Oh, shit. I hadn’t thought of it that way.
“They can’t do anything to me, I’m his Fated. Without me, they don’t get their Pureblood heir.” I say, shaking my head. “They can’t endanger his succession.”
“They can and they fucking will,” he growls. “The council has been a thorn in all our sides since the Vasile Purebloods decided to play god and govern us all. The Preutescu Purebloods, that’s Gabriel’s family, were the only ones who stood up to them. They’ve had their claws out for the Preutescu family ever since.”
“Wait,” I frown, uncertainty coiling in my stomach. “If Gabriel knew all this, then why did he give in and take the role of King?”
Valentine and Church share a look, then Church drops his head and sighs. “Because of me. I endangered the nest when I didn’t tell him about Xenia being my Fated and escaping the cellar. He did it to protect us.”
Xenia blanches, peering up at me with wide eyes. I know she must be feeling like utter shit right now since she led the hunters to Gabriel’s nest, but now it looks like both her and Church’s actions have had long-lasting effects.
“Christ,” I murmur, raking my fingers through my hair. “Will they have me killed and made an example of?”
“If they touch... a fucking hair on your head,” all of us spin around to see Gabriel holding his side and doubled over in pain. “I’ll kill every last one of them.”
Valentine rushes to his side and catches him just before he hits the ground, then walks/carries him back inside the bedroom where he lays him down on the bed.
I get on the bed next to him and stroke his hair, listening to the fluid bubble in his lungs as he struggles to breathe. “What are you doing out of bed, King? You’re not strong enough to crawl, much less walk.”
“I heard… everything,” he says, then turns his head to Valentine. “How did… Amara–”
“Daniel ran back to her with this; it seems she’s been fucking the security on the side. She knows everything, right down to the fact that you’ve been attacked and close to death.” He says, gritting his teeth. “Don’t worry, I killed the fucking mutt.”
“Good,” Gabriel breathes. “Tell the council... I’ll be there in a week.”
“Yes, Pres,” Valentine says, then turns around and walks out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him.
I sigh as I look down at Gabriel struggling to breathe, my heart breaking because I can’t help him. The only thing I could do was remove the baobab bullets and arrows to stop them from poisoning him from the inside, where he could heal my bruised ribs with just a drop of his blood.
To think a year ago I wanted him dead, now I would do anything to see him live.
“I hate seeing you like this,” I say, caressing his clammy forehead, then placing a kiss there.
“I’ll be fine, little lamb,” he says, smiling. “I’ve survived... worse than this.”
“That doesn’t make me worry any less, you know. I just wish there was something…” I trail off when I see one of the bullet holes weeping and my mind goes back to when he offered his blood to help me heal.
He opens his eyes when I go silent and raises a questioning eyebrow at me. “I don’t like… that look on your face.”
I sit back on my haunches and narrow my eyes. “Gabriel, you offered your blood to me the other night when I was hurt. Would my blood heal you the same way–”
“No.” He interjects, shaking his head. “No, I want the first time I taste your blood to be special, not used as a means to survive because Entwining with your Fated is a sacred act.”
“Oh, shut up, Romeo. We’ll have plenty of time to make it special after that. Besides, I first tasted your blood when I put a pair of tweezers in my mouth without thinking. Not exactly romantic, is it?”
He sighs, a wet uncomfortable sound disguised as a sigh. “Katherine–”
“Gabriel. Please, if I can help you, then please allow me to. I’m the reason you’re at Death’s door right now. The hunters came for me and found the one they always wanted.” I explain, not liking that our first time will be like this either, but I’d rather offer myself like this than have his recovery dragged out.
He raises his hand and caresses my cheek with the back of his fingers.
“I adore you, do you know that?” The only man ever to make me blush strikes again. “Are you sure this is what you want? You know what this will mean for you, right?”
I swallow hard, then nod as I recall what he told me so long ago. “I’m your Fated. With your venom in my system, I’ll become a vampire.”
“And is that what you truly want right now, Katherine?” He asks, sitting up and leaning his back against the headboard. The pale, pained look on his face shows that he’s in no condition to be sitting up at all.
“No more sunlight, no more human connections, thirst and hunger like you won’t believe… Are you ready to give all that up for me? Are you ready to commit your life to the shadows?”