page 248 of Halfblood Deceived

Just then, Aella realized there was something hard against her thigh. Her eyes widened, and her cheeks reddened, but a wide smile spread across her face.

Zeydan huffed, returning her grin. “I couldn’t help it. You… I wasn’t expecting that to feel so fucking amazing, considering the circumstances.”

What circumstances? Aella almost asked, and then she remembered she was coughing up stinky blood not even five minutes ago.

Abashed, she tried to put some distance between them, but ended up squirming slightly.

Zeydan growled low. “That really doesn’t help.” He rearranged her on his lap, holding her weight as if it meant nothing to him.

“Sorry,” Aella muttered.

“You have nothing to feel sorry about,” he assured her, breathing deeply and closing his eyes for a moment. His lips moved soundlessly.

“What’s that?” Aella asked.

“I’m translating England’s national anthem into Japanese,” he said.

Aella blinked. “What for?”

He arched a black brow, lips tilting. “To distract myself.”

Aella bit her lip. “Oh.”

“Yes, oh,” he teased, but got serious again. “We still need to go to the hospital.”

That quenched Aella’s humor. “But I feel fine now.”

Zeydan tucked a lock of messy red hair behind her ear. “I’m glad, but we don’t know what just happened. We don’t know if it can happen again tonight, even with my blood. You’re far stronger than a human, and you heal faster, but if this illness is serious…” He gulped. “I don’t know what’s lethal for you, Aella. And I really don’t want to find out with you bleeding out in my arms again.”

“I don’t want that either,” Aella admitted with a resigned sigh. “Let’s go then, but without letting anyone else know.” She didn’t want to ruin their night.

“Alright,” Zeydan conceded.

She stood carefully, feeling only slightly dizzy.

Zeydan got to his feet, holding her steady. “I got you, Amazon,” he promised.

And Aella knew he did down to her bones.

She had known for a long time.

CHAPTER 48

Aella had fallen asleep while the technician performed a CT scan on her.

Zeydan carried her back to the small room they’d given her to wait for the doctor, much to the half-fey nurse’s annoyance. They were in the supernatural wing of the hospital. As usual, it wasn’t overcrowded. Supernaturals didn’t get ill as often as humans, and they healed faster from accidental injuries.

Aella barely stirred as the petite nurse put an IV in the back of her hand. It infused Aella with fluids to keep her hydrated and had a blood-replenishing potion.

“The doctor will be in soon,” the nurse said. Her long, dark hair was braided down her back, and her medium-brown skin was full of freckles. The tag on her white uniform identified her as Jasmine. “You could wait outside if you wish, Sir.”

“He’s going nowhere,” Aella muttered, opening her gray eyes to give the nurse a stern if slightly cross-eyed, sleepy look. “I don’t want to be alone.”

Jasmine pursed her lips. Her dark eyes examined Zeydan with a touch of wariness and a lot of irritation.

She thinks I hurt her, Zeydan realized with an unpleasant jolt.

“I will be checking in on her again, too,” Nurse Jasmine promised. She was dainty, a whole foot smaller than Zeydan. And still looked ready to throttle him all by herself if need be.

---