Page 101 of Grave Beginnings

“No. Life would probably be less dramatic if we were. One look and we’d have magically fallen into each other’s arms,” Angel said. “But it doesn’t make it any less true. Everyone around us senses it. The shifters at least. That’s why Xavier is being an asshole.”

“Whatever,” Xavier said.

“Shifters have fated mates,” Angel said. “Your magic meshing with mine, welcoming me, feeling like home, all of that means we are mates. There’s more, but I’d rather you not smell like you’re bleeding internally when we run through it all.”

“Probably just a bruised kidney,” I mumbled. It didn’t hurt as much as the shoulder, but not much did.

“Baby, please. Let me heal you,” Angel begged.

“He’ll need to go to the hospital if he says no to your bond,”Xavier said. “I thought the overwhelming smell of blood was from his nose, but you’re right, it’s internal. Deeper.”

“What do we have to do?” I asked. “Not up for horizontal gymnastics.” Especially not with Xavier refusing to leave us alone. I was grateful he kept all his crazy psychic energy away.

“You take a little of my blood. No big deal,” Angel said.

“Like a vampire?” I’d never been grossed out by blood like a lot of people. That was part of what made me a good homicide detective. But I’d also never thought about drinking it.

“No, honey, just a tiny bit in a kiss is enough.”

“Oh, that doesn’t sound so bad.” Though, my jaw ached. I must have taken at least one punch to the face, or maybe it was a kick after I passed out.

“Is that yes?” Angel asked.

“Yes, okay. You’ll still date me, right?”

“Yes, Jude. Even after we bond, if you ever need to get away from me, you only need to call Xavier. But I’d like to continue as we were, getting to know each other, building trust and our relationship.”

Xavier sighed. “I hate breaking mate bonds, but I’ll accept his agreement.” His shadow vanished from the doorway to the bathroom and the door closed behind him.

Angel pressed a kiss to my lips and I sank into him, thinking the next one would bind us, but his tongue slid into my mouth with a copper bite of blood and I swallowed instinctively, searching for the flavor of him around the blood. The kiss hurt a little, even though I knew Angel was being super gentle. I couldn’t help but sigh into his lips, too tired to focus anymore as the pain tugged at me. But in his arms, with his magic swirling around me like a giant, fuzzy blanket, I let go and dropped into the dark of unconsciousness.

34

I rousedto a familiar purr and found Peanut Butter on the pillow beside my head, half wrapped around my face, and a solid body behind me with an arm wrapped around my waist. I tensed, heart racing as I tried to remember how I’d gotten there.

The body behind me moved and I jolted up out of bed, half falling off the side and reaching for my nightstand where I had pepper spray; but Angel sat up, hands in the air, gaze on me, waiting. The night came back in a rush. Cassidy, the beating, and Angel.

Peanut Butter chirped at me. He slunk down off my pillow and stretched before arching his back to meet my pets. I sucked in air, surprised that I didn’t hurt. “Uh… I don’t hurt?”

“Yeah. Sorry. I pushed a little too much healing into you,” Angel said. “I was a little freaked out by the scent of internal bleeding.”

I glanced at the clock; it was after two in the morning. Fuck. What about Ivan? Did someone call Grandpa to let him know I was okay? Was I okay? Bound to a shifter. Mates. That was a lot, and I didn’t know if I understood it.

“You’ll want to take it easy for the next few days. Let your wrist and ribs finish healing,” Angel said.

“I…” had a thousand questions but no idea where to start. What happened if our variant blood mixed? Was I going to become a shifter too? I glanced at my armband. Same color. Help with healing was a perk. A hot mate, another perk.

I headed toward the living room, found Ivan asleep on the couch and the remains of food in the fridge—the dinner Angel had intended to bring. The stuff from the small den had been packed up into open plastic bins, desk moved out to make space for Ivan. I needed to order him a bed.

“Ivan packed that up,” Angel whispered. “Sylas helped him move the desk out. I think it kept his mind off worry about you, as he came in to check on you every half an hour until he finally fell asleep. I think the twins are still downstairs in their car, taking turns keeping watch.”

Keeping watch for what? Zombies? The cops to come find me?

Angel followed me around the apartment, careful to keep his distance, but also close enough that I wondered if he thought I’d pass out again. The nightlight from the bathroom illuminated the apartment. Had it always been that bright? But at least there were no signs of other visitors, shadow people or otherwise.

“Someone should call Grandpa,” I whispered as I returned to the bedroom, though I was uncertain I could crawl back into bed as if nothing had happened.

“Ivan talked to him. He was about to borrow someone named Sandy’s car and drive over, but Ivan convinced him you’d call tomorrow to check in,” Angel said. He hovered. “Can I touch you? It will help soothe your anxiety.”