Page 53 of His Retribution

Windows that are now streaming in sunlight.

In a panic, I scramble toward the farthest corner of her bed but between my size and her space it does nothing but partially shield my face.

My hands and arms have already begun to blister, my jeans are literally smoking. The only part of my shirt that isn't singed is where my angel was laying, and when I attempt to reach for a blanket, my hand goes directly in front of the window.

I cry out in pain as the blisters on the back of my hand catch fire, successfully waking my already stirring mate and scaring the shit out of her.

"Oh my gosh! Oh! Oh Havok, honey, you're on fire!"

Not quite, but almost.

Then my light does something remarkable.

She grabs her comforter and throws it over my head, covers as much of me as possible with it then slams an indoor shutter down over each of the two rectangular windows by her bed.

I can hear her climb down the ladder then feel another blanket go over my legs and feet before the sound of multiple shutters slamming hits my ears. After a few adorable grunts, I even hear the skylight close and one more shutter slide into place, then a lamp clicks on and my mate climbs the ladder again.

Slowly, so slowly and carefully, she pulls the comforter off of my head and I'm met with wide blue eyes rimmed in red.

"Oh, Havok..." She scoots toward me on her knees, tentatively reaches out and cups my cheeks. Her eyes scan my face, stopping periodically at what are probably very unattractive blisters that will heal sooner than she thinks, then those electric blue eyes flick to mine. "Does it hurt?"

I can't help but smile. "Yes."

Her brow furrows. "And you're smiling?"

“Yes," I grin wider. "You called me honey and I just proved to you how fucking hot I truly am."

My light blinks at me twice before she dissolves into a fit of laughter. "You are such a dork! Oh my gosh!" She snorts into the back of her hand and shakes her head. "Do you need me to get you anything? Dress the wounds? Maybe put ice cream all over your face?"

I frown. "Ice cream?"

"It's cold, and vitamin D is good for your skin.” She giggles and shrugs. "I've never used it on more than a fingertip though."

My light pulls the blankets off of me completely, checks over the holes in my clothes, the fading blisters on my skin, then takes off my trainers that had already started to melt and tosses them over the edge of the bed.

When her eyes find mine again, that's when I know all joking is put aside.

"That's not just an allergy to the sun, Havok."

I shake my head, panic setting in again at the questions to follow, the rejection that will crush me.

"Care to explain why you almost caught fire?"

I shake my head again, roll my lips between my teeth.

Just like a toddler.

I refuse to use mybig boy words, just like a two-year-old in the midst of a meltdown.

"Havok..." My light scoots a little closer, grips the side of my neck. "If I'm going to make the stupidest decision of my life and allow myself to seriously consider staying in one place, finally get close to someone, close to you because goddamnit I want that, then I expect you to be honest with me." Her warm thumb caresses my out of control pulse in my neck, smooths over it back and forth. "I meant what I said last night. I don't want to be alone anymore and that's because of you. If I'm going to open myself up to you and risk everything to break my one rule so I can have just a little bit of happiness for two weeks, then I expect you to do the same."

I search her eyes, find her truth, the hard and resolved truth in her words, and take a deep breath. "It is an allergy but not like one normally has to the sun."

"Clearly."

I smirk then take a deep breath. "My body cannot process the rays of the sun the way others do because of my genetics." Oh gods, I feel sick, "My DNA is not like yours, not like anyone else's. I cannot tolerate any exposure to the sun because I..." I swallow so hard I almost choke on my tongue. "I am a vampire."

My light continues to stare at me for an agonizing few moments then nods her head once and smiles. "See, isn't it so much better to get that shit off your chest?"